It seems that absolute
precision is required in so much that we do today. The digital age has brought
an exactness that was never achievable…seemingly. My great love of