The Vigland Piece
When I left college, I knew I was going to miss ceramics. Honestly, I thought I would probably never sling mud again. =) That summer, my parents took my brother and I on a trip up north. We went to Petosky, which was a common family trip for us, and also to Interlochen, where my mom went to music school as a kid. While she was there, her mom would often take her to see the work of a potter named Alan Vigland. Since I had just finished taking ceramics, and was completely obsessed, I was all about it.
When we arrived, the place was closed, but the guy that owned the place next door came over and stopped us from leaving. He asked us where we were from, and what we were hoping to do, since it was (apparently) not around the usual hours that it would have been open. We told him about mom's connection and that we were from "down state". He said he would call Vigland so he could open the store for us. Mom and I were so excited. She had never met him, and had always admired, but was never able to own a piece by him.
When he arrived, he was the nicest, friendliest person. He showed us around the shop, was crazy excited to meet mom, since she had been a fan for so long, and was awesome. Then, mom told him that I had taken ceramics classes. He was so pumped. So much so that he showed us his studio! For a potter, this is ridiculous. And... It was awesome. I know that might sound silly, but... You can tell a lot about a person from their studio space.
While we were there, he asked me if I was going to continue with it. I told him I didn't think I was really going to have much chance because it can be so expensive, and there isn't always a ton of opportunity. Then he asked if it was something I connected to. I told him yes, it was. Which is totally true. There is something about molding clay that I simply connect with. It's so beautiful and fragile, and yet hard to do. It takes a ridiculous amount of skill, and yet, you can sometimes just get lucky. There are parts that you can mess up just by breathing wrong, and there are little parts of the process and even of a piece that you just can't stop doing or looking at...
He told me to never stop. He said that if I connect to ceramics like he thought I did (and he was right) that I needed to always keep throwing. Man, was he right. That day, he gave me a tile and a small jewelry piece to put on a necklace, and wouldn't let me pay for them. Mom finally got to buy her piece of Vigland pottery as well.
When I left that day, I couldn't stop thinking about what he told me. I partially thought he was crazy, but I also knew that I didn't think I could just never make anything with clay again. It took me almost 2 years, but eventually I started taking classes at Pewabic. The rest is history!
So, I have decided to send him a piece and a letter. I know that my dinky work will not be anything in comparison, but hopefully it will be an appropriate thank you for the encouragement. I am so much more balanced and happy when I have ceramics in my life, and it probably wouldn't still be there if it wasn't for his encouragement. The next entree will be about the creation of that piece.
Last, here's a sample of his work that reminds me of the piece mom got that day.
When we arrived, the place was closed, but the guy that owned the place next door came over and stopped us from leaving. He asked us where we were from, and what we were hoping to do, since it was (apparently) not around the usual hours that it would have been open. We told him about mom's connection and that we were from "down state". He said he would call Vigland so he could open the store for us. Mom and I were so excited. She had never met him, and had always admired, but was never able to own a piece by him.
When he arrived, he was the nicest, friendliest person. He showed us around the shop, was crazy excited to meet mom, since she had been a fan for so long, and was awesome. Then, mom told him that I had taken ceramics classes. He was so pumped. So much so that he showed us his studio! For a potter, this is ridiculous. And... It was awesome. I know that might sound silly, but... You can tell a lot about a person from their studio space.
While we were there, he asked me if I was going to continue with it. I told him I didn't think I was really going to have much chance because it can be so expensive, and there isn't always a ton of opportunity. Then he asked if it was something I connected to. I told him yes, it was. Which is totally true. There is something about molding clay that I simply connect with. It's so beautiful and fragile, and yet hard to do. It takes a ridiculous amount of skill, and yet, you can sometimes just get lucky. There are parts that you can mess up just by breathing wrong, and there are little parts of the process and even of a piece that you just can't stop doing or looking at...
He told me to never stop. He said that if I connect to ceramics like he thought I did (and he was right) that I needed to always keep throwing. Man, was he right. That day, he gave me a tile and a small jewelry piece to put on a necklace, and wouldn't let me pay for them. Mom finally got to buy her piece of Vigland pottery as well.
When I left that day, I couldn't stop thinking about what he told me. I partially thought he was crazy, but I also knew that I didn't think I could just never make anything with clay again. It took me almost 2 years, but eventually I started taking classes at Pewabic. The rest is history!
So, I have decided to send him a piece and a letter. I know that my dinky work will not be anything in comparison, but hopefully it will be an appropriate thank you for the encouragement. I am so much more balanced and happy when I have ceramics in my life, and it probably wouldn't still be there if it wasn't for his encouragement. The next entree will be about the creation of that piece.
Last, here's a sample of his work that reminds me of the piece mom got that day.