Experience the Pottery Garden

Located in beautiful, picturesque Josiah’s Bay, the Pottery Garden is nestled in a landscape of a lush, charming, serene and relaxing tropical garden, boasting an outdoor wood-fired kiln that is adorned in an amazing assortment of local stones.

The Pottery Garden provides a unique on-land experience like no other in the Virgin Islands. Be a Potter for a few hours.  Try something different and new by writing your own story, learning from a skilled and experience potter to create a one of a kind piece of art.    Whether solo or in a group, classes are private.  Creating a piece of pottery, one is likely to consider its lasting quality and what it means to have something handmade, be found millenniums later — it piques and intrigues the interest of many who learn the practice. It’s an opportunity to create an heirloom, with clay (some source locally) for future generations to enjoy.

A Potters Love Story with Clay

In a quest to find himself while in high school, an introduction to pottery lead Karl Burnett to his passion.  In his own words, “I didn’t necessarily choose pottery, it was a natural coming together”.  Clay was his way of avoiding other things he was encountering in his daily life. His journey began in the ceramics art programme and he recalls that his romance with clay began with the very 1st class.  He was in love with clay and clay loved him too.  It just felt right.

The foundation was laid.  Karl recognised that he had a very basic introduction into the world of pottery, but the spark inside him was lit and evoked his passion for learning more.  Most of what he knows and practices today have been self-taught through reading, experimenting, trial and lots of error.  The internet has become a source of continued learning and growth.  As the craft continues to evolve, so does Karl.

Piece by piece inspirations come, knowing that clay can create almost any form and is transformed into commonly useful decorative arts.  Karl allows his hands, each moment and nature to craft each piece.  The garden infuses life into creativity, with the calming sounds of the ocean in the distance, the tall trees towering above and the sweet sounds of birds chirping.  Karl’s theory is “Pottery is function mixed with expression.  It is an extremely old craft and art form.  An excellent piece of pottery in my opinion is one that is crafted (technically and mechanically) well but still has a sense of charm or freedom of expression.  Pottery also helps me to communicate in a way words cannot. At this point pottery is very much an interwoven part of my life.”

He further describes the process of pottery making as shaping clay and then transforming it into ceramics. Simple as it may sound, there are many different methods and techniques. The techniques typically use at the Pottery Garden are hand building and the potter’s wheel, fired with wood, gas and electricity.

Karl’s pottery journey evolved into a successful business model combining his passion for the craft with the fascination onlookers get while watching him in the making of pottery.  He sees this as his way of giving back by sharing his skills with all that are open to learning and experiencing something new.

With breathtaking sandy white Josiah’s Bay Beach just a stone’s throw away, the Pottery Garden is an island experience not to be missed.

To book your tour, shop the retail store or schedule a class, email info@thepotterygardenvi.com or 284-541-3474.