Perspective...

Perspective seems to invite a study unto itself: Where have I been...and where am I going? What have I done...and what will I do? It's all about viewpoints and vantage points - two similar yet separate concepts, a thing and a place. I often see the medieval Tuscan town of San Gimignano referred to as "the medieval Manhattan". Should it not be that Manhattan is "the modern San Gimignano"? I did not get the name of the artist of the figurative sculpture - or the sculpture itself - that rested atop one of San Gimignano's towers, but it has a great view...or do I have the better? Things that make you go "hmmmm"!

Focus redux

There seems to be ever so much happening these days, as has happened all the days for all time, in the world far and near. With that in mind, and with the sudden onset of Spring, what better time to revive and renew focus...especially since I have completely and shamefully - though not quite wholeheartedly - neglected the blog for over a year since my last post...which was about focus. Ergo, I am posting this moodily edited photo of a simple bowl in the process of being turned (trimmed), as the style and subject reflect where I am in life, clay and otherwise: dreamily out of focus, yet hardly without purpose. Life is not ours for the taking, it is ours for the making.

Focus Focus Focus!

So much for focus. The saying goes that we cannot see the forest for the trees yet sometimes it really is more that we cannot see the trees for the forest. If we’re supposed to think outside the box, see the big picture, imagine the grand scheme, then we lose sight of the fine print, the intricate pixels, the unique details that make up the greater vision. The plan – the focus – yesterday was to make several chawan or tea bowls, using a porcelain that is known not only as easier to work with (to which I can attest) than my beloved English porcelain but also less expensive. Win win, right?!? Uh, nope. After several attempts, I had two which were deemed moderately passable. I am not a quitter, I am a lazy perfectionist. BIG difference… So, I hastily wedged a few of the slumped failures and made a biscuit jar, which would have been more than passable were it not full of micro air bubbles. It seems my focus was thrown off (pun or no pun – you decide!) by finally really getting into this biography of Michael Cardew.

It is not an easy read due to the excrutiating minutiae – lots and lots of tiny, tiny trees. I left off yesterday at the point in 1942 as Cardew is about to set off from England for Achimota, the Gold Coast, Africa. Of late, I have been thinking ‘tis time I start planning to set off for England, to see from whence my paternal grandparents came, and oh to see all the pots and potteries. Could my parents have known my name means “wanderer”? While I haven’t wandered much, my mind is always wandering, through the trees. Maybe I just need to look a little more closely…

Zest Joy Gratitude

Long before those words became overly intertwined with the so-called [New Age] “journey of enlightenment”…and soap, they had other, truer meanings. I was reminded very well and very timely of that today, at a funeral no less. To live life with zest, joy, and gratitude is not always an easy commitment; at times, it can be a challenge far beyond our reach – physically, mentally, emotionally. Yet it is always within our grasp, even if ever so tiny. Let us make more time to find and create those moments that bring zest to life, surround ourselves with those people (and pets!) who give us joy, and share our gratitude by encouraging others to do the same. So reach out, grab a virtual mitten-full of goodies (suitable for all dietary needs), and go forth!

Wandering through the Wonder...

Basking in the glorious sunshine today, Christmas-time is as much about reflection on the year that was than New Year's is about the year to be, as I am grateful for generous friends, good times, a cat named Chloe, inspiration, and opportunity. We need to take - no, make - more time to wander and wonder, at all that is calm and bright, whatever we believe, believing in the power of all that is good and light. "The soul needs more space than the body." (Dr. Axel Munthe) My Christmas wish is for all to pursue their happy purpose, to be their own light with peace and goodwill. and to all a good night!

Looking back and paddling on.

There are those who live by the motto, “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” In many respects, this is quite agreeable, yet not always, because it is all quite subjective. Ultimately, it is more about how we look back, and what we do with that view. If we do not look back, how can we move on, propelled by the memories - whether one or many - of good things past? This has been the most amazing year of my life...so far! For that, I am truly grateful, so as I noted the anniversaries of the loss of both parents three years ago last month, I thought of the things I did not know, did not ask. But more importantly, I tried to honour the things I did know, to celebrate the things they shared, to thrive on all the good that has been since. To those who are having to cope with struggle or loss, particularly this time of year, my wish is one day, you will also be able to look back and paddle on with joy. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Near the end of the beginning...

A lot of mixed feelings today as the count is on for my residency to come to an end. The last few days have been spent puttering rather than pottering as I was reluctant to start any new work in case it could not be completed in time. The coming days will be busy enough - final group of work is being biscuit fired tomorrow. Then, after another review of my copious notes (there's a sententious word...positively pithy!), it will be a glazing and "salting" bender on Tue., load for final firing on Wed., unload and scribe more notes aplenty on Thu., and pack on Fri. *sigh* But it is hardly the end. Rather, it is the beginning - inizio. Nuovo inizio, to be more precise. While I had a clear plan and certain expectations, the time spent and the work that I have been so blessed to do (Step right up, folks! Get your clichés here!) truly has been more than I ever could have hoped or imagined. And while that initial feeling of exile (with a splash of guilt) in being away from family, friends, co-workers, has not completely gone away, it most certainly has taken on new value. Reading a lovely book today, "Lucie Rie & Hans Coper - Potters in Parallel", I found the following observation by one of the authors, Edmund de Wall: "To be exiled... You are existential: your lens is clear; you read your new surroundings with unclouded perception." Here's to everyone finding their beginning.