primalmommy@IVILLAGE.COM on sun 10 jun 01
I just got back from the Appalachian Center for Crafts. I was in Vince Pitelka's Ancient Clay (and got to peek in on Lowell Baker's sawdust firing workshop, which was equally awe inspiring). In my humble opinion Vince is knowledgeable, skilled and personable... Lowell is tireless, determined and innovative. The potters who participated were a remarkable collection of good souls.
It's funny how when you arrive you don't know a soul, but by friday I had tears in my eyes saying goodbye to "old friends" -- (including a few clayarters.)
Now, for me, it's the post-workshop transition I call "packing the genie back into the bottle". It's not an easy task, after a week of clay, dirt, sawdust, wood, smoke and fire, uninterrupted by the need to cook, teach, mother, answer the phone/email, diaper, garden, pay bills, do laundry...
I hope that those lucky young potters out there who don't have to steal time from jobs, children or managing a household won't take for granted that gift. If I had known in college what I know now, I would have flung myself heart and soul into pottery, both hands- on and academic... "clay without ceasing" ;0)
I am grateful for the number of women potters out there who are relishing what margaret mead calls "post menopausal zest" -- their kids are raised, their dues are paid, and they've returned to a place in life where everybody else needn't come first. Their work is prolific and remarkable, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
I would never wish away these days with my little children, nor do I underestimate the importance of what I do; in a day or two I will be back to doing it with my whole heart. But the momentum of a workshop like the one I just left makes this a bit like stopping a freight train. I have to keep chanting to myself a few comforting mantras:
you CAN have it all, just not all at once.
One day I will be like Darby and Susan and Joyce and Edith and... (only they will be miles ahead of me, with a running head start...)
if my babies marry at the age I did I will be 67 when they leave home, and can spend my last 30 years making pots...
lord willing and the creek don't rise...
yours up to my elbows in the real world,
Kelly in Ohio
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Dannon Rhudy on mon 11 jun 01
At 12:57 PM 6/10/01 -0700, you wrote:
>I just got back from the Appalachian Center for Crafts.
...>Now, for me, it's the post-workshop transition I call "packing the
genie back into the bottle". It's not an easy task, after a week of clay,
dirt, sawdust, wood, smoke and fire, uninterrupted by the need to cook,
teach, mother, answer the phone/email, diaper, garden, pay bills, do
laundry....
Kelly, you are right that there is something very special and
important about the intensity of workshops. They are wonderful
for the focus that they permit to all concerned, plus the
energy that good ones generate. Nothing else like it.
Of course, that kind of intensity would not be possible over
a very long period of time - but while they last they are
extraordinary. Longest one I ever did was six weeks.
At the end of it everyone, EVERYone, was exhausted. But still
very reluctant to leave. Your blues will dissipate,
but your enthusiasm probably won't. So keep on - everything
in it's time.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
.
>
>I hope that those lucky young potters out there who don't have to steal
time from jobs, children or managing a household won't take for granted
that gift. If I had known in college what I know now, I would have flung
myself heart and soul into pottery, both hands- on and academic... "clay
without ceasing" ;0)
>
>I am grateful for the number of women potters out there who are relishing
what margaret mead calls "post menopausal zest" -- their kids are raised,
their dues are paid, and they've returned to a place in life where
everybody else needn't come first. Their work is prolific and remarkable,
and their enthusiasm is contagious.
>
>I would never wish away these days with my little children, nor do I
underestimate the importance of what I do; in a day or two I will be back
to doing it with my whole heart. But the momentum of a workshop like the
one I just left makes this a bit like stopping a freight train. I have to
keep chanting to myself a few comforting mantras:
>
>you CAN have it all, just not all at once.
>
>One day I will be like Darby and Susan and Joyce and Edith and... (only
they will be miles ahead of me, with a running head start...)
>
>if my babies marry at the age I did I will be 67 when they leave home, and
can spend my last 30 years making pots...
>
>lord willing and the creek don't rise...
>
>yours up to my elbows in the real world,
>
>Kelly in Ohio
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>iVillage.com: Solutions for Your Life
>Check out the most exciting women's community on the Web
>http://www.ivillage.com
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Susan Fox-Hirschmann on mon 11 jun 01
Hello Kelly
Susan, here, and....
I too am on "re entry" after that great workshop with Vince, and now savor
those moments of concentrated clay/smoke/wood/ and yes terra sig does rock!
