Artist Ken Loverock has a passion for pottery. From his studio in Fergusonvale, he crafts unique and aesthetic clayware, infusing each piece with a bit of his soul.

But, as much as he loves the results of working with his hands, equally rewarding is the opportunity to pass along his knowledge and passion to novice potters, watching as they take their first tentative steps into the world of pottery.

Loverock made that journey of discovery more than 30 years ago.

“There wasn’t one specific event that I can point to that got me interested in pottery,” he said.

“While attending Georgian College in the 1970s, I went through the studio there and, as a result of what I saw, literally changed course to take up pottery. I was hooked and enrolled in a Georgian program that was then called Ceramics and Glass, focusing on pottery.”

After graduating in 1980, Loverock found a place in Fergusonvale and set up shop. He hasn’t looked back.

Over the course of 28 years, he’s become a fixture on the Simcoe County arts scene, much admired for his craftsmanship. He operates a retail store and classroom alongside his studio, and finds inspiration in both art and instruction.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, so, like any job, there are parts that aren’t too thrilling, but I still find excitement in what I do,” Loverock explained. “I love seeing raw clay transformed into something with function. It’s neat to think that people will be serving dinner on the stuff I make for 20 years.

“And I also really enjoy sharing my knowledge with students, watching them get into it.”

The teaching aspect of Loverock’s portfolio began almost by accident. Hearing customers repeatedly asking where they could go to learn the art of pottery, and realizing no one was doing it, Loverock decided to fill the niche himself. That was almost 20 years ago. His classes remain in demand to this day.

Courses consist of six classes, three hours per night, spread out over six weeks. Class sizes are typically between six and eight people, a number that offers an ideal teacher-to-student ratio and allows half the students to be on one of the classroom’s four potter’s wheels at a time.

Courses cost $225, which includes materials and 20 pounds of clay.

“Most of the students are women, but not exclusively. We do get some men,” Loverock said.

Another memory elicits a chuckle: “I did classes for wives of Honda executives from Japan. None of then could speak English; we worked through interpreters. It was challenging, but a lot of fun.”

Every student seems to want to emulate the scene from the movie Ghost, where Demi Moore sits at a potter’s wheel working clay. It seems relaxing, inspiring, perhaps even sensual.

But few people realize just how difficult it is to master the technique.

“Using the potter’s wheel is a real skill,” explained Loverock.

He added “throwing,” the process of making pottery on a wheel, is hard to learn, like picking up a new instrument, so students only get the basics in a six-week course.

“But everyone seems to want to try it nonetheless.”

Working off-wheel is called hand-building, and is a more easy art to master. It’s more forgiving, less intricate, and less demanding physically and mentally.

Even so, Loverock said he finds most people are unaware of how many steps are involved in pottery and how hard it is.

Educating people about pottery, making them more appreciative of the work that goes into handcrafted ceramic pieces, is something he takes pride in and feels is a valuable investment in time. To that end, he also does classes for schools and day camps, exposing youngsters to this art form.

In this mechanized world, it seems people are increasing becoming appreciative of things that are handmade. Many even aspire to doing the workmanship themselves.

Perhaps that explains the continued interest in Ken Loverock’s wares and pottery classes – a fascination the craftsman shapes and molds in his expert hands.