More Guy Wolff pottery as seen in the September MSL

August 18, 2009

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.

: This charming wagon is at the entrance to Guy’s driveway.

: 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.

: A collection of white pots

: The master at work

: 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.

: Here I am admiring some of Guy’s ‘One of a Kind’ collection. These pots are spectacular.

: The old wide boards and beams are a lovely backdrop for the pottery.

: 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.

: Guy keeps his personal collection above the showroom. This is old English stoneware.

: Many of these pieces are historical New England pieces.

: These sake jars are historic Tamba Ware from Kyoto.

: Even pottery shards provide Guy with inspiration.

: An old stamp set for imprinting in clay

: Guy is hoping to find homes for these fine vases of his creation in museums.

: I love these orchid pots.

: 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.