joanna on fri 7 nov 97
ok, this one probably won't get posted. we'll see how tangential the
moderators will let me get.
went to a conference this last week. women in mid-life. 500+ of us.
thought it would be stupid, but it wasn't. we had fun.
now i am wondering about other mid-life artists, mostly the women. am
curious. how has your work (the clay especially, this is clayart after
all) changed as you grow into your wise years? has it gotten more
focused? more scattered? what?
j
--
joanna deFelice
prepress@cyberis.net
Dawne Fowkes. on sat 8 nov 97
Joanna,
The workshop sounds like it was a terrific experience. I have question
though concerning what constitutes "mid-life". The term "mid-life" is
different for women now than it was 20 years ago. I don't mean to seem
nit-picky but I was wondering what the age range was for the workshop?
Cheers!
Dawne Jenelle Fowkes
Ventura, California
wike on sat 8 nov 97
I'm 46, so I guess that's mid-life if I live to be 92. I
started last year before my youngest started college. Working
with clay has really helped me adjust to the empty nest. It's
taking me time to build the muscles needed for centering, but
I'm coming along. I couldn't wait to get home from work today
to open the kiln. It's more exciting than opening an incubator
filled with baby chicks. I don't work in the summers and my
progress WAS really good. Now that I'm working, I'm frustrated
at the lack of time and energy. Still, it's nice to finally
have an interest and to be creating things out of the earth. I
have about 70 items made; however, I'm not really looking
forward to the marketing part.
--
Cyberfirm handshake, Patty
Beth Yeatman Spindler on sun 9 nov 97
Wanted to say thanks to all for information in reference to Arrowmont,
Penland and Anderson Ranch(of which I know not where located.)
AND..wanted to respond to mid-life crisis soothed by clay...:)
Fell in love with mud and clay and sand and your everyday garden variety of
dirt at quite a young age..............loved making mudpies, claypies....the
messier the better......waiting for them to harden in the sun was a joyous
time for me........such fond memories..........and of course....these pies
were made with all natural ingredients.....even the decorations that adorned
each pie was handcrafted by nature....twigs, acorns, walnuts, pine cones,
berries-crushed and smeared around the outer rim of the pie...loved the
feeling of creating something from nature...
Unfortunately, classes in clay were not to be had for years and years....even
in college - clay classes were reserved for art majors only. Local rec
centers sponsored classes that filled up fast and it seemed I was never fast
enough....
and then two years ago...I discovered this wonderful pottery place and
discovered that lessons/workshops were available. It was intimidating at
first, but in a few minutes, the memories of so many summers spent making
"deluxe" mudpies came back to mind and I knew this road not taken so many
years ago...had remained open and waiting for me to shift gears and travel
forward with clay as a wonderful companion on the road of life. So, I now
have miles to go and pots to glaze!!
Beth
Lynn Koning on sun 9 nov 97
Hi there:
I am just returning back to Alabama from being out west for 18 months and as
a spiriutal native american woman I was interested in seeing your letter
about a wise woman gathering. Could you tell me more about it and is there
any help I can offer?
Thank you.
Hawk
centa uhalde on mon 10 nov 97
Hi Joanna,
So what age begins mid-life would you say? I'm 43 and have just started out
with clay this year, as gung ho as I can be given I have young children
still (one 11 and one 7). But I certainly feel my whole way of being
changing/transforming into something I feel is fundamentally more authentic
and that translates into my activities, eg., my pursuing clay art. I
recently quit a profession in technical writing that I felt I was
ill-suited for (I'm a poet at heart, not a production writer). Now, I'm in
a situation where i can devote myself to a creative process more
whole-heartedly, finally, because I have found some support to do so. I
feel I am growing wiser and am learning how to focus and discipline myself
and am learning (slowly and and somewhat painfully) that less is more and
better. I'd be interested in hearing from others, even midlife
mothers/ceramic artists. The balancing of all the different aspects of
daily life is still my biggest struggle, though it's getting better as I
get wiser about what I can and can't accomplish in any given day, and as my
kids get bigger and more independant. I think it is a profound time,
actually, and important to be present for it as much as you can muster. I
imagine men have their version? I also have life long interests in movement
and writing, along with working part time, and I want/need them all to be
in my life. How to do it all well, without feeling constantly fragmented
and guilty for what didn't get done, this is my challenge.
