One of my favorite things is watching someone do something they love and are very good at, specifically my sons and their sports, but also anyone doing anything that is about the simple love of that activity and through that love comes skill. It makes my heart sing!
Thanks for sharing, I think I would enjoy this show too.
I've only just lately been thinking about how often I gravitate to those shows where the major portions of them show people working at what they do best. It could be cooking or doing pottery (The Great Pottery Throwdown) or painting (Landscape Artist of the Year and Portrait Artist of the Year) or performing (The Voice)--whatever. I want to see how it all works before we get to the finished product. It's fascinating!
Thanks, Ramona. I am a crafter. Knitting, embroidery, piano playing. These are why I don’t write very often. “Just one more stitch, just two more rows.”
People who don't seem to be cognizant that they are making art, but are making it nevertheless (at least according to many) are so fascinating. We are "crafters" of stories, not all too different from someone trying to build a useful quilt or tool. I want my articles to be read and used, for them to be useful in the same way that someone focused on craft does, but I can't help but feel artistic pressure to stretch the creative boundaries, to make something just a little different than everything else ever made in the world.
Yes, I couldn't agree more. There is that sense of 'artistic pressure' present in many of the Craft in America stories. They can be competitive that way, too, but mainly what comes across is their absolute LOVE for what they do.
Thanks for the offer, Andrew. I enjoy your writing as well. I've never collaborated and I confess I've never really wanted to. It's just my own quirk, I guess. I like to work alone. But I do love being around other writers. Always energizing, always inspiring!
Keep doing your thing! If there's anything I can do to help you or amplify your work, just let me know. Meantime, I'll keep reading/commenting! I love the dialogue.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I'm wondering if WCMU, my local PBS outlet, just simply chose not to add it. It does seem odd that in all my PBS travels I never came across it.
Ooh, this actually looks like something worth watching! My husband and I are not t.v. people, so we were not aware of this show. He and his business partner are fine furniture makers, before that boat builders, whose craft fits into the 'doing what they love' description. Though it is their vocation, I'm sure they would both be building things out of wood no matter what. I also see humility as a common thread among these folks, which adds to the beauty.
This comment, though: “They’re not teachers, they’re people who do something well.” Perhaps this is true if we define teacher too narrowly, but in the broader sense, oh my gosh, what teachers they are!
There is more than one section on furniture making. Woodworking always fascinates me because it feels like it should be so unforgiving, and yet those makers master it!
You're right about the humility. That may be a big part of this series' appeal, in fact. They never brag about it or talk about marketing, etc. They just happily do what they do.
That quote was used in the broader sense, as I remember it. They really are teachers, they just don't know it.
New series to me, but I have admired Gees Bend quilts in a museum. And I recently attended a fire ceremony with a shaman in Guatemala, a country of proud artisans practicing family traditions. He urged us over and over, “Use your hands!” Up went more than 20 pairs of hands, an unforgettably moving sight.
I saw some of the Gees Bend quilts, either at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum or at nearby Brookgreen Gardens, and there is something in the colors they choose to put side by side and the way they place those strips that is just so uniquely appealing. They're exuberant and free of any 'method'. I love that.
The fire ceremony must have been amazing. You'll have those memories to call on for such a long time.
I just watched one of the videos you linked "Craft in America". Another beautiful example validating the hand and expression of the artist. In addition, its importance to promoting and extending our humanity. Thank you so much for the recommendation. I am going to check out the series on PBS.
The image caught my eye, because the idea of hanging out with like minded people and working on a craft al fresco is so appealing. I'd love to find an outlet like this.
Working al fresco or plein air appeals to me, too, which is why I enjoyed 'Landscape Artist of the Year' so much. I don't necessarily like the show-like competition, with time limits, etc., but the British seashore and countryside with its many castles and sweeping green hillsides make such great settings for the artists.
Creativity in any form should be celebrated, not divided into "art" and "craft." Once you've finished this TV series, I'd highly recommend another PBS series if you haven't already seen it, "Art in the 21st Century." Artists from around the world working in different forms, often with social/political elements but almost always strikingly visual.
I haven't seen 'Art in the 21st Century' either. (Where have I been??) I just watched the trailer and I'm seeing a distinct difference between this show and 'Craft in America'.
I watched the trailer and part of the first episode, and I can't say I feel that same shivery affection as I did with 'Craft in America'. There's a kind of pretentious awareness of the preciousness or shock value of their work that's a bit of a turn-off to me.
They're constantly aware of the camera, aware that they're making meaningful art, and they seem to spend a lot of time analyzing the work, calling what they're doing 'a social metaphor', for example, or heralding their interest in 'ambiguity'.