But an additional treat was having participants with so much creative
energy, living, and working together for those 5 days.
The joy of creating in such an atmosphere, I feel, can not be replicated in
weekend workshops. Add to that the totally glorious site that is Appalachian
Center, the well equipped facility, the great teaching staff, the mountains
and lake, the wonderful night air....a time to talk and embibe, savor the
days activities, the nights to dream about the creative tomorrows.
Yes, my kids are grown, and I cherish the time that I gave them raising
them. Like I told you, you are where I was 28 years ago.
After years of studying painting, interior design, and art, i found clay at
30. I too wish it had been sooner, but with small children and a supportive
husband, I managed to go back to school two nights a week to do clay classes
at the corcoran. As the kids got older, I was once again a parttime college
student....only clay was the direction. With that kind of support at home,
you can have it all.....just the clay in smaller doses right now. You are
doing, what i believe to be the most important job a mother can do, and that
is the creative act of mothering. You certainly have your values in place,
and are to be commended for it. As the kids got older, i found I was able
to develop my work, start doing some craft fairs, to pay some expenses, and
eventually save for their college educations....with 3 kids, I started doing
more and more fairs. They came along to help, and got dubbed "FAIR
CHILD>REN!"
I must admit that being there at Appalachian Center and meeting you made me
appreciate clay and my work even more than i already do. It was a
reaffirmation of what i already knew, just not explicitly....that I love my
chosen profession as a potter/artist.
But the time will pass quicker than you think and before you know it those
kids will be grown, and you will know, what you know now...
CLAY (and terra sig) ROCKS!!!
what a treat to be there, to create (with you oh primal mommy)_...for us
all....and to be part of it all.
warm regards,
susan
oh yeah, and thanks for the compliment.
>From: Dannon Rhudy
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: post-workshop blues
>Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 09:22:32 -0500
>
>At 12:57 PM 6/10/01 -0700, you wrote:
> >I just got back from the Appalachian Center for Crafts.
>....>Now, for me, it's the post-workshop transition I call "packing the
>genie back into the bottle". It's not an easy task, after a week of clay,
>dirt, sawdust, wood, smoke and fire, uninterrupted by the need to cook,
>teach, mother, answer the phone/email, diaper, garden, pay bills, do
>laundry....
>
>Kelly, you are right that there is something very special and
>important about the intensity of workshops. They are wonderful
>for the focus that they permit to all concerned, plus the
>energy that good ones generate. Nothing else like it.
>Of course, that kind of intensity would not be possible over
>a very long period of time - but while they last they are
>extraordinary. Longest one I ever did was six weeks.
>At the end of it everyone, EVERYone, was exhausted. But still
>very reluctant to leave. Your blues will dissipate,
>but your enthusiasm probably won't. So keep on - everything
>in it's time.
>
>regards
>
>Dannon Rhudy
>
>.
> >
> >I hope that those lucky young potters out there who don't have to steal
>time from jobs, children or managing a household won't take for granted
>that gift. If I had known in college what I know now, I would have flung
>myself heart and soul into pottery, both hands- on and academic... "clay
>without ceasing" ;0)
> >
> >I am grateful for the number of women potters out there who are relishing
>what margaret mead calls "post menopausal zest" -- their kids are raised,
>their dues are paid, and they've returned to a place in life where
>everybody else needn't come first. Their work is prolific and remarkable,
>and their enthusiasm is contagious.
> >
> >I would never wish away these days with my little children, nor do I
>underestimate the importance of what I do; in a day or two I will be back
>to doing it with my whole heart. But the momentum of a workshop like the
>one I just left makes this a bit like stopping a freight train. I have to
>keep chanting to myself a few comforting mantras:
> >
> >you CAN have it all, just not all at once.
> >
> >One day I will be like Darby and Susan and Joyce and Edith and... (only
>they will be miles ahead of me, with a running head start...)
> >
> >if my babies marry at the age I did I will be 67 when they leave home,
>and
>can spend my last 30 years making pots...
> >
> >lord willing and the creek don't rise...
> >
> >yours up to my elbows in the real world,
> >
> >Kelly in Ohio
> >
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >iVillage.com: Solutions for Your Life
> >Check out the most exciting women's community on the Web
> >http://www.ivillage.com
> >
> >___________________________________________________________________________
>___
> >Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> >You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> >settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> >Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
> >
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
_________________________________________________________________
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