More Guy Wolff pottery as seen in the September MSL
When you receive your September issue of Martha Stewart Living, you will find that it's filled with many wonderful decorating ideas. You'll also find a fascinating story about Wolff Pottery and my visit with master potters Guy Wolff and his son Ben. I first encountered Guy when I was traversing Litchfield County in Connecticut in search of antiques, plants, and ideas for the magazine. Ensconced in a small wooden building, Guy was busy making flowerpots for gardeners like me. He explained that inspiration came from history, paintings, and his own artistic imagination. I was quite taken by his pots and became a 'regular' customer.
Son Ben grew up watching his father throw pots and it was only natural for him to develop his own beautiful designs, tools, methods, clays, colors, and embellishments. When choosing pots for my greenhouses in Bedford, I went for the more historical shapes Guy made, but asked Ben to design the unique darkish-gray wash on light clay - so remarkable! Please enjoy this blog. These photos were taken behind-the-scenes at the magazine shoot.
1 Posing with Ben and Guy
2 This charming wagon is at the entrance to Guy's driveway.
3 This is Guy's newly finished pottery shop. The front is a restored 1740 post and beam structure, which houses his showroom. Guy added onto the back to create his work room. You can see photographer Frédéric Lagrange with his camera in the doorway.
4 A collection of white pots
5 The master at work
6 Ben also displays his pots in Guy's shop. Ben is known for using a wide selection of clays, glazes, and finishes to achieve his signature look.
7 Here I am admiring some of Guy's 'One of a Kind' collection. These pots are spectacular.
8 The old wide boards and beams are a lovely backdrop for the pottery.
9 This print is of a Rembrandt Peale painting of his brother Rubens, who was a botanist. He is holding a potted geranium, reputed to be the first specimen of this exotic plant ever grown in the New World. Guy, of course, studied and reproduced this original pot.
10 Guy keeps his personal collection above the showroom. This is old English stoneware.
11 Many of these pieces are historical New England pieces.
12 These sake jars are historic Tamba Ware from Kyoto.
13 Even pottery shards provide Guy with inspiration.
14 An old stamp set for imprinting in clay
15 Guy is hoping to find homes for these fine vases of his creation in museums.
16 I love these orchid pots.
17 These pots are stamped G.Wolff Pottery, which indicates that they were made by someone visiting his pottery under his personal teaching. The pots were fired in Guy's kilns and are sold in his shop.
18 More of his creations
19 These pots have beautifully ornate rims.
20 These pots are give-aways for anyone visiting the pottery.
21 Guy is teaching me how to make a decorative edge on this pot using a coggle tool or roulette.
22 All the while, Frédéric is clicking away.
23 These are the automatic kilns manufactured by Skutt.
24 The insides are lined with electric coils, providing the high temperatures necessary for firing pottery.
25 While we were busy in the pottery, Kevin found a comfortable place for his business calls.
26 An accomplished musician, Guy also sells his music CD's in the shop.
27 Guy is helping me throw my very own pot.
28 I think I did a fine job!
29 Some tools of the trade
30 Wheels for making decorative edges
31 More coggle tools
32 This is a mound of terracotta clay scraps, which will be reconstituted and reused.
33 Guy has these copper drip pans made in India.
34 MOVE TO AFTER HER MAKING THIS POT - Look how nicely my pot turned out and it hasn't even been fired yet.
35 I like the way my apron looks with the red of the building.
36 Guy made these fabulous lights many years ago out of olive oil tins.
37 The designs were made by punching holes in the metal.
38 Guys father, Robert Jay Wolff, was an Abstract Expressionist and Guy has a lot of his art. He would like to find an appropriate home for it.
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Martha, I feel so lucky that you share this blog with the fans! I love getting an more inside look at your life...totally fascinating! Thanks!
