MEUNIER LEE on wed 25 jan 12
Janine wrote about a young artist (painter) who accepted his dad's option t=
=3D
o travel,=3D0Atake workshops etc for the purpose of learning "more" about p=
ai=3D
nting .. rather=3D0Athan to continue his so far=3DA0less-than-fruitful atte=
mpts=3D
to master "academic" studies=3D0Aat a "regular" college.=3DA0 (Go see his =
wild=3D
life work...... glorious!)=3D0A=3DA0=3D0AMy #1 Support Person did the same =
for me=3D
when I retired from academia.=3DA0 At=3D0Athe time I had a little more tha=
n a =3D
year left to complete work on a doctorate in=3D0Aeducation, which I planned=
t=3D
o do whether I continued working or not... figured=3D0AI'd be better qualif=
ie=3D
d to offer workshops=3DA0to educators=3DA0etc.=3DA0 The hitch for #1=3D0Awa=
s that w=3D
e'd have to move to Santa Barbara, since this last year for me would=3D0Ame=
an=3D
having to be on campus most of the year.=3DA0 No choice on that; this last=
=3D
=3D0Ayear promised to be=3DA0 challenging and competitive... at least that =
was =3D
the=3D0Ainformation I received from the consortium which included UCSB.=3DA=
0 I =3D
was=3D0Aexcited about the prospect of not having to leave that part of my l=
if=3D
e incomplete.=3D0AUNTIL.......=3D0A=3DA0=3D0AJim, my #1 supporter always si=
nce I wa=3D
s 16, proposed that I reconsider my=3D0Agoals for retirement..... by spendi=
ng=3D
some time considering what I'd like to=3D0Alearn that would be perhaps an =
op=3D
ening into a New Life, different objectives,=3DA0 =3D0Aa=3DA0life style may=
be tha=3D
t we hadn't experienced, introduce us to new people,=3D0Ahave the excitemen=
t =3D
of making a heretofore Unknown World our own.=3DA0 He=3D0Awas convincing as=
alw=3D
ays.=3DA0 As to finances... we'd use the considerable sum=3D0Ait would have=
cos=3D
t us to make the doctorate feasible.=3DA0 It took me about six=3D0Aweeks to=
cho=3D
ose Becoming a Potter and to find Robin Hopper's books,=3D0Atapes and Summe=
r =3D
School on Vancouver Island, Canada.=3DA0 I even enjoyed the=3D0Achallenge o=
f ha=3D
ving to convince Robin to expand his class on development=3D0Aof color and =
gl=3D
azes...... about which I knew less than nothing... to include=3D0Ame on his=
r=3D
oster of "experienced, professional potters" who wanted to=3D0Aexpand their=
c=3D
onsiderable=3DA0knowledge from their own Tried&True pallette=3D0Awhich was =
thei=3D
r Bread&Butter, thus satisfying a dream or two to have a=3D0Alittle time, m=
at=3D
erials, equipment and Robin's very personal, professional=3D0Aexpertise imm=
ed=3D
iately at hand. (His critiques were wonderful! although I=3D0Ado believe th=
at=3D
he was at least slightly appalled at my own lack of under-=3D0Astanding of=
p=3D
ractically anything he offered.=3DA0)=3D0A=3DA0=3D0A=3DA0Still, I knew even=
then that=3D
=3D0AI was exactly where I belonged .=3DA0 That continues to this day even =
thou=3D
gh=3D0A#1 passed on in 2003.=3DA0 Until that year he joined me at many work=
shop=3D
s=3D0Aand two NCECAs.=3DA0 He enjoyed the potters he met and was surprised=
=3D0Ato=3D
discover how like me and thee they were.... and that so many had an=3D0Aen=
gi=3D
neering background.... as well as how creative they were in =3D0Aareas othe=
r=3D
=3DA0than pottery.=3D0A=3DA0=3D0AJoyce=3D0AIn the Mojave Desert of Californ=
ia USA
Janine in Tacoma on wed 25 jan 12
I met a young man 15 years ago who is dyslexic and struggled through=3D20
school. At some point, he picked up a paint brush and started to paint w=
=3D
hat=3D20
he loved - animals and nature. He had a knack and spent every waking hou=
=3D
r=3D20
painting. His dad gave him the choice of spending his college fund on=3D20=
=3D
photography trips, safaris, and workshops with established artists (not m=
=3D
any=3D20
colleges would accept him with his poor academic record anyway). He won=3D=
20=3D
the junior duck stamp contest once, before he really started his career. =
=3D
A=3D20
couple of well known wildlife artist took him under their wing. Years ag=
=3D
o,=3D20
when he wanted to enter the Smithsonian Wildlife art exhibit, those guys =
=3D
told=3D20
him not to bother, he'd need a lot more work under his belt before he was=
=3D
=3D20
ready for that. But Ryan entered anyway, and was accepted. He now rarel=
=3D
y=3D20
sells originals and has done better than most kids who graduated from col=
=3D
lege=3D20
with an impressive degree. I love stories like this. Wildlife art isn't=
=3D
really my=3D20
bag either, but I am very proud to own a couple of works by this charming=
=3D
,=3D20
shy, and very humble young man.
You can check his work out here: http://www.ryanperry.com/
Cheers
Janine
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