Art And Craft

[Crow Boy]

It is commonly said that the nature of a country is expressed in its arts and crafts. I think that it is a fair comment and enjoy looking at them. I enjoy Art ie paintings and sculptures etc but maybe I am a bit too low brow and tend to gravitate to the "Craft Section". I like seeing how a craftsman has made an exquisite piece of beaten silver or carved a piece of teak wood.

As someone who is firmly entrenched in the Left Hand side of their brain I yearn to awaken my latent artistic talents. Unfortunately these are embarrassingly conspicuous by their absence. Try as much as I like I will never paint a masterpiece or have my art in a gallery. What I can and do though is express myself in crafts.

When I was at school Art was for people with talent and craft was for the rest of us. We got to do lino cutting, leather plaiting, and pottery. Over my many trips to Thailand and now that I live here I learned how to do some local crafts and enjoyed the experiences. I think it has shaped my perception of Thailand and made many connections for me here into the psyche and culture of Thailand.

Over the years I have leaned how to do the following:

I made my own bot or alms bowl

I learned how to do weaving on a machine loom (wooden) and back loom

Pottery

Silver work

Gem cutting

Lanna style temple painting

Umbrella Painting

Wood carving

Add to that list cooking classes and language and I am pretty much into it.

I won't mention the learning to juggle that I did on Samuii nor how I managed to set fire to a bar on Lammai with my "let me show you how to use these "fire ball on chains things"

So what I am interested in is what arts or crafts have you learned in Thailand and No, learning advanced Beer drinking or associated activities will not count in this thread so leave 'em out guys <sheesh>

Have you taken any classes in Thai dance? Sculpture? Painting? Embroidery?

If you had the opportunity, what would you like to learn to make or do?

cheers

the crafty CB

[Momo8]

I'm quite crafty in the 'art of flirtation' but have taken classes in Chinese Calligraphy,does making one's bread count? (Had to do a course for that one all that kneading and pounding and different flour mixes good stress relief) Thai cooking classes of course and I'm an avid photographer.

[Crow Boy]

I think this topic will be better put into the general forum.

CB

[bina]

crow,

do u know how to make a hand /back loom some thing like the lanna women use?

. i love weaving, i was considering to have my husband build me a small loom, yes i've googled, but i really wanted a thai loom (not the large machine looms thank you) or good photos up close; i want to weave with wool (thats what i have), if i'm brave, i will go back to spinning my own as i have sheep, angora goats and an alpaca to pick from... but really want the weaving and patterns... i thought, my husband being country thai, that he would be able to 'design' one, but no go... his family nobody is a weaver, just hunters...

close up picks and he construct the rest his own...

so, here we go, crafts (btw, my daughter says it not that artists arent as good as craftsman, its that artists do stuff for their own satisfaction or inner drive, and craftsman are practical)

thanx if u can post some loom picks, or weaving designs

bina

[lannarebirth]

Get Anon started making one of these first thing in the morning bina,

http://www.cvmt.com/construireUS.htm

[bina]

believe it or not, lanna, i have seen those plans!!!

its larger then my house!!.

i was thinking primitive style, back strap kinds...

anyway he just got accepted as a cook in a restaraunt so he will be home very late everyday now so need something to occupy me in off season at the zoo.... was thinking of weaving... done it in the past, and i like it. u live up north now? got any pics of looms???

[lannarebirth]

Hi Bina,

Congratulations to you and Anon on the new job. I hope he enjoys the change of routine.

I haven't seen the back strap loom, but the ones I've seen in the North and Northeast are pretty big, producing large bolts of fabric. Here's a smaller loom plan I ran across:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Plans-Build-4-Heddle-T...1QQcmdZViewItem

[bina]

thanx,

he will be working with chinese chef and cooks so we all had to make sure they would get along.... he's getting OTJ training including sushi (well, the mainstream israeli version of sushi).... and a big city place at that... a long way from picking cabbages and fruit....

but after having him home for a month unemployeed, the house will be empty.