A historic piece of Margaret River will be available to take home by attendees of this year's Souped Up Soupie fundraising event, set to land at the Margaret River Community Centre as part of the Cabin Fever winter festival.
The event sees a list of some of the region's most respected potters creating bowls, which can be included as part of the ticket price and used to enjoy a delicious hot meal courtesy of the Soupie and collaborating local chef, Tony Howell.
This year, artists were given the opportunity to work with clay sourced from the very early days of the Margaret River township.
"The very first sewer line went down the back of the houses in Higgins Lane, and when that was dug up the clay was put aside," explained potter and longtime Soupie supporter, Ian Dowling.
"We were constructing some of the buildings down at the Old Settlement in the early 80s, building the Hairy Marron spot there using that clay," he said.
"The rest was shipped around the region over the years, it went out to Rosa Brook and then came out to my place where it's been since."
At Dowling's property and studio on Devon Drive, the clay is washed, sieved and blended with other clays to create a material that can be worked on a wheel.
"The clay here is very old, it's karri loam terracotta and high in iron - which gives it a distinct colour and spotting throughout the pots," he said.
After the stunning artisan-crafted bowls sold out quickly at the inaugural event, Dowling said scores of artists, many of whom had all but retired from the craft, "came out of the woodwork" to join the creative process in 2022.
"Last year there was only four of us making bowls, but this year you've got people like Rod Dilkes and Simon James stepping up, it's great.
"It just showed us that people want to support the Soupie, it's quite inspiring to see."
Dowling said there were both creative and philanthropic rewards for artists donating their skills and time to the event.
"Potters really enjoy making bowls, particularly when they're not under pressure," he said. "You get into a trance-like state and it's also very satisfying, knowing you're doing something to help a service that has helped so many over the years."
Souped Up Soupie is on Tuesday July 19 at the Margaret River Community Centre from 5:30pm. All proceeds from the night go to enhancing the Soup Kitchen's facilities. Pre-order your bowl and meal for the set donation price, or turn up on the night and join the line for a night that'll warm your tummy and heart. To book, visit events.humanitix.com/souped-up-soupie