Tallahassee Democrat - 03/13/2016 Page : D01

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It’s been called “The best kept secret inNorth Florida.” And indeed the nearlyinvisible lane leading off Route 90 andthe faded sign that seems to mumble,“Antiques,” suggests that Tony and JillArnold, owners of Arnold’s Oriental

Rugs & Antiques, are just fine with thatmoniker.

And in a way, secrets are what has fasci-nated Tony Arnold his whole life. The se-crets held in the chord of a flamenco gui-tar. The secrets in a bone of a reptile. Thesecrets woven into a rug by feminine fin-gers a generation dead or a Chinese potfired 1,000 years before.

For 46 years, the nondescript store half-way between Quincy and Tallahassee hasthrived selling rugs and antiques to thelikes of Ted Turner, the Wetherells, PeterFonda and the decorators of the Governor’smansion. But now, says Arnold, it’s time tomove on. The store is in the process of liq-uidating its inventory of secrets — every-thing half price — as the Arnolds downsizeand move south. And yet, what a run.

Ask Tony Arnold about an antique man-dolin or an Afghanistani saddle-bag and thestories begin. The soft-spoken, former Pro-fessor of Geology and Paleontology at FSUwill gently lead you through a two-minutecourse in history, politics, geography andthe finer points of sheep wool. He will turncarpets and help the uninitiated understandthe difference in vegetable and syntheticdyes, the glory of a rug with 1,200 knots tothe inch, and how to hand wash a fine Ori-ental on your roof. This amalgam of in-formation, like a rug itself, is the weaveproduced by Arnold’s richly lived life. Andfor it he might have had a role model. “In-terested in everything,” he says of his fa-ther who introduced Arnold to his firstrugs and the magic that objects of the pastcan hold.

Earl Arnold, a virologist with the U.S.Public Health Service, the World HealthOrganization, and NASA was transferredfrom station to station across the globe.Along the way he worked with Salk andlater Sabin on the polio vaccine; rabiesresearch; and the moon rocks brought backfrom Apollo 11, 12, and 13. “I was a testbaby for the Sabin vaccine,” laughs Tony

Arnold. But in the 1950s Earl was also acollector and he knew beauty when he sawit. “My father left his luggage when hereturned home and instead brought home10,000 pounds of rugs from Iran, Pakistanand Turkey.” That was the beginning of thecollection that later formed the foundationfor Arnold’s store.

And though 12-year-old Tony saved hisallowance money and began to buy uphousehold rugs for profitable resale to hisfriend’s parents, entrepreneurism wouldhave to take a back burner for many years.Instead, the boy was committed to learningto play guitar — flamenco and then classi-

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See Arnold’s, Page 3D

ALL PHOTOS JOE RONDONE/DEMOCRAT

Shop owner Tony Arnold sits on a19th century cock fighting chairamongst the Oriental rugs at hisantique shop on Tuesday.

TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT » SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 » 1D

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When artist Mikiko Tanaka firstarrived in the United States, shefelt the windows to her life in

Japan close tightly shut. In their steadcame linguistic and cultural barriersas she navigated her new surround-ings. She taught Japanese language atschools in San Diego, California, andCleveland, Ohio as she had back in herhome country for over 20 years, butfelt lost when it came to communicat-ing in English.

While living in Ohio, her husband, aprofessor at the University of Akron

at the time, encouraged her to con-tinue her studies as a way of bridgingher understanding. Consequently,Tanaka enrolled in a ceramics coursewith professor Donna Webb and be-gan throwing the windows to her pastwide open.

“When the teacher gave an assign-ment to make three tea bowls, I made10,” recalls Tanaka, whose studious-ness overpowered hurdles with verbalinstructions. “I didn’t understandmany words, so I’d say, ‘Please showme.’ If advanced students were throw-ing, I would ask to watch.”

She learned a variety of clay tech-niques, from throwing on the wheel to

slab and coil building byhand. Though she started latein ceramics, her wealth ofknowledge and years of studyin the Japanese arts lent itself toher pottery. With a degree fromKyoto Women’s University, Tana-ka had been a teacher and studentin calligraphy (shuji), ink brushpainting (sumi-e), flower arrange-ment (ikebana) and tea ceremony(ocha) for many decades.

Through these cultural art forms,Tanaka found many functional usesfor her pottery. In her home, she’s

CULTURE & ARTS

Ceramic artist bridgescultural gaps with pottery

MIKIKO TANAKA

"Life (Requiem)" byMikiko Tanaka

AMANDA SIERADZKICOUNCIL ON CULTURE & ARTS

See Pottery, Page 5D

Tallahassee Democrat - 03/13/2016 Page : D05

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surrounded by her work on shelves, walls, and insidecabinetry. Her garage houses the electric kiln whereshe fires her pottery, and rooms overflow with teaceremony settings, rice bowls, mugs, sake bottles, andcontainers for flowers.

