This website is intended to showcase my writing, pottery, artwork and other creative endeavors.
NEWS AND UPDATES FOR SUMMER 2010
Hello and welcome:
Although I haven’t made any new pottery this year, I still have several hundred pieces from past years stored down in the basement, gathering dust….
So I will have a booth at the 9th annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival, on August 21st and 22nd of 2010. The festival runs along Morse and Glenwood Avenues, right by the Morse Avenue Red Line stop. Not sure where my booth will be…details to follow.
For more info, go
to the Glenwood Avenue Art Festival's Homepage here:
or type http://www.glenwoodave.org into your browser window.
NEWS AND UPDATES FOR FALL 2009
Hello and welcome:
It’s been many months since I’ve updated this site, because I’ve been busy doing a lot of other things. I'm planning to do a major revision soon, and eliminate many of my older pieces. I had booths at the Custer Avenue Festival of the Arts in June of 2009, and at the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival in August of 2009, and did reasonably well at both. I will probably have a booth at one of those fairs in 2010, although I'm not sure which one yet.
Although I still have a number of pieces stashed in the basement I'm not making any new work, nor do I plan to in the near future. I’ve decided to drop the ceramics for a while, for 3 reasons:
Scott helps arrange some of my bowls
He's a very big help!
I’ve taught writing at Oakton Community College and Columbia College for 17 years, and my biggest creative endeavor is writing short stories. Unfortunately, there’s a huge difference between writing and marketing, and although I’ve collected a slew of rejection letters I’ve only had one story published (though I keep trying). I’ve resolved not to post stories I haven’t published elsewhere; since most magazines and story markets want first rights posting them here means I couldn’t publish them elsewhere. But if you click on the "Writings" link here or on the left you can read the story (hopefully, soon to be "stories") which I have published.
Of course, teaching and writing are both cerebral activities, and I’ve found that even the smartest and most intelligent people often have “hands on” hobbies and other activities—there’s no feeling quite as satisfying as looking at something and telling yourself, “I made that!” This is why accomplished lawyers and doctors can often be found puttering in the garden or taking art classes at the local studio—they have a hunger to work with their hands and create something solid. My main creative outlets, in the sense of making “real” things rather than just playing with words, have been ceramics and woodworking.
One of the benefits of working at a college is cheap tuition, so I’ve taken a number of ceramics classes at Northwestern University and Oakton Community College. Initially, all of my work came out lopsided or off-center, but after making a lot of “ugly cups” I’ve managed to develop some skill. I find working with clay immensely satisfying, despite the occasional aggravation of seeing carefully shaped, carved or decorated pieces crack or distort during the firing. In particular, I’ve enjoyed decorating my pieces with whimsical or humorous themes; nothing sparks a conversation quite like handing a dinner guest a mug shaped like a butt, or with a face that’s sticking out its tongue.
I’ve also been an amateur woodworker since I was in high school; you can see photos and comments about some of my woodworking, woodcarving and woodburning projects here.
Other artistic endeavors of mine include drawing, cooking (yes, it’s an art), sewing (I’ve made my own Scottish kilt, for wearing to the Renaissance Festival, and now have a much greater appreciation for tailors and sewing Moms), photography, and other things that don’t come to mind at the moment.
I am deeply endebted to two very talented ladies, Li Raven and Diane Wittig, who’ve encouraged me and taught me a great deal. Also to my parents, who've put up with a lot of sawdust in the basement, clay scrapings in the dining room, and midnight inspirational writing sessions over the years.
E-mail me; I welcome your comments and suggestions. Or you can take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions to see what other people have asked, and my answers.
Thanks for stopping by to see my Art!
One Final note:
When I took my first ceramics class five years ago I had an interesting conversation with another teacher, a neurotic psychology professor. Her suggestions amounted to, “Take a computer class! Take a Spanish class! Take something useful, for goodness’ sake! You can’t put ceramics on your resume!”
While it’s true that working with clay won’t get me a better job, or more money, I think she missed the point completely. I enjoy it…and that’s the main goal in life, isn’t it?
This is Robert Serb's Personal Homepage. "The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the author. The contents of this page and the links therein have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by Oakton Community College."
This page was last updated on November 23rd, 2009.