Joyce Lee on fri 14 may 04
Now I've perhaps stayed too long at the fair.=20
I no longer classify myself as a newbie (finally!),
and do think of myself as a Real Potter who would
be even more real if the Ol' Bod and Life
Circumstances would just quit interfering.
My Burning Goal when first gaining a corner of
the garage for My Own was to build a salt kiln....
not a large one ...... one that I could handle
myself. I wisely listened to the advice of My
Betters on Clayart and conceded that time
would be better spent learning to throw, to glaze,
to mix my own glazes, to concoct my own glazes,
and to fire the electric and my wonderful,
beautiful Geil kiln......... as well as to Find My
Own Style, My Voice in pottery....... didn't
understand that "voice" part for a long time.....
I understood the term clearly in literature or in
any kind of writing...... but pottery?? It's been
a long, frustrating, rewarding, life-enhancing road
to make it this far........ and now I feel almost as
if I'm Beginning Anew in clay, but with tons
more knowledge and a mite more skill.
Yes, I use a Giffin Grip, buy my kilns ready-made,
order bagged clay much of the time, love all the
clever&perfect tools available to me, enjoy my
home-made slump&hump molds ....... but I
would feel absolutely inauthentic as a potter .....
as a craftsperson ..... if I were to use a level for
creating my pots! Why is that? I know it's a
very personal reaction to the thought of "engineered"
pots....... I'm surrounded by engineers/technicians/
scientists of the highest caliber and training.....
maybe that's it ..... maybe I intuit that an infusion
of their methods into the hands-on aspects of
creating a craft/an art is somehow insulting to all
those who came before us..... who truly led the
way......=20
I know I feel sadness for those who feel such
little trust and ownership of their own Eye.. who
must have little hope of finding their own Voice.
Hope and Trust in oneself is somehow tied into
my thinking .... I know it's contradictory ..... but
that's what I'm feeling ....... wish I could better express=20
what's in my heart. I think the distinctions are
significant...... perhaps somebody else will say
it more clearly....... I'm thinking that, among others,
the Unknown Craftsman does so ... eloquently and
simply ..... is that the title?.....
sounds right..... I know the philosophy fits. =20
Joyce
In the Mojave where my pathetic Return to the
Studio is becoming stronger each day and, not
surprisingly, is beginning to envelop my=20
Very Being ..... spreads to every part of my life.
Passion is not only a wonderful thing..... at times,
it's the Only Thing. Have I told clayarters lately
that I love you...... I do........ indeed.
| |
|
