My husband, painter and printmaker Robert Kipniss, has a wonderful new website-- www.robertkipnissstudio.com--and its inauguration has inspired me to write about writers’ partners.
I really love this Laurie, and can identify with much of it. I too have worked at a supportive balance between two creative people - throw in a child to further complicate matters. When we were first married I was engaged in printmaking, but at age 23, succumbed to the self destructive impulse to compare. My husband already was a master of printmaking and author of an authoritative book on Fine Art Lithography - and I was a mere dabbler by comparison. I stopped working. Then, as "luck" would have it I was guided by several happenstances towards working as a fiber artist. We hit our stride of mutual support and have worked both separately and collaborated on many projects together for all the 54 years of marriage. And yes, it took a different outlet for me to flourish.
An excellent and important essay. And thanks for Robert's stunning website! It presents his extraordinary work beautifully and is a work of art in itself.
You're welcome. It seems necessary to say.
Thanks, Marnie.
Thanks, Martha. There are so many paths to creativity, and you certainly found yours!
Yes, Sally, important! We all need loving support in whatever we do. And you give so much via friendship.
Thanks for tackling a delicate (and fruitful) topic!
I really love this Laurie, and can identify with much of it. I too have worked at a supportive balance between two creative people - throw in a child to further complicate matters. When we were first married I was engaged in printmaking, but at age 23, succumbed to the self destructive impulse to compare. My husband already was a master of printmaking and author of an authoritative book on Fine Art Lithography - and I was a mere dabbler by comparison. I stopped working. Then, as "luck" would have it I was guided by several happenstances towards working as a fiber artist. We hit our stride of mutual support and have worked both separately and collaborated on many projects together for all the 54 years of marriage. And yes, it took a different outlet for me to flourish.
An excellent and important essay. And thanks for Robert's stunning website! It presents his extraordinary work beautifully and is a work of art in itself.
Oh, gosh, what an important topic. A supportive partnership with the material world can be another challenge: how to combine "job" and "work."