The second day of the crafts fair is behind us and it was incredible. School children flooded the fair grounds this morning, asking questions and soaking in all the sights and sounds. The juggler clown on stilts. The wooden-top maker. The broom maker. Chair maker. Weavers. Knitters. Spinner. Potters. Photographers. Painters. Illustrators, Jewelry makers. The grist mill. Fresh baked biscuits from a wooden stove. Fresh apple cider. Stone carvers. Metal workers. Toy makers . . . fresh donuts. Strawberry chicken crepes. Chicken kabobs. Irish dancers. African drum core.
raku artist
I knew the artist was knowledgeable in geology when I strolled into his tent and much of his raku art was perched on fossiliferous limetone slabs. I asked if I could take some pictures and I commented on the limestone. After a twenty minute visit he had learned that my family and I are amateur geologists and that our part of the country is rich in Devonian and Cretaceous marine fossils. I had learned that he earned his degree in geological engineering in the eighties. During his senior year in college one of his professors suggested that he take at least one course that was not related to his major. He chose ceramics for non-artists. His ceramics professor taught him the art of raku firing. The top photo shows some of his whimsical raku art. This is his first year to be an exhibiter at this fair.
wood carver
The eagle carver has been a demonstrating craftsman at this fair for as many years as I can remember. He's one of the many great friends that my wife and I have made at the fair over the years. We only see him once a year for four days, but it's always a great time. The bottom picture above is of his most-prized carving. It's a 175 pound American Bald Eagle, hand-carved and hand-painted. The wing span on this magnificent bird is 84 inches and it would take a box 6 feet by 6 feet by 6 feet to store it. He brings it to the fair in several pieces and assembles it here. He crved the eagle from the specifications of the largest recorded Bald Eagle that he discovered in an ornothologist book several years ago. The entire sculpture (including the eagle, the fish it holds in its talons, and even the river stones) is carved from wood, except the splashing water at the base of the sculpture. The water is hand-molded acrylic. The inspiration for his eagle was taken from a photograph called Hunting at Reelfoot Lake. To get an accurate depiction of the river rocks to use as his reference for the base of the sculpture, he traveled to East Tennessee and waded out into a mountain stream to take pictures of the rocks. The eagle is depicted in a forward trust position, so the sculptor drilled a hole from the top of the eagle all the way to the base (42 inches) and inserted a 42-inch-long steel rod to help insure that the eagle did not become unbalanced. To his surprise, when the sculpture was fisnished and he added the wings to it, the expansiveness of the wings perfectly balanced the entire piece. An engineering feat. I love talking to him about this and his other bird wood carving.
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Song 177: Are You Ready?
Artist: Pacific Gas and Electric
Album: Are You Ready?
Year: 1970
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There's rumors of war
Men dying and women crying
If you breathe air, you'll die
Perhaps you wonder the reason why
But wait! Don't you worry
A new day is dawning
We'll catch the sun, and away we'll fly...
Are you ready to sit by His throne?
Are you ready not to be alone?
Someone's coming to take you home
And if you're ready, then He'll carry you home
(Are you ready?)
People say that He won't come
And I don't know what say you
But if He should, would you be the one?
I've got a little question I'd like to ask you
Are you ready to sit by His throne?
Are you ready not to be alone?
Someone's coming to take you home
And if you're ready, then He'll carry you home
(Are you ready?)
Brothers and sisters, I have many
Stumbling along to do their thing
Love is a song, it's better than any
It's better for music, it's easy to sing
Are you ready to sit by His throne?
Are you ready not to be alone?
Someone's coming to take you home
And if you're ready, then He'll carry you home
Are you ready to sit by His throne?
Are you ready not to be alone?
Someone's coming to take you home
And if you're ready, then He'll carry you home
(Yes, I'm ready)
Are you ready? (Yes, I'm ready)
Are you ready? (Yes, I'm ready)
I've got to know, yeah (Yes, I'm ready)
You sound real good (Yes, I'm ready)
Are you ready? (Yes, I'm ready)
Gonna be sunshine again (Yes, I'm ready)
And the flowers growing (Yes, I'm ready)
Children playing (Yes, I'm ready)
Gonna be all right (Yes, I'm ready)
You've got to be ready (Yes, I'm ready)
I know you're ready (Yes, I'm ready)
Say it loud one more time (Yes, yes, I'm ready)
Oh, yeah (Yes, yes, I'm ready)
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