Creative (and Empty) Bowls

Deal-makers aim for "win-win" as they believe

that means both parties get a benefit.

Sometimes, the stars align and a particular project

turns out to be a "win-win-win-win..."

Such was this year's fundraiser for "Feeding Avery Families."

Our quasi-official clay group (from 3 different states) scheduled our second annual Mudfest to coincide with our leader's (Mother Mud's) favorite community project: Empty Bowls.  Since the indefatigable Patti Conner-Greene spearheads the construction of clay bowls in the Avery County High School art classes she had also challenged us to each make one or more bowls to donate to the fundraiser.

The Mudpuppies

pottery support group and creative muses

Opening business included lunch, catching up and a birthday celebration.  While we were prepared to spend some time experimenting with "pinch pots," we first wanted to present our wares to the "Head of Pottery," Ms. Conner-Greene, the bowl collector.

I show you first my humble piece as I don't consider myself a potter and was really flummoxed by the task at hand.  It would not have taken too much for me to hide it and not "go public".  Live and learn.

Amy bravely unwrapped her efforts and began discussing techniques used and what she learned.  She talked about certain pieces that did not meet her "standards" and might be held from donation.

Lisa began sharing her work and soon we were all laughing and oohing and ahhing and trading "secrets" for how to get certain results.  We giggled over how much better the potential rejects looked out of their home studios....

Patti convinced us that despite our initial reaction to appearance she really loved, but even more, wanted, needed each and every bowl.  There was little time to hem and haw so back into the boxes and the bowls were off to the next day's event.

I'll save our pinching experience as well as our field trips for another time.  Fast forward to the day of the event and we see three (non-professional) potters arriving to volunteer for the event.  

 Barbara assisting a donor select a bowl

a view of the many bowls donated and Amy answering questions

Attendees make a donation to the organization in exchange for selecting a handmade bowl and then they sit down to enjoy a range of soups, breads and desserts.  Craft it and they will come: donors poured in to support the cause.  

Are they aware of what else they did?  

They gave a handful of fledging crafters the greatest high a maker can receive: they valued the product.  Professional pots mingled with first-ever pots, wondrous bowls cohabited with the humble, earth tones sat in harmony with wild colors.  But each one was lovingly picked up and handled with respect.  Our Puppies gave up guessing which one a donor would finally choose; each and every bowl seemed to ring the chimes of someone.  It is an understatement to say that the newbie potters saw their own work in an entirely new light.  The love of a stranger made a huge impact.  The adoption of one's potential reject changed its status forever.  Watching someone willingly select something you made provided a rush of adrenaline that is rare and wonderful.

Lisa rearranging the display as inventory diminishes

Long before the event was to serve its last bowl of soup the available "empty bowls" dwindled.  For the first time there was not a single hand-made, donated pottery bowl to pack up and store: they were all in new homes.  And, before even adding in anticipated funds from a silent auction, the event organizers were counting over $10,000 raised towards helping feed needy families in Avery County this winter.  Certainly a huge benefit for the organization and the citizens its serves.

Patti has often shared the generosity of high school students donating their first bowl as opposed to keeping it, and she told stories of the classes at the senior center making and giving a generous amount.  But she could not have predicted the numerous benefits participating in such a project would hold for each of us.  I'm not sure any of the Mud Pups have touched ground yet.

Take away on paper?  #1- When you compliment someone's art you are giving them a priceless, precious gift and encouragement to continue. #2- Never, ever underestimate the ability of your work to please, get it out there, let it breathe....it will find a friend.

win-win-win-win-win....such a deal!

MUDDY FINGERS,

Cindy

Azule Residency Five Star Experience

OR

Finding how NOT to proceed is as critical as proceeding

The days following a "retreat" are almost more work than the experience itself.  Unpacking your brain of a zillion new ideas, organizing your thoughts into subject files, rehashing pages of notes and drawings, trying to remember that brilliant scheme that came in a dream or was it during a hike?  All of that is much more exhausting and time consuming than actually going through the delightful day to day routine of no-routine and total dedication to your craft.

Such are my musings after returning from a wonderful 4 days spent with my sister and co-collaborator at AZULE located off the beaten path in Grassy Creek, NC just outside of Hot Springs.  

If you closely on the left middle floor you can see the outline of the original

log cabin Camille and her husband homesteaded in.  She continues, in her seventies,

to dream up projects to add onto the "compound."

What did we accomplish during our artistic residency?  Weeeell.  As Edison was fond of saying, "We discovered 99 ways not to make a light bulb."

Our original intent had been to explore our childhood as fodder for a poetry/art collaboration.  We spent many a chuckle-filled hour revisiting those years and playing the "but do you remember...." game.  However after thrashing and hashing our early years, my word-smith sis admitted that nothing grabbed her senses as intense enough to eulogize.  My visuals were equally uninspiring.  So we then morphed into a long discussion about technique and approach: using 'we' or 'I', feelings now or then, calls and answers or just two unrelated bodies of work, large or small, ....see the problems here?  So much more to decide than first meets the eye.

