To my utter disappointment, I am not a gifted artist.
An art professor in college gave me a passing grade in a pottery class because I “tried really hard.” I ended up with more clay in my hair than on the pottery wheel, but despite my mess, I was fascinated by the process of creating. It’s not as simple as just tossing a lump of clay on a spinning disc and a bowl is magically created. It takes crafting a thought into a fully formed idea into an actual bowl that sits flat on the surface. It’s trial and error; it’s technique and medium; it’s symbolism and metaphor, and it’s heart and soul.
Whenever I travel to a big city for vacation, the local art museum is always on the list of attractions to enjoy during my stay. I’ve been fortunate to visit some amazing locations here in the states and abroad like the Louvre in Paris and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I love taking my time, exploring the corridors, traveling slowly from exhibit to exhibit, and getting lost in the beauty and talent of so many true masters of a craft.
Standing before paintings that have mesmerized viewers for decades or centuries, I always wish I could have been there during the creation, peppering the artist with questions about their process. Just imagine sitting next to Monet on the banks of a pond and discussing color and light and what he was thinking and feeling when he painted his water lilies. Why did he choose oil as his medium? What was it about the setting that interested him so much? Who did he turn to for inspiration?
That’s the experience we are hoping to offer at Greenwood Public Library’s Maker in Residence program. The opportunity to get up close and personal with a local maker as they are creating — to ask questions and to be curious about the ideas, the mediums and the processes. Just maybe, you’ll inspire the artist within you, as well.
Award-winning local artist, Dianna Porter, will be joining us in The Studio Makerspace during the month of April for our first residency. She’ll be in for open studio hours each week throughout the month where she’ll be working on illustrations for a new children’s picture book. We hope you’ll stop in during those times and learn more about why she sketches before painting, what she loves so much about watercolor and what she’s choosing to highlight in the story.
Dianna will also be teaching two watercolor classes during the month including “Unlocking Mysteries of Watercolor” for ages 10-15 on Saturday and “How to Paint Spring Flowers” for ages 16+ on April 22nd. Spaces are limited, so be sure to sign up early. Throughout the month you’ll be able to explore some of Dianna’s work displayed on the 2nd floor of the library, and library staff are planning fun themed drop-in activities to enjoy each week in The Studio.
Come explore and learn with Dianna Porter and celebrate the talents of other local artists with GPL’s Maker in Residence program.
Emily Ellis is the assistant director at Greenwood Public Library. GPL staff members share in writing this twice-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
