Another beautiful, cloudless day although there was a chill wind coming from the west. My 3rd workshop and it continues to refine. There was lots of positive, unsolicited feedback about how revelatory the content of my talk was. That's satisfying- the topics certainly have been revelatory for me in terms of how I perceive and interact with the world. Sign up for my mail list and be informed of future workshops and see for yourself what I mean!
Together we created this design which feels reminiscent to the weathered rock of the beach.
The interesting aspect to doing these designs with the public is the
nature of what I am trying to accomplish. Take a group of random people
with wildly varying capabilities and outlooks and artistic sensibilities
(although all have in common an appreciation for my art- thanks!) and
create a coherent design in which I am not micromanaging. My goal is
that each person can operate independently yet still be integrated into
the design as a whole. Its a challenge and each time out is an
opportunity to try different approaches.
Here's a few items I have learned so far:-Straight lines are hard to do!
-Everyone has a different idea of what a particular shape looks like and is made.
-Moving with the rake is a skill that I can easily take for granted (having spent hundred of hours pulling one)
-The process is more important than the result. While I always strive for an end image that can be useful for a print, its not something I get hung up about. It makes the random, human element of the process easier to take in stride when its not going quite like I would have done it myself
-What I thought I wanted is not always what is most interesting. An assortment of people can create variations far wider than I would have on my own. I am developing an appreciation for what results from such 'imperfections'.
-wabi-sabi , baby.
