endings.....

Christmas is over, time to reflect on the past year and look at forward to the next one.  The past year has been a decent one.  It's had it's ups and downs as you would expect.  I have met and made many new friends and have reconnected with many old ones.  For many years I had been searching for my 2nd  grade teacher, Mrs. Kimbrough.  I've always felt she was the first person who truly believed in me.  I finally got to thank her.  We talk on occasion and hope to go visit her soon.  Art-wise, I'm happy with the stuff I've created.  Freedom Chickens were born!!!  I've gotten some great publicity.  I'm thankful for everyone who has supported me in the past year.  Next year is looking to be huge.

Got some sad news this morning from the most unlikely of sources.  My exwife texted me to let me know that Marie Rogers had passed away.  By the time I got to know Marie in 2003 or so, she wasn't making a whole lot of pottery and it had become almost impossible to get any from her.  She lived just around the corner from me and we would talk sometimes at church.  I started buying her pottery, initially for resale.  I was in the antique auction business and the pieces that I ran through there were making me some really good money.  Then I began to appreciate it and started collecting it for myself.  From there I started learning more about folk pottery and collecting it.  I collected pottery for quite a few years.  Collecting folk pottery introduced me to folk art.  I became amazed at the simplicity of much of it. There were no rules to it.  An artist could express himself however he wanted to, without boundaries, in the most simplistic of ways.  They didn't have to listen to someone telling them how it should be done. 

Thank you Ms. Marie.  You and your art introduced me to folk pottery and folk art.  I feel like now, in part because of you, that I know where I belong.