[ Art ][ carving clay ][ Choctaw ][ Indian Market ][ Indian Market ][ Native American ][ Sculpture ]

What’s so important about Indian Market?

 

The 3rd weekend in August every year, Santa Fe is overtaken with more than a 1000 Native American artists, offering traditional and contemporary artwork for sale.
So What?
You may wonder why this is important - what makes it different from any other art show or festival? It is the largest ...

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[ Choctaw ][ Native American ][ Sculpture ][ sgraffito ]

So what the heck is a Totem Stick?

A Tribute Totem Sticks are my own design, inspired by the magnificent totem poles of northwestern tribes like the Tlingit. Totem Sticks are an homage to those massive works of art - and you can hang it on your wall.Totem poles were a sign of wealth, often constructed in front of the home of a Chief ...

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[ Choctaw ][ Choctaw Heritage ][ Native American ][ pottery ][ Red Earth ][ Sculpture ][ sgraffito ][ Uncategorized ]

Counting Down

Installation Day

Spirits Rising, an exhibition of my work, opens April 3 at Red Earth Art Center in Oklahoma City. This is wildly exciting for me so I hope you will bear with my exuberance. Installation day was Friday, March 31, and I thought you might enjoy a couple of "behind the scenes" photo...

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[ Art ][ Choctaw ][ Choctaw Heritage ][ Lidded Jars ][ Native American ][ New Art ][ sgraffito ]

Warrior Spirit

Daily Fight to Survive
Hummingbird is known as a warrior spirit with healing powers, and one of the strongest totems. The tiny hummingbird embodies the spirit of a great warrior. His daily fight for survival shows us that success is not only for the large and powerful. Etched in stoneware, this hum...

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[ #artbiz2015 ][ Art ][ Choctaw ][ Native American ][ pottery ]

A Trip to Golden

Just a week ago, I was in the beautiful town of Golden, Colorado for ArtBiz Breakthrough – a gathering of artists like none I’ve ever seen.  Alyson B. Stanfield, author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio, led us through a marvelous adventure in the business side of art.  You can find out more about her at www.ArtBizCoach.com.
 
Alyson is a no-nonsense coach for artists who are serious about building a business around their art.  She is funny, inspiring, and just fun to be around.  But make no mistake, she is serious about helping artists build a business in a fun environment.
 
I made some new friends from all over the country and got to know some acquaintances who live right here in my neck of the woods!  The trip home allowed me time to process what I learned and develop a plan for the next year.  With Alyson on my team, I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings. 
 
As a bonus, the lovely and talented Regina-Marie Mountjoy of www.recherche-photography.com was on hand to take new head shots of the attendees.  I have to say, I think she might be a wizard!  What do you think?
 
Carolyn Bernard Young                            Photography by
 
 
[ Art ][ carving clay ][ Choctaw ][ Native American ][ pottery ][ sgraffito ][ stoneware ]

Making Lemonade From Broken Pottery

You know the saying, “When life gives you lemons…” – it’s a saying I try to live by.  I recently read a blog post by a potter who emphatically stated that when she screws up a pot she immediately trashes it, screams, cries, and says a lot of very bad words.  I know the feeling.

Years ago I had the pleasure of hosting Ellen Shankin in my home while she was giving a workshop for our Texas Pottery and Sculpture Guild.  She is a fabulous potter, teacher, and all-around wonderful person.  One of the things she taught was about screwing up a pot you made, especially one you spent a lot of time creating.  She said, don’t throw it away – take a deep breath, then take a second look.  Whether it is while you are throwing, carving a leather hard piece, or unloading a kiln to find a disaster – see what you can learn or where the mistake might take you.


It’s hard! But, every time I mess up, I hear her words and try to obey.  This has led to some really cool new work for me over time.  Once, after spending hours carving a platter, I picked it up carelessly and broke off part of the rim.  Eeek!  I really wanted to throw that thing as far as I could, but Ellen’s words rang in my ears, so I gently put it down and walked away.  Later, when I took a second look, I saw beauty in the broken part and decided to go with it.  Now, those platters with a section of uneven, cut off edge are my best sellers!  So I tried it with bowls.  Who wants a perfectly round bowl or platter when you can have something unique?  My customers love them.

 
 
This platter is a great example.  The cut edge was intentional (lesson learned long ago), but when I took it from the kiln, there was a blob of red glaze on the yellow.  NOT intentional.  After looking at it for a while, I decided to add more red glaze to make the shape of a heart, re-fire it, and title it “For the Love of Horses”.  The customer was thrilled!
 
So, whatever your mistake – in life, in business, in art – stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and see just what you can learn from it. You may discover something wonderful!
 
I’d love to hear from you about mistakes you’ve made and what you learned from them.  Leave your comments below.
 
Yakoke! Thanks for taking the time to read.  You can see more of my work on my website:
 
 
In gratitude,
 
Carolyn Bernard Young