Why not?
A VERY long time ago, when I was in University and studying film (can you imagine that?) one of the films under the microscope was “Shoot the Piano Player”. It was (and is) one of those dark film noir French films that reminded me of old American gangster films like “Public Enemy” and “Scarface”. So, why shouldn’t you shoot the piano player? Because he’s doing the only thing he knows how to do — even though his past keeps rising up and biting him in the keester (or ass, if you don’t mind the vernacular).
Seems like that’s what’s happenning here in the studio as well. Been at this for a bit. Tried all kinds of techniques, have enough glazes to stockpile a small school, but I’m getting pulled back to things that caught my eye in the beginning — the stuff that got me started. So now I’ve got to reorganize my little brain and the studio (again).
Those of you who know me, know that this dialogue goes on and on: “should I keep this”, “do I need this many wheels” (so I get rid of a couple, and then start teaching again so begging and borrowing goes on), “I’m just going to take a hammer to everything!”, and so on, and so on. Of course the biggest one is, “should I kick everyone out of my studio and just make stuff?” That question comes up at the end of every season!
Then I remember that students actually give me some structure (and what artist/potter doesn’t need a little of that?), and that sometimes when I have a week like LAST week (death in the family, mom sick, Gary sick, etc.) students are the best part of the whole darn thing …
So there I go. Don’t shoot the piano player, because sometimes you just have to do what you do best and let the past (and everything else) work itself out on it’s own.
Hope you’re having a great day!
Susan McD
