I loved reading this and the vanity about which it was written. I was reminded of the thoughts of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The best moments in life usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.
Indeed! I think of those moments as a loss of self-consciousness, a kind of union with the task, a Zen moment. It can be a payoff of making things with your hands. An article in The New Atlantis referred to it as "Soulcraft" (Matthew B. Crawford, “Shop Class as Soulcraft,” The New Atlantis, Number 13, Summer 2006, pp. 7-24). But it can also happen through trying to understand something very complex and difficult, and I've had that experience too (mostly in science).
To say this is a work of art doesn't begin to describe it. It's a true masterpiece, as is your ability to envision and skillfully construct a unique and beautiful creation. Your scrounging is icing on the cake!
totally stunning!! I want to pass this on to Donald Stone Sade- our ol' Berkeley pal -- he is a lutier -- guitars and I think actual lutes. He sends pics of the processes, bending the thin strips of wood, inserting the decorative pieces, etc. thanks for all you tell us, Walter, and do keep up the lumber supply!
I loved this piece, both the essay and the furniture. I own a book about various mathematical curves. If I were to look for a craftsman woodworker capable of instantiating the curves into furniture..it would be you!
Good morning, Walter. I read the whole piece, admittedly skipping over some of the math details and greatly enjoying the photo results of every stage. Not that I don't love math, I do.
The whole time I read, I was thinking of "vanity" as that that quality of character, not a piece of furniture. I judged Erica, and you, and finally my own self (a person who MUST express oneself to others). Forgive me.
The piece is stunningly beautiful, and your love for Erika is evident in it. The work of our hands is a wonderful and necessary expression of our minds and hearts.
I popped over here because of your kind words helping me with images on my new substack. Though I have much to improve and to learn, I think the results of my sticking with it have been worth it. Enjoy!
Thanks for the kind words, and glad your "substacking" is coming along. As for the essay's title, yes, it was a bit of throw-away humor on my part. I guess the furniture gets its name from the character trait. The vanity services vanity.... (smile).
I loved reading this and the vanity about which it was written. I was reminded of the thoughts of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The best moments in life usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.
Indeed! I think of those moments as a loss of self-consciousness, a kind of union with the task, a Zen moment. It can be a payoff of making things with your hands. An article in The New Atlantis referred to it as "Soulcraft" (Matthew B. Crawford, “Shop Class as Soulcraft,” The New Atlantis, Number 13, Summer 2006, pp. 7-24). But it can also happen through trying to understand something very complex and difficult, and I've had that experience too (mostly in science).
I understand the joy of making things with your hands too. I read the article you mentioned. Very thought provoking.
To say this is a work of art doesn't begin to describe it. It's a true masterpiece, as is your ability to envision and skillfully construct a unique and beautiful creation. Your scrounging is icing on the cake!
totally stunning!! I want to pass this on to Donald Stone Sade- our ol' Berkeley pal -- he is a lutier -- guitars and I think actual lutes. He sends pics of the processes, bending the thin strips of wood, inserting the decorative pieces, etc. thanks for all you tell us, Walter, and do keep up the lumber supply!
I loved this piece, both the essay and the furniture. I own a book about various mathematical curves. If I were to look for a craftsman woodworker capable of instantiating the curves into furniture..it would be you!
Good morning, Walter. I read the whole piece, admittedly skipping over some of the math details and greatly enjoying the photo results of every stage. Not that I don't love math, I do.
The whole time I read, I was thinking of "vanity" as that that quality of character, not a piece of furniture. I judged Erica, and you, and finally my own self (a person who MUST express oneself to others). Forgive me.
The piece is stunningly beautiful, and your love for Erika is evident in it. The work of our hands is a wonderful and necessary expression of our minds and hearts.
I popped over here because of your kind words helping me with images on my new substack. Though I have much to improve and to learn, I think the results of my sticking with it have been worth it. Enjoy!
Thanks for the kind words, and glad your "substacking" is coming along. As for the essay's title, yes, it was a bit of throw-away humor on my part. I guess the furniture gets its name from the character trait. The vanity services vanity.... (smile).