It happened again. Some of my newest pieces, just out of the kiln broke. In fact 4 pieces from the last firing ended up breaking. Today while photographing some of the pieces I bumped a shelving unit two of the pieces were sitting on. They clunked together tipped over and crashed to the ground. So now I'm lamenting over the hours I put into the pieces. That's one thing I did not think of factoring in when pricing items. It seems I lose one out of every 6 pieces I make. I guess, as with life, we win some and lose some. It just seems like I'm losing more than the average. I save the heads, which seems a bit sadistic, but at least I can use them in a very unique piece somewhere down the line. I can't quite seem to part with them.
So how do I adjust. I do some deep breathing, remind myself people count, not things, and try to find the good from it.
I had a conversation today with an arts editor from a midwest paper. I've know him since he was a baby and he was good friends with our kids. An excellent writer, he displays a basic curiousity about people and always seems to be interested in others latest endeavors.
He asked how my art was coming along and that evolved into a question to me about how one can tell if something is 'art' or 'crafts.' I've read other's take on this but I had never had to articulate it myself. And alas, I couldn't really explain the difference between the two or how I can tell, what is 'art' and what is more in the line of a 'craft' (as in arts and crafts).
I've been asked many times how I get the ideas for my pieces. Little do they know that the very perosn who asks me that question may be the impetus for an idea that develops into a sculptural piece. Many times it's what they say, not so much what they look like or what movement they're making.
Because of this, I've found my best source of ideas come when I listen to others and get them to talk about themselves. For instance the other day I was setting next to a retired female principal. Her mother had grown up in the south. This stately, warm, nurturing yet outspoken woman talked about how her mother had instilled in her that you reach forward to better yourself (or learn more, or be adventureous) while at the same time making sure you reach behind you and pull up & along those that need a little help. She made a pose with her hands. That inspired my current piece I'm working on. I'll make sure I post that piece when I finish it.
