Jonathan Pennington on fri 21 dec 01
Damn Mel!, why can't I find a teacher like you here!?! I told my first
pottery teacher that I wanted to do essentially this... well, what I
said was that I wanted to sit on my wheel for about four months
straight- maybe get up to go to the bathroom- until I'm good enough to
throw the exact same bowl blindfolded. She said that doing that would
make my "creativity" suffer and that I would become "just a production
potter." I visibly bridled at the percieved insult because I figured
that having the *skill* to throw near exact duplicates would also give
me the *skill* to throw just about anything that I want. But I kept my
mouth shut and listened to her class on "letting the clay tell you
what form it wants to take." I haven't been back since, deciding that
it'd be better to learn by myself. I'm taking another class with Susan
Filley in the spring semester- I've heard good things about her, I
hope she's a Mel-rank professional.
-Jonathan (Wishing he could do an internship in Minnesota, in the
vicinity of a city with a nice Native American name :-)
* mel jacobson [011221 17:24]:
> i have always held that the true professional
> can throw, glaze, load a kiln and does not
> need `inspiration`. can do any of those tasks at
> 5 a.m. on a sunday morning.
>
> this is true of jewelers, woodworkers, painters, printmakers
> and the like. `inspiration` is for people seeking how to
> do something. those that know how, just get at it.
>
> creativity and inspiration does not come from on high...it comes
> from sweat and work.
> lightning does not strike the brain....`HOOOZAH, I HAVE AN
> IDEA.` the great work comes in small bits and pieces.
> yes, tony and shiela...you have it right.
> of course you do...it is called the work of professionals.
> mel
> it is my constant argument about teaching students...how in the hell
> do they get inspiration when they do not know how to work
> their tools? it is the most stupid way to teach in the world.
> `hey sally, i am going into my office for a nap.
> show me great creativity and write a paper about what you
> learned alone.` the great teachers teach skill, technique, science
> and safety, great ideas follow.
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
--
Jonathan Pennington | jwpennin@bellsouth.net
"There are no pots, there is only clay." -original
"It's hard to take life too seriously
when you realize yours is a joke." -also original
mel jacobson on sat 29 dec 01
i have always held that the true professional
can throw, glaze, load a kiln and does not
need `inspiration`. can do any of those tasks at
5 a.m. on a sunday morning.
this is true of jewelers, woodworkers, painters, printmakers
and the like. `inspiration` is for people seeking how to
do something. those that know how, just get at it.
creativity and inspiration does not come from on high...it comes
from sweat and work.
lightning does not strike the brain....`HOOOZAH, I HAVE AN
IDEA.` the great work comes in small bits and pieces.
yes, tony and shiela...you have it right.
of course you do...it is called the work of professionals.
mel
it is my constant argument about teaching students...how in the hell
do they get inspiration when they do not know how to work
their tools? it is the most stupid way to teach in the world.
`hey sally, i am going into my office for a nap.
show me great creativity and write a paper about what you
learned alone.` the great teachers teach skill, technique, science
and safety, great ideas follow.
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Isao & Don on sat 29 dec 01
At 14:08 12/29/01 -0600, you wrote:
>i have always held that the true professional
>can throw, glaze, load a kiln and does not
>need `inspiration`. can do any of those tasks at
>5 a.m. on a sunday morning.
>
>this is true of jewelers, woodworkers, painters, printmakers
>and the like. `inspiration` is for people seeking how to
>do something. those that know how, just get at it.
>
>creativity and inspiration does not come from on high...it comes
>from sweat and work.
>lightning does not strike the brain....`HOOOZAH, I HAVE AN
>IDEA.` the great work comes in small bits and pieces.
>yes, tony and shiela...you have it right.
>of course you do...it is called the work of professionals.
>mel
>it is my constant argument about teaching students...how in the hell
>do they get inspiration when they do not know how to work
>their tools? it is the most stupid way to teach in the world.
>`hey sally, i am going into my office for a nap.
>show me great creativity and write a paper about what you
>learned alone.` the great teachers teach skill, technique, science
>and safety, great ideas follow.