Posted by: Beth | August 18th, 2009 at 1:14 am
isn't it rewarding to handle clay and turn it into beautifull objects! looking at photos like these make me regret i didn't continue with pottery all those years ago. i took some courses and was accepted to a school to become a potter, and at the same time to a school to become what i am now. at the time, the latter option seemed more attractive. not regretting this profession, though, it has allowed me to be so many things over the years. and there's always "retirement"... did enjoy the containing beauty article in septermber issue of MSL.
Posted by: liisamarja | August 18th, 2009 at 3:57 am
AMAZING pottery! Would love to learn how to do this...looks so relaxing. Beautiful pictures!
Posted by: Cindy | August 18th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Martha, Just read my issue this morning with my coffee. I've got to tell you how much I love the Green Room in Beford. It takes my breath away everytime I see it photographed. You should take one of those 360 degree tours like the real estate companies use and put it on your web site!
Looking forward to Kevin's blog about his renovations and enjoying Alexis blog about her flat too.
Posted by: Wanda | August 18th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Thank you for the introduction and tour of Wolff studios both in your magazine and blog. I have a dear friend that introduced me to them as items Martha uses. I then went back to our local shop and said "Oh!" and have had several pieces in use ever since.
I love Americana whether old or new. Thanks for letting us know about such great talent.
Posted by: Margie | August 18th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Many don't know about the true depths of passion I have for pottery, but the flow thru my very veins is as deep as my love for gardening and nature, and my beloved kittiekitties Edgar (who went to Heaven on July 30th) and Mandy. Salt-glaze vessels with cobalt decorations are my absolute favorite, with redware coming in second place. Then there's yellowware, striped (old) kitchen bowls, crock jugs, annnddd... (WHERE did I get these defining characteristics from?!!! [giggle] )
I read this article with great vigor, poring over e-v-e-r-y word and photograph. I have long admired Guy (Wolff), and YOU, my Martha friend, are who introduced him to me many years ago, thru your earlier TV shows, and also just last season along with his son Ben (what a legacy to pass on!) I am just enamored with these artisans and consider their wares the very BEST! Do I own one (yet)? No, I do not. Would I LIKE to own one? Yes indeed! (What am I waiting for?!!) You commented, too, that you preferred a cohesive look amongst your vessels, and you were reluctant to introduce other styles and admitted they were somewhat of an investment. I guess with any collection one might begin, it can be overwhelming to begin with. I am an advocate in appreciating things more, when acquired step by step. It's not our nature, as we want everything - now(!)...some of the fun of collecting is the 'hunt', but I'm afraid that Wolff pottery has found MEEE! [giggle]
One of things I look for on a piece of pottery of interest is the potter's mark. ALL of your Wolff pieces marked Cantitoe/CCorners must be prized possessions, Martha! I saw your potter's stamp, too! - I LOVED it! The shape of the vessel has to 'speak' to me, too, and like you, I prefer authenticity, just as in Rembrandt Peale's portrait of his brother, Rubens, with the geranium pot. (Speaking of...)
I'm familiar with the Rubens Peale picture, due to my recent love affair with (what?! with whom?! [dear husband already knows!] ) Thomas Jefferson. In a late June excursion to Monticello this year, all I seem to be able to accomplish is read about/eat/sleep/drink Thomas Jefferson! He loved writing correspondences (oh, the volumes and volumes!), and he communicated frequently with the Peale family. His love for gardening, botany, and nature, his impeccable attention to detail and list-making - this is a man after my own heart!
I know I've been (once again!) long-winded today...today's blog causes me to just gush and go on-n-onnn...I truly can't help it!
(Would you believe that I'm basically a quiet individual?!) [giggle]
=^..^=
mrrrow
"Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than emperors."--Mary Cantwell
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | August 18th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I have also Guy Wolff for years...my son graduated from The Gunnery and was fortunate enough to have him for a pottery teacher one semester. I stop at his location regularly and also have many of his "works of art". Thank you for continuing to recognize he work - an now his son Ben.
Posted by: Patricia | August 18th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I loved the copper watering can shown on the September 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. I didn't see any mention of where it could be purchased and wondered if there is any more information that would help me.
