So, my work is good compared to what?
Yours? His? Hers?
My work is as good as those who will deem it good. Those who will compliment my work, those who will give my work praise... No, they are not all customers, no they are not all buying but they are seeing and appreciating the work that I do... Praise is good enough for me! I don't need to earn a euro for my work, pleasure to others is enough!
I had a very interesting evening at a local Portuguese cafe this evening. I had a small bowl, part of a set of 6 that I am making. A Portuguese guy saw it and was "astounded" that this very simple bowl was made from Oliverinha. He then took it and displayed it to the bar whereupon the owner of the bar asked me a whole host of questions and has now offered me a permanent display in the bar and will 'sell' to their clients, friends and family from all over Portugal! I am now struggling to be able to find the time, the wood to keep up with demand! No matter how "poor quality" I am producing!
Oh, and didn't we just come full circle? How much is your bowl worth? It's worth as much as someone will 'pay'! Is that pounds, shillings and pence? Euros? Dollars? Or is it just the appreciation of a 'craftsman' who has produced something from some scrap, rotting piece of wood... Don't they call that recycling these days? Isn't that a good thing?
Most recycling, in my opinion, is a waste of time, money and energy (I guess you can tell I'm no hippy!)
Recycling wood and turning it into a piece of ART IS good!
So, to answer your question George... "... goo compared to what"... Good compared to the LAST piece I turned!
Doing it "right" in who's mind? Mine? Yours? Or perhaps the person who is prepared to buy something that THEY feel is "right"?
Let me ask you a question... Would you buy something you didn't like? I know that I wouldn't!
Yes, I am new to this amazing art, yes I am learning this amazing art... I have been playing guitar for the last 35 years.... I am still learning THAT art! I will continue to learn THAT art until the day I lay my guitar down! To stop learning is to stop loving the art, whatever the art is!
Please excuse me I am over stepping the mark but shouldn't EVERYONE continue to learn, no matter how skilled, how successful they are?
Sorry, had a bit of a rant there for a minute!
Let me clarify something...
I never started turning pieces of wood to make money... It was a love I had for trying to create, to perfect something from a scabby old piece of brown stuff into something slightly more attractive. What I have found is that my love of turning a bit of brown stuff into a slightly more interesting bit of brown stuff is giving others pleasure AS WELL AS MYSELF!
If those "others" re willing to pay a little bit for my time, my electricity, my replacement of tools that will enable me to continue loving turning and giving others pleasure then who am I or anyone to argue?
KEEEEEEEP TURNING!