It takes a lot of work to be quiet.
I once asked a very prolific artist how he managed to create so much work. His reply, “You have to learn to shut out the noise”.
He is a metal sculptor with a studio in a big city so I assumed he was speaking about the cacophony of traffic sounds and scream of angle grinders.
But that’s not what it seemed he meant. The inner noise I hear; Am I making something that is worthwhile? Will this art sell so that I can pay my bills? Do I need to spend more time on my promotional activities to boost my SEO? These are all thoughts that can stop one from doing the work. Even if you live and work in the middle of nowhere.
South Toe River, Yancey County North Carolina.
Sophia and I visited the home and studio of Bruce Greene and koreloy wildrekinde~ mcwhirter. Bruce and koreloy have been observing the world around them, together, and devoting themselves to what they care about for over 47 years.
Bruce Greene is an internationally recognized fiddle and banjo player and singer who has learned and preserved traditional music from Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. If you have studied this style of music, you know about Bruce. Even for the uninitiated, the sound is pure and profound and you can find his music here: brucegreene.net
koreloy wildrekinde~mcwhirter is a visual artist and poet. Her works seem to come from another time. She is a master printmaker and letterpress printer who’s work has been published and exhibited extensively. The drawings and prints she produces are interwoven with her words. The imagery she produces is skilled in technique and comprehensive in design by an old soul. Her work can be found here: https://www.koreloy.net/home
Both Bruce and koreloy learned their skills and much of their craft and knowledge on their own and through apprenticeship.
You may inquire directly though their websites about an apprenticeship opportunity.
Sophia is a practicing artists and has been invited to work in Koreloy’s printshop next summer.
Bruce and koreloy share a mutual admiration for each other and their work and I have a deep respect for both of them. Their lifestyle and work ethic embodies a sense of intimacy, dignity and sophistication which is rare.