“The first time I made a big pot, everybody said Icould fit inside it,” laughs Tanaka. “The teacher said itwas too big to occupy one kiln with so many other stu-dents in class. I waited one year to dry it out beforefiring.”

Some of her work utilizes symbols related to Bud-dhism and Shintoism, paying homage to her familytraditions. As a child, she often made origami dolls.The first time she encountered clay in a junior high artclass, she hand-built a small frog. The teacher was soimpressed that she kept the work, a proud momentemblazoned in Tanaka’s memory.

In her current artist’s statement, Tanaka describesbeing able to visualize each item emerging from thered and white clays she uses. She views mistakes asopportunities to deepen her understanding and skills,and reflects on her work with due diligence.

“I find great pleasure in every step of making pot-tery, from forming to glazing, and to firing,” writesTanaka. “I even enjoy loading and unloading my workin and out of the kiln. At the same time, however theperfectionist in me makes me very critical and carefulof every step I take.”

Her intricate pottery designs are linked to her pa-per and ink skills, earning her the highest certificatesfrom the Nihon Shuji correspondence program and theEnryakuji Gakuen and Ikenobo Gakuen schools inJapan. As far as ceramics, she continued studyingunder Kirk Mangus and Eva Kwong at Kent StateUniversity, before moving to Pensacola where herwork was awarded in the Student Art Show at the Uni-versity of West Florida.

These many proficiencies aid in Tanaka’s a personalstyle, using calligraphy and sumi-e paintings as deco-ration. Her work “Life (Man and Woman),” exhibitsthese techniques, and was installed for a time at thePensacola airport gallery. Now sitting in her Tallahas-see home, the two figures not only represent a Japa-nese idiom, but also showcase Tanaka’s depth of proc-ess.

“That space is important,” says Tanaka, pointing tothe gap that symbolizes the valleys and peaks of one’slife journey. “You’re born at the bottom, and they’retouching there, meaning the heart is complete. It wastoo big to fire in one piece, so I cut and fired themseparately and afterwards connected pieces together.”

Tanaka continues tying together her artistry withtraditional Japanese tea ceremonies and flower ar-rangement. In Ohio, she was part of the Ikebana Inter-national association, crafting flower arrangementswith both traditional bamboo and metal containers aswell as her own pottery, and using flowers from herown garden. She continues to give lessons in the Talla-hassee community, as well as hosts an annual tea cere-mony at the LeMoyne Center for Visual Arts.

Planting many of the seeds she comes across in heryard and extending the lives of bouquets gifted to heron anniversaries and birthdays, Tanaka incorporatesdesigns from the natural world in her work. Otherinspirations include monthly ceramics and fashionbook subscriptions, as well as museum and art exhibi-tion visits. Her practice is all consuming, and often shedoesn’t feel time passing by.

“Ceramics was the first time I had a teacher,” saysTanaka, whose self-study and home-practice expandedafter leaving Japan. “After I moved, I spent a lot oftime thinking and doing by myself. When I was tired oflanguage, I would look at pictures in books, and some-times watch Japanese television programs on tradi-tional ceramics or tea ceremony.”

Mostly, Tanaka likes to stay busy, teaching once aweek as an affiliated artist with LeMoyne, privatelytutoring in Japanese, calligraphy, and flower arrang-ing, and preparing for upcoming shows like Chain ofParks. Tanaka is especially looking forward to being apart of COCA’s annual Creative Tallahassee Exhibitionat the City Hall Gallery.

In the juried exhibition is her vase titled, “Life (Re-quiem),” which serves as a tribute to Japan’s Tsunamiand Earthquake in 2011. The calligraphy on the surfaceof container uses the character “inochi,” or life, invarious sizes to represent life lost in the natural disas-ter. In addition to the art, Tanaka and her husbandraised funds for the Japanese community shortly afterthe catastrophe.

“The following year we showed our appreciation forthe people of Tallahassee who donated,” says Tanaka.She and her husband planted eleven cherry blossomtrees at the local Lake Elberta Park. “Already they’reblooming and have grown 30 meters.”

The Consul-General of Japan in Miami has com-mended Tanaka and her husband’s efforts in promot-ing Japanese culture in the Tallahassee area, an honorlisted in Tanaka’s greatest accomplishments. Amongher achievements are the students who continue toshow a deep appreciation and investment in learningthe cornerstones of her culture.

Ultimately, Tanaka’s interests spiral outwards andreturn to pottery, the connections seen clearly from

the mixed-media diorama celebrating Japan’s Girls’Day that sits alongside a tea set with each utensil in itsprecise place—the tea jar, waste jar, water jar, andbowls, all uniform in color and design. Her first largepot continues to be utilized as it sits proudly in theentryway of her home, textured with fish-like scales.

