As an artist and craftsman I feel a responsibility to expose the public to the arts whenever possible. Kids get little to no exposure in schools, and adults see it as a guilty pleasure or an excuse to gather for a glass or two of wine..... O.K., pretty hard to argue with the last couple statements.... but you get my point! I think it is very important for people to see a craftsman in action. It is rare in our modern society that we get to see something transform from raw material to finished product. Even stranger to grasp is the idea that the finished object came from a human hand! What I strive for is when the observer wants to become that human hand. It may take some encouragement and a little prodding, but to see some one's face light up the first time they remove a 2000 degree pot from the kiln is fantastic. And by " face lighting up" I don't mean like what's happening in the photo!
Saturday was cold, windy, and hours of standing on concrete with my head engulfed in flames, yet I wouldn't have it any other way! Get out there, volunteer, show someone your craft or talent. They will either be so impressed with your skills that they find themselves inexplicably reaching for the checkbook to buy one of your pieces, or they will enquire as to where they sign up to learn how to do it themselves! The more people involved in the arts, the stronger the Art community becomes.
Any funny, strange, or just plain terrible experiences for you while doing a show or demonstration? Feel free to share them under the comments banner!
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| Warming the cans... and the kilns!!! A perfect Fall morning. |
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| Helping the rookie out while she's not looking! |
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| Katie came to help, but quickly discovered the HUGE grill loaded with racks of ribs!!! |
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