A Potter's Paradise
Sowega Yonder
South of Columbus, Georgia, and 35 miles East of the Alabama state line lies Weston, Georgia, with a population of 2,390. The beautiful topography fades from flat farmland and timber tracts to rolling hills and valleys. And in the heart of one of those South Georgia hollers lies 104 acres of well-tended pasture and unspoiled hardwoods that also happen to be prime habitats for wildlife and potters alike. To find such a place, one must detour from the likely traveled highway to wind along the backroads and the outer fringes of Webster County near Ichawaynochaway Creek. It is scenic countryside and a welcome deviation from the flat, red land stretching out South.
A quirky and hand-painted sign, “Benttree Pottery’ marks the entrance to the property, followed by an intriguing but quaint ‘Feed and Seed’ shed. The shed more closely resembles a studio prop on a Western movie set than a functioning storage building. Custom and hand-built, no doubt. Another bend along the one-lane sandy drive reveals another boutique shanty, ‘Garden Shed.’ Like the former, the only purpose it seems to serve is to be charming. The driveway deepens into the property, crossing a creek flanked by handmade wooden rails. A visitor could redefine the meaning of the word remote here. Finally, the raw woodland tundra opens just enough to present an imagined paradise: a cluster of unique dwellings and creative workspaces housing the artistic vision of two southern makers.
Lucy, the family dog, approaches with a wagging tail, followed by her owners, Bobby and Daphine Martin. Their smiles are welcoming, and their wardrobe reflected the sinfully hot July day we settled on to conduct this interview. Daphine charms the eyes in a worn bandana scarf, casual jeans, and Tecovas boots. She exudes creativity. She is effortlessly cool. And Bobby? His warm smile and firm handshake reveal his hidden talents. His hands, seasoned from years of honest work, could indeed create a fine piece of pottery or an exquisite piece of furniture.
There is no pomp to how the next three hours unfold, but it is nearly perfect. Daphine took to the rocking chair on a side porch of their pottery barn (workshop) while Bobby leans against the railing. Relationship Manager Brian Roberts plants himself comfortably on a tree stump turned footstool. If we were to survive the humidity, we knew we best keep still in the shade. The hum of the cicadas provides a relaxing background symphony while a nearby oscillated fan keeps the gnats at bay. Occasionally, a quack of a duck by the pond or a cluck of a chicken in the coop jostles the calm to reach us at the barn. And time, well, any awareness of it just slips away at the expense of good ole’ storytelling.
Backwoods Maestros
The Martins, native to Georgia, are as renowned for their artistry and craftsmanship as they are for their pottery.
Daphine, resourceful and free-spirited, grew up in a family with eight other siblings in rural Georgia. She went to work as soon as possible—at a sewing factory, Sears Roebuck, waitressing. Eventually, she landed in Albany selling floor coverings for Joe Watkins Lumber and Home Center via a tiny, white Volkswagen. When Mr. Watkins grew tired, he closed his business, but not before loaning Daphine a few computers and a couple of desks. To her surprise, customers were still interested in working with her, and vendors were more than willing to provide her with supply. Daphine had a family to provide for and a passion for helping people. A leap of faith and an entrepreneurial mindset led her to establish her own successful home supply business, Custom Interiors.
Daphine, still resourceful and determined, scaled Custom Interiors over 34 years by listening to her customers and taking it upon herself to provide solutions. She took immense pride in servicing her customers and developing meaningful relationships.
Daphine says of her business growth, “It was like trying to catch a tiger by its tail!” Whatever the need, Daphine would evolve. Drapery, upholstery, thrifting, decorating, design, and fine art painting were not only self-taught skills she developed over the years but more of a testament to her love language. She had a salesman’s attitude built around a servant’s heart—characteristics that still define her today. If there was a belief that she could do it, well then, she did it for the benefit of others.
