Eventually, this will be the storage for all writing on art and comments on those exhibits that I have seen, the people that I have met, and the problems that I have had.

Three projects interest me at the present time.

Ceramic Sculpture

I am interested in the question as to why "ceramic sculpture" is viewed by so many as a separate art form, not just another media to be selected when appropriate. How does the best works by the best sculptors working primarily with ceramic materials differ in essence or quality from the works of their contemporaries who might use wood, bronze, stone, welded metal, etc. as the medium to hold their content.

Mingei

Though they were built on different philosophical bases, the Mingei Movement originating in Japan and the Arts and Crafts Movement originating in England shared some perceptions of art and beauty. Some artist / craftsmen, such as Bernard Leach, could be viewed as belonging to both, having been influenced by William Morris as well as Yanagi Soetsu. My goal is, over time, to create a Mingei Web that explores these connected roots and the traditions that branched out from them.

Nature and Art

Many artists have commented on the relationship of nature and art. The comments of the Japanese potter Kitaoji Rosanjin are the most meaningful for me. "The most important thing in the pursuit of any art is to become familiar with nature. The depth of a person's love and understanding of nature becomes his subject matter; so for a beginning artist, the most important task is to draw from nature. In so doing, the artist learns to observe nature with the greatest possible care, and at the same time natures etches herself on his mind." Rosanjin in Uncommon Clay. p.122

The rest of what eventually goes here is just my working out thoughts about what I am, or want to be, or should be, doing.