Mark Sweany on wed 12 nov 97
Hi Centa,
I'm a 44 year old male that started potting a year ago. Before
that I, I was a commercial painter and wood finisher for 20
years. Unfortunately, I have rheumatoid arthritis, and had to
quit painting. Now I'm a househusband. I have 4 children. A
boy 20, and girls 23, 17, and 3. I don't know if pottery is a
mid-life thing or just a natural extention of what I have been
doing all my life, but getting re-married and starting a new
familly at 40 definitly was.
In many ways I'm lucky, because I was forced to get out of the
rat-race. I never would have if it had been left up to me. The
money was too important to me to have just decided, "Hey, I'm
going to do something different". I was looking doing pottery
as a hobby, but I never would have made the big jump.
So, you aren't the only one that starts doing this later in
life. Some of the people I talk to on the net are these 26 year
old with MFAs. I envy them in some ways, but not all ways.
Most kids that age haven't learned what it is to work, even the
days when there are just a lot of other things you want to do
and your mind is really on it. Discepline! It usually takes a
while to learn. You're right that it is hard to prioritise all
the little respocibilities, but it can be done. You just have
to decide whether it is more important to pot or clean the
bathroom (the answer to that one hinges on the general mold
level at our house).
The other thing is, kids love clay and no matter what the age
or the skill level, there are things the can do. If you include
them, then you are "giving to" rather than "taking away" from
them with your craft. Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.
Now, about that floor. You didn't say whether you want to do
most of it youself or have it done. The ideal way to get it
ready is to have it hot power-washed with soap. Let the floor
dry, then acid pickle it. All that amounts to is spraying the
floor using a pump up garden sprayer, with dilluted Muriatic
acid (= hydrocloric), then rinse with clear water. Let it dry
again for a week or so. Then put dow 2 coats of good quallity
urethane deck enamal, this is cheapest. Or, you could put down
2 coats of epoxy enamal, this is better. And the best would be
to use a 2 part urathane rubber, Neo-Gard is the brand of this
type of coating that I have used, but there are others. This
makes a great surface, but it quite expensive (and toxic) and
really should be done by a pro. Also, any material that you use
should have a grit added to it to make it non-skid. Painted
concrete can be like ice if it gets just a little water on it
and, obviously, if you are doing pottery, there will be water.
Good luck.
----
Mark Sweany
m_pswean@primenet.com
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi Joanna,
> So what age begins mid-life would you say? I'm 43 and have just started out
> with clay this year, as gung ho as I can be given I have young children
> still (one 11 and one 7). But I certainly feel my whole way of being
> changing/transforming into something I feel is fundamentally more authentic
> and that translates into my activities, eg., my pursuing clay art. I
> recently quit a profession in technical writing that I felt I was
> ill-suited for (I'm a poet at heart, not a production writer). Now, I'm in
> a situation where i can devote myself to a creative process more
> whole-heartedly, finally, because I have found some support to do so. I
> feel I am growing wiser and am learning how to focus and discipline myself
> and am learning (slowly and and somewhat painfully) that less is more and
> better. I'd be interested in hearing from others, even midlife
> mothers/ceramic artists. The balancing of all the different aspects of
> daily life is still my biggest struggle, though it's getting better as I
> get wiser about what I can and can't accomplish in any given day, and as my
> kids get bigger and more independant. I think it is a profound time,
> actually, and important to be present for it as much as you can muster. I
> imagine men have their version? I also have life long interests in movement
> and writing, along with working part time, and I want/need them all to be
> in my life. How to do it all well, without feeling constantly fragmented
> and guilty for what didn't get done, this is my challenge.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 08:43:17 EST
> From: centa uhalde
> Subject: concrete floors again?
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi,
> I know a while back there was a thread going round about how to best treat
> a concrete floor, like in my garage/soon to be clay studio. The surface is
> funky looking and needs to be power washed. Is it better to keep the floor
> unpainted or is it fine to paint it, and if painted, what type of paint?
> Thanks,
> Centa
>
> ------------------------------
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