The Wisdom of the Hands is starting to catch on. Lee Valley has asked for articles about woodworking with kids that will be featured in their newsletters. American Woodworker has an article coming out about Clear Spring School, and they have asked for permission to republish my articles about Sloyd on their website. Since they are the new owners of Woodwork Magazine, that should be an easy thing to arrange. These opportunities are in addition to more materials coming out on the Fine Woodworking website.

The whole point, is of course, that all children require the opportunity to learn through their hands, not just by having fingers carefully arranged on keyboards, but by the manipulation of real materials in the making of real things.

Is that simple or what? Is there something in this simple formula that is hard to get? The lines have been drawn for too long, dividing us into classes, and groups, but the truth of the hands is that we are all smarter when they are in use, and there is no one on earth that wouldn't become more competent and more respectful of others if given the opportunity to learn in the way we, as a species learn best. Hands-on.

Ion Art Magazine published here in Northwest Arkansas has several articles that are of direct interest to me. The magazine is full of friends. The cover image shown above is by artist Leon Niehues, whose wonderful baskets I have featured before in the blog. The collector profile is one I wrote about my friends Robyn and John Horn. Page 2 is advertising showing the work of one of my very best friends, Jim Nelson. The achievement page is celebrating the retirement of an art teacher friend, Jack Clancey. I feel so well connected!