Bobby, who is as quiet and soft-spoken as he is humble, didn’t see why there needed to be “any fuss about him in the article.” So Daphine led with an “I’ll toot his horn for him!” as she shared Bobby’s story.
Born in Palmyra, Georgia, Bobby was an aspiring carpenter who got his start in brick masonry. His attention to detail and his eye for precision eventually led him to the home construction and framing business. Like Daphine, Bobby is also resourceful and widely appreciated for his craft. Although he would never claim such a thing, Bobby Martin is clearly a savant in the art of building and woodworking. Daphine enthusiastically chimes in again, “There is nothing he can’t build with his hands!” Bobby, too, is self-taught, developing his skills over the decades, willing to tackle any project that a customer brought his way, especially Daphine.
Daphine enters the chat again, this time through Bobby’s own words. “That’s how I first met her—through projects she was involved in through her business. I did some odds-and-ends work for her on the property after I got hurt on a construction job. I screened in that and added on to this. And when I had free time, she wanted me to build furniture for the store—dining tables, end tables, chests, and consoles—anything she wanted. Eventually, my partner and I used one of her barns to do work out of. She would pitch me an idea, and I would say, “Where ya’ want it?.” She would point, and then I would get busy. Not a lot has changed in respect to that,” he chuckles.
A lifetime and relationships later, their working connection grew into something more. Bobby leased a hunting property 15 miles down the road from Daphine’s home and work barn. He would stop by the barn to check on a project, and Daphine would put him to work on something else. “Something stayed torn up! She would mess up the tractor, couldn’t get the mule to start, or would have the lawn mower stuck in the mud down by the pond. And nothing has changed about that either!” he chuckles again in contrast to his attempt to appear frustrated. Daphine flirtatiously grins in his direction before nonchalantly labeling those events as “good times.”
They tied the knot “sometime around 2012, 2013, or 2014” at the Preston courthouse during a break from working in the pottery barn on an otherwise uneventful afternoon. Neither could confirm the date before sharing that they wrote it down in the bible they keep down at the house.
“Time passes differently for us out here, and we don’t keep up with anniversaries. Every day is the Bobby and Daphine Martin show!"—Bobby Martin
Clayvolution
In 2018, Daphine handed her keys to Customer Interiors to her daughter, Shelly, who continues to operate the business successfully today. “Shelly is a salesperson and takes wonderful care of her customers. The store is amazing, and she continues to build a following! Both of my daughters have an eye for design and exceptional taste. I am just so very proud of them.”
Daphine entered retirement, unsure of what to make out of such an abundance of free time. Bobby grumbled. “She painted a little, but she was mostly mullygrubbing around here after her younguns booted her from the store. She is her best when she has a project to work on.”
Daphine’s daughter, Morgan, also needed a project. Morgan and Daphine always appreciated the ceramics and artwork that Daphine sold through the store. With a few classes under her belt, Morgan exposed Daphine and Bobby to the process of handmade pottery during an extended stay in their guest house.
“We did it because we wanted to, not because we thought it would become a job. Morgan told us what we needed to get started, and we bought a few pieces from potter Huey Wheeler in Dawson,” says Daphine. Mr. Wheeler appreciated the interest in pottery that the Martins and Morgan had taken. He knew his equipment was going to a good place. And, of course, Bobby was more than capable of making additions to the barn to make space for the used kiln and equipment Morgan and Daphine had purchased.
While kneading clay, Daphine and her daughter created new memories molded around their time in the workshop together. Through trial and error, a show here and a show there, Benttree Pottery formed and began to grow an audience of admirers. However, it wasn’t long before Morgan was in pursuit of her next project, leaving Daphine to continue her craft on her own, or as Daphine initially thought.
