an invitation

Today in the wood shop at the Clear Spring School, my high school students will be working on a variety of projects. My older boys have been enjoying turning wood on the lathe and are testing their own skills to develop the smoothest objects they can. It is odd that at a certain point in development students begin to focus very strongly on the texture of things. My youngest students take delight in finishing their work in bright colors. My older students develop an interest in the textures of things and the natural colors of the wood.

I know that part of thir interest is that while so many factors in design are rather nebulous and abstract, texture is not. We have the ability to easily discern one gradation of surface smoothness from another. And my students have become interested in achieving their best. Does this apply to other things in life? Feeling for irregularities in touch, leads them next to observe closely with their eyes, and then often leads to starting over with a lathe tool or coarser sanding grit. In the process, are they not refining themselves as well?

The feeling for surface smoothness or irregularity involves the haptic sense, that I wrote about in an earlier blog post: https://wisdomofhands.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-you-want-science-start-with-arts.html

You are invited to a show of work at Lux Weaving Studio here in Eureka Springs, both tomorrow and on December 9, 4-8 PM. The address is 18 White St. We will have wonderful Christmas gifts for sale.

Make, fix, create, and assist others in learning likewise