John Pollock

Like many other I enjoyed the mysteries of kites as a child and spent many hours flying my Jolly Roger kite. Each year that simple "eddy kite" had to be a Jolly Roger, and it seemed to fly better then any other kite in the neighborhood. As the years went by, my interests and demands moved elsewhere. As an adult I did make a couple of kites, but I always felt uncomfortable going out to fly them. After all, that was kid stuff!

What brought me back into kiting was discovering the magic of stunt kites. While on a trip about eight years ago to one of my art exhibitions I had purchased a small inexpensive stunt kite. I think it I thought that was outrageous at the time. I don't know how many times I dove that kite hard into the ground, but it held up and I learned to fly it reasonably well. What entertainment that was for only 50 dollars! I was hooked and wanted to start building my own kites, but the nearest kite material shop was 600 miles away. My first stunt kite was crude, and made with wooden dowels, vinyl tubing and regular nylon from the fabric store. But the kite did fly. I started looking for books, magazines and sources of supply. Some how I came across Kite Studio and their early publication, Kite Builders International. Now I had some real information and real materials. My first kites were stunt kites, which I still enjoy flying and I occasionally build new ones.

My creative need, however, turned me to single line kites. I started with facet or simple cell kites. I then looked for a type of kite on which I could use some of my artistic abilities; after all I was an artist. I wanted a kite that had a lot of surface that could be painted, was an easy flier, but not a real common kite. I found that kite in the Roller. Many of my kites have since become more complicated, and for now I have combined the flat surfaces with celled shapes.

My kites are influenced by my art in my knowledge of color, form and composition. Like my paintings, my kites are created with a balance of formal and informal elements. I'm sure, that as time goes by, my kites will find a way of influencing my painting. They have already become an expression of my art.

I have not at this point selected a particular style of kite to specialize in. I feel that there are too many wonderful types of kites, and I enjoy the excitement in trying new and different ones. When looking through the kite magazines or books on kiting, I look for unusual or unique. I enjoy the works of many kite makers, and people like Bobby Stanfield, Ron and Sandy Gibian, Scott Hampton, Steve Brockett and Tony Ferrel have caught my attention. One thing that has been a great lesson and help to me, and that I can not get out of magazines and books, is that I can learn more about kite building by looking at the back of a kite.

I look on kite making as a cycle with at least five components. The first stage is the self-driven need to make a kite. The second is the planning stage of the kite. This stage may include designing a totally original kite, altering a design from a known kite, or even working from a kite pattern. This stage also includes selecting materials that are appropriate for the kite, available and affordable. The third stage of the kite is the physical part of measuring, cutting, and assembling. The fourth stage is the testing and refining of the kite. The fifth stage is enjoying the aspects of flying the kite creation. "Don't you have enough kites?" is a common question asked by my wife or others. They don't seem to understand that when the last stage s complete, the first one starts over.

I have only been able to attend two kite events so far. These were the Smithsonian Kite Festival a few years ago and the Washington State International Kite Festival this last year. Fortunately I was able to play a part in the Sky Wind and World Kite Exhibition assembled for the airport in Billings, Montana. The one thing that I found out in my limited exposure to kiting is that kite makers not only make wonderful kites, they are wonderful giving people.
Kite making and flying is no longer a hobby, it is a passion, and like my art, it is something that I have to do. My plans are try to make kiting events more a part of my schedule, to see many more fantastic kites. and to meet many more wonderful people. Oh! And to make more kites.


John Pollock is a Professor of Art at Montana State University-Billings, where he has taught since 1974. Through the years he has established a reputation as an artist by working in the media of lithography and watercolor and has received several awards in both areas.
Art works by Mr. Pollock have been published in the American Artist magazine and in two books by Rockport Publishers of Gloucester, MA. The books are titled. The Best of Watercolor 2 and Painting Composition. Numerous art collections also contain his artworks, including the IBM Corporation and the New York City Library Permanent Collection.


[Reprinted with Permission - AKA Kiting November/December 1999]
Editing & Layout by Ellen Smith, NyteStar WebDesign