“Bobby didn’t care for it initially, but I made him try it one day in 2019—around when we bought the pottery bus we affectionally call Sammy. He sat at the potter’s wheel, went to work like crazy, and made something amazing right out of the gate! He made it look easy and ticked me off,” exclaimed an excited Daphine. From experience, she felt that pottery was a medium “good for the brain,” a means to stay sharp and provide a creative outlet—almost therapeutic. She also notes that it is a hobby that is easy on the body and is still possible for someone like Bobby, who struggles with arthritis.
From the moment Bobby sat down onward, Benttree Pottery, as we know it today, was truly born. The two, side by side, transitioned Bent Tree Pottery into a full-time passion project—another leap of faith and testimony to their shared talent and Daphine’s entrepreneurial mindset.
Clay and Glaze
Collectively, the Martin’s pottery pieces draw on early traditions born out of necessity and utilitarian purposes—durable mixing bowls, tableware, bakeware, spoon rests, crocks, jugs, jars, and even lamps. However, they are also known to create pieces that evoke the natural world and southern landscapes around them—bobwhite quail, pinecones, a camellia bloom, bird dogs, and deer antlers, to name a few. If one cannot appreciate the form and craftsmanship of each piece, then they are surely awed by the nostalgia. The personality of each design, coupled with an appreciation of the creators themselves, draws a loyal following and customer base throughout the South.
Considering that Bobby is a lifelong student of form, precision, and function, it is no wonder that he took to the wheel like a natural, throwing, slabbing, and free-forming like an experienced potter. Today, Bobby puts his energy behind larger pieces and exciting commissions. “I once dictated what he made, which were pieces I could not do. But Bobby has taken it over, and I trust his instincts. Bobby Martin creates what he wants. He can throw and fire enough in one day to keep me busy for two weeks!”
Daphine focuses on smaller pieces, hand-molding decorative accents like flora and fauna. And she doesn’t attach handles to a piece that do not fit right in her own hands. “I like a weight to my functional serving pieces and a set of handles that make it easy to hold.” Daphine also applies her imaginative painting skills to most of their creations, evoking rich glazes and earthen textures that resemble the culture and environment they covet around them.
Daphine also takes on the role of quality control. Although disheartening, losing around ten to fifteen percent of the pottery in a kiln from air bubbles, cracking, or fractures is easy. The South Georgia humidity can affect drying time, causing pieces to stick to shelves, too. And glazing can be tricky. She retreats to the woods for a walk on difficult days to regain her focus and inspiration. Yet, she still refuses to allow a less-than-perfect piece to find its way into the hands of a buyer. Once glazed, pottery loses its ability to be recycled and remolded. So, Daphine does what feels natural and decorates the very place from which she draws inspiration.
Lucy, the dog, drinks from a gorgeous, perfectly imperfect glazed bowl more suited for fruit in a fine dining room than the workshop floor. A quick tour by ATV around the property unveils fallen branches and stumps adorned with Daphine’s “rejected” pottery. There is no rhyme or reason for their location or placement.
“I retreat to the woods to listen to the birds, talk to the Lord, rest my bones, and, I guess . . . look at my broken pieces.”—Daphine Martin
Passion for Pottery
For Bobby and Daphine, each piece of pottery is unique and special. “We do this because we enjoy it. It is not a job but an extension of who we are and what we appreciate. We like to create things that can be passed down to generations years after we’re gone. Although letting some of our work go can be hard, we realize we can’t keep it all.”
Reflecting on former career paths and success, it is easy to see the connections to their new hobby. The Martins continue to focus on the customer, basing their supply on demand and leveraging their artistic inclinations and skills to create art their clients will appreciate. The Martins tirelessly test the limits of their craft, noting one of their larger pieces was made from a stump they found on their property. One of their more popular pieces was a vase molded to the form of an antler base; another found treasure from the acreage surrounding the workshop. They also welcome commissions. For a past project, they incorporated cotton bolls for a regional gin. For another project, they attached a covey of quail taking flight to a unique branch for a local plantation.