“Ceramics is my main art form, but they all areconnected inside of me,” reflects Tanaka on findingthis accessible interconnectivity. “The choice to createa piece of art from clay has infinite possibilities, thefreedom of which gives me a deep sense of happiness.”

Amanda Sieradzki is the feature writer for the Coun-cil on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s um-brella agency for arts and culture(www.tallahasseearts.org).

PotteryContinued from Page 1D

AMANDA SIERADZKI

The work of ceramics master Mikiko Tanaka is included in the "Creative Tallahassee" exhibit at City Hall Art Gallery.

If you goWhat: COCA’s annual Creative Tallahassee Exhibition 2016When: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday untilApril 18. Public Reception & Awards Ceremony on March25 at 6 p.m.Where: City Hall Gallery, 300 S Adams St.Cost: FreeContact: For more information, contact Amanda KariothThompson at 850-224-2500 or visithttp://www.cocanet.org/city-hall/.

MIKIKO TANAKA

"Life (Man and Woman)" by Mikiko Tanaka

On the information superhighway, there arealways a few speed bumps. When it comes to learn-ing about health and fitness, those speed bumpsusually include a lot of exclamation points andmoney-back guarantees. They’re myths, and theycan be very confusing when we’re trying to goabout the simple business of living healthfully.

Here are myths and truths debunked for you.Myth: You should have a “cheat day” to “reset

your metabolism.”Truth: A cheat day only cheats you.Have you ever cheated on a test? Have you

cheated on a relationship or been cheated on? Howdid that feel? Pretty miserable. When we feel likewe need to cheat, it’s usually because we lack theconfidence to pull off what we need to do on ourown.

Cheating is one of those bottom-of-the-barrelsituations that never feels like the right thing to do.So why do we anticipate having a day when we aregoing to cheat on ourselves?

Sure, we all have indulgences now and then andtimes when we divert from our usual healthy path.That’s OK; that’s balanced. It’s not cheating to presspause and splurge on something now and then.

I challenge you to consider why you feel theneed to cheat. Is your diet too restrictive to followevery day? Are you eliminating foods or nutrientsthat you are craving because they’re necessary forbalanced health? Do you resent having to changeyour habits due to health concerns?

Each of these circumstances can be addressedin a positive and compassionate way that doesn’tkeep you in a cycle of cheating on yourself andlosing every time! Your health is not a test. Youdon’t need to cheat.

Myth: You should have a little of everything inmoderation.

Truth: To thine own self be true.Moderation works well for some of us and not as

well for others. Don’t feel pressured to incorporateelements into your life that are triggers for unpro-ductive habits or just more hassle than they areworth just to achieve the holy grail of “everythingin moderation.”

Ideally, it would be wonderful if we could allhave a little of everything in our life and functionin balance and tranquility. For some of us, that isjust not the hand of cards we have been dealt.That’s okay. To thine own self be true.

Myth: This cleanse/diet plan/workout/supple-ment will unlock my fat-burning power once andfor all.

Truth: Fat loss is a result of consistent habitsthat result in a calorie deficit over time.

Do an Internet search of fitness fads throughthe last century and you’ll see astounding claims ofhealth miracles occurring thanks to special soaps,tonics, fat-flushers, vibrating rubber bands, spe-cially-timed meals, and weird tricks. We’ve all triedthem, and they didn’t work.

That’s because there is really only one thing thatresults in weight loss: the combination of nutritionand exercise that creates a reasonable calorie def-icit over time. Period. Save your money and spendit on vegetables and walking shoes.

Myth: You should always/never eat before aworkout to burn more fat.

Truth: It depends.This is a tricky one, because research can be

found to back up both the practice of having asmall snack before a workout as well as doing car-dio on an empty stomach. But unless you are anelite athlete or undergoing an extreme workout,whether or not you eat beforehand is a matter ofpersonal preference.

My opinion as a Certified Personal Trainer isthat having a small snack, such as a banana or pea-nut butter sandwich, before a workout is a goodidea. Eating before exercise provides more energyfor your workout and can help you avoid low bloodsugar, which makes your workout a lot more enjoy-able.

Exercise should be fun. Do what makes it funfor you (as long as what makes it fun is not skip-ping it).

Myth: Only “SMART” goals get accomplished.Truth: Being awesome doesn’t have an end date.If you’ve ever gone to a strategic planning re-

treat, you may be familiar with the concept ofSMART goals: those that are specific, measurable,action-based, realistic, and time-bound. I used toagree with this concept and encouraged my clientsto set SMART goals for their health.

Over time, however, I’ve changed that perspec-tive. While it can be motivating to have a date bywhich a benchmark has been achieved, there aresome goals that never expire.

Heather Fuselier is a certified wellness coachand personal trainer. Learn more at WellnessWith-outPity.com.

LIFESTYLE

5 health andfitness mythsdebunked

Heather FuselierTLH BLOGGER