OBITUARY

RAY FINCH  - 1914 - 2012


IT HAS JUST COME TO MY NOTICE THAT RAY FINCH PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING AT THE AGE OF 98. KNOWING RAY, HE WAS PROBABLY IN THE STUDIO AT 8AM YESTERDAY THROWING HIS SIGNATURE VESSELS. RAY, A FORMER STUDENT OF MICHAEL CARDEW, WAS THE PREMIER ENGLISH POTTER OF FUNCTIONAL WARES FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY. MOST BRITISH FUNCTIONAL POTTERS OF THE LAST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY OWE RAY A GREAT DEBT.

HOROSCOPE

IF ONE DISCOUNTS THE NEGATIVES AND OCCASIONAL TRAGEDIES OF LIFE, AND DECADES OF WORKING SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK, 12 - 16 HOURS PER DAY,

I MUST SAY THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE LUCKIEST GUYS AROUND. I WAS BORN UNDER THE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN OF TAURUS, LUCKIEST SIGN IN THE ZODIAC.

I WAS BORN IN APRIL 1939, IN CHINESE ASTROLOGY THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT, ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE THE LUCKIEST SIGN IN THE CHINESE CALENDAR. WHOOPEE, A DOUBLE GOOD-LUCK WHAMMY!  MY WONDERFUL PARENTS HAD PERFECT TIMING IN THE  PROCESS OF CONCEPTION IN THE THIRD WEEK OF AUGUST 1938.  THIS TIMING PHENOMENON ONLY OCCURS FOR FIVE SPECIFIC DAYS IN EVERY TWELVE YEARS. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE SUCCESS OF EVERYTHING IN LIFE WAS DEPENDENT ON TIMING! WORKING IN CLAY CERTAINLY PROVES THIS POINT

YOU CAN’T CONTROL THE TIMING OF YOUR OWN BIRTH, BUT IT IS REALLY WONDERFUL WHEN OTHERS HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO DO IT FOR YOU!

EDUCATION

BACK TO EDUCATION IN THE CERAMIC ARTS    

GOOD K-13 ARTS EDUCATION IS NOT AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE IN PRIMARY OR SECONDARY EDUCATION LEVELS UNFORTUNATELY. IN MANY PARTS OF THE U.S. IT IS LOOKED AT AS A MAJOR PROGRAM HELPING YOUNG DEVELOP IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY THROUGH CREATIVE CULTURE AND CREATIVE THINKING. ONE CAN SEE THE RESULTS OF THIS ANNUALLY AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS (NCECA) ANNUAL CONFERENCE.  THIS YEAR IT IS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF BOB FEDER AND HIS HARD-WORKING COMRADES, THERE IS ASSEMBLED A JURIED EXHIBIT OF WORK FROM SCHOOLS ALL OVER.  FOR MY MONEY, THIS IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT, AFFIRMATIVE AND EXCITING SHOWS AROUND THESE CONFERENCES. THESE SCHOOLS ARE ONE OF THE MAIN VENUES WHERE OUR NEXT GENERATION OF CERAMIC ARTISTS WILL COME FROM. THE BETTER THE EXPOSURE AT A YOUNG AGE, THE MORE LIKELY THE EXCITING GROWTH AT THE LEVEL OF TERTIARY EDUCATION. LEARNING GOOD HABITS IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT EARLY IN WORKING WITH CLAY, SETS THE STUDENT UP FOR LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT LINE OF WORK HE OR SHE FOLLOWS. GOOD BASICS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING.

UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ALL MINISTRIES OR DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION ARE EQUALLY FAR- SIGHTED. IN CANADA, FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS LITTLE IN THE

WAY OF PLANNED ARTS AND CULTURE EDUCATION IN RELATION TO TEAM SPORTS.  CREATIVE THINKING IS REDUCED TO A MINIMUM.  TO MY MIND, THE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION SHOULD BE SUB-DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH. HEALTH IS ABOUT IMPROVING LIFE AND LONGEVITY. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ARE ABOUT A LIFELONG PURSUIT WHERE AGGRESSIVE SPORTS SO OFTEN LEAD TO EARLY BURNOUT, AS THE BODY REFUSES TO TAKE MORE PUNISHMENT.

SO THIS IS WHERE PARENTAL POSITIVITY COMES IN. INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING AT THE MESS, ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION.  THESE WILL HELP THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS ANY AVENUE IN LIFE. THE CREATIVE THINKER IS THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER EMPLOYEE IN ANY AVENUE OF WORK.  THE RAGGLE TAGGLE GROUP OF METAPHORICAL SHEEP SOON TURN INTO A SMART FLOCK FROM WHICH THE INDIVIDUALS HAVE A CHANCE TO EMERGE AND BECOME LEADERS IN THE FIELD.

TERTIARY EDUCATION - COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY AND SELF-TEACHING

UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO BE A PRECOCIOUS CULTURAL GENIUS THE LIKE OF MOZART, MENDELSOHN, PICASSO AND RODIN, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD AND DILIGENTLY FOR MANY YEARS TO BECOME A MASTER OF THE CERAMIC MEDIUM.  THE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTIONS THAT YOU TAKE AT THIS POINT ARE NORMALLY RELATED TO HOW YOU SEE YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE.  TO BE A FIRST RATE WORKING ARTIST YOU NEED ONE THING. TO TEACH IN INSTITUTIONS FUNDED BY THE PUBLIC PURSE YOU HAVE NO OPTION BUT UNIVERSITY.

TOMORROW:  WHO ARE YOU AND WHICH FORM OF TERTIARY EDUCATION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?