This week, I’d like to talk about an amazing craftsman I met this morning while at an arts festival. His name is Tim Robison.
Robison is a master artisan with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. His main medium is ceramics, though he also paints and is fond of woodworking. His skill on the wheel was impressive enough, and he was selling beautifully glazed mugs, cups, bowls — the usual things. But what I found most enticing, and what drew me to his booth in the first place, were his teapots and lanterns.
The former consists of curved bamboo handles, bent and set into two small holes that can rotate freely. Bamboo is swapped for the steam bent and laminated wood that formed the handles of the teapots that I appraised.
His lanterns were even more artistic. Rather than throwing them on the wheel, Robison hand-builds large rectangular and cylindrical pieces. Inspired by the natural world, he carves miniature forests into the sides that, through the gaps in their branches or leaves, let the light of a candle through. On these, the glazing is applied like paint, with the crisp whites, greens and browns denoting a three-dimensional still life. Other lanterns look more like towers, with patterned brick walls and stained glass inserts. By far, my favorite detail of his work was the interrelation of lantern and teapot, which are designed with matching radii that allow his teapots to sit comfortably on top of the lanterns, thus warming the pot before or during use with the heat of a candle flame.
The reason I found Robison so impressive, and the reason I’m sharing it with you, is because he is an innovator. To make a living off your art, or even just to sell it, you need to constantly be examining your own creations with a critical eye. You need to ask yourself what can be improved or: How can I make this more interesting, useful or marketable? Hard work and persistence are key, even if it ends in failure or disliking everything you make.
What makes Robison a master artisan is his ability to keep going, to be inspired by everything around him and his willingness to experiment. After all, the history of human creativity is built more on unnamed failures than named successes.
I highly recommend checking out Robison’s website or Instagram. If nothing else, his work may serve as your own source of inspiration. God knows none of us can afford to buy it.
