Potty for pottery

From cute as a pip tea cups and mini nesting pots trinkets, to decorative platters and one of a kind lights, we are all fired up about our local ceramists.  Crafting handmade items for your home or bringing you workshops so you can have a go, these artists are potty about pottery. 

The Central Coast has a plethora of places where you can pick up beautiful pottery, including the creative hub everyone’s talking about - Centered Ceramics, at Umina Beach. Pull on an old pair of overalls and get your hands dirty learning how to do wheel throwing, “pinch a pot” and make a mug at this welcoming studio. There are half-day classes, Friday night ‘wine and clay’ sessions, one-day workshops and week-long courses for those keen to really learn how to potter. Plus, creative kids can attend too, after school and during holidays. There is also a small selection of plates, paint trays and other knick-knacks for sale in the studio, while next door you’ll find a gallery where you can pick up a piece or two from a rotating roster of professional artists.

For bowls and pendants that will brighten your home, look no further than Snowflake Ceramics. The small collection of handmade pottery is created by local Mads Smith, who loves making rainbow-painted bowls, tiny pots for trinkets, beautiful bells and delicate plates with sweet messages such as ‘bee happy’. She also creates pretty garden stakes to spruce up your herb patch. They make for the best Central Coast souvenirs, as they’re small enough to travel with, as well as unique gifts. You’ll find the collection online and at Avoca Beachside Markets.

Best known for its bespoke range of handcrafted interior wall lights, Mayclay Ceramics is popular among renovators looking to add special details throughout their homes. Twice-fired for durability, the lights come in subtle stone and dune hues, with designs that are simple and elegant. The ‘winter pendant’ is particularly smart with its metal powder-coated finish. Head online to view the current range.

If you’d like to check out a diverse range of ceramics, from a mother and her two daughters, pop online to view the range from Central Coast-based Cotton and Clay. From porcelain figurines and tealight candle holders to stylish flax ware jugs in duck egg blue and snow white sake bottles, you would be hard-pressed not to find something you adore. There are also beautiful, handmade ceramic herb sticks and pots for patio plants. The family-run business offers free delivery to Central Coast postcodes.

With their bright colours and funky designs, pottery from Sheramics will be the talking point at dinner parties. Terrigal local Sheree Gilchrist creates oblique grazing platters, as well as plates and bowls in all sizes in a rainbow of blues, pinks, purples and oranges. Many pieces feature intricate floral patterns, sometimes inspired by Moroccan tableware, other times by fabrics such as denim, and sometimes by a love of the ocean. Sheree is all about slow living and embracing a “beautifully imperfect” practice, something aspiring potters will learn to embrace during her workshops and term courses.

With eye catching glazes, drips and a unique oval handle, Meg's Mugs are the perfect way to sip your morning tea. Coming all shapes, colours and styles, each individual mug and cup are hand built and finished with a subtle pop of colour adorning the rim.   The local maker, Meg loves nothing more than the feeling a handmade mug give you when you are sipping on a hot drink. You can also experience that feeling too because The Central Coast Visitor Information Centre at The Entrance has an exclusive range of her mugs each stamped with 'Central Coast' making it a special keepsake and gift.