[Woodcarver] Lack of reaction to your art.

Thu Aug 12 15:30:45 EDT 2004

Hi Patti,

Another possible reason for a seemingly non-reaction is that you left them
speechless.

A few times at our concerts when our choir finished a song there was no
reaction. You could hear a pin drop and see a few hankies wiping eyes. We
knew it was good so that complete silence was the best reaction we could
achieve. It seemed louder and more rewarding than a standing ovation. It was
like the Spirit took them to another place and they hadn't brought them back
yet.

Many times artwork has the same effect. If it does its job it will create a
deeper feeling than just the superficial wow reaction. Telling an artist
their work is pretty in not a complement an artist wants to hear. The artist
tries for a deeper feeling to their message. If they succeed in transferring
that feeling to the viewer it will hit the viewer before the viewer has a
chance to utter any superficial accolades. Many times their silence
indicates that the view is trying to discover the deeper meaning. This takes
time so that superficial reaction may never come. If I know my work is good
and if I get a non-reaction I feel like I just finished one of those great
songs in silence and maybe my work took their spirit to a new place. That
gives me the best feeling because I just might have communicated something
through my work.

Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
**************************************************

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Classic Carving Patterns" <irish at carvingpatterns.com>
To: "'[Woodcarver]'" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 1:33 PM
Subject: RE: [Woodcarver] I need your help

