POMP and CIRCUMSTANCE!

TUESDAY, 22 MAY 2012

POMP and CIRCUMSTANCE!


THIS POST COMES IN THE FORM OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, ONE OF QUEEN VICTORIA'S MORE ADVENTUROUS MILITARY AND EDUCATIONAL ADVISORS.

Queen Victoria - 1819 - 1901 - Crowned - JUNE 20, 1837


POMP

YESTERDAY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT,  CANADA CELEBRATED THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THIRD BIRTHDAY OF QUEEN VICTORIA. I'M NEVER QUITE SURE WHY WE DO THAT, BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY DECEASED SINCE JANUARY 22nd, 1901. THAT WAS 38 YEARS BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN.   I SPENT THE FIRST 28 YEARS OF MY LIFE AS A CITIZEN OF BRITLAND, AND I'M SURE WE NEVER HAD AN ANNUAL, OR OTHER REGULAR CELEBRATION FOR THE DEAD QUEEN OF ENGLAND AND EMPRESS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. SO IT WAS WITH GREAT SURPRISE TO ME THAT IN CANADA THEY STILL CELEBRATED. THIS IS NOT JUST SOME PIDDLING PARADE, IT HAS ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES YOU CAN IMAGINE, REPLETE WITH MARCHING BANDS FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. I GUESS THAT THE USA, NOT HAVING A QUEEN OF THEIR OWN, NEED TO IDENTIFY WITH WITH A DOMINANT, LONG-SEATED, NATIONAL MATRIARCH. OR COULD IT BE AS SIMPLE AS COMMERCE. COMMERCE, OF COURSE, IS WHAT DRIVES THE OTHERN MAIN, NATIONAL,  ANNUAL CANADIAN EXTRAVAGANZA, WHERE THE ROTUND MAN IN A RED SUIT WITH A WHITE BEARD SITS IN A CANADIAN-BUILT SLEIGH,  PULLED BY A NUMBER OF DECORATED REINDEER, LIKE SMALL HORSES WITH ANTLERS, AND WEARING HARNESSES OF BELLS!

I LEFT ENGLAND IN 1968 BECAUSE OF COMMERCE, OR LACK OF IT!  IT WAS THE TIME OF YET ANOTHER OF THOSE IRRESPONSIBLE RECESSIONS, AND THE TIME THAT, FOR A YOUNG ARTIST-POTTER WITH A YOUNG BUSINESS AND AN EVEN YOUNGER FAMILY, LOOKED PRETTY BLEAK. THE LABOR PARTY WAS IN POWER UNDER THE PRIME MINISTERSHIP OF THE HONOURABLE HAROLD WILSON. FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW THE UK POLITICAL STRUCTURE, THE REIGNING MONARCH IS A CONSTITUTIONAL, HISTORICAL POSITION. THE GOVERNMENT IS LED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WITH ONE OR OTHER PARTY THAT GENERALLY DO THE SAME STUPID THINGS, NO MATTER WHO IS ACTUALLY IN POWER. BETWEEN ALL THE POLITICIANS, THEY MANAGE TO SCREW UP THE ECONOMY ON A REGULAR BASIS.

CIRCUMSTANCE

IN 1967, CANADA CELEBRATED ITS 100TH BIRTHDAY, A HUGE NON-POLITICAL PARTY WITH A MAJOR EXPO '67, AND A VIBRANCY THAT HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE. THE BRITISH PRESS WAS FULL OF ALL THE EXCITEMENT AND IT LOOKED LIKE A GOOD TIME FOR A TRANSATLANTIC MOVE TO WHERE THE GRASS WAS DEFINITELY LOOKING GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE - THEY DIDN'T MENTION THE WINTER THOUGH!! I WENT BACK TO ENGLAND AND TALKED THE IDEA OF RELOCATION WITH MY WIFE AND DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. I NEEDED TO FIND A TEACHING JOB TO SOFTEN THE BLOW, AND THAT FELL NICELY IN PLACE. TEN MONTHS LATER, AFTER FIVE DAYS AT SEA, TWO KIDS, WIFE, HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES, MY PRODUCTION POTTERY STUDIO EQUIPMENT AND MYSELF  LANDED  ON CANADIAN SOIL, ALL SET FOR THE LONG JOURNEY MAKING MY MARK ON THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT. I TAUGHT AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL FOR JUST FIVE YEARS, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, RAN A STUDIO OUT OF MY BASEMENT.  BY A VERY LUCKY ACCIDENT, I HIT TORONTO AT A TIME WHEN THE FINE CRAFT MOVEMENT WAS JUST GETTING MOVING. THE ONTARIO CRAFTS COUNCIL STARTED A FINE CRAFTS EXPO AND SUDDENLY REALIZED  THEY HAD FEW ARTISTS WHO COULD HANDLE THE DEMAND FOR BOTH ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTWORK AND ALSO HAD DEVELOPED A RANGE OF  FUNCTIONAL POTTERY. AT MY STUDIO IN ENGLAND I HAD BEEN DOING JUST THAT FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. MUCH AS I ENJOY TEACHING, I HATE ADMINISTRIVIA! THE MORE YOU STAY IN THE ED BUSINESS, THE WORSE THE ADMINISTRIVIA! I DECIDED TO QUIT AND DEVOTE FULL TIME TO STUDIO WORK. IN SIX MONTHS I WAS SELLING FROM COAST TO COAST ACROSS CANADA AND HAVING A TOUGH TIME KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND, A BENEFICIAL ACCIDENT OF THE TIME. MY TEACHING CARRIED ON IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT WITH DOING WORKSHOPS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND MANY PLACES AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH ALSO MADE IT POSSIBLE TO SPEND MUCH TIME DOING CERAMIC HISTORICAL AND GLAZE AND COLOR RESEARCH. SPORADIC EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL GAVE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THE WORLD LANDSCAPE AS WELL AS GARDEN DESIGN AND HISTORY. THIS GAVE ME THE KNOWLEDGE TO START WRITING BOOKS AND MAKING EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS SO I COULD CONTINUE TO TEACH GLOBALLY AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS SUPPORTED ME.

I HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY FORTUNATE TO DO WHAT I HAVE DONE OVER A 70 YEAR TIME FRAME. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUES OF LUCK, BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, MAKING QUICK BUT NOT RASH DECISIONS, TAKING RISKS, BELIEVING THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE GOALS. IF I CAN DO IT - SO CAN YOU!

TEACHING WORKSHOPS HAS OPENED MANY DOORS. MY FIRST TEXAS WORKSHOP WAS ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES SINCE.  A FEW YEARS AGO, AT THE ANNUAL TEXAS CLAY FESTIVAL IN GRUENE, I WAS PROCLAIMED "HONORARY TEXAN" AND PRESENTED WITH THIS FINE STETSON COWBOY HAT WHICH I AM ALWAYS PROUD TO WEAR. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN MAKING MY WHIRLWIND RIDE SO INCREDIBLE.

ROBIN HOPPER -  HONORARY TEXAN TWICE OVER!!
THEY FORGOT THEY HAD DONE IT A FEW YEARS EARLIER!!

LAST WEEK I WAS ALMOST READY TO QUIT WRITING THIS BLOG, BECAUSE  I WAS GETTING ALMOST ZILCH FEEDBACK. THANKS TO THOSE WHO RESPONDED AND KEPT THE PHOENIX ALIVE. IF I KEEP GETTING RESPONSES,  I WILL KEEP SHARING THOUGHTS, IDEAS, EXPERIENCES, TECHSTUFF AND EDUCATIONAL CONCEPTS. I'VE SPENT MY LIFE AS A COMMUNICATOR. IT IS SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY. BUT I DON'T ENJOY TALKING TO MYSELF. IT IS ONE OF THE FIRST SIGNS OF MADNESS!! SO PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING. THE MORE I GET THE MORE YOU WILL GET.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

BEST WISHES, RH