Amy found a comfortable niche by the front door.  Camille made all the stained glass windows

herself after gathering all the glass from a manufacturers dump site.

We hiked, we sweated, we sat and stared, we dabbled in our craft hoping the muse would take over, we revisited every possibility and we took stabs at producing.

I liked the table under the skylight where the old cabin featured a 

porch that eventually was closed in.  The furniture was crafted by the

husband of a board member.

Sister Poet was in a slight Panic.  Sister Artist said "been there done that."  Both sisters stared like deer in headlights when asked to "share" our progress with the crew on site that evening.  Ah, well, advised the elder, we share our conundrum, we throw it out to the universe of willing listeners and see what comes back.

And here is the glory of Azule: they understood.  no judgement, no disappointment.  A discussion of ways the project could go, a few "have you ever's," and much sympathy for the valley we were in.  Along with a huge dose of faith that we would, we could, climb out!

The common room ready for relaxing, discussions, or reading from the

extensive library.  The kitchen is communal and can be seen

behind the alcove with the round cut out.

Which is the pervasive attitude around Azule: it can and will be done.  We were surrounded by interesting unfinished projects just waiting for the right crafts person to show up.  Camille proudly showed us the difference in the work done by a "finish carpenter" who made amazing fits of things into odd places with an elegance befitting a five star hotel and then turned to contrast that with a woodworker who loved raw edges and did much interior siding which left the bark exposed with a rippled edge.  Both gorgeous and somehow both appropriate side by side here.

Here you can get a sense of the creativity and whimsy of the place.  Camille asked that this '47 Chevy be thrown in when they finally bought the place.  She envisioned it as you see it now warding off any bad "ju ju" blowing in from "Troublesome Gap" off to the left.  

She laughs that some large estates have magnificent rearing horse sculptures to do

the same thing but so far the Chevy has worked fine for Azule.

Camille is an inspirational jewel but she has gathered together an incredibly hard working and dedicated board of directors. We met several while there and they displayed no end of creative ingenuity in progressing the ideals of a gathering place for artists to nurture themselves and each other.  The day before we departed a hearty group of Davidson University students were on site to learn the craft of stone walling.  This eager bunch of laborers were not only building a retention wall for a camping site but they were learning how to move 60 and 80 pound boulders and lift them into place while chipping the smaller pieces to fit inside.  Of course the stone mason was a friend of Azules who fed his hogs with the recycled food scraps saved from our kitchen.  And who, BTW, will be teaching a fall class on how to slaughter, butcher and put up the hog. See how this works?

I hope this is not my last experience with Azule...it is nearly impossible to explain all it has to offer.  Yes, the accommodations are "basic" and yes, you cook your own meals.  But what a small price to pay for a lifetime of inspiration.  Just email me your questions or go on-line if this tempts you in the least.  I can assure you they would love to have you come be a part of what they are building.

Oh...and with a little bit of time and luck I hope to be sharing some fruits of our labors in the not too distance future!

Art Fully Yours,

Cindy

EMPTY NESTERS

Empty Nesters

18" x 24"  mixed media

I probably don't need to say much about this piece, the title pretty much explains it all.

The original photo from which this was done was taken by Lynne Townsend

of Todd, N.C.  Lynne does beautiful photography and when I saw this

shot I asked if I could paint it.  She graciously said yes.

Maybe as an empty nester myself I read way too much into this scene but I thoroughly enjoyed

working on my interpretation of it.

"Empty Nesters" is a mixed media piece done in graphite and acrylic washes on a gessoed

wooden board and then framed with a black wooden floater.

Ready to hang!

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Hello Fall

When you read this we will be on the (5th) annual fall painting retreat of the Pieces of Eight.

This year we are headed to Carol's home in Whittier, NC where

we will be participating in the

Maple Leaf Arts & Crafts Festival on October 8.

Prior to that we will be indulging in some plein air painting of the gorgeous fall colors,

quite a bit of eating and a wee bit of wine tasting.  No doubt

we'll be picking and eating apples.

Regardless of the activites we always have a grand time just being together and laughing.

Painters need to spend time with others who share their passion as well as their

habit of stopping the car on a moments notice to take a photo.

A Road Not Travelled

A road not travelled is always an

intrigue to me and this one in the snow carried an extra air of mystery because everything

was so, so quiet in the early morning as the sun came up.  I like paintings that take

you somewhere, even when I am not certain exactly where it is going...I like to imagine what might be around the curve, what might surprise me or comfort me.  Rounding the curve in this painting is like the sun coming up: it is a blank slate and a new beginning.  This is a 6 x 9 pastel on paper but it is matted in white to fit a standard  9 x 12 frame of your choice.  Yes, I'm still painting snow...more to come! 

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