mel jacobson on thu 28 jun 12
my take on tools, and the posts that i have written
are about very simple, free for the taking hand tools.
most can be made without complex powered tools.
they become a must for teachers of clay on limited
budgets. kids can make their own, and they love it.
we are a hand making group. that is what we do...we come
from thousands of years of people making pots with
just their hands and a few found objects. that is our core
and that is our root.
we should always respect that idea.
we live in a time when everything can be handed to you
and made by others. we spend a great deal of our potential
profit on `other stuff`. mountains of it.
it is as simple as taking all your scrap clay from a days work
and turning it into a pot, rather than a scrap bucket. that simple
act will pay for your total energy use in your shop or studio for that
day..
any quality craftsperson will make work based on their needs, but none
should ever forget about your roots. we can turn almost all tasks today
in the clay world to another person, another company. just buy ready made.
i was able to outfit all of my students with quality `homemade` tools.
we made do.
i admit to being a builder and a tool guy. i have gobs of tools...and i ha=
ve
always said...`it was my best investment`...as, i am a `do yourself guy`
i do not pay for electricians, plumbers, builders. i do it all.
but, that is my personality. and, i am never poor because of paying others
to do my jobs. it is an attitude. it matches with my being a craftsman.
as a teacher, i had about four months a year that i was unemployed. i neve=
r
felt i had summers `off`. during those times i built, repaired and made st=
uff
to sell. that was the way my job worked. others went to the cabin for the
summer, fished and played golf....then bitched that their salary was too lo=
w.
it made me very angry.
i went to school, build my credentials to 90 credits over my master's degre=
e.
i went to japan, i went to dubai. i worked hard to be a professional.
it was always `do it yourself`.
and, i have always felt that my time at the university of minnesota was
critical in my development. it paved my way. i had some great mentors
and teachers of art. i respect them dearly.
i have never respected lazy, do nothing, talk talk, professors...i had some
of those too. i ignore them. it is the same for some of my former
teacher friends...complain, ignore, lazy, do nothing dorks. i ignored them
too.
i chose not to get an (a) mfa. it would not serve me as a public school te=
acher.
the credits and the trip to japan served me well. very well.
as i told people at hopkins high...i have two or three mfa's. but, no cred=
entials
to back it up...do i feel left out?..`hell no`. it was about choice.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
| |
|
