Dear Iris in Baltimore, thank you for reminding me how soothing saw-piercing can be. ie: the rhythm of competent procedures. There is a zen of engraving which can be meditative ... the lovely curl of metal that spirals up from a well cut line, & the way two cuts will meet perfectly in a scroll... ah bliss.
well, this is too romantic to pass up. both beautiful emotions
and lyrically stated.i too recognize that feeling of
connectedness (zen) certainly feeling it stronger at some
moments than others. however, the feeling may be approached in
many ways as in everything which we care to apply ourselves to.
for example i am often hammering metal with thoughts, in fact
vocal gestures, that expresses the relationship i have with that
piece of metal. i think of it in terms of caressing it, of
urging it to comply with the direction, force and rhythm of my
stroke. sometimes when i am distracted, the metal will react
with rejection and turn it it’s face away or react jealously and
create a situation which ends up requiring much more of my time
to soothe it and make amends. i don’t normally express that i
fell this to strangers; but in fact it is one way that i keep
connected in my work. like a child who plays with secret
invisible friends, the time is unreal and the joy of knowing
your tools , work space, as friends with strengths ,weaknesses ,
and personalities all their own, make me a better craftsman
and certainly has helped me produce a better product. sincerely,
jack