Devious Journal Entry

Rita Nayar

Almost anything has the potential to be art. 
My first recollection of wanting to be an artist was during a day home from school assembling all the discarded food packages into what looked like a city. 
Tree roots, twine, boxes, turkey and pork bones were all part of some creation or another. Found objects were the art supplies of my youth. 
Macramé was an art form that had endless potential, as I learned the knots, I incorporated everything I found into wall hangings, light fixtures, planters and centre pieces. A local consignment store in my home town in Wisconsin agreed to sell my work. It was the first of several stores that would sell my art over the years that kept me inspired. 
Wood, plaster, glass, metal, paint and most recently clay intrigued me. The challenge to manipulate these mediums became an obsession till I would create something original. 
My formal training began at Mayville State University, North Dakota. When I immigrated and settled in Winnipeg, I attended private classes with Brenda Newton of Winnipeg and City of Winnipeg instructors. St. Avila elementary school allowed me the opportunity to take on the X-mas craft fund raiser. Teachers, parents and children all joined in to create crafts from natural to found objects while teaching our children about the environment. 
Clay is my primary medium at this time even though I still enjoy creating with found objects. Found objects and other mediums have made for some unusual pieces when combined with clay. Jackson Pollock’s style of splash art has allowed me to create many discarded items into wonderful 3 dimensional works of art. 
Over the last five years I have found a purpose and meaning for making art. I have been fortunate to be able create and sell my work. Each summer I sell my work at the St. Norbert Farmer`s Market and year round at McNally Robinson.  Proceeds are used to help support children's Pottery in Fort Richmond and a Community Care Project my spouse and I started in India.