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Seth Godin’s new book, Linchpin,  is a grand dare. He dares us to be artists. He exclaims we ARE artists. In that respect, he is bringing the ubiquity of art to a brand new audience.

When I got my advance copy there was a note inside. It seemed written for me. It suggested I bookmark page 101, the chapter on resistance. Of course, I turned right to it. If you are a long time fan of Godin’s, its message isn’t really new. But it is honed. Steven Pressfield talks about the resistance in his book the “War of Art“, a book Godin references.

Seth’s overarching message is to blaze a trail. Make things happen. Take a risk. Get into trouble. Go out on a limb. All things artists do everyday. His thesis, that we are all artists rings true to the idealist in love with an alternative to current trends. A subterfuge to the sheep mentality. Do not go quietly into the night. Do something. Ship it. Do it again. Don’t follow a map. Explore. Invent. Create something different.

Marina Abramovic is a performance artist with a long history of endurance performance art. She is having a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York In March. Mentioning her in the same article with Seth Godin is not such a stretch. Seth’s premise, that we are all artists, was originally proclaimed by avantguard artist, Joseph Beuys in the 1970’s and his work was among the most influential of any single artist in the 20th century. Abramovic met him early in her career and “Beuys helped me get invitations to perform in Europe because he liked me and thought me crazy”. (Yablonsky, Artnews, Dec 2009) Abramovic says “Going to the studio everyday is a really bad habit-it’s like being an employee,” she says “You have to live life. And from life comes ideas.” (Belcove, W, Jan, 2010)

These two events, Seth’s book and Abramovic’s furtherance upon the road of creation and discovery, point to a direction for making, doing, and thinking which I find very useful. It is basically to have serious courage; don’t be afraid to believe in something and make it happen. Over and over and over again.

A recent trip to New York City came with a cultural treasure trove of exhibitions. A couple I want to share with you here include the New York Ceramics Fair at the National Academy Museum and Art School and the Bauhaus exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.

From the New York Ceramics Fair, the work I found particularly interesting and inspiring is that of Clarice Cliff, British artist/designer whose career spanned 1922-1963.

Here are some images of Cliff’s work from Cara Antiques. These pieces were designed by Cliff then decorated by “paintresses”, a term used in the industry. Her designs were so popular that at one time the paintresses numbered upwards of 100.

In September of 2009, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened its ‘New Ceramic Galleries’ and Cilff’s work was chosen to be included.

The Bauhaus show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City is a bit overwhelming. I attended a day long symposium in addition to seeing the exhibition. I learned a great deal more about this very famous institution. Mies van der Rohe said the Bauhaus was an idea, not an institution. I love that.

Walter Gropius's "Idea Organization of the Staatliches Bauhaus Weimar", 1923

The exhibition is a wonderful expression of student experiments from Weimar, Dessau and Berlin.  Joseph Albers, after enrolling as a student in the Weimar incarnation of the Bauhaus became a professor in 1925 at Dessau. When the school closed in 1933, he and Anni Albers went to North Carolina to teach at the Black Mountain College. Black Mountain College, a direct descendant of the Bauhaus, wanted to send out to the world ethical change agents.

My main take away from both exhibits was that skill is what will make the difference. Technology and industry are tools only. It is the skill of the craftsman that leads us out of the darkness. I might add that no amount of cleverness, posturing or acrobatics replaces the need for skill in the development of human potential. Skill forms the foundation of a truly independent mind that can solve a problem and have the patience and depth of character to surmount any number of obstacles.

This year has been a busy year in the studio. Working, listening to books on tape (I particularly liked “The Book of Air and Shadows”, by Michael Gruber), reading blogs and attending a few conferences. SxSW, the Feast Conference and the American Craft Conference are 3 that stand out.

It was my goal several years ago to stop doing shows; that is, stop doing trade shows and craft shows to sell my work. I have more or less succeeded and continue to learn about ways to show and sell my work. Mostly by work of mouth and brides seem to find me. Learning and sharing by attending conferences is far preferable to standing in a booth and selling my work. Conferences often lead to other surprising kinds of development.

I am working on goals and planning for 2010, which everyone seems to feel will be better than this past decade. One goal I want to commit to right here, right now, is more regular blogging. So, let me leave you with a thought for new years eve and day- Let ‘er rip. Well, that maybe more for me than you, but hey, maybe you relate?

Thank you for stopping by. See you next year!

Thanksgiving 2009, Brooklyn, NY

My friends Laura and John sent this great shot of their Thanksgiving Day dinner table. Yay table art!

Grasshopper510 is currently stocking the following 3 collections. These are brand new and include the new standard white, “Naked Dishes”. Serveware, low bowls, veggie bowls and miso bowls make great gifts, or add to your collection of serving pieces in advance of the holidays.

Naked Dishes :: low bowl, veggie bowl, place setting, 4 miso bowls, oval platter

Half Stripe :: Orange, Yellow and Lime : assorted bowls plates and platters

Half Stripe :: Jade, Turquoise, and Periwinkle : assorted bowls and platters

These pieces are glazed with half stripes, inspired by works on paper I have been doing since last spring. The paintings on paper came out of studies for stripes in textiles. I am particularly interested in the way the glazes break as they are layered. The process has roots in majolica glazing technique.