Smith & Hawkin made a similar one a friend of mine owns, but I have not been able to find the same type. I have many houseplants and would find this useful.
Thank you for any assistance you can give.
Posted by: Pam Brown | August 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Your magazine is excellent!
Posted by: Pam Brown | August 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Lovely stuff - I bet they make the plants happy too!
Posted by: pat merewether | August 18th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
For Pottery sakes this update on the blog was so fun, and Martha thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us!! You know it's always Good Things when Martha is around. Oh by the way the other show with your Daughter and her Friend is quite entertaining! I caught the episode with you and the Pie crust rolling it over the Baking pan, and flower sandwiches with the tomato in the middle so fun!! They need some pointers Martha please help them!!" LOL" It's all in fun, I know but it was like get going follow the directions Gals!! Thanks again Kristin.
Posted by: kristin svens | August 18th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
It's pictures like this that inspire me. We just went to a local apple orchard today and although it is completely different it was quite similar in that the store is in an old red barn and you could see real craftsmanship of generations past in everything they did. Beautiful. I guess they do make em like they used to?
Posted by: Robin | August 18th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
That was an amazing article on this month issue. It is so nice to see true artisans who have a passion for what they do. Both (Guy and Ben) styles are beautiful and appealing for many of us.
Posted by: Sandra (L'esprit Sud Magazine) | August 18th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Hi Martha, I love this blog with the connection to your article "From My Home to Yours" in the Sept. issue of MSL. I have always enjoyed seeing Guy Wolff on your show and now with Ben, his son, it's like seeing two for the price of one. I have 4 Guy wolff pots I bought from "Martha By Mail" and I'd recognize them anywhere. I love Ben's pots, too. Yes, I have thrown a few pots! In fact, I still have my pitcher and 4 mugs plus my covered casserole pot that I threw while I was in college in the early 60's. I actually won a blue ribbon for the casserole pot at the Kittitas County Fair! It's fun to see that you are throwing pots,too and I can tell by your expressions that you are having lots of fun. Thanks for sharing and bringing back memories. Look forward to seeing Guy and Ben on your show again. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 18th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Wonderful pottery. The brown jugs looked particularly interesting for storing homemade balsamic vinegar. A new store in my town (Santa Barbara) is selling flavor blends of balsamic vinegar --- fig, herbs-- and olive oil from small farms that signify the type of olive tree on their label. I've learned to put balsamic vinegar on sandwich bread instead of mayo. The dark drops are not pretty but very tasty. There's got to be a way to dribble it to make it pretty. Sorry for the digression --- those wonderful jugs started me day dreaming. Hurray for Guy Wolff's beautiful pottery.
Posted by: Penny | August 19th, 2009 at 12:44 am
I am about to become a first time homebuyer at the age of 58. I got married last year at 57! Your website, blog and publications have inspired me in so many ways. I have a million ideas for the new house and have organized a binder as well as a "daily work/progess list" for the house. You have helped me become more organized and also helped me realize I am not the only person who makes list, files and keeps things within reach. Thanks so much. I will think of you on this new journey of mine and take your inspirational ideas with me!!
Posted by: susie williams | August 19th, 2009 at 1:16 am
I love plants, flowers and herbs, they make such pretty and comfy-zone decorations. And some of them are great to eat as well as to use on your skin. I liked the dreamers into doers about homemade bath and body products.
I always thought that Calgon bubble baths that were once boxed then they came into the 1990s with their own version of liquid soaps, showers for the bathtub and the shower. What a great thing it was for my overly-dry skin!
