Finding another gear
I haven't been on the wheel making my own work for a few months now. Sure I taught an Extensive Throwing workshop in Maryland but as for my own work I've been slip casting vases and hand building my bird houses.
Being in Judi Dyelle's house surrounded by hundreds of beautiful pots my mind started thinking about throwing again the moment I hit the ground in Ontario. The last image as I walked out the door at Judi's was a wonderful painting by Lorne????? a brush maker that I had met when I did a workshop at MISSA. Before I could get to my wheel I just had to make a few attempts at creating what Lorne had done so well with just a few brush strokes.
I wanted to shift up a gear or two. I drew this flat bottomed vase and added a foot to it. Hmmm, I like that! Drawing is so important! Don't tell me you can't draw! You never spend any time doing it! If you can hold a brush you can draw. For me it is a way of percolating ideas that I will try on the wheel. Sometimes they don't translate so well from paper to clay.
As artist's and readers you have all heard of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour theory. You want a good golf swing- 10,000 hours. You want a good tennis serve- 10,000 hours. You want to make some good drawings 10,000 down right ugly images.
Tomorrow I make pots on the wheel. These drawn images will go to bed with me. I will know when my feet hit the floor in the morning what I'm going to make. No standing around in the studio with my thumb in my bum asking myself what should I make?
As a bonus to getting up in the morning is my Breville coffee grinder and espresso machine. Life's small pleasures to wake to. Life is good for those that know that life is good!
Being in Judi Dyelle's house surrounded by hundreds of beautiful pots my mind started thinking about throwing again the moment I hit the ground in Ontario. The last image as I walked out the door at Judi's was a wonderful painting by Lorne????? a brush maker that I had met when I did a workshop at MISSA. Before I could get to my wheel I just had to make a few attempts at creating what Lorne had done so well with just a few brush strokes.
I wanted to shift up a gear or two. I drew this flat bottomed vase and added a foot to it. Hmmm, I like that! Drawing is so important! Don't tell me you can't draw! You never spend any time doing it! If you can hold a brush you can draw. For me it is a way of percolating ideas that I will try on the wheel. Sometimes they don't translate so well from paper to clay.
As artist's and readers you have all heard of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour theory. You want a good golf swing- 10,000 hours. You want a good tennis serve- 10,000 hours. You want to make some good drawings 10,000 down right ugly images.
Tomorrow I make pots on the wheel. These drawn images will go to bed with me. I will know when my feet hit the floor in the morning what I'm going to make. No standing around in the studio with my thumb in my bum asking myself what should I make?
As a bonus to getting up in the morning is my Breville coffee grinder and espresso machine. Life's small pleasures to wake to. Life is good for those that know that life is good!
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| Adding the foot was an afterthought- hmmmmm! |
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| 2 vases- think tumblestack. |
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| In the shadow. |
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