>From:
>Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
>web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
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>
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>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
My goodness gracious,what a salty old fellow. One of Krishnamurti'
old lectures: "Excuse me sir, I want to change my life.What do I do?"
K. "Why,young man, the answer is simple...... do it,Just do it."
Don
Don & Isao Sanami Morrill
e-Mail:
Patty Alander on sat 29 dec 01
mel jacobson wrote:
> creativity and inspiration does not come from on high...it comes
> from sweat and work.
> lightning does not strike the brain....`HOOOZAH, I HAVE AN
> IDEA.` the great work comes in small bits and pieces.
> it is my constant argument about teaching students...how in the hell
> do they get inspiration when they do not know how to work
> their tools?
I agree, Mel. I took a beginning oil painting class and to my surprise on the
first night the instructor said he was there to teach us "PASSION!". He was going
to teach us how to get in touch with our PASSION! because most people don't know
how to express PASSION! anymore. I told him I was fine with PASSION!, but I took
the class because I wanted to learn the abc's of oils, how to apply them, add
depth, etc. and he told me that would come naturally in time, first I needed to
learn how to express my PASSION!.
I gave it a few weeks and had the ugliest damn paintings I'd ever seen - bright
colors, but still hideous. I'm grateful my pottery instructor told us we could
feel free to make wavy, lopsided, or other creative pots on the wheel only after we
mastered centered ones.
Patty
iandol on sun 30 dec 01
Dear Jonathan Pennington,
You say << I figured that having the *skill* to throw near exact =
duplicates would also give me the *skill* to throw just about anything =
that I want>>
This is essentially true if you are duplicating those forms which, =
because they are chosen for their variety and complexity, necessarily =
demand all skills be incorporated into your learning experience.
One feature of repetition throwing, equally true of any other repetitive =
craft skills, is that it allows you mind to reflect on your task and =
seek out ways which have greater efficiency, which overcome deficiencies =
of process and material.=20
Wishing you success in the future.
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
C. Burkhart on sun 30 dec 01
>mel jacobson said>
> i have always held that the true professional
> can throw, glaze, load a kiln and does not
> need `inspiration
> this is true of jewelers, woodworkers, painters, printmakers
> and the like. `inspiration` is for people seeking how to
> do something. those that know how, just get at it.
>=20
> creativity and inspiration does not come from on high...it comes
> from sweat and work.>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. =
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. =
Imagination encircles the world." Albert Einstein
It is sad commentary to discard inspiration (defined as arousal of the =
mind to a special unusual activity or creativity) unless the aim is to =
incite interesting exchange. To throw a pot and/or imitate the =
creativity of others you rely on knowledge/technique, however to create =
unique objects d'art, inspiration is a necessary companion. Should =
craftsmanship/knowledge alone be necessary then it is claycraft, not =
clayart.
>the great teachers teach skill, technique, science
and safety, great ideas follow.>
A *great* teacher is one who teaches skill and more importantly, =
promotes thinking.
Regards,
C. Burkhart
Jeremy McLeod on sun 30 dec 01
OK, so I cheated. I set the account to NOMAIL and went on vacation and then
remembered I could check in via the net. Ah! the best of both worlds!
My other artistic involvements are in music and liturgy. I'm always
fascinated by those who want to be "spontaneous" and "creative" but who have
no clue as to the means to make things happen. I'll ask such a person (who
does not already play the piano) to go to a nearby piano and spontaneously
improvise a theme and variations in the key of d-flat. They protest that
they can't because they can't play the piano. I smile and remind them that
they said they wanted to be spontaneous and creative. That often takes the
conversation into more realistic realms of what it takes to make art happen
and appear to be spontaneous (after the long learning curve and lots and
lots and lots of practice).
I've had some good teachers (in pottery, voice, and keyboard) but few who
took the time to teach basic technique early on and efficiently so that I as
a student could progress more quickly past rudiments to more fluid
expression. In recent months (after nearly four years of throwing pots) a
couple of nearly offhand remarks by workshop leaders have come at the right
time and place and my wheel technique has improved exponentially. I'm glad
for this and regret that earlier teachers had not been more hands on and
directive in approaching basics.
