Elizabeth Priddy on fri 5 aug 05
I can do it to myself. That was the point. We are all just
a sum of life experiences. Sometimes it is short and sweet.
Sometimes not so much. Either way, no one cares about the details.
My little story takes two paragraphs, but it is not hearsay. I can
vouch for it all, I was there. Still am.
"EP found clay at 16 and has kept at it since. Put herself through
design school throwing and working in restaurants. Began teaching
children at 18, adults in community centers at 21. Began working on
serious work and promoting career. Married a good man. Moved with
husband to very isolated area. Taught at communuty college, gave up
MFA due to lack of need and school in isolated area. Focused on
teaching and brush painting. Broke back, stopped teaching at college,
took individual students and worked on personal work and growth.
Thought about entering contests and such and teaching workshops as home
is a tourist destination. Tried to do the 50 mile thing and work with
what I had, optimist. Taught a few small ones, started to develop
career track. TV show on PBS results in video on throwing, main area
of expertise. Started local art program for developmentally and
emotionally challenged children and homeschoolers (they make bowls, we
sell them at empty bowls event to support art classes for the
children-self supporting and still going strong-had to pass it on to
apprentice to run, see next bump) Started working on book about
production techniques for studio potters.
Diabetes since 22 developed into full-tilt pancreatitis. Got really
sick. Got really healthy to battle back. Suddenly surprise pregnancy.
Not good with pancreatitis and diabetes. Both mother and child
survived the birth after a complicated pregnancy and three weeks
hospitalization to wait for the lungs. EP a little worse for wear.
Crankier. Angry about women's situation in the world and having it in
my face due to war. Belief that changing the attitudes at this point
one person at a time in a field of good people to begin with will help
make world better for my son's wife and future granddaughters. Trying
to get back to it. That last part took three years."
Tearing me down took 5 minutes. Maybe less.
Write your own blurb. It will give you perspective.
And I would love to hear it. A brief auto-bio of the people here would
tell some very interesting stories. Help us get to know each other and
not have misunderstandings. I hate injustice, not men. In
as much as men are responsible for injustice and its survival... I
might point it out as far as it is relevant here.
The war is not relevant here. Our attitudes amongst our peers in a
traditionally male field is really relevant. We are the teachers of
the next generation of potters. We need to be a little introspective
and take care in what attitudes we want to keep going. And those that
need to be cut away, as they are harmful.
Everyone here at one time had a mother with a plan, then she had
children and the plan changed, probably. Ask your mother what her plan
was before you and your sibs came into the picture. If she is not
doing what she planned, make it happen for her now if you can. That
would be a generous gift. But I can tell you, she would rather open a
vein than take it from you if it caused you one moment of loss or
discomfort. That's what I learned in three weeks on my back, waiting
and not moving as much as possible.
I would never make another pot if I knew it could keep my boy safe and
happy. And it might come to that. And it is ok. But I still have a
plan. And Clayart is part of my plan, as it keeps me able to teach
from a distance, and with great opportunity for misunderstnading due to
the medium and my lack of interest in diplomacy at this point in my
life. I still think it is worth it.
I have seen some nice rice bowl pictures so far. The instruction sheet
is getting better with the comments. Write me, ricers! Send me
pictures. You will make my day be showing me your new skill.
Because that is what gives teachers jollies.
E
Kelly said:
"holy
> crap, I
> sure hope nobody takes it upon themselves to sum up MY entire life in
> an
> ascerbic paragraph."
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
I, like most people, don't go around
intending to step on toes and make folks cry.
Take it with a grain of salt.
____________________________________________________
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
Cindy Clarke on sat 6 aug 05
EP said......."Write your own blurb. It will give you perspective.
And I would love to hear it. A brief auto-bio of the people here would tell
some very interesting stories. Help us get to know each other and not have
misunderstandings................... "
Elizabeth,
I will take you up on that
I am Cindy of Jim and Cindy at Out of the Fire Studio. Jim, up until now
has done all the posting to Clayart. Time being the main issue. I too am a
mom. Our kids, two, are sixteen and very soon to be fourteen. When I/we
get home from work, my energy goes to the family, Jim goes to the computer.
Not that he is negligent in his family duties, the internet is a large part
of our business, it requires a large amount of his time.
We are new to Clayart, we stood back and watched for a short time then
introduced ourselves. We were looked at, that is why we gave the web pages,
we wanted to be looked at. We were judged by the regulars. We were told
that our work was nothing less than McDonalds fast food/pots by Tony. We
were told that we are making the world ugly fast with our work. Of course I
did not take this judgment personally, for it was merely a comment on the
work, not us as people. I didn't share that opinion, however, but coming
from a "noted artist", and commentator, one new to this forum should
probably take note. Mind you, I didn't want my retailers to know that
product they had in their stores, was a product that was making their world
ugly fast. Some of those galleries and shops would find that bad for
business. I hope you will all keep my secret safe?
The attack on EP, was just that. A personal attack. It was mean and showed
just how arrogant the attacker was. I would think that regulars to Clayart
would know the rules??
EP gave her life in a few paragraphs. I will do the same. I, unlike most
of you, have no art, college, or anything, training. I am a self taught
potter. I taught ceramics for a few years at a small northern college in BC.
It was fun. I totally turned around their arts program. It was about 20
years ago. I am sure things have changed.
I met a boy when I was 14. A number of years later I married that boy.
Never let a 14 year old girl dictate your life. I spent my life from 14 to
38 with my head down saying "Yes Sir". We had two kids, great kids, they
will come into the story later. I "woke up" one day and said, "NO"... And
my head never dropped again.
I was about forty years old. I had to leave. So I did. I wanted my kids to
come with me. They were afraid of change, they would not go,.. I HAD go to
keep ME alive. I left, they stayed. I met Jim, Yes Virginia there is a
Divine.
For four years, the kids stayed away from me. Then their father was killed
in an accident and they were free to come. Oh how they have blossomed......
That is for another forum.
This forum is about making pottery. I have done that for the last 6 years
every day. Since the kids have come I/we only work about 60 hours a week.
Before that it was a 80 or more.
Jim came to the studio full time about 2 years ago. We are having a
wonderful time making this business grow. It has been the hardest thing I
have ever done. I often wish I had the opportunity to go to school, to get
a BFA, outside of what I am sitting on, for me, it was simply not an option.
Or will it ever be.
I said via Jim in a post a while back that we all think that our pots are
better than anyone else's. Meaning that we.. Us.. Me .. You.. Make pots
better than anyone else. WE all have that secret place that makes kick ass
pots, and when in that place we know our pots are the best. One of the
hardest lessons to learn, is to see the pot you are making, not the pot you
want to make.
We, Jim and I, are new to this forum. New, compared to many, to this life
style, but not new to humanity. We have joined your Clayart group. We are
who I said we are, minus the Jim story, I will leave that to him.
I showed you mine???
Cindy
Out of the Fire Studio
http://www.outofthefirestudio.com
the best pots.... If "they" only made pots like mine, "they" would get
it....
Fonda Hancock on sun 7 aug 05
I'll jump in here to say that I think your pots look great and I can't
imagine them in any sense as "making the world ugly fast". I, too, am
totally "self-taught", books, videos, watching people. I am working on
taking some classes, but to be honest, I am afraid of getting a teacher
that might be as critcal as some of the people on this list. That said, I
love this list and learn new things all the time. The world is a wide and
varied place and clay has been shaped for centuries: thank goodness for
both facts.
Fonda in Tennessee where my 27 fifth graders have arrived in all their
varied glory!
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