The last few days, my “art” of writing has taken back seat to other arts: acting, directing, set design, glass blowing, wood turning, pottery, et al. On Saturday, while my wife and her sister enjoyed a sculpture tour of Hot Springs and a visit to some of the studios on the Arts and the Park Studio Tours (including Fox Pass Pottery, where they were captured on video that has been shared on Facebook), I spent the day in two workshops; one about directing plays and one about designing sets for stage plays. Then, yesterday, mi esposa hermosa y mi cuñada hermosa visited an art-glass studio, where we spent a rapt forty-five minutes or so watching as two brothers created an art-glass plate.
We then spent some time in the home-studio of two artists: he, whose primary medium is oil paint and she, whose primary medium is the stuff of basket-weaving. Mi cuñada hermosa was drawn to a wonderful painting of jazz musicians, but the price was a bit too rich for her blood (and way too rich for mine); the artist commands such prices, though; his talent and artistic capacity are extraordinary. Thereafter, we wandered the Hot Springs Farmers Market, where we viewed pottery and other art; much of the pottery was made by people who take pottery classes where I do, people with whom I share studio space and from whom I’m slowly learning to improve my pottery skills.
After ordering and eating a lunch for a food truck, we stopped briefly for a “pit-stop” at Garvan Gardens, then went to a wood-turning artist’s shop and studio. The guy is massively-skilled and humble and self-deprecating; his talent is extraordinary.
All of this took place after our Friday evening downtown Hot Springs gallery tour with neighbors, who introduced us to dozens of their artist and gallery-owner friends.
Hot Springs is, without doubt, the most “artsy” place I’ve lived; well, at least the arts community is the most visibly vibrant. I suspect I’d find similar a community in Eureka Springs, if what I’ve been told about the place is true. I’m growing to like this area more and more, in spite of my dislike of its political climate. People’s minds can be changed, if given enough light. And art is light.
