An example of Chuck Koucky’s horse-hair pottery creations. FILE PHOTO

Be ready for Valentine’s Day with a gift of local art.

The Pine Island Potters Guild’s February showing will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, at Koucky Studios from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Avoid off-island traffic and come to the show in the outdoor courtyard of Koucky Studios (there is ample parking). 

Visitors can meet island artists and craftsmen and find perfect gifts for your sweethearts in a relaxed and fun environment.  

The Valentine’s showing will feature the works of Pine Island artisans in various mediums: pottery, jewelry, woodworking, handmade cigar box style guitars, ready-to-wear art, paintings, glass, books, gourmet jams, mustards and hot sauces, local honey and island-themed home décor.

There will also be fresh baked goods will be available for a delicious snack or to take home as a special addition to any meal. Local Matlacha Pop-Up stores Traders’ Hitching Post and Bert’s Pine Bay Gallery will be in attendance. Each show this season has new artisans setting up. 

At 11 a.m., check out the raku pottery firing demonstration, featuring the horse-hair technique of pottery decoration. Chuck Koucky and some of his pottery students will be demonstrating this method for creating random lines and patterns on the surface of a red-hot raku clay pot using the hair from a tail or mane of a horse.  

All works by participating artists will be available for purchase. This small venue provides a welcoming environment to meet local artists, inquire about their craft and learn about opportunities in our area for classes and workshops.

The Pine Island Potters Guild shows are held on the second Saturday of each month, November through April, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the courtyard of Koucky Studios, at 5971 Bay Point Road in Bokeelia, at the corner of Bay Point and Stringfellow Roads, just after Mile Marker 11, on the east side of Stringfellow.  

For more information about the Potters’ Guild Valentine’s Day Show and Sale, please call Nancy at 239-233-3003 or email her at nrkdesigns@gmail.com.