Tuesday, October 30, 2007

clay

Miriam minored in ceramics in both her undergraduate and graduate college work.

It was her passion, and she was very good at it. She did some truly amazing work.

Now, she would like a ceramic studio. I would like her to paint, but she won't.

We have the space for a small studio and most of the equipment, but have had major interruptions getting it together.

A while back granddaughter Emily was here for a vacation (she lives 400 miles away, but visits often) and I bought a block of clay for them to play with.

They worked for a while, I wasn’t there, so I don't know how long, but Miriam didn’t do well. What she made was hardly craft and not remotely art.

So I have a dilemma. If I set it up (make no mistake ceramics is a spendy hobby) with money we really should put other places, and if she can’t do it, will that crush her even more?

My plan is to get it together in the next month or so, and see what happens.

But, I am very fearful, unfortunately

5 comments:

StefanieRose said...

You will know what to do when the time comes. And if you don't, and you make a few mistakes well you will try really darn hard to fix it.

dave said...

yep!!

~Betsy said...

I went through something similar with my mom recently. When she was healthy, she could knit up a storm. She was really good and made nearly all of the Barbie clothes I played with when I was a child.

She started telling me she wanted to knit Barbie clothes again. Every day for two weeks she asked about her patterns, needles and yarn. Mom is a stage 6 now - they have long since been disposed of.

Each time she asked, I diverted her attention. She just stopped asking one day. I knew in my heart she would be so frustrated because she can't even knit a square now, let alone tiny intricate Barbie clothes.

Good luck with the ceramics, Dave. If she is unable after you finish the studio, could it be turned into a dark room?

Unknown said...

Dad seemed to know when he was unable to really do things anymore. It was always very painful for me. In fact I think it was worse for me than for him.

I would do what you are doing. I always felt like it was really important to encourage activity.

dave said...

Thanks both of you.
The space is right next to what has been my cabinet shop, but will revert to a sculputre studio, usable in several ways.

I'll play it all by ear. Sometimes she bugs me every day, and others once in a long time.