By fromskilledhands (
December 31, 2009 at 6:48 pm)
· Filed under How Things Go
2009. I will remember 2009 for a very long time. It has been a year of challenges, of transitions, of growth. In 2009, we lost a brother, a brother-in-law, and a former sister-in-law; we lost a dear friend and several acquaintances. We experienced the emergency hospitalizationof a child, and health issues of other family members. I have learned the power of love, of faith and of eternal optimism.
In 2009, my oldest daughter turned 21, and forged ahead with her university experience in New York City. She continued to grow and to explore her incredible creativity in ways that amaze me. Her photography and writing are lyrical and clear. There is a sweetness to the sound of her words; her photography gives insight into how she sees the world: with clarity, eyes open wide.
In 2009, my youngest daughter completed her high school work, turned 18, and began her latest Big. Adventure. We took her to the airport the day after Christmas this year, so she could fly to Chicago for her connecting flight to San Francisco. She would spend the night in the city by the bay, and the next evening depart for Brisbane, Australia, via Auckland, NZ. Those in the mid-west will remember the weather of December 26, 2009, and so will we.
The airlines changed her flight from the one that was scheduled to one on another airline so she would make her flight in Chicago. We took her backpack to be checked, and she hugged us, walked confidently to security, never looking back. It was wonderful to see her walking forward, head held high, shoulders back, into her future. Roots and wings manifested.
I know that goodness, kindness and love are abundant on this planet. I have seen it—even in difficult times. Here is to a new year—one with random acts of kindness and senseless beauty, one in which we can be the change we wish to see in the world.
So now I will tell you the story of the Touchstones. It was just before 9/11. I had been holding a piece of porcelain in my hand, musing about it’s texture and how it felt. It was like a stone. I rolled it into a comfortable form, and picked up a tool that I use for carving the tiles. I began to write words on the stones. No thought, just action. I rubbed colorants into the carved areas, like I do with the tiles, and fired the pieces.
These little pieces were like those that people all over the world hold: worry stones, beads and stones, and the like. It seemed that in the business of daily life, we—-I—-often lose track of things that I need to remember. These little pieces of porcelain were touchstones—-reminders—–to pay attention. I carry them in my pocket, and as I handle them, they help me remember.
A year after 9/11, I was in the studio. A couple came in. They were from New York City. We started talking. They were planning on walking, with a group of bagpipers, at dawn, from Battery Park to the place we now know as Ground Zero. The woman wanted to buy a touchstone that had PEACE on it. I gave her a dozen and a half or so, and asked her to pass them on.
A week or so after that, I received an email from a man who had been given one. He wrote that he had been in his office near the Twin Towers on September 11, and that receiving a touchstone was a life affirming experience—a connection with others who cared.
I continue to make them, on and off, when the time seems right to me. We sell them at our gallery in the Village of Peninsula, and I give them away when it is what I need to do. And that, my friends, is the story of touchstones.
As always, feel free to leave a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. If you choose to leave a comment, I will enter you in a drawing for a touchstone.
When 6 of the 8 tiles I had painstakingly carved cracked in the bisque kiln, I was somewhat disappointed. I had expected to have them ready for the holidays. The patterns were wonderful; yet the cracks were certain to migrate through the pieces. I left them on my work table, wondering what to do.
An artist friend came into the studio, and we talked about the pieces that were less than perfect. What is it, I wondered, that makes an item a “second.” Could I embrace the crack as the nature of that particular piece?.
I began to think about the whole concept of perfection. We look at ourselves and question our hair, or our eyes or our body types. We look at our homes or our jobs or our families and compare them with what the dominant culture tells us is perfect.
Nature does not determine that an oak tree or a rock or a lake is less than perfect. Why do we as humans tend to put conditions on our environments, our relationships, our lives?
When Amish women make a quilt they intentionally make a mistake; mid-Eastern rug makers do the same. Only the gods are perfect. A finger mark or tiny crack on a hand-crafted piece is really the mark of the craftsman. It lets us know that the piece was made by a human, with all our imperfections, rather that a machine.
The mark of the craftsman does not detract from the beauty of the piece; rather, it enhances it, I think. And it is the challenges and experiences in life that give our lives texture and richness.
It is, I believe, time to let go of our notions of perfection, and embrace that which makes us human. Keeping that in mind, I wish us all an imperfect holiday.
These skilled hands wish you kind, happy, healthy, loving and peaceful days.
I have mused about art, it’s creation and what it brings to my life.What is it’s purpose? Does form follow function? What makes a piece work—or not? And why should I buy it. Why buy art?
Art feeds the spirit and soul; it brings light and life to being. Art can make your heart sing and your spirit soar. Something that comes from the heart through the hands. It is no accident that there is art in heART.
When you support an artist, you affirm the creative spirit. You have the opportunity to see the world in a different way, as the artist’s vision is manifested in the piece he or she has made.
When you buy art, you support your local economy, both the economy of your community and the economy of the spirit. You can know that you are buying something that was made with care, one at a time, by hand.
What does art bring to your life? As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
The Village of Peninsula, population 601, is bedecked with the finery of the season. As usual, the Garden Club has decorated the bridge, and shops and residents have adorned their places with greenery and bows.
At our gallery, Elements Gallery, we put up pine roping outside, and let the selection of artwork take care if the inside. You can enjoy a cookie or three and watch us work at whatever we’re doing the day you visit. Take the time to check out our work and the work of the 30 or so artists we represent. Check out the Cups of Kindness display. Wander across the street to the Peninsula Art Academy to see more Cups of Kindness, and a selection of fine work from other local artists. For each dollar we raise, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank can purchase $7 worth of food and grocery items. Take a look at the website; you can purchase items online, and have receive the items in time for Christmas.
The artwork is beautiful, and the generosity of the artists who have donated the pieces, and our sponsors, volunteers, and patrons is so gratifying. We the People truly make a difference, as we prove the Power of One.
One. Cup. At. A. Time.
***********
As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. Visit My Town Monday to read about other people and places.
If you are so inclined, please consider visiting the Cups of Kindness website for holiday gifts. The Foodbank is able to purchase $7 worth of food and grocery items with every dollar raised. We the People can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.
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I have mused about art, it’s creation and what it brings to my life.
At our gallery, 
