The Hands of an Artist

… are instruments of the divine. I was inspired this past weekend at the Lithia Artisans Market watching the hands of Dan Clark, a local silversmith, as he gently filed the edges of a woven silver ring — readying the piece for solder. It was good to see Dan again and hear his stories of travel during late winter and early spring to warmer locales, and promising festivals, in the southern regions of the Pacific coastline. Winter is an excellent time to find opportunities to exhibit our art beyond the comfort of our seasonal open-air marketplace here in Ashland, Oregon … our home. It is good to be back on Calle Guanajuato were the sound of Ashland Creek creates a soothing vibration as it rapidly makes its way under Winburn bridge — spring thaw has just begun, the water runs cold and clear.

I spent a good deal of time watching the hands of Charles Guy as he strummed the strings, and caressed the neck, of his classical guitar. Another small moment of magic on Calle Guanajuato. If you pay attention, and really look, what you perceive are continual moments of wonder at the Lithia Artisans Market. The sound of a metal hammer tapping out handcrafted silver jewelry, a jazz piece blends with the wind, and the water mixes in its rhythm. The sun peaks through the cloud cover while darkness lingers in the Ashland watershed — another storm is on the horizon. A perfect spring weekend in this tiny hamlet we call home … Ashland.