Jeremy McLeod
Lee Love on sun 30 dec 01
----- Original Message -----
From: "Isao & Don"
> My goodness gracious,what a salty old fellow. One of Krishnamurti'
> old lectures: "Excuse me sir, I want to change my life.What do I do?"
> K. "Why,young man, the answer is simple...... do it,Just do it."
Same advice Yoda gave young Skywalker: "No try! Just Do!" Also,
inscrutable Nike give same advice. :^)
On the otherhand, in China, when a bureaucrat asked the Tree Sitting
Monk, "What is the secret of enlightenment?", he replied: "Just do good. Don't
do wrong."
The bureaucrat said, "But an 8 year old boy knows that!" And the Tree Sitting
Monk replied, "Yes, an 8 year boy knows this, but an 80 year old man can't do
it."
A friend of mine took care of a woman in a nursing home who was a friend
of Krishnamurti. He would stay at her house in the basement apartment every
time he was in town. One time, she heard him screaming in the basement.
She ran downstairs to see what was wrong. When she arrived, Krishnamurti
hollar, "Come quick! Come quick! Kojak is on! It's my favorite program!"
:^)
My late teacher Dainin Katagiri Roshi enjoyed television. Many of his
teaching examples came from t.v., like: "Just putt the Buddha Ball into the
Buddha Hole." (From watching golf on t.v.)
In one of Natalie Goldberg's books, she tells about the discussion her
ex-husband had with Katagiri. Brent told Roshi about his decision to go to
California and give it a go at becoming a performing pianist (as best as I can
remember:) He told Roshi, "I don't know if I can be sucessful, but I'll give
it a try. If I am not sucessful, no big deal." Katagiri replied, "If you go
with that attitude, you will certainly fail. Go and do it as though your life
depended upon it. It is the only way to suceed in anything."
--
Lee Love
Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
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Lee Love on sun 30 dec 01
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Pennington"
> -Jonathan (Wishing he could do an internship in Minnesota, in the
> vicinity of a city with a nice Native American name :-)
Jonathan,
You can follow this way of skill study independently. Just make the
stuff. Recycle and do it again. Only keep the best. Developing skill
allows us true freedom of expression. We don't have to settle for "happy
accidents." We can help the Muse.
I think we have an edge on creativity and innovation in the west. Here
in Japan, they have the edge in the area of craftskill and tradition. The
repeat work is very important here for developing skill. At home, skill is
often sacrificed for the sake of expression. But if you develop the skill
first, it does not get in the way of expression later. You can choose to be
exact or "free." The problem with lacking the skill, is that there is no
choice. Without the skill, you cannot do what the clay tells you. For
people who don't understand, they don't seem to be able to tell the difference
between freedom and sloppiness.
good luck,
--
Lee Love
Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
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Ron Roy on mon 31 dec 01
Hi C,
Just so everyone gets a chance to see this again - Hard work, discisipline,
integrity, flexabilty and imagination - if you want it all listen up.
RR
>"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination
>is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination
>encircles the world." Albert Einstein
>
>It is sad commentary to discard inspiration (defined as arousal of the
>mind to a special unusual activity or creativity) unless the aim is to
>incite interesting exchange. To throw a pot and/or imitate the creativity
>of others you rely on knowledge/technique, however to create unique
>objects d'art, inspiration is a necessary companion. Should
>craftsmanship/knowledge alone be necessary then it is claycraft, not
>clayart.
>
>>the great teachers teach skill, technique, science
>and safety, great ideas follow.>
>
>A *great* teacher is one who teaches skill and more importantly, promotes
>thinking.
>
>Regards,
>
>C. Burkhart
Ron Roy
RR# 4
15084 Little Lake Rd..
Brighton,
Ontario, Canada
KOK 1H0
Residence 613-475-9544
Studio 613-475-3715
Fax 613-475-3513
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