And yet I still adore colored dyes for the skin and for baking, I can't help it they make me feel better and more in balance.
thanks
Posted by: Naomi Hamm | August 19th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I cant begin to say how wonderful Martha has been to me and my family for years and years . She has given so much of herself to all of us in the craft world and for that I am so thankful . This shoot was so much fun . Martha everyone is asking for the Pancheon (bowl) you held in the photo of us all sitting in front of the shop . I must make a batch of them tommorrow . The bowl you made is fired in a deep reddish brown and is here when ever you are passing by . Tons of love , Guy
Posted by: Guy Wolff | August 19th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Dear Martha,
My lovely hubby David Costello writes for the Courier Mail over here in Brisbane, Queensland. His serious job is as the foreign editor but his hobbies are Food Fossicking, and music and book reviews. Of course, I follow him around on weekends. One, I like all the food, and two, I love all the people we meet in the food industry. So I now have my own blog. Our daughter Elizabeth has taken up as life partner with a lovely girl from Maine whom she met in Japan. Yes, an all girl couple! We love them both. Danielle has moved over here and they are living in a trendy little inner city suburb called New Farm, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I love all your news from Maine. Danielle's parents live in Houlton. I can't wait to get there. Hope you can visit my blog (above). Love Cathy Costello.
Posted by: Cathy Costello | August 20th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Martha, you are so special to me, and I have a reason. My mother was born in 1928 as "Martha Stewart". She was a beauiful person, but after I was born she got sick and she died when I was 8 yrs old. I grew up w/father/brothers and when I found your books/shows...you have given me such a gift in life that my mother could not give and I thank you. Recently, I got laid off from my job, and this week I have watched your show and again, you are teaching me so much and give me HOPE. I just feel we are all so blessed to have you in our life. Thank you from all of us who maybe had a "Martha Stewart" in our life that was taken away early. We cherish you!
Posted by: Cinde Lee | August 20th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Hello Martha and all here !
We had so much fun on this shoot and Martha's visit . I cant thank her enough for all she has done for me and my family let alone everyone in the craft community here and around the world !! .
The bowl she made that day is fired and is a rich reddish brown . I will keep it for her and give it to her the next time she is in Litchfield . Thanks for all the kind words here . My son Ben told me to have a look at this blog , and what a surprise to find all these great pictures .I think Martha's sister took them . I love the one of the photographer taking the shot ( He was very athletic ) and my wife Erica looking off into the distance at the door of the shop . What great light .
Martha I have had 12 inquiries to date for the large farm bowl you are holding in the first picture in the magazine . Thanks so much again and warmest regards from , Guy in Bantam
Posted by: Guy Wolff | August 20th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I took a photo of the pots at the Martha Stewart herb garden at New York Botanical Garden. On one side it has Wolff pottery imprinted in them, the other side has Martha Stewart imprinted in them. That was so cool!
Posted by: Jonathan Aragones | August 21st, 2009 at 9:37 am
As a professional potter myself, it is interesting to see Guy's studio. I especially enjoyed seeing his other work besides the planters. Love those ash glazes, Guy! I would have loved to also see the glaze kiln/s.
You have a nice collection of historical pots too.
It's great that Guy's son is working with him. What a partnership.
Posted by: Clayvessel | August 21st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
The post above saying" Cinde Lee " starting " HEllo Martha and all here" was me ( Guy WOlff ) I guess something got mixed up . All the best , Guy
Posted by: Guy Wolff | August 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Sorry I see now the name is at the bottom !!! HA ha ha LOL . A wek ago I didnt know what a blog was !!! Can you tell . Im better at making pots .. G
Posted by: Guy Wolff | August 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Hello Clayvessel , My bigger propane kilns are over at the original shop .. I have to take the time to move them over to Bantam . One is a soft brick cross draft kiln of a newcastle configuration at 60 qu ft .( very fast to cane 10). The other is a hard brick 6 foot dome kiln fired with propane and wood . It is 150 qu ft . At cone 9 , I start firing it with wood and then salt on the wood . I haven't been able to afford firing it in years . 400 gallons of propane in the summer to cone 9 ,1/8 a cord to cone 10 !! In the move I will shrink is kiln down to a 4 ft dome . All the best Guy
Posted by: Guy Wolff | August 24th, 2009 at 11:23 am