Ben makes pots.  Mostly unglazed, with minimal decoration allowing the naturally muted color of the clays to really be seen. His rustic workshop and storefront are the perfect setting for his work. We got chatting and he told us the original purpose of the wooden building was as Mary Pickford’s donkey barn.  It seems that, in true eccentric movie star fashion she liked to drive around the area in a cart pulled by a donkey, so and she and Douglas Fairbanks  had this barn built this place to house the donkey!

Ceramics is a family business for Ben, he learned the craft from his Dad, Guy Wolff. After visiting Ben we went up the road and popped into Guy’s workshop.  A master potter, trained in England, Guy’s work is coveted by serious gardeners and has been sold by Restoration Hardware.  We didn’t meet Guy but we met his daughter Elizabeth, a talented illustrator of children’s books. Elizabeth’s cards are available in Dickens Books as well as in her Dad’s studio.  Continuing the trend of sending us away with a recommendation for another great local place to visit, Elizabether told us us about Arethusa ice-cream…so that’s where we went next.

Website: benwolffpottery.com

Website: guywolff.com

Website: elizabethwolffillustrations.com