"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Monday, February 13, 2012

Wanderers


For me, the faces of the artisans tell a story 
far beyond the beautiful handcrafts they create. 
Their countenance, weathered and lined, 
their hands, worn, calloused and thick, 
proudly reveal a passionate heart, 
nonpursuant of money or fame,
though a few dollars would prove 
that someone else can love a craft
the way that they have loved it. 

As we walk from tent to tent, 
I feel the hopeful, almost pleading eyes 
eager to share, eager to show, eager to give... 
A crocheter, a potter, a woodworker, 
a painter, a palmetto scrub maker, 
a poet on the stage, 
a fiddler in the wings...

They don't eat by the money they make,
they don't drink by the miles they drive,
yet they breathe to travel, wander, and
live by their love to create,
and to offer a piece of their heart to 
any stranger who walks by,
anyone who cares to stop, cares to ask, 
and cares to wonder 
how and why...



Weekending with Amanda...
Hope you had wonderful weekend
xoxo

23 comments:

  1. so perfectly and poetically said! Beautiful x

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  2. love. love that there are people out there, crafting a slow life, willing to take the time to tell you about their creation, their hobby. sharing. this is how life should be.

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  3. Beautiful -- true artists! These kinds of gatherings of such talented people is so inspiring!

    I am a sucker for lovely pottery. Luckily for me my father-in-law followed that hobby for awhile and we received many a hand-thrown bowl that I get to use around the house.

    Happy week to you MJ, happy packing, happy readying!

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  4. That is the life I crave and desire with all my heart! One day!

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  5. excellent. you've captured their energy so well. perfect words for these artisans.

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  6. Absolutely incredible...trying to wander in my own way too. Thanks for the inspiration and beautiful words and photos!
    xo,
    Ang

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  7. amazing photos, feels like I'm there...Love the word wanderer...as always you amaze me.

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  8. You really summed up the artist's soul :) I love seeing someone creating anything, it is so inspiring for me.

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  9. I love visiting crafting shows like this! Did you pick up anything?

    xo
    cortnie

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    1. Yes! We bought a palmetto pot scrubber made by the man in the last two photos, a wooden spoon made out of chinaberry wood, and a couple pots from the first photo :).

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  10. if only more people appreciated the beauty in something handcrafted with love versus cheap, cheap, cheap.

    how lovely, what a day.

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  11. Love. Everything. Such beautiful images of such talent and thought.

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  12. I love this post. Want to know why? Cause that is what my hubs does for a living in good part. He sells his photographs at art shows ...his photos are self printed, hand-stretched onto canvas bars and framed (also by himself) with repurposed wood. Then every weekend he goes to an art show and sells his work.
    So I know very well about the effort that goes into making and selling art. On top of all the making, one has to learn to be a good sales person too.
    Thanks for noticing and enjoying and getting how amazing it is.
    XO
    C

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  13. wow. i love those brush things...not even sure what they are, but i could put it to good use! all so lovely. so heartfelt and real. thanks for a perspective shift!

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  14. a beautiful perspective. thank you for sharing.

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  15. Ahhh... I love craft shows. They remind me of my grandmother who was an incredibly gifted craftswoman. This craft show sounds extra special with the added bonus of poetry and fiddle. Oh the energy the universe received from that show! What a gift! Thanks for sharing MJ xo

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  16. So...dumb question: what are those sticks in the 6th photo? At first, I thought it was a collection of didgeridoos...but then saw the thongs (handles?) going through them.

    (Nothing like showing your complete ignorance in cyberspace).

    Thanks for the lovely poem.

    jeff

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  17. Love this story you have told. I actually have a potscrubber like that. You will so enjoy the markets in Colorado.

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  18. I used to work in a gallery. I met a lot of artists. Most of them suffered from something called I think arrogance.... your artists, I 've been lucky enough to have met a few wanderers too ; ) are the kind I like...


    love to you xoxo d

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  19. this almost made me teary. thank you for this post.

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  20. Ahhhh, these pictures so remind me of the covered bridge festivals my parents used to take me to as a child, all of the beautiful heartfelt crafting and unique pieces. We never left empty handed.

    These are lovely portraits.

    xoxox,
    A

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw