littlestar

it's been a long time since i was able to visit berkeley in a relaxed manner and see some of my friends there. :)

i went to see my old pottery teacher's show. he lives in a very nice home in berkeley hills and has a show about twice a year, selling his wares and making some studio space for himself (every potter needs to do this at some point because they'll have too much stuff around otherwise).

it was really great to see him again. basically, i attribute my changing to art with his guidance, kind words of encouragement and support. he was understanding of the problems i was having with my parents, while gently pointing me to calm and serenity, tell me that my happiness is also something that is important (soomething that doesn't always come across from asian society).

he's also one of the nicest people i've ever met. and you can sense a inner peace, a child-like happiness and appreciation of life and general contentment with life.

he's my hero. :)

one of the few that i have, anyway. :)

because an artist's interpretation of life is always reflected in his work, and because i love my teacher's outlook on life, i always end up spending more money than i should when i go to his shows.

and we had an interesting talk about sculptors vs. potters. it came up because i was telling how i learned over time that i wasn't really all that interested in sculpture, but i loved pottery. pottery has a calm element about it, especially if you let go of your fixation on making a "good-looking" product. those "good-looking" things come about after you've practiced enough, even harder to achieve when you're all anal about it.

with sculpture... i have a hard time relating to the work. it's always presented on a formal level. you are given a set time and place to interact with the work.

with pottery... you have a new experience every time you drink/eat from your piece. you notice the glazes again, you notice the shape of the form that you have... it's just a wonderful calm experience.

we talked a little about how sculptor's don't really understand that. that they tend to have something to prove, something to express, something that is burning inside...

and i realized... i don't really want something burning inside. i want to impart peace and happiness in the environment around me by being happy and at peace inside. :)

i was telling him that i don't really ever regret going into art. i have my happy moments and my panicky moments, but those panicky moments aren't ever really about whether i should be doing art or not. rather, they are about "am i going to be able to do this?" "will i be a 'functional' member of society?"

he told me... "you can do this." :) and it was all i needed to hear. :)

it was great to revisit why i wanted to go into art in the first place. i already knew that i enjoyed it... it's why i can do it for 5, 6, 8, 10 hours straight and still not be drained of life. in fact, i will frequently lose track of time and just work.

but to see my teacher, and to rediscover the simple joy and peace that art can give you... it was a eye-opener, to say the least.

the rest of the day was also very fun.

we had brunch at a favorite place of mine, called venus. apparently, there was some incident with sean penn's car and guns in it being stolen?? but yeah... yummy brunch.

then pottery show.

then hanging out with betina and hanz and being introduced to grand theft auto and dynasty warriors.

dinner with kyung and his friend rob at cha'am (thai food~~!!!).

visiting dave for a little bit before coming home.

oh yeah, and for those that are interested.... i was indeed able to get 10 tickets for the lotr. rejoice! :)

now.... since i am sick, i will drag my infeebled body off to bed. (after i finish my blackcurrant tea)