Joyce Lee on mon 24 nov 97
For me the two most attractive traits any individual or grouping of
people may offer are enthusiasm and generosity of spirit and ideas. I
find that I will forgive a great many lesser traits (and hope others
will forgive them in me) if these two qualities are found in the hearts
and souls of those I encounter, be it in on the road less traveled,
or on the well-beaten path, or in cyberspace.
Well, guess where they exist in abundance, not counting babies? Yep, if
you guessed right here on our much accoladed and rarely not appreciated
list, you just won my copper-glowing-red, salkued, upsidedown thrown,
wood-enhanced, celadon-lined, and minutely inlaid, beautiful pot, and
will receive it double-boxed tightly, as soon as I make the first
one...you'll get the second. I knew from my first glaze development
two-week workshop at Robin Hopper's three years ago that I was going to
love potters as much as I did pottery. The experience and talent of the
other participants was mind-boggling but they not only tolerated my
barrage of questions, they seemed to encourage them. That experience
was repeated beginning with the Mendocino Art Center, again with the
patient Jack Troy at Mesa, and at Michael McDowell's in Washington for
Vince Pitelka's pitfiring ala grande, as well as with the
knowledgeable Nils Lou at Auberry. What generosity, not just from our
leaders but from those potters who were also attending the workshops in
order to enhance their own skills, which usually were considerable.
Somewhere in there, of course, we discovered Clayart! I found it hard
to believe that often when, in response to a request from the list, I
suggested a book or video that had helped me, the potter/author would
e-mail direct to thank me for the mention and to personally offer
further suggestions!!! Incredible! I think Paul Lewing was the first to
respond with sound advice about drying tiles... and then Craig Martell
with information about ash glazes...and dozens of you advised how to
work clean...and on and on. Wonderful! And then I wrote a fan-note to
Francoise Melville (love that name) when she told us in hilarious detail
about her initial attempts to throw on the wheel while seated on the
wheel's table, thinking that was its purpose. We've been e-mailing ever
since. I'm a lucky duck.
Thank you.
Joyce
In the Mojave
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