NEVER HAVING EXPERIENCED "HIGHER" EDUCATION I TAUGHT MYSELF FROM BOOKS AND WHAT I REMEMBERED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. I ALSO WORKED WITH MANY SEASONED PRO'S DOING DISPLAY WORK, AND THEN AGAIN BY RUBBING ELBOWS WITH EMERGING ARTISTS AT PEARL PAINT COMPANY IN MANHATTAN.
I LEARNED THE CRAFT OF KNOT TYING FROM AN OLD BOOK OF KNOTS THAT MY FATHER HAD WHEN HE WAS IN THE NAVY DURING WWII. I NEVER WANTED TO MAKE PLANT HANGERS THAT WERE VERY POPULAR AT THE TIME. I DID MAKE BELTS AND CHOKERS AND VESTS AND WRIST BANDS USING HALF HITCHES AND SQUARE KNOTS SOMETIMES COMBINING MY KNOT TYING SKILL WITH LEATHER AND BEADS. BUT, I WANTED MY SELF STANDING VASE FORMS TO BE SEEN AS ART.
THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT I EVER RECEIVED ABOUT MY WORK WAS WHEN I HAD SET UP A DISPLAY TABLE IN THE HARPER COLLEGE GYM LOCATED ON THE S.U.N.Y. BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK CAMPUS, BACK IN THE 1970'S.
ANOTHER CRAFTSMAN FROM ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VERY LARGE GYMNASIUM CAME RUNNING OVER TO CHECK OUT MY WORK. IT TURNED OUT THAT HE WAS A GLASS BLOWER FROM CANADA. FROM ACROSS THE ROOM HE THOUGHT MY WORK WAS GLASS. HIS WORK WAS EXCELLENT AND I WAS VERY TAKEN WITH THIS GREAT COMPLIMENT AND INTEREST IN MY WORK. OVER THE YEARS I DID MAKE MORE KNOTTED VASE FORMS AND GAVE MOST AWAY AS GIFTS.
I LOVED WORKING AT PEARL PAINT COMPANY, IT DIDN'T PAY MUCH, BUT THEY DID GIVE ME A REALLY GOOD DISCOUNT WHICH ALLOWED ME TO INDULGE IN AND WORK WITH NEW MATERIALS. THE THING IS, I ALWAYS REVERT TO USING WHAT IS AROUND ME, AND IF THAT MEANS USING BUILDING MATERIALS, TEA STAINING AND RUSTY NAILS, IT'S FINE WITH ME. WORKING FIRST IN THE CRAFT DEPARTMENT AS THE MANAGER AND AGAIN AS THE ASST. MANAGER IN THE ORDER DEPARTMENT, IF I HADN'T ALREADY KNOWN WHAT AN ART SUPPLY WAS OR WAS USED FOR, I SOON LEARNED. MY RALPH MAYER, ARTIST'S HANDBOOK OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES WAS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR ME AND STILL IS.
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