Some days are better than others. :) This is a beautifully crafted handmade ceramic flute by local Oklahoma artist Albert Gray Eagle. Today, I got to discuss in depth with him how he makes them and tunes each one to a different key, depending on the song that it's meant to play.
Albert's only been working in clay for about 4 months. Previous to a serious car wreck in August (that left him with spinal cord injuries and limited use of his hands), he made traditional flutes from wood and rivercane. After the injury, he discovered a limited ability to make his wooden flutes... I met him in October, during this time of frustration and separation from his craft. He had also just been introduced to the idea of making his own ceramic flutes. Since then, he and his daughter have taken a crash course in ceramics, bought a kiln, found a source for fine Montana clay, and learned how to tune each flute precisely (not to mention developing a knack for sculpting and glazing). When I saw him today, I was so impressed with the development of his art and craft. I can't tell you how much I love process and creative growth.
I work with artists every single day and getting to talk about process with them just gives me a buzzzz...... xx
P.S. A nice little blog post from Myrtle.
4 comments:
these flutes are amazing! :D
this is beautiful and touching
aren't they? isn't it? indeed. :)
I want one.
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