[Clayart] ready made

[mel jacobson]

I woke this day thinking of making a model airplane from balsa wood sticks and tissue paper. Glued together as it was pinned to an old bread board with waxed paper base. It took weeks to get it done. Then paint it with "dope". The propellor was powered by a rubber band. It was almost like reverence when it first flew through the air. Imagine, being 11 years old and building a P-40 or a two wing Spad.

Now, all things are ready made. Instant toys. One learns never to waste time "making from scratch". Now the 11 year old boy can watch porno for hours on his own phone. Sad.

Yes, I am a purist. And I love being a purist. Of course, I make my own recipe and pug mill my clay. I make all the glazes and sift them carefully. I built all the kilns I fire. My favorite is a breakaway from the Nils Lou flat top. A mini version.

I totally built the house I live in. Even cut down the oak trees and hauled them to the sawmill. A friend with a backhoe came over and we installed a huge drain field for the sewer system I built.

I can go on, but to be a purist and love the work, love the time it takes to build it yourself fills the time slots of  your day. It is filling your life with projects that come from you, then the repair and care. It is wonderful.

I thought about a potter that buys a kit to make a Japanese Tea Ceramony bowl. It cannot be done. The reverence of the making and years it takes to understand nuance is real.

A neighbor lady brought me 15 perfect chocolate chip cookies yesterday. I ground some coffee beans and we had coffee, cream and cookies. It brings tears to my eyes.
mel
I read of a man snowed in his cabin in Montana and spent a month making a Violin from scrap wood, a jar of wood glue and a pint of varnish. He had a picture of a violin from National Geographic. A professional violinist played it and said it was totally fine. I love that story.


website: www.melpots.com
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