I have been looking for a sculpture
that has been lost in my garden for more than a year.
It was a child student who made this and it has become
a symbol of differing ability and proved a learning lesson
in teaching for me.
The other day I was very excited to see this
Last time I saw it was after a weeding effort
I looked for a new spot for it but decided to
return it to the original spot so I knew where it was.
I have spent much time looking for it ever since as the garden
once again became out of control and overgrown.
In fact I have done some serious cutting and pruning
over this past year in this area just looking for the figure.
The soil has coloured the raw clay, no wonder it was hard to find
Oh my goodness, a winter flowering gladdy in a most inappropriate place
Would it have forced up the sculpture as it tried to grow,
we will never know
This is such a genuine naive piece
There was a student of the same age in the same after school class.
she had made a figurine of her grandmother
in a rocking chair, wearing bunny rabbit slippers and spectacles
It was amazing, such detail, such fine work....it was finished with the same
attention to detail, beautifully underglazed.
I enter all students work in the local agricultural show and I try
to ensure that every child will win a prize for their efforts.
Most of the sections are divided by age group which means
the students are always competing against each other
I was aware that the student of the above work had an aide
in her regular classroom to assist her with her learning.
It was with the best of intentions that
I entered this piece in the disabled section.
She won first prize, as did
the Grandma in the rocking chair with bunny slippers.
She asked me what disabled meant when I gave her her prize.
I stumbled over the teachers aide rationale.
I never saw her in class again and as you can see she
left her winning figure behind.
I love it,
however it reminds me that perhaps she should have competed
with her age group, we will never know how she would have gone,
Maybe third prize or award of merit may have
kept after school pottery as an option for her.