The cost of their artwork varies based on the amount of clay, glaze, skill, and time required to create each piece. Tableware and mugs start at around $45 each, with larger jugs and lamps fetching as much as $400. “We invest in quality clay and glazes. And we invest our time.” Some of their pottery can take hours, even days, to create, followed by a drying process that can take up to another week or longer. Then, the pieces go into the kiln to bake (bisque fire), which hardens the clay in preparation for glazing. The glazing process can take 3 to 4 days before firing the pieces in the kiln once more. It is a labor of love.
For anyone looking to purchase Benttree’s unique pottery, Daphine encourages you to follow and communicate through their social media pages. They also stock Daphine’s former business, Custom Interiors, in Albany, Georgia. Bent Tree Pottery would also like to invite you to attend their 5th Annual Pottery Show at their property in Weston this Fall.
Annual Pottery Show
November 9, 2024
10 am to 5 pm
*New and limited designs available. Early attendance is encouraged.
*Address provided on their social pages.
Facebook – Bent Tree Pottery and Woodworking
Instagram – @Benttree_potteryandwoodworking
Garden of Eden
Whether they are close to celebrating a ten- or twelve-year anniversary is up for debate. However, one could easily mistake Bobby and Daphine’s connection to one another and the land as one built over a lifetime. In their world, if she speaks it, he finishes the sentence. If she dreams it, he builds it. If he creates it, she paints it. A little bridge here, a swing for her there, trails along the creek, a shed in the woods where she can read her bible and paint . . . a custom-built oasis, a potter’s paradise. Even a functioning treehouse complete with a kitchen for grandchildren and guests.
Daphine reflects on this property she purchased years ago through Southwest Georgia Farm Credit and the original cookhouse she turned into a sprawling cottage home with the help of Bobby. “It was everything I ever wanted—what I had been searching for. It offers rolling terrain, fresh water, natural hardwoods, and space to create. To me, this is the Garden of Eden.”
This Eden inspired the name Benttree Pottery. The property offers many tree species, some of which have bends and angled, perpendicular branches. History states that trees like these were used as directional landmarks and markers for Native Americans. The name felt appropriate for Daphine—a nod to Bobby, her children, and grandchildren—and the place that means so much to them.
Retirement for the Martins looks quite idyllic and wonderful on their acreage, which is big enough to explore their many pursuits. Between slinging clay, firing up the kiln, building furniture, manicuring the woods, growing vegetables in their garden, or cultivating a better habitat for the wildlife, they busily fill every day with purpose. “Four or five creeks run through here with cold, fresh water. We like the privacy of the woods, but we want to keep it looking good. And if it rains, you are gonna have to fix the driveway,” says Bobby. “And that is why I want a small excavator,” Daphine interjects. The only time Bobby admits to sitting still is in church on Sundays.
Bobby preaches, “The North Georgia foothills have nothing on Weston! This community, this land, the ability to live this lifestyle, is like heaven. Here, you do what the bible says and love your neighbor as thyself. People care here. They shake your hand and greet you with a smile. If you ever want to move and live out your dreams, come on to Weston.” And lastly, he adds, without hesitation, that his favorite thing about Southwest Georgia is “her” as he nods softly in Daphine’s direction.
Looking Living Ahead
There are no big plans for Benttree Pottery because the artists themselves intend on treating each day as a blessing, taking their time, and living to inspire their work, not the other way around. They have mastered, as well as romanticized, the ideas of simple living.
“In ten years I intend to be right here at Benttree—HOME—still cutting grass - still cutting wood- still gardening- fussing about my chickens in the flower beds- Bobby fussing about gnats, still sitting on the porch watching the deer on the dam, the swallows dip down for a drink, the herons grab a gosh dang good fish, the ducks take their daily flights circling the pond and coming so close to the porch you can hear their wings, still drinking our coffee in the morning, a good fire going when it’s cold, still sitting side by side in the swing on the front porch . . .just a swinging.” – Daphine Martin.
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