Crafting At Its Finest: The Beauty & Experience Of Orcas Island Pottery!

A piece of pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

Orcas Island Pottery: An experience all its own!

On my getaway from the city of Seattle (Don’t get me wrong, I love this city…but a guy’s gotta get away somewhere quiet once in a while.) to Orcas Island, our friend’s (and world’s best travel companions) suggested we stop at “the pottery store.”

Now, I’m thinking, Pottery store? *shrug* OK, I guess.

Pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

I am so glad we made the trip.The location is gorgeous and the pottery’s both beautifully crafted and captivating to the eye. The entire experience was fantastic! I shot somewhere around 75 photos while I was there, and would have done more if we hadn’t needed to catch the Ferry back home. I could have spent most of the day there ogling the quality work and enjoying the view!

The view from Orcas Island Pottery.

Orcas Island Pottery was opened in 1945, by Joe and Marclay Sherman. It’s said “They traded a local farmer a set of 4 plates and 4 bowls for the now 150-year-old trapper’s log cabin…” which (in one capacity or other) is still their showroom to this day.

A table of pottery from Orcas Island Pottery.

A piece of pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

Pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

Nowadays, it’s run by Syd Exton, who inherited the pottery store from her grandmother in 1993. Since then, the pottery has been (more or less) the home to a slew of potters over the years.

A piece of pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

Pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

A piece of pottery from Orcas Island Pottery. Photo by Shawn Greenleaf.

Orcas Island Pottery is much more than a pottery store, it’s a place of art, creativity, and inspiration. A place where nature and art intermingle pleasantly. To quote Agent Coulson “It’s a magical place.”