I'll watch it because I'm fascinated by any form of art, but I think I won't love it.
Thanks for the recommend. It looks like a fascinating show. We have a dearth of crafters in the US; real artisans are hard to find. I am especially intrigued by the crafters who have learned from grandparents; something that was handed down the generations. In Europe a family might have a recipe handed down from an ancestor from the 1400s. Love this.
I can't wait to sit and watch the links, Ramona. I too am a Pottery Throwdown, Great British Sewing Bee, The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge and The Makers' Market fan. Anything where I watch a creative craftsman at work is a thrill.
The world would be such a banal, two-dimensional place without craftsman-artists.
I'm an embroiderer - began when I was about 30 and haven't looked back. I've learned all sorts - from basic cross-stitch to the heavenly 3 dimensional stumpwork. Every single night of my life I sit with needle and thread, even when I've been in hospital and had drips and God knows what inserted in hands and arms. It's displacement therapy at its very best.
Similarly to your topic: Whenever I've heard someone pontificating about their desire to remove art, music etc from a school curriculum because it's “frivolous” I ask them what they did in their free time… and when they invariably they list things like, reading, collecting fine furniture (etc craft), listening to music, going to movies, out to dinner etc. I reply “Wow, sounds like you really enjoy the arts personally which makes it so curious that you seem to so strongly want to remove the arts from future enjoyment.” Some have actually told me that they had never considered those things that they enjoyed in their leisure time “the arts". 🤦♀️
One of my favorite things is watching someone do something they love and are very good at, specifically my sons and their sports, but also anyone doing anything that is about the simple love of that activity and through that love comes skill. It makes my heart sing!
Thanks for sharing, I think I would enjoy this show too.
I've only just lately been thinking about how often I gravitate to those shows where the major portions of them show people working at what they do best. It could be cooking or doing pottery (The Great Pottery Throwdown) or painting (Landscape Artist of the Year and Portrait Artist of the Year) or performing (The Voice)--whatever. I want to see how it all works before we get to the finished product. It's fascinating!
Ooh, I haven't seen this yet. :dives in:
Great! Just allow LOTS of time!
I'm setting it up to play on one monitor while I write to a deadline on the other :grins:
OMG! How creative! 😉
Thanks, Ramona. I am a crafter. Knitting, embroidery, piano playing. These are why I don’t write very often. “Just one more stitch, just two more rows.”
I think you'd love these shows. I'll bet you could craft while you're watching!
People who don't seem to be cognizant that they are making art, but are making it nevertheless (at least according to many) are so fascinating. We are "crafters" of stories, not all too different from someone trying to build a useful quilt or tool. I want my articles to be read and used, for them to be useful in the same way that someone focused on craft does, but I can't help but feel artistic pressure to stretch the creative boundaries, to make something just a little different than everything else ever made in the world.
Yes, I couldn't agree more. There is that sense of 'artistic pressure' present in many of the Craft in America stories. They can be competitive that way, too, but mainly what comes across is their absolute LOVE for what they do.
I can identify, and I'm guessing so can you. 😏
Indeed! Ramona, let me know if you'd enjoy "crafting" something with me sometimes. I really enjoy working with other writers, and you write well!
Thanks for the offer, Andrew. I enjoy your writing as well. I've never collaborated and I confess I've never really wanted to. It's just my own quirk, I guess. I like to work alone. But I do love being around other writers. Always energizing, always inspiring!
Keep doing your thing! If there's anything I can do to help you or amplify your work, just let me know. Meantime, I'll keep reading/commenting! I love the dialogue.
I missed this series somehow as well but soon to be rectified. Thanks, Ramona!
Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I'm wondering if WCMU, my local PBS outlet, just simply chose not to add it. It does seem odd that in all my PBS travels I never came across it.
Hmmm...could be.
Ooh, this actually looks like something worth watching! My husband and I are not t.v. people, so we were not aware of this show. He and his business partner are fine furniture makers, before that boat builders, whose craft fits into the 'doing what they love' description. Though it is their vocation, I'm sure they would both be building things out of wood no matter what. I also see humility as a common thread among these folks, which adds to the beauty.
This comment, though: “They’re not teachers, they’re people who do something well.” Perhaps this is true if we define teacher too narrowly, but in the broader sense, oh my gosh, what teachers they are!
There is more than one section on furniture making. Woodworking always fascinates me because it feels like it should be so unforgiving, and yet those makers master it!
