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Rural Martinsburg resident Marcus Zimmerman works on a potter’s wheel. Zimmerman is expected to hold an open house at his home studio, Good News Pottery, this Friday and Saturday to showcase different pieces of pottery, with demonstrations throughout the day. Courtesy photo
MARTINSBURG – As a young taxidermist, Marcus Zimmerman learned how soft clay can add depth and emotion to an animal’s face.
This little detail – about an angry lion or a frightened caribou – quickly made him famous, earning him international recognition and accolades from Zimmerman.
Now 53 and a seasoned taxidermist, Zimmerman decided it was time to try working clay in a different way, by spinning it on a pottery wheel.
“You can’t change the animal to be whatever you want, but you can make clay whatever you want. “ he said. “So I can express myself more with pottery. The possibilities are limitless.” What started as a long-standing fascination with ceramics has grown into a new family business and home studio, Good News Pottery, located next to Zimmerman Wildlife in the Martinsburg countryside.
Zimmerman will organize an open house there on Friday and Saturday. The free event will feature both functional and decorative pottery pieces. He will also be giving pottery throwing demonstrations throughout the day.
“If anyone is interested in pottery, we invite them out. he said. “Each piece is different and they are all unique. No two are exactly alike.
When Zimmerman decided to start making pottery, he knew he had to learn the same way he did as a taxidermy student: directly from the professionals.
It didn’t take long for him to make a few phone calls and start spending one-on-one time with third-generation potter Simon Leach of Millheim, Mari Pat of Bedford, and Joel Hildebrand of Denver, Pa.
“I gave him advice and instructions” said Leach, who was living in Williamsburg at the time. “But ultimately everyone does their own thing with clay. It’s very versatile and therapeutic. This is why a lot of people love pottery. It allows them to relax and unwind.
The learning experience was invaluable, Zimmerman said.
“People are ready to teach in no time what could take years and years to learn on their own” he said.
An avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, Zimmerman grew up on the family farm and learned hard work in the Mennonite tradition.
This education impacts his work as an artist and inspires the earthy, nature-centric colors he selects for his pots.
“Each potter has his own style” he said. “The longer they stick to it, they kind of gravitate towards what they love. And the more you familiarize yourself with (clay throwing), the better you get.
Equally important is the shape of the pot, he said.
“The shape of a pot can move you” he said. “It can be subtle in the shape of the pot or the texture of the surface. Everyone sees a room differently. I might think a room is beautiful when the person next to me says, “It’s not for me. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. “
His 1,000-square-foot studio offers more expensive pieces for serious collectors, such as large vases and detailed teapots, and smaller items such as succulent pots, ceramic necklaces, and personalized mugs.
Zimmerman also sells the mugs in his other business, Traditions Restaurant & Bakery in Martinsburg.
They are usually enameled and decorated by hand by her daughter-in-law, Kirsten Zimmerman, who can add names or logos for custom orders.
“I love pottery because time seems to stand still” Kirsten, 20, said. “It’s so convenient and stress-free that it doesn’t look like a job at all. The creativity part is endless, and I love it because it pushes me to think outside the box and create new things that other people don’t have.
A father of six, Zimmerman hopes that future generations will also take an interest in pottery. His 11-year-old daughter, Natosha, enjoys working with clay, and his wife, Lorraine, supports her and uses the pottery in their home.
“My first desire is to make fully functional parts” Zimmerman said, pointing out that he was surrounded by assistants whom he appreciated.
Kirsten, for example, manages the online sales and marketing aspects of the business so he can spend more time behind the wheel.
Yet still the entrepreneur, he constantly thinks about ways to incorporate pottery into his restaurant or help the business flourish.
“I know being in the business world that it takes a lot to promote and grow a business,” he said. “You have to have endurance and perseverance. I just want to pot… but there is wonderful potential here.
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