January 10, 2007

Connecting Threads_Trust in Creativity:

Be sure to check the plug, or batteries, when things do not work.
{or see technical notes for how this is inspirational quote for all the mishaps of the day at .ekwc}


Daily Experiences Living in Holland:
We have set a pace to the days – hoping to find balance. Up early – tea in our room and paper/electronic work or reading/sketching. Today we are up at 7:30 AM to finish the introduction presentation to the staff and other participants. I’ve blocked in images and our portfolios over the last few days. As we both review the PowerPoint – we notice small mistakes – and basic bad forum errors. We do not have an Intro Slide. – Quick – photo of us at the .ekwc gate – holding the bars. This is a parody that references a conversation from last night’s dinner.

Klaus Osterwald, an established artist, said during a discussion about designers vs. artists – what out, designers would steal your ideas. This is funny since there is a wonderful photo of Klaus hanging on the bars of the gate, on the nearly forty five-degree staircases that leads to the kitchen and upper studios.

He laughs when we begin our presentation, grasping within seconds the nature of our gesture.

It is wonderful to share dinner each night. I especially enjoy the 12 – 14 people who gather each evening with only one or two individuals cooking for all of us. Being taken care of in the evening, frees us to read, walk or rest. Then, at some unspoken moment, some of us rise to clear the table and the 4-minute dishwasher cycle has the kitchen “clean” within 15 minutes. Many hands make for light responsibility.

Tonight, we tried creating strategy for glaze testing, mixing slips, and measuring chemicals.

Conclusion: Best to do this sort of activity when rested.

Oh – the plug reference came about when we attempted to run the slide show and the color space was way off. All the slides had a dingy yellow tinge. Like old photo’s of modern products/architecture. When trying to adjust the projector, the remote did not work. Marc, the technical computer staff member, found new batteries, and the notebook would not start – and the two prong French adapter - was not inserted into the power surge protector.

Details – details – details!

Technical References:
Glaze Chemistry Zen Koan:
Science _ No Science

- if one is mixing glazes – start with the obvious possibilities. One could test until the moon collides with the sun; but mistakes can sometimes lead to unexpected {hopefully fruitful results: I am a romantic dreamer, so I am thinking the story of Post It here}

We mixed bone china slip tonight – with the hope of spraying it onto folded paper structures. If, we could find a binder that would lessen the amount of water – then perhaps the lithographer’s paper we are using in the experiment. {goal makes the optapix (1%)– made the slip into a thick paste. Not the effect for this experiments – but could be truly useful in another goal to fill holes in a panel with transparent glaze.

Try it – Try anything – but keep an excellent paper trail! Evaluate later – when you’re rested.