"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results" - Herman Melville

Oh another real quick thought. If any of you are interested in Science, Politics, Philosophy, and a little Religion and Art mixed in then you might enjoy watching a movie called ‘MindWalk’.
Just thought I’d throw that out there for you all. It’s not your traditional plot driven movie but it you want to sit and think about things outside your little world then you might want to give this movie a try. :)

The quick dry summary:

A US politician (Sam Waterston) visits his poet friend (John Heard) in Mont. St. Michael, France. While walking through the medeival island discussing their philosophies of life they happen upon Sonja (Liv Ullman), a scientist in recluse, who joins in their conversation. The two men listen to the ideas of this brilliant woman and discuss how her ideas can work in their own politician and poet lives.

For a little more extensive an interesting plot summary click here.

I had the most bizarre dreams last night. This is no big surprise for anyone that knows me well as I dream often and with much strangeness, but in one of the particular dreams I had last night I was holding a child. It was an infant boy and I loved him dearly. There was much to the dream and many fiascos to overcome and things to do. I often live in my own exciting movie world of adventure and suspense. This morning, however, I woke and instead of leaving my story life behind I found myself longing to re-enter that dream world once again…for one solitary reason.

That reason…
the intense desire and sadness I felt at having left my child, my little boy, behind. It was so very weird. I knew it was a dream, but I couldn’t help but wish to be able to hold that child again, my child. I could still feel the weight in my arms and see his smiling little face when he hiccupped a little baby spittle on my shirt. He had blue eyes. Oh how eager I am to hold him again, even now, hours and hours later. IT WAS JUST A DREAM!! (I tell myself.) Ugh!..........But I miss him so. Hmm...How peculiar…

I was sitting in class this evening...a lecture series with guest artists and such. (A very interesting two hours of my week.) And during this particular evening I found myself thinking of the strangest things…some may refer to them as spiritual matters, others, matters of the heart, or matters of the mind, or simple contemplation of my place and meaning in this existence. Some of what I meditated upon came from references my teacher made or comments of the other students but some…some thoughts came from somewhere else…inspired in some other way. I am still reflecting on everything so I do not wish to post my thoughts on many of those matters this evening. I am in the process of discerning truth in the muddle of ideas that float around inside my cranium. Nonetheless, I did have one idea that I would like to share at this moment in time. I came to the realization that my line of work, what I have chosen to do with my life, my artistic “gift” and endeavor to create is…well…is me.

I get “to do” what “I am”...

…how rare…how special…how great is that. Many do not get to realize that dream. To do what their very essence is. I feel like with this revelation that I must now protect this great gift that I have been given and this opportunity to develop it.

Art has its agency. It can be used for good or bad. We, artists, must “be good stewards of our art”, of our talent, of our gift. And I think this applies universally to whatever drives you as a human being. Whatever gifts and talents and insights you may have discovered within yourself…protect and use them wisely.

Anyhow, these are my thoughts this evening. Now I would like to throw another idea out there. An unfinished thought that maybe you may have some comment upon. And that is this idea: I get to do what I am…but “what am I?” There are many answers to this question but think about this in your own life…your own perspective. Who are you…to yourself, who are you? Do you really know? Do you see all the potential and greatness that is within you? I think we can all begin to catch a glimmer of that which is within us. If you are of the Latter-day Saint faith there is much to read on the divine worth of each soul, and it is stressed that we know that we are children of God with all that accompanies such. But even with this knowledge, with this understanding, or this delineated depiction of our divine roles and greatness can we really and truly comprehend who we really are. I can only speak for myself on this matter, and I say that I do not. I know much about myself. I learn more every day that I live and ponder and search for truth. But I also know that I have not fully recognized the great potential and divinity within myself. That, I guess, is part of progression and the purpose of this life.

To make a biblical reference, in the New Testament, 1^st Corinthians 13:12 it says this:

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And this of course is my interpretation, but glass if you look up the term, is old English for ‘mirror’. So I assume, to paraphrase in my own words, “that we are looking in a mirror in a dark room” which means we can not see clearly who we really are, “but that soon we will see ourselves face to face” therefore truly understanding who we are…even more clearly than if the dark room were lit so that we could see ourselves in the mirror. It is still a reflection. No, we will see ourselves “face to face” and see, understand, and know ourselves. We only “know in part” now.

Now, once again I reflect the question back to you. How do I [you] go about creating without understanding who I [you] really am [are]? Is the creation process part of the search to know who I am? Or is it the result of catching that glimpse of who I am? Is the only purpose to create for myself? Is it a greater purpose to create for others? Can great art truly be created without inspiration even if unknowingly done so? I don’t have solid answers to any of these questions, though, I do have plenty of ideas on the subject at hand but that is all for another time. For now I am finished.

Durring my studio time today I put some slips on a few ceramic pieces and loaded them in the saggers with some fun things like copper wire, chrome oxide, goat manure, copper magnesium carbonate, and so on and so forth. This probably won't make much sense to most of you but believe me it is very exciting, and I can't wait till tomorrow morning when I get to unload the kilns with all the saggers in them. Wow...I"m breathless just thinking of it. And Monday I get to Raku fire four of my pieces from last semester that never got fired. They have a copper matte raku glaze that I made myself on them. Hopefully they will flash and eng up with lots of different colors, like oil, if I mixed all the chemicals right. What a delightful semester this is going to be. Anyhow I feel like showing off a little more so I'm going to attached a picture of some owl pieces I made last semester. The larger owl stands about 9 inches high...about the same as my parents poodle...just for scale. They are completely hollow and have commercial cone 06/04 glazes on them. Some more stuff you may not understand. At the moment I am trying to think of some interesting ideas for a new series of pieces. Leave me a comment if you have any suggestions. Well...back to the ceramics lab I go. It is snowing outside. How (not) fun.

I made these. First time on the wheel. Yeah, I know, I'm awesome. 

Okay...so, I change the background...that lime green had it in for me. This softer shade is much nicer...but we'll see how long htis last before I am tired again.

I don't know about this green background...maybe I should change it. Is it annoying to anyone else. I really like Caroline's background but I didn't want to be a poser.

The Beginning

So...I've signed up for this blog at the request of a very good friend so that hopefully we and others can keep in contact as our busy "grown up" lives pull us geographically apart. Let's give it a shot.