The Distraction I Needed

If you don't subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on social media, you might have missed the update about the delay in moving into my new studio space at Lake James. Construction always takes longer than they say it's going to, so while I'm anxious to get in there and get settled, I'm trying to be patient.

Fortunately, I had planned to take a Kinetic Sculpture workshop at Arrowmont Craft School last week, and that was exactly the distraction I needed. I've taken a few workshops there and at other craft schools, and I really enjoy the opportunity to immerse myself in the discovery of new techniques, materials, and tools. I love tools! This past week, I got very familiar with the jeweler's saw and the optivisor, which is like a wearable magnifying glass. Both were necessary, since the sculptures we were creating often had component parts as small as a 1/4" piece of 5/32" tubing. I was constantly losing the tiny parts I put down.

While I'm not quitting my day job to start making mini moveable sculptures, I had a great time challenging my brain and hands to create pieces with such fine details that were also functional. In addition to this flower, I made a few little hinges and other things that spun and twisted.

What I took away from this workshop was an appreciation for how carefully those tiny parts needed to fit together. Get it wrong, and the piece might look pretty, but it won't move. It was a good reminder that those same small details are what make a house a home you want to live in forever, and a studio a space that's a joy to work in. Sure, it could be done fast, and it might even look fine if you don't look too closely. It turns out I needed both the distraction and the reminder — I'd rather wait for something built right than settle for something built fast.