Pondering the revised stair steps to my in-progress attic studio. Will I sound too much like Steve Jobs if I tell you that you have to experience the feel to appreciate my new iSteps? Will you believe me if I tell you the steepness is actually an advantage? Oh well, bottom line... er top line... I don't bump my head anymore when I reach the top.
So it is time to create handrails & posts. Thoughts of Harry Geffert come to mind. Harry was my sculpture teacher and friend at TCU in the 70's. He taught me to cast bronze, and how to approach the many mediums this natural world has to offer. He taught me to mix media and if the bureaucracy at TCU would have allowed it I would have been a mixed media or painting/sculpture/architecture major. Instead I just took lots of classes from Harry. And visited his home.
Harry Geffert built his two houses on several acres in Crowley, Texas. With his two bare hands. Mostly from stuff he found in the junkyard. He made furniture from old wood, curtains from old quilts, and then threw everyone a curve by juxtapositioning in a new couch from Sears. It was on sale for 50 bux and matched the wood. Both houses were round. The summer house was made of cool stone with high ceilings and a swimming pool made of an old water tower. The winter house was tight and cozy with a domed roof. You reached the second floor sleeping loft via a steep ship-ladder which made the loft quite private and not to be easily trespassed.
Whenever I buy new materials from Lowe's I feel a pang of guilt for not being more creative & resourceful like Harry. I want to get the studio finished in a hurry but I know that if I squelch too many of these ideas I will be one regretful artist in her bland finished studio.
I am realizing my creativity cannot be bound by saying I am a painter, or a writer, or a home redecorator. My art is about materials, color, & design. Oh and light. Sorry if that is too broad for you.
Anyway back to Harry. Here is a link: http://www.texassculpturegarden.org/content-artists.asp?artwork=1020 Harry got a lot of flak because he didn't do things the way others said he was supposed to. He did them better. And much more interesting & enjoyable. He took what he found and played with it.
Thank you to Harry Geffert for instilling in me a love of light, a love of materials & a love of questioning everything stale & stodgy. If I pull off some nice handrails and posts I will dedicate them to you, Harry, wherever you are.
xo
suzy
