pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on tue 24 aug 04
Hi Darlene,
I do not know many authors to mention them, but your missive
here reminded me of some of the writings of an author named
Barry Stevens, or, particularly an essay she wrote called
"Curtain Raiser".
I imagine it could be found readily in a google search or
other, and it is short. ( Oh well, so I tried a google
search and it
seems impossible to find. However, it does appear in an
antholgy of various essays in a book called "Person to
Person" for which used copies should be easy obtain through
Amazon or other sites..)
Too, someone's short version of her biography, read: "Barry
Stevens - hi-school drop out, 1918, because she wanted to
know what was not taught in school."
Anyway...
Nice mention...
Phil
el ve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Darlene Yarnetsky-Mudcat Pottery"
> Finally jumping in on this one..
>
> As a child, I could draw. I was very much a child in my
own world,
> quite content on my own, and I could spend whole days
making up my own
> worlds with crayons, a pair of scissors, and (hopefully
yesterday's)
> newspaper. As the sixth of seven children, it was quickly
realized
> that keeping me in paper and crayons kept me content and
out of
> trouble. We were as a group, no doubt, a handful to deal
with.
>
> When I started school, art was taught once a week by the
phys. ed.
> instructor. It was my favorite part of school. I can
remember
> outlining each other's bodies on long pieces of paper and
then making
> them into life size self portraits that hung in the
hallways. Or
> making patterns from multi colored squares of construction
paper and
> gluing them down.
>
> At some point I knew I liked my drawings better, that I
could do easily
> what other kids struggled with. It was not a conceit, but
a
> realization, just like the girl who could kick the ball
further than
> any of us, or the boy who could run the fastest. I had
years of
> happily drawing away just for me before adults and my
schoolmates
> started taking notice. When they finally did, I was torn
between
> wanting to be left alone, and wanting the attention.
>
> We had no three dimensional instruction at our school
(very small - 52
> in my class) so I did not discover clay until much later.
A new
> challenge! Something with whole new worlds to explore!
Having a
> business means that compromises must be made. I cannot
follow an idea
> for months at a time and let the shelves run empty of mugs
and pitchers
> for instance. Perhaps one day that will be an option, but
for now it is
> a good trade off, and I am still able to be happily able
to create in
> my own world.
>
> So, where am I going with this? After quite a bit of
persuasion, ( I
> didn't want to feel like an animal in a zoo) I finally
gave into having
> an open studio - where I could work and people could come
in and watch,
> and hopefully some would buy a piece to take home. This
has taken some
> adjustment on my part, but so far it is working. I bring
in money
> every week and have not had so much interruption as to
totally disrupt
> my work. Some of my visitors are very curious and I have
had some
> really great conversations about life and art.
>
> What amazes me is some (not all) people's perceptions on
art as only
> for the talented, and the continual comments of "I could
never do that"
> "I don't have any talent" etc.
>
> The children are of course, opposites! Even the most
timid find
> themselves drawn in by the spin of the potters wheel, or
the mark left
> by a stamp into fresh soft clay. They don't care about
what is "good"
> only what is! I find myself wondering how many will grow
up to
> continue to be artists after having the adult view of art
brought upon
> them.
>
> I think how much the adults limit themselves by saying "I
could never
> do that", yet watching the olympics, I find myself
thinking it is not
> in me to do that! While I am not a very coordinated
person, I enjoy
> walking and swimming, but I doubt any amount of
instruction could make
> me an olympic gymnast. I for many years avoided
participating in even
> casual games of volleyball, for example because I wasn't
any good at
> it. I limited myself needlessly, and missed out. If we
could all
> approach art (or sports, or writing) as we did as
children, we would
> all be the richer for it.
>
> So, I for one welcome art for all. Even the paint your
own pottery
> studio that has opened up a block away. Anything to let
adults (and
> children of course) experience a bit of the joy of
creating. Anything
> to get past that "I can't, shouldn't, won't do that
because I have no
> talent"
>
> Back to my own little world and a fresh bag of clay,
> Darlene Yarnetsky
> Madison, Indiana
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