“Yet there was Arlene, wily mistress of a sun-drenched studio on the Meissen premises, not taking nein for an answer and toying boldly with tradition in ways I could never have imagined or attempted. Golden-haired, diminutive, and poised, Shechet was quietly assertive, nimble, and alert, sashaying around in black clogs and an old industrial apron that was the envy of the staff. We looked and talked; I watched and photographed. In our time together, I glimpsed a visionary at work, harnessing and taming an anachronistic behemoth. Shechet tested and pushed the medium as Meissen artists have done since 1710, achieving bold and original results by mastering the challenges that surrounded her. “