> To make a DONATION to the Mailing List using PayPal OR regular mail, click
this link: http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html
>
> Hey Patti,
>
> I have been thinking on your question since it hit the inbox and have
> several thoughts.  Please, these are just my opinions, so take what you
> want and throw the rest away.
>
> >From what you have written it seems that success for you is achieving a
> higher skill level than the preceding work.  You note that first you
> were a successful beginner then a successful intermediate and working on
> becoming a successful advanced carver.  To me this means that you are
> judging your latest works on the execution of more difficult or new
> skills that you are developing in carving.  You are looking for a
> maturing in your technique to gauge your success level.
>
> Then you note that you are using others to judge (gauge) your success by
> viewing the finished piece. Are you handing them a completely finished
> work and then applying their reaction to how well you achieved your new
> skill level, a new technique?
>
> My thoughts go in several directions ...
>
> One, how can someone else know that you worked very very hard to learn
> and accomplish a new technique unless you grab them by the shirt collar
> and say "Look right there, at that cut and this cut, see what I learned
> to do!"  I am not at all abashed to tell Mike, my hubby, that this area
> is what I want him to look at and why. I have even been known to say
> "You can Ohhh and AHHH now!"
>
> Two, I am not my art nor do I chose what I feel based on what other's
> feel about my art.  Just because someone is not very interested in a
> carving can mean something as simple as we have different tastes in art.
> I like to carve wildlife, wood spirits, and fun cutesy chickens in
> relief  ... But the person looking at the carving may be interested in
> 3-d little cowboy dudes. So their first reaction, of course, is going to
> be ... It's not a 3-d cowboy caricature so I'm not really interested.
> This doesn't make my carving right, wrong, or unvaluable and it sure
> doesn't make me feel bad about what I like to carve.  It only means they
> like 3-d little dudes!
>
> Third, Have you considered the possibility that you have already
> developed your carving to the point of excellence?  Many times when you
> start getting a null reaction it is because the people around you have
> come to expect each and every one of your works to be outstanding so
> outstanding work becomes an everyday occurrence. If for example you had
> never cooked dinner so started out opening a box of macaroni and cheese
> ... Then you go to school and learn culinary arts so your family is now
> getting Duck Almandine, everyone raves about your dinner ... After a
> while it's the duck dinner that is the every day normal meal on the
> table and so hum-drum! Just see what happens if you slap boxed macaroni
> in front of them again.
>
> If it were me ... (watch out I am about to offer some advice!)
>
> I would simple not show my work for a while to anyone for the reason of
> seeing what their reaction is.  Meaning, do the work, post it to your
> site and then quietly put it away somewhere in the studio.  I guarantee
> that after a few pieces those around you will begin to notice that you
> are not coming to them for their reaction!  After just a few pieces they
> will begin to 'hover' around asking, "What are you carving now?"  Let
> them come to you for a change.
>
> You could also post your newest piece to your site, tell what technique
> you were working on to develop, then post it to the digest where other
> carvers who understand how difficult it is to hone your skill can give
> you feedback.
>
> Also, at least here in the studio, my Michael has seen about everything
> come off my work table.  For him arts, crafts, and carvings are just
> everyday objects.  So once in a while I will throw in something totally
> different then he is use to seeing.  If you are doing Santas try doing
> cowboys ... Doing a different theme may be enough to rekindle interest
> in those around you. Last week I tried my hand at carving a gourd, this
> morning I am adding the painting.  I also have noticed that he has
> stopped by the drawing table several times to check where I am at in the
> work ... It's new to him too!
>
> Just some thoughts.
>
> Susan Irish
>
> Carving Patterns Online
> Designs Online Since 1997!
> Classic Carving Patterns By L.S.Irish
> http://www.CarvingPatterns.com
> http://www.WoodCarvingPatterns.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Fine Art Dog Prints
> Dog Art At It's Finest!
> http://www.MuttArt.com
> http://www.FineDogArt.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net
> [mailto:woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net] On Behalf Of Patti Landmann
> Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 12:06 PM
> To: [Woodcarver]
> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] I need your help
>
>
> To make a DONATION to the Mailing List using PayPal OR regular mail,
> click this link: http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html
>
> --- Joe DiDillettjdjdilletththecarvingshopom> wrote:
>
> > To make a DONATION to the Mailing List using
> PaPayPal> OR regular mail, click this link:
> > hthttp/wwwwwoodcarverom/WWWWWListWWWWListthtml>
> >  How do you define success?
> > Fellow Carvers,
> >
> >Hi Joe,
>
> Here are my thoughts:
>
> When I started carving 7 years ago it was to carve
> Father Christmas figures.  After 10 or 15 SaSantas
> looked around and discovered the wonderful world of
> woodcarving.  When carving SaSantasif it was carved
> clean and painted well,  it was not hard to convince
> anyone that it was wonderful as the subject itself is
> pleasant.
>
> I then wanted to carve everything I saw and just as
> quickly found that I did not have the skill to carve
> many of the exciting things that came to mind.  After
> numerous classes and seminars and more importantly
> observing the really good carvers that are in our club
> and area I found skills and techniques that would
> allow me to grow and move beyond my wildest dreams in
> the beginning.
>
> My web page is titled "Treasure and Pleasure" and that
> pretty much explains how I feel about my carvings.
> Some are true Treasures and some just give me
> Pleasure.  This being said it would be logical to
> think that I was a successful beginner.  And I have
> grown to a successful intermediate.  And I have
> promise to be a successful advanced carver given time
> and effort.  But my most profound problem comes with
> exposure of the piece to others.  When finishing a
> piece I feel that I love it and have been successful
> in creating what I saw in my mind.  I am excited and
> pleased.  At this point I show it to others and then
> watch their reactions for a sign of what I feel.  It
> rarely happens and I take this lack of good reaction
> as an immediate "not good enough".
>
> There are many reasons for reactions...disinterest,
> distraction, jealousy, and on and on.  So that being
> said, one should be able to rationalize away all
> negative or passive reactions.  I go away crestfallen
> and wonder if I will ever carve anything really good.
>
> So my advise to anyone is carve for your self from
> your heart.  Make yourself happy and that is the
> ultimate feeling of success.  Learn and grow as your
> goals change but always make yourself happy in your
> heart.
>
> My obvious answer is to never show anything but it is
> in the sharing of the art that we all grow.
>
> I would love to hear from anyone who has any idea how
> to overcome this feeling of lack of confidence and the
>  extraordinary amount of importance I place on the
> reactions of others.  I doubt this is normal  But who
> ever said I was normal.
>
>
>
>
> >
> >
>
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
> =====
> Patti Landmann
>
> lowvillecarver at yahoo.com
> http://www.centuryinter.net/treasures/
>
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