In this day and age of computers and videos, of ipods and cell phones, of technology designed to make us live our lives more quickly so we can cram more into it...we have created a troubling trend especially within our youth of what I call "artistic abandonment." Whether in schools or personal lives, the engaging of the human mind in things spatial, haptic, and artistic is falling by the wayside at an alarming rate.
Clearly there will always be those budding artists of all ages in all genres; but I think we all agree that the average child growing up these days is exposed to less and less creative activities that force them to use limited resources with unlimited ingenuity to create some cool stuff. Oh yeah, and throw in a modicum of patience and 'drive'....that certainly helps the task keep on tasking!
In a tangential way I thought I'd show you the kinda-sorta fruits of my labor from this past weekend, where I purposefully tried to create something a bit more complicated from simple pieces of scrap wood. I have several new flute bodies that are rather unusual in wood and sound/key, and they need something a little special in the block department. Since I make my blocks last, I make each one to 'fit' the feeling, Spirit I get from a particular flute. Sometimes that changes, or takes a long time to work out, and sometimes it's immediate.
Currently, I'm the middle of several projects that are questionably time-consuming, yet I feel led to progress along at a much slower and more deliberate pace...this has not always been my style, but sometimes you have to listen to the ol' Gut and go with the flow. The heat and 'iffy' weather of late has helped break my rhythm, as well...but I do have a couple of results to share with you.
First below are the scraps of wood I chose to work with: Walnut for a rattlesnake design, and a combination of Ebony for a Black Widow body and Ironwood for it's little hiding place in the wood. I had the idea of a Black Widow for a particular flute, but knew I couldn't carve or deal with the legs which would break 100 times over. Oh well, figured if I didn't like it when I was done I could start all over, eh?
I usually do have some sort of a mental picture of what I want to make, though I generally work in a very free-form mindset, allowing me to change directions instantly if I need to. A few projects were locked-in from start to finish...guess I've learned even in Life that it pays to be adaptable if and when you need to be, which is more often than not. All happens quite purposefully...
Ah, the Tao of my art...until something royally screws up and you go "oops!" Been there, done that too many times! And so is what I whipped up with the rattlesnake, which I attached to a little piece of Cherry with 2 small steel rods. The Cherry block just looked like it 'fit' better when I roughed it up with my wood burning knife...
And here was the far trickier creation of a bulbous Black Widow body in a wooden 'cradle...had hoped the red coral would have been redder, but it's more dark pink...and YES, I'm aware the hourglass would be on it's underbelly...just go with the effect, here, please! And for the 8 eyes on it's head, tiny drops of the thickest super-glue did the trick...
Just two little blocks from hours of time...and yet it's all worth it to me. I suppose you want to see the flutes they go with, but you'll have to wait a few more days that. Just wanted you to see a peak of how I approach my work. Below is the most recent flute finished off, a 'hunting bear' flute made of Black Limba (Africa). Fantastic tonal wood, which Walnut accents nicely...and the bear has a heartline inlay of turquoise, as well. Great playing bugger in A-flat (G-sharp)...
And so it is we point toward Thursday and my weekly Travelogue. I'll try not to repeat myself like I did last week! I'm thinkin' something from the Badlands, maybe even the wildlife there...stay tuned and find out!
Carpe the "Hump" diem, y'all!
Clearly there will always be those budding artists of all ages in all genres; but I think we all agree that the average child growing up these days is exposed to less and less creative activities that force them to use limited resources with unlimited ingenuity to create some cool stuff. Oh yeah, and throw in a modicum of patience and 'drive'....that certainly helps the task keep on tasking!
In a tangential way I thought I'd show you the kinda-sorta fruits of my labor from this past weekend, where I purposefully tried to create something a bit more complicated from simple pieces of scrap wood. I have several new flute bodies that are rather unusual in wood and sound/key, and they need something a little special in the block department. Since I make my blocks last, I make each one to 'fit' the feeling, Spirit I get from a particular flute. Sometimes that changes, or takes a long time to work out, and sometimes it's immediate.
Currently, I'm the middle of several projects that are questionably time-consuming, yet I feel led to progress along at a much slower and more deliberate pace...this has not always been my style, but sometimes you have to listen to the ol' Gut and go with the flow. The heat and 'iffy' weather of late has helped break my rhythm, as well...but I do have a couple of results to share with you.
First below are the scraps of wood I chose to work with: Walnut for a rattlesnake design, and a combination of Ebony for a Black Widow body and Ironwood for it's little hiding place in the wood. I had the idea of a Black Widow for a particular flute, but knew I couldn't carve or deal with the legs which would break 100 times over. Oh well, figured if I didn't like it when I was done I could start all over, eh?
I usually do have some sort of a mental picture of what I want to make, though I generally work in a very free-form mindset, allowing me to change directions instantly if I need to. A few projects were locked-in from start to finish...guess I've learned even in Life that it pays to be adaptable if and when you need to be, which is more often than not. All happens quite purposefully...Ah, the Tao of my art...until something royally screws up and you go "oops!" Been there, done that too many times! And so is what I whipped up with the rattlesnake, which I attached to a little piece of Cherry with 2 small steel rods. The Cherry block just looked like it 'fit' better when I roughed it up with my wood burning knife...
And here was the far trickier creation of a bulbous Black Widow body in a wooden 'cradle...had hoped the red coral would have been redder, but it's more dark pink...and YES, I'm aware the hourglass would be on it's underbelly...just go with the effect, here, please! And for the 8 eyes on it's head, tiny drops of the thickest super-glue did the trick...
Just two little blocks from hours of time...and yet it's all worth it to me. I suppose you want to see the flutes they go with, but you'll have to wait a few more days that. Just wanted you to see a peak of how I approach my work. Below is the most recent flute finished off, a 'hunting bear' flute made of Black Limba (Africa). Fantastic tonal wood, which Walnut accents nicely...and the bear has a heartline inlay of turquoise, as well. Great playing bugger in A-flat (G-sharp)...
And so it is we point toward Thursday and my weekly Travelogue. I'll try not to repeat myself like I did last week! I'm thinkin' something from the Badlands, maybe even the wildlife there...stay tuned and find out!
Carpe the "Hump" diem, y'all!
4 comments:
Hearty "amen!" to the creative process, Bob!
And just LOVE that Black Limba wood --- very "rich". Love the creativity in the blocks also --- and you're right, such time-consuming detailed work IS worth it!!
Suzy :)
When I first 'happened' upon Black Limba, I saw the planed board and 'knew' I had to have it...at that time I was not aware it was valued for it's use by luthiers in instruments like mandolins and guitars, and for good reason: it resonates beautifully. Alas, I could make only 3 flutes from the board I bought, and there is one more yet to be made...as I scan the market for more, the boards don't seem as 'pretty' as the board I bought...will keep eyes open and keep listening to my 'gut' to pick up unique woods and take my time letting the wood/flute come to fruition...a good lesson, patience is.....! AHO!!!
I liked the rattlesnake flute, but i loved the hunting bear flute. Bears are one of my favorite animals. Lori
Thanks, Lori - FYI, at least per the Zuni animal/fetish carvers, a bear with its head up is a hunting bear, and a bear with its head bowed down is a medicine bear - each has a slightly different meaning/purpose, though my choice of hunting bear was a 'just because' one.
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