The gift of wisdom
Local artists weigh in on essence of giving

The arting around clan includes Puck in its Christmas photo. From top left is Tirzah Camacho, Deborah Gorton, Puck, Shan Wells and Rebecca Barfoot. From bottom left is Sandra Butler, Lisa Pedolsky, Jules Masterjohn, Amy Vaclev-Felker, and Blake Crouch./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

by Jules Masterjohn

The artist in me is always interested in the meaning of things and many years ago, I stumbled upon a small paperback book that described the true nature of “a gift.” According to the book, a gift’s essential nature is something of great merit that is worthy of being passed on, that its meaning and importance grows through the hands, hearts and lives that it touches. With this concept of gift giving in mind, I asked local artists who have been featured in the Durango Telegraph during 2005, to share with us, the readers, the wisdom and advice that others have gifted to them. Most offerings are art-related, but as Lisa Pedolsky shares in her statement, “As in art, so in life.”

Rebecca Barfoot: “Find your wings and let them carry you, capable of powerful flight.” These words appear as scripted text in some of my work, advice gifted to me by the greatest giver of all, life itself. As with all my thoughts that find their way into my work, they are a rumination on spirit, acknowledgement of the necessity of passion and dreams in all of our lives. This is a gift I give to others in my best work.

Krista Harris: My painting professor in art school was a wealth of quick quotes, which have stuck with me through the years and come to mind frequently when I am in my studio. The first is “Don’t beat a dead horse,” which he used to say when walking through the class watching us struggle over a painting! The next was “There’s no such thing as an original idea.” Too true.

Judy Brey: I often think of this wisdom-piece – That each person is seeking happiness just as I am and to honor that person just as they are. That phrase is kept with me during the day and assists in meeting people in a more open and accepting manner.

Tirzah Camacho: When I was 14, I was in a private art school in South Dakota where an instructor said to me, “You’re here because art chose you, you didn’t choose it, to deny this would be to deny yourself.” I still think of this when times are slow or my production gets halted for whatever reason. Making art is my contribution to society by nature, not by a decision I made. Other artists understand this, I tell my students this now and it validates their artistic intuition.

Amy Vaclav-Felker: The advice that I received from one of my beloved grandmothers has always stuck with me. “You never make mistakes, only experiences.”

Deborah Gorton: My mother just recently passed away and in times like this I am reminded more clearly of those things which are really important, that what we really remember is the gift of self that we give to others and others give to us. At my mother’s memorial service, people shared how she gave more than she got, how she always was ready to help someone in need. I think the best thing we can learn is to be soft, giving, loving beings in our dealings with this world with both creatures and fellow humans.

Caroline Reeves Johnson: We were talking about the feelings of failure as an artist - that you complete a piece and feel that it just isn’t as good as you intended. Nathan Oliveira (75-year-old world-renowned artist from Bay Area) said, “Oh, that will always be the case. That is what art is about - you always fail on some level. Big deal. You just try to bring the work forward. And we are so fortunate to be able to keep on failing.”

Rebecca Barfoot sports a pair of holiday butterfly wings while she talks with other artists after the Arting Around group photo on Monday./ Photo by Todd Newcomer.

Sandra Butler: A professor in graduate school told me to keep a file with letters of recommendation and good reviews about my artwork so that when I get rejected from a gallery or a job, get an awful review, or just feel down about how difficult it is to be an artist, I can read the file.

Shan Wells: The gift I got was delivered in the form of a kick in the ass! It was that of intellectual and artistic honesty. A simple maxim: “It is what it looks like.” I had been trying to add meaning to my art that was external to the way the work presented itself. My benefactor showed me that the work can only be what it looks like, first. Other readings flow from and are dependent upon that crucial reality.

Heather Leavitt: “Always take risks!” My first art instructor said, “Creating safe images may seem profitable, but in the long run you will pay the price. Taking risks will help you grow and is where true art lies.”

Blake Crouch: A while back, I saw an interview with Bono, and he was asked why the band U2 kept reinventing themselves. He said something to the effect that when it comes to art, the most important thing the artist can ask himself is: “Are you still blowing your own mind?” That’s always stuck with me.

Lisa Pedolsky: After so many years as an artist and art student, I cannot think of a single teacher who has not emphasized process over product. The objects I create would have no meaning – would not “speak” to the viewer – were I simply churning out things to sell. Even when making the humblest cup or bowl, much goes into the creating. And, as in art, so in life.

Jules Masterjohn: An example of this giving is reflected in an interaction that I had, over a decade ago, with an iconoclastic and aging artist. When asked, “What is the most important lesson you have learned during your lifetime,” the artist replied, “A kick is a kiss.” I have thought a lot about this truism and have recited it to myself many times during my learning curve as a reminder of the many vantage points from which life’s circumstances can be viewed. So, in the spirit of true gifting, I pass it on. •

Amy Vaclav-Felker gets her dog Tilly into the holiday spirit.Photo by Todd Newcomer.