Lakeside Pottery Studio — Attraction in Lewes

I would like to share my experience with Lakeside Pottery, where I recently entrusted them with two valuable pieces: a large Japanese charger and a magnificent 19th-century imperial Chinese charger. Both pieces were in need of restoration.

Unfortunately, the Japanese charger arrived in pieces due to shipping mishaps. However, Morty’s immediate response was exceptional.

What truly sets Morty apart is his mastery of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Morty’s approach to my shattered Japanese charger exemplified this art and philosophy. He did not merely repair the damage; he celebrated it as part of the object’s history, creating something more beautiful and valuable than the original.

Morty’s expertise, kindness, and generosity with his time immediately put me at ease. His profound knowledge in the field was evident from our initial interaction. When I received the restored pieces, I was astounded by the craftsmanship. The artistry displayed by Morty and Patty was truly extraordinary. I felt as though I had witnessed greatness firsthand.

What distinguishes Lakeside Pottery is not only their technical proficiency but also the humanity and care they infuse into their work. My items were treated with the utmost respect and attention to detail. I always felt that they cared for me not only as a customer but as a friend.

The results are evident, particularly with the Japanese charger, where the golden Kintsugi repairs beautifully accentuate the piece’s journey and rebirth. The visible gold lines do not conceal the damage but transform it into a captivating artistic statement.

For the Chinese charger, where invisibility was the objective, the repair work is so skillfully executed that it is almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

I highly recommend Lakeside Pottery. If you have ceramic or pottery pieces that require expert restoration, whether they are valuable antiques or cherished keepsakes, Morty and Patty are the preferred professionals. Their combination of technical expertise, artistic sensibility, and genuine care for their clients is truly exceptional. Morty’s mastery of Kintsugi, in particular, offers a unique and profound approach to ceramic repair that transcends mere restoration to create something truly extraordinary.

Thank you, Lakeside Pottery, for not only restoring my cherished items but also enhancing their beauty and significance through your artistry and philosophy.

Morty and Patty have not only restored my pieces but have given them new life and deeper meaning, particularly the Japanese charger, whose golden seams now narrate a tale of resilience...

After taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa we were thrilled with our purchase of an incredibly beautiful (and very heavy) Shona stone sculpture of an elephant with her calf. Unfortunately, upon returning to the US we opened our find to discover it had been broken in many places; two legs broken off, an ear snapped off, much of the stone had crumbled, etc, etc, and we thought it was ruined. This was despite careful wrapping and packing by us but, undoubtedly, careless treatment by the airlines.

After several Google searches we kept coming back to Lakeside Pottery, not only because they were the most responsive but because they seemed lovely people, totally genuine, and enthusiastic and caring of our ‘predicament’, attributes sorely lacking from every NYC studio who were often abrasive, and didn’t seem interested. It took us a few months to get our ducks in a row but we eventually snapped pics of our statue, it was given an estimate for repair and a timetable of the repair schedule. We shipped off our beloved statue in a double box, pampered though it were priceless. We opted for the total restoration, since it really wasn't much more than the next level down.

Morty asked us several times why we would consider spending several times its initial cost to repair the piece, so we knew he genuinely cared and wasn’t in this for the money. It was our love for the piece that convinced him we were serious about our desire to have it restored as fully as possible.

Long story short, when the elephant statue was finished (way ahead of schedule) we were sent photos of its repair and we couldn’t believe what we were seeing. Then, when we received the statue in the 'mail', my wife literally cried tears of happiness when she saw the statue, which was repaired so perfectly, so flawlessly, and obviously with such love and care, we still to this day look upon the statue and are baffled as to how they did it.

My advice: these guys are geniuses at what they do. Masters of their craft, totally unsurpassed in their field, I imagine. I could not recommend them highly enough. They made us so happy, and one day we hope to drive to their studio to thank them in person. Thank you a million times for restoring our statue and giving it a...

My experience with Lakeside Pottery over the past 3 years has been fantastic. I went to the studio in search of a wheel class to rekindle my love of pottery that I discovered in college.

I spoke with Morty about registering and he was very helpful in getting me started. Upon starting in class with Jon (who is an awesome instructor), I was hooked! From then on, I took more classes and eventually moved on to independently working in the studio during "studio hours."

The studio itself is very neat, clean and well maintained, which can be very challenging for a ceramic studio. Patty and Morty try very hard to keep the dust to a minimum and are very conscientious about the environment in which their students work. Safety is obviously a high priority for them, which I appreciate.

There were always wheels available when I came to use studio time. I never had to wait. The expansive glaze choices they offer (mixed and ready to go for you!) are great, and tested before you use them on your labor of love. There's nothing worse than making a beautiful pot, only to have it ruined by a bad glaze mixture! :( Patty and Morty are especially helpful in making sure that doesn't happen!

The sense of community at Lakeside Pottery is by far their strongest attribute. The warm welcoming feeling I received when I first stopped by was so great. It is a very peaceful, friendly environment. All the students are very nice and respectful of each other and their work. I never had any issues with curious hands to my covered work or damage to my pieces due to carelessness (which I have had happen at other studios.)

Morty and Patty are just great people, and are truly "in the pottery business" to share the love of art with others. Not only are they each amazingly talented artists, they are both phenomenal teachers. They are committed to nurturing and encouraging their students to grow as artists, which is exactly what they did for me. I will forever be grateful for my experiences at Lakeside Pottery, and (having recently moved out of state) I miss...