Influence:
“When I was a child around the age of 6 or so, I remember my father repainting the interior walls of our home. On my bedroom wall, he humorously painted a giant smiley face… directly over my bed. It terrified me!
I’m not sure why it scared me so much. I remember the smiley face had no personality, no portrayal of maliciousness; it was just two dots above a generic smile. My father immediately painted over the face, but STILL I was scared. I knew that although the face was covered, it was still there... smiling underneath that new layer of paint, directly over my bed.
Reflecting back 30 years later I find it fascinating. The fear wasn’t based on any legitimate threat and was completely inside my head. It brings me to consider what fears I hold today, and how they might influence my decisions. Which fears are legitimate, and which ones are just smiley faces? And furthermore, how did they get there?”
“When I was a child around the age of 6 or so, I remember my father repainting the interior walls of our home. On my bedroom wall, he humorously painted a giant smiley face… directly over my bed. It terrified me!
I’m not sure why it scared me so much. I remember the smiley face had no personality, no portrayal of maliciousness; it was just two dots above a generic smile. My father immediately painted over the face, but STILL I was scared. I knew that although the face was covered, it was still there... smiling underneath that new layer of paint, directly over my bed.
Reflecting back 30 years later I find it fascinating. The fear wasn’t based on any legitimate threat and was completely inside my head. It brings me to consider what fears I hold today, and how they might influence my decisions. Which fears are legitimate, and which ones are just smiley faces? And furthermore, how did they get there?”
Bio:
Joseph Kowalczyk (Ko-väl-chick) is an award winning sculptor and painter who has been actively pursuing sculpture in the Bay Area since he received a BFA in ceramics from California College of the Arts in 2006. Joe’s work can be found in private and public collections, such as the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, CA., Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, and John Natsoulas Gallery Collection in Davis, CA. Along with his own studio practice, Joe teaches ceramics at Sonoma State University (www.Sonoma.edu), and runs his own kiln repair business, restoring kilns and assisting artists throughout Northern California (www.NorCalKilnRepair.com). With his wife, Joe is also a co-founder/co-director of FM Oakland, a fine art gallery and community of artist studios within the Oakland Art Murmur district; the forefront of Oakland’s astonishing growth and creative revitalization (www.FMOakland.com).
Joseph Kowalczyk (Ko-väl-chick) is an award winning sculptor and painter who has been actively pursuing sculpture in the Bay Area since he received a BFA in ceramics from California College of the Arts in 2006. Joe’s work can be found in private and public collections, such as the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, CA., Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, and John Natsoulas Gallery Collection in Davis, CA. Along with his own studio practice, Joe teaches ceramics at Sonoma State University (www.Sonoma.edu), and runs his own kiln repair business, restoring kilns and assisting artists throughout Northern California (www.NorCalKilnRepair.com). With his wife, Joe is also a co-founder/co-director of FM Oakland, a fine art gallery and community of artist studios within the Oakland Art Murmur district; the forefront of Oakland’s astonishing growth and creative revitalization (www.FMOakland.com).