Clay, Connection and Wellness: Meet Kathryn Pekin of Creating Wellness WA at Crafted Clay Market

Some potters come to clay purely for the craft. Kathryn Pekin came to it through both craft and care. As the founder of Creating Wellness WA, she blends nearly three decades of pottery and sculpture experience with her work as a mental health counsellor, creating a practice where clay becomes as much a tool for connection and wellbeing as it is a medium for making. You can meet Kathryn and see her work at Crafted Clay Market on Sunday 4 October.

Where Art and Mental Health Meet

Kathryn's business sits at the intersection of her two lifelong passions: mental health and art. Through counselling, art therapy, group sessions and her own creative practice, she's built something that draws on both in equal measure. Pottery and sculpture have been part of her life for nearly 30 years, and she's found that the tactile, grounding nature of clay is inherently therapeutic. It doesn't require anyone to be "artistic" to connect with it. Sometimes it's playful. Sometimes it opens a window into something unconscious and symbolic. And sometimes it's simply a good excuse to sit with friends and talk while your hands are busy. Kathryn's years living regionally have shaped her work too, with inspiration drawn from the deep reds and oranges of the Pilbara and, more recently, coastal landscapes closer to home.

How the Magic is Made

All of Kathryn's pottery is handmade on the wheel in her home studio. Her sculptural pieces are built using a range of techniques, including coil and slab construction, with forms altered and textured using stamps, imprints and stencils. She experiments with her own glazes and works with natural firing methods like raku and pit firing, techniques that incorporate organic materials such as horsehair and copper wire for unpredictable, one-of-a-kind results. Because raku and pit firing rely on open fire, these pieces can only be made during the cooler months. Other work is fired to midfire at 1240°C and designed for everyday domestic use. Depending on the technique, a single piece can take several months from first shaping to final firing.

What People Take Away From Her Work

Kathryn's approach has left a lasting impression on those who've worked alongside her. One participant said "A shout out and thanks to Kathryn for a beautiful afternoon, connecting with other women, slowing life down through the sculpting, shaping of and breathing life into our feminine forms". Another shared that "Kathryn's approach to art making is so warm, flexible and patient. She strikes an excellent balance between instruction, mentoring and guidance toward a great result. She is a very calm presence and her wealth of experience with clay means she encourages personal creativity backed up with professional technique. Time passes quickly and joyfully."

A Practice Built on Balance

Pottery is a part-time pursuit for Kathryn, who also works as a mental health counsellor. Rather than competing for her attention, she's found the two feel complementary, each one informing and supporting the other.

Sustainability Woven Into The Process

Sustainability shows up throughout Kathryn's practice. All clay is recycled, and her ceramic pieces are designed to replace equivalent items that would otherwise be made from plastic. Materials used in her workshops and firings are often repurposed too, from cards and corks to organic elements like leaves, horsehair and copper wire.

The Challenge of Getting the Work Seen

Like many makers, Kathryn's biggest challenge hasn't been the making itself, it's been selling and promoting her products. Markets like Crafted Clay give her work a platform to reach people directly, without that gap.

Looking Ahead

Kathryn's goals are centred on community as much as craft: building connection around art at a local level, bringing joy into the creative process for others, and continuing to make and sell her pottery and sculpture into the future.

Why Crafted Clay Market?

For Kathryn, Crafted Clay Market is about the people as much as the pieces. She values the chance to meet fellow stallholders, connect with other artists and customers, and share her work with a community that appreciates handmade, meaningful objects.

Come meet Kathryn Pekin and see her handmade pottery and sculpture at Crafted Clay Market, Sunday 4 October, at The Glasshouse, Cloverdale. Follow her work at @kathrynp412.