Ebb & Flow

Connecting with clay on legendary Fogo Island

By Athena Tsavliris

“No one masters the wheel on their first go,” says veteran potter and teacher, Sarah Fulford.

“But if I’ve done my job, you’ll leave feeling that one day you could.”

Sarah’s optimistic, can-do attitude aligns with that of her chosen home. Fogo Island –– where the Ottawa native has lived since 2020 –– is known for transforming from a declining fishing community into a global model of regenerative tourism, culture, and resilience.

Anchored by the iconic Fogo Island Inn, Fogo is a shining example of what is possible when a community bands together to celebrate its unique culture, geography, and heritage.

Many visitors to Sarah’s Fogo Clay Studio come via the Inn, where guests are encouraged to participate in community experiences from berry foraging and cod fishing to throwing a bowl at a local potter’s studio.

Sarah’s Fogo Harbour studio –– a blend of natural wood, sunlight and expansive ocean views –– is a unique setting to try the potter’s wheel or a hand-building project.

“I'm on my own, and the pace here is kind of slow, so it might be several weeks before the finished piece reaches you,” says Sarah, who trims and glazes each vessel in colours that reflect the local palette. “I like to think of it as an echo, a reminder of your time on the island.”

For potters seeking a more immersive experience, Sarah’s week-long retreats are an opportunity to connect more deeply with their craft.  “Some people have never tried pottery before, and others have years of experience,” says Sarah, who houses all eight of her guests in her thoughtfully renovated clapboard adjacent to her studio.

“My hope with the retreats is that people feel a noticeable improvement, that they progress a whole step from where they were.”

All meals are shared in Sarah’s sun-filled kitchen, a chance to connect with fellow potters. When not throwing pots or feasting on wild berries, the island is their playground with countless hiking trails and rocky shores to explore.

On Fogo, there’s inspiration at every turn. Sarah’s own designs are influenced by local flora, fauna, stones and shells. Sea urchins turn into lidded boxes, and wishing stones –– stones with distinctive white lines running through them –– become a bowl or a vase.

Her choice of glazes –– cerulean, lichen, ivory, rust –– references the surrounding land and sea. Sarah’s collection for the Fogo Island Inn –– everything from salt carriers to soup bowls –– is imbued with the same understated elegance that you find throughout the Inn.

Glazed in a glossy celadon, her vessels are a canvas for chef Timothy Charles’ ever turning imagination.

In the winter months, when the island is snow-covered and still, Sarah shifts her focus to her own practice, replenishing the Inn’s inventory and adding new designs to her collection. The solitude is a welcome reprieve after months of teaching and social interaction.

“I realize that I've fallen into the same pattern as the traditional fishermen here who are extremely busy in the summertime catching their fish,” says Sarah. “And then there's this big swoosh in the wintertime where everything plops down, and there are very, very few people around. My production mode is the equivalent of them fixing their nets and building their boats and doing all that kind of thing.”

Come Spring, as the ice starts to recede and fishing boats head out to harvest snow crab and shrimp, Sarah’s first group of hopeful potters step off the ferry and the cycle begins again.

Athena Tsavliris

Athena Tsavliris is a lifestyle writer with a focus on decor, fashion, food and family life. She has written for Toronto Life, the National Post, the Toronto Star, Uppercase, House & Home, Chatelaine and Today's Parent. Pottery is a more recent passion, and you'll often find her running around Toronto covered in clay dust and blue glaze. Athena loves to swim, preferably in the sea. She lives with her husband and their three children in Toronto's south Annex.