mel jacobson on wed 26 may 10
i have been going through the shop class as soulcraft book again.
interesting.
it reminded me of being in bath, england and visting our dear
friend ann heckle, the famous british calligrapher. we went to her
home for dinner, and of course we asked to see her studio and work
space. she does not have a studio.
all the great pieces of calligraphy are done on a small table in her
bedroom. she has her current work stored under her bed.
she is a spartan women.
she had a large wooden drawing board, with a vellum skin tacked
to it. she had a pot with about six quills and a few brushes in
it..and a pot of ink and a
few tubes of water color gouache. that was it. no studio with
700 pens, boxes of ink and color. a chair, a table and a drawing board
and some quills...and magic comes from her hand. she uses paper plates
for her pallet. there are few calligraphers that match her talent.
she showed us a cardboard box with a few razor knives, quill knife,
an eraser, and
some hard and soft lead pencils. there was a large tablet with
dozens of sketches
on about 40 pages. oh, and there was a ruler.
we had been earlier that summer to a calligraphers studio here in minneapol=
is
that had just been built onto their home...about 1,500 sq ft...sinks, drawi=
ng
tables, lights, north windows, and more tools then anyone could use in
a lifetime. about $150,000 bucks worth from my estimation. total silliness=
.
nothing is done there...ever.
i was just thinking about gadget tools...there are so many for
potters. hundreds.
most of them are simple to make, a few minutes on a belt sander...or a
drill and saw...in fact a coping saw is a great simple tool. ( i
love my jewelers
saw. very fine teeth.) and brushes are so easy to make.
i sure don't put down phil, or steve graber for designing and making cool
tools. they have a place. but, there are those that collect tools and
never use them...they just collect tools for making pots. they think there
is some magic in the new tool, or the new wheel, or the new whatever.
sorry, it never works...the new pots are in your head, to be made with your
hands.
remember, making tools is a process that is a part of making pots. it is n=
ever
waste time, it is problem solving time. your brain grows when you make
tools. it is why i love simple kilns. just a box, a stack, two burners...=
good
specs. works every time. it makes pots.
and, there is nothing like tools that are hand made, that fit
your hand and body.
i like the feeling of being in charge of every phase of the craft.
(again, don't whine at me that you can't do that, you don't have
space, it is impossible...or i will send you to ann's house and have
her show you what craft is about.)
i loved those pix of john post's kids making /processing clay from scratch.
(john has finished his essay for our new book...it is magic. mine is
complete, and am waiting on a couple of more...they will get done.)
i have been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world, and visit
potteries. many very primitive. no studio, no special tools, just clay, a
pair of hands, some water and desire. you could fill the pages of cm with
those pots, and critics would swoon, `the modernity, the wood fire affects,
the spiritual quality and the juxtaposition of time and space within our
universe.` no, pots that folks use for beans and rice. hand made, no tool=
s
just a potter and a fire. we could do as well.
i love the story of being in mata ortiz, mexico, and asking to see
some new work..and
going into the potters bedroom, and there was grandma, sleeping and pots
all around her. big pots. `don't mind grandma, she is fine.` no studio,
a bedroom. and, amazing hand made pots, with drawings made with
a brush with hair from a baby..about six strands. a 50 watt light bulb
in the ceiling..that was it. a chair, a pot of paint, a brush and a steady
hand. and i challenge anyone to make coil pots as thin as tag board,
as big as a medicine ball...and hand painted with that fine brush. it is
magic. fired under a big flower pot, and a weber grill base. wood, charco=
al,
sticks and paper. i did not see one kiln in mata ortiz, but, that was 8
years ago. i bet there are 100 potters doing that work, or maybe many more
now. the work is just pure magic.
i am just sitting here, feeling very blessed. i have lost dear friends thi=
s
month, but i am working and have good health...another dear friend
is on the way to be next to her grandson, with spinal cancer...15 years
old...i am blessed to have great friends that inspire me to work harder
and more. it was great to be inspired by larry kruzan, and be thrilled
that he may get `fixed`.
i am blessed to be a member of the society of folks that make things...with
our hands. the society that admires craftsmanship, honesty and the
thrill of being rewarded for your own good work...not a committee, not
a group, not a collective...just you, good or bad, just you. art and craft
and talent, the greatest gift any human can be blessed with.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
alternate: melpots7575@gmail.com
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