You're right about the humility. That may be a big part of this series' appeal, in fact. They never brag about it or talk about marketing, etc. They just happily do what they do.
That quote was used in the broader sense, as I remember it. They really are teachers, they just don't know it.
New series to me, but I have admired Gees Bend quilts in a museum. And I recently attended a fire ceremony with a shaman in Guatemala, a country of proud artisans practicing family traditions. He urged us over and over, “Use your hands!” Up went more than 20 pairs of hands, an unforgettably moving sight.
I saw some of the Gees Bend quilts, either at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum or at nearby Brookgreen Gardens, and there is something in the colors they choose to put side by side and the way they place those strips that is just so uniquely appealing. They're exuberant and free of any 'method'. I love that.
The fire ceremony must have been amazing. You'll have those memories to call on for such a long time.
I just watched one of the videos you linked "Craft in America". Another beautiful example validating the hand and expression of the artist. In addition, its importance to promoting and extending our humanity. Thank you so much for the recommendation. I am going to check out the series on PBS.
Glad to introduce you! And I'm so glad you see what I saw, too. It's a very special series.
The image caught my eye, because the idea of hanging out with like minded people and working on a craft al fresco is so appealing. I'd love to find an outlet like this.
Working al fresco or plein air appeals to me, too, which is why I enjoyed 'Landscape Artist of the Year' so much. I don't necessarily like the show-like competition, with time limits, etc., but the British seashore and countryside with its many castles and sweeping green hillsides make such great settings for the artists.
Wonderful. I'd even enjoy just gardening in the company of like-minded people in a setting like that.
I would be happy just sitting and watching them. I'm terrible at gardening. I do the plants and flowers a favor by not even trying. 😊
Ha! I'm no expert at all, mostly just a manual eradicator of invasives and encourager of favored plants. I listen to podcasts and dig away happily.
Creativity in any form should be celebrated, not divided into "art" and "craft." Once you've finished this TV series, I'd highly recommend another PBS series if you haven't already seen it, "Art in the 21st Century." Artists from around the world working in different forms, often with social/political elements but almost always strikingly visual.
I haven't seen 'Art in the 21st Century' either. (Where have I been??) I just watched the trailer and I'm seeing a distinct difference between this show and 'Craft in America'.
I watched the trailer and part of the first episode, and I can't say I feel that same shivery affection as I did with 'Craft in America'. There's a kind of pretentious awareness of the preciousness or shock value of their work that's a bit of a turn-off to me.
They're constantly aware of the camera, aware that they're making meaningful art, and they seem to spend a lot of time analyzing the work, calling what they're doing 'a social metaphor', for example, or heralding their interest in 'ambiguity'.
I'll watch it because I'm fascinated by any form of art, but I think I won't love it.
Thanks for the recommend. It looks like a fascinating show. We have a dearth of crafters in the US; real artisans are hard to find. I am especially intrigued by the crafters who have learned from grandparents; something that was handed down the generations. In Europe a family might have a recipe handed down from an ancestor from the 1400s. Love this.
Those old traditions need to be celebrated and encouraged. Our lives would be so much emptier without them. I love this, too. ❤️
Could we survive without art in any form? Could we stop doing it? In a word, no! I just watched the Geez Bend clip. Very inspiring!
Ah, wonderful!
I hadn't heard of this either and I am baffled to how it's only now just getting on my radar.
It's a mystery! Why would PBS keep such a gem hidden?
It’s new to me and I’ll be checking it out.
I can't wait to sit and watch the links, Ramona. I too am a Pottery Throwdown, Great British Sewing Bee, The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge and The Makers' Market fan. Anything where I watch a creative craftsman at work is a thrill.
The world would be such a banal, two-dimensional place without craftsman-artists.
I'm an embroiderer - began when I was about 30 and haven't looked back. I've learned all sorts - from basic cross-stitch to the heavenly 3 dimensional stumpwork. Every single night of my life I sit with needle and thread, even when I've been in hospital and had drips and God knows what inserted in hands and arms. It's displacement therapy at its very best.
Thank you for talking about this. I'm. excited!
Similarly to your topic: Whenever I've heard someone pontificating about their desire to remove art, music etc from a school curriculum because it's “frivolous” I ask them what they did in their free time… and when they invariably they list things like, reading, collecting fine furniture (etc craft), listening to music, going to movies, out to dinner etc. I reply “Wow, sounds like you really enjoy the arts personally which makes it so curious that you seem to so strongly want to remove the arts from future enjoyment.” Some have actually told me that they had never considered those things that they enjoyed in their leisure time “the arts". 🤦♀️