PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF,

I’M A MAN OF CLAY AND GLAZE

PUSHED MUD AROUND FOR SEVENTY YEARS

OR TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DAYS.

Robin Hopper is a man of many parts, mostly worn out, rusty or dysfunctional, due to a lifetime of excesses! He started working with clay at the age of three and is still doing it over 70 years later. His lengthy, peripatetic career as a mudpusher has included side trips into working as a Professional Actor, Stage Designer, Property Maker, Stage Manager, Stage Carpenter, Grocer, Greengrocer, Jazz Musician, Teapot, Wine and Beer-Bottle, Trumpet, Trombone and Bugle Player, European Travel Guide, Founder of Several Clay/Art/Craft Organizations, Alchemist, Geologist, Primatologist, Linguist, Ornithologist, Botanist, Ceramic Historian, Educator, Author, Garden Designer, Lecturer on Japanese Garden Design, Laborer and Star of Stage, Screen and Potter’s Wheel!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The BIG Picture


NEW DIRECTIONS FROM
OLD IDEAS



MY AGING BODY DECIDED THAT IT DOESN'T WANT TO PUSH CLAY AROUND IN MY STUDIO ANY MORE AND OPTED FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVES!


JAPANESE WISTERIA ON PERGOLA IN FRONT OF STUDIO 

STIPA GIGANTEA GRASS IN FRONT OF OUR GALLERY

I'VE BEEN A SERIOUS GARDENER SINCE MY MID-TEENS.
I STARTED WORKING ON THE CURRENT GARDEN
35 YEARS AGO. IT IS ROUGHLY 2.5 ACRES OR ONE HECTARE IN SIZE AND IS AN ARTIST'S INTERPRETATION OF 5 DIFFERENT STYLES OF JAPANESE GARDEN.



MAIN ENTRANCE GATE - RHODODENDRON AND WOODLAND GARDEN 


WOODLAND PATH 

FERNS AND HOSTA GARDEN 


HOSTAS, FERNS AND  RHODODENDRONS


INNER GARDEN POND - VEGETATION REPRESENTS WATERFALL CASCADES


BOG GARDEN WITH  BIG LEAF GUNNERA MANICATA AND DARMERA PELTATUM

GARDENS AND LANDSCAPE HAVE BEEN MY PRIMARY SOURCE OF IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR MY WORK 
IN PORCELAIN AND
INTERPRETIVE GLAZE PAINTINGS FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

SOMETIMES I USE IMAGES FROM THE WHOLE GARDEN. OTHER TIMES I CONCENTRATE ON SMALL DETAILS.
THIS POSTING LOOKS AT THE BIG PICTURE


ART ALL OVER! 







THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO POSTINGS. THEY ARE LOOSELY BASED ON STIMULATING THE EYEBALLS AND BRAIN TO SEE IDEAS.

LOOKING AND SEEING ARE TWO DISTINCT CONCEPTS. LOOKING IS RAPID AND GENERALIZED:
SEEING IS SLOWER, ANALYTICAL AND SPECIFIC.

MOST OF US ARE ADEPT AT LOOKING, 
BUT FEW REALLY SEE WHAT IS THERE.

SEEING IS THE REALM OF THE ARTIST.
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9 comments:

  1. smartcatMay 30, 2013 at 2:47 PM

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for the new post. Your garden is fabulous. I am in love with your wisteria (My sister had one that was listed as part of her historic registered house)

    We are progressing slowly but surely. The yellow flags are popping out....the light in the woods is green.

    The statement about looking and seeing is oh so true.

    The shirt is wonderful....I hope health problems are being dealt with.

    ReplyDelete
  2. June PerryMay 30, 2013 at 6:07 PM

    Love the photo and the shirt. I have one that says "Gardening, a dirty job but someone's got to do it". Yours is much prettier!

    Thanks for all the fabulous garden photos. We visited your studio and garden over a decade ago and thought you had created a very special place. The photos show that it has certainly grown in the twelve years or more since we walked through.

    June Perry

    ReplyDelete
  3. DarleneMay 31, 2013 at 8:15 AM

    Beautiful! There is more than one way to play in the dirt :). Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda StarrMay 31, 2013 at 11:20 PM

    ah gardening my first love, nice to see that gunnera doing so well, hopefully I'll get up there one day to visit your gardens if you still receive visitors

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GRASSJune 2, 2013 at 2:58 AM

      Thanks Linda. As long as I am still around, the garden will be open for visitors. I consider it to be my best art work and enjoy people's response. Unfortunately, the weeds grow faster than the desirable plants, but we can supply garden tools at the entry gate.

      Delete
  5. Ron DeaverJune 2, 2013 at 4:48 AM

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. smokieclennellJune 2, 2013 at 5:06 AM

    Is Judi missing the shower curtain or is that really a tshirt?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GRASSJune 2, 2013 at 6:30 AM

      HI Dr CLENNELL,
      It really is a T-Shirt! I painted it myself a few years ago. I had the words printed on the front and then let loose with fabric paints. The back is a portrait of the Inner garden. Now that I can't make pots any more, I thought the message was appropriate. Glad you like it!

      Delete
  7. ColleenJune 4, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    I love your garden ! My husband and I chose a trip to your garden and studio as the way to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We were there 5 years ago this month. The way you have incorporated clay and metal artwork into the garden is similar to a treasure hunt for the visitor. The pieces I bought in your gallery are well used. You certainly live in a gardeners paradise.

    ReplyDelete

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