We all have heard of Grandma Moses and her hidden talent that was revealed at her late stage in life and wonder if other hidden artists are amongst us who are talented and to by no means be realized or recognized.
I have traveled via the Amish communities speaking with a large number of Amish men and females as I sell their furniture on the internet, because they cannot. Considering that of their culture and religion, they opt for to maintain to themselves on any talents they may well have considering that they do not want to show forth pride and need to keep humility as one of their primary doctrines. Also the community they live does not want to attract outsiders that may and do interfere in their practice of their religion. They practice their religion in everything they do.
Their background wants a bit of explanation to recognize the fullness of what is to follow. Their education is really simple and some say highly simplistic. They discover to read write and have discover simple of mathematics but no science. They do study some history of our country and some civics so they are at least somewhat knowledgeable of the world they live in, but want to stay disassociated.
An interesting note I have found is their adore of their country fore they as patriotic as any American. They show a genuine love of country and also the truth that they can practice their religion with out condemnation or sufferings as they have experienced in their past.
The Amish only go to school to the eighth grade and the teachers are parents who have no formal training as teachers. Their teachers also have only an eighth grade education and they could hire \"English\" teachers to assist them. \"English\" is their term for us who live outside of their community and rely upon us for those things that they cannot do, such as driving a auto.
Over the past five years I traveled and met a number of fine Amish individuals and was interested in locating those that could possibly have some artistic talent for a project for a new product I was trying to accomplish. My expectations were low knowing that no formal or even informal training would be readily available and in most cases they are discouraged as bringing pride to themselves and art as they visualize it serves no productive indicates of caring for the wants of their family or in their contribution to the community they belong.
I did locate a few men and ladies who produced attempts at some form of art, but it was crude and rough. The use of colors was incredibly awkward and to say at top childish. My expectations had been warranted.
But wait a minute. I heard of an Amish man who is a brother of one of my very best Amish friends. I went to see him and his work was marvelous and his media was varied from painting to carving. His technique was that of copying or from a photograph to a big painting. He had this terrific capability to make paintings that they had been completed particularly well. He had everything in proper perspective and colorations smooth and lifelike. He excelled in a number of areas in paintings on canvas, rocks and even saw blades. He has carved scenes on blades of significant hunting knives which was totally remarkable. He would go to gun shows around the area to sell his work for extra money for his family. This is quite unusual for the Amish to travel and he need to have special dispensation from his community to do attend and sell at these shows.
I was so pleased to have found at least one Amish individual who was born with this gift of art and was doing practicing his art for the reason that I thought that he was outstanding. Some time in the future I like to have him have a showing at my new upcoming style studio to open beginning of the year. This showroom is to feature Amish craftsmen with innovative designs in furniture and other media. I am finding new creative designs in no way see before as made by the Amish, mainly because they understand now that they should make to survive.
In my other travels, I found one more Amish man who was an artist is wood and his craftsmanship was superior. He has developed some pieces out of wood that is highly complicated and had a French name attached to it where the entire piece was symmetrical but several complicated designs on either side of the piece. He does carvings for high-priced houses and for elaborate kitchens as he can hand carve some marvelous pieces and has the capability to take a drawing as performed by an English business on a CAD system and he would fill in the intricate detail to make the piece a work of art with out any tools but that of a pencil. Then upon commission, he would make the detailed pieces life size for installation to the constructing or columns.
I was quite fortunate to come across these Amish artists and they are true artists that have talent that was give to them. They try to use their talents but are always mindful that they should strive for humility and not to let their pride show which is a rather fine line.
It was a thrill for me to discover these artists hidden inside the Amish community and it is not my purpose to exploit them, just to make note that they do exists and that their works will almost certainly not grace any museums, but for a few who know where they are at or have the correct contact can come across some terrific and marvelous art work for their personal enjoyment, for you will not see their work an any art studio.
Now I understand that I have discovered a few artists and this is just in Northern Indiana and wonder what I can find in other Amish communities in other areas. I will be traveling by way of them and will acquire far more to add to the design studio catering to Interior Designers and the sophisticated and refined homeowner, provider or other commercial venues to use these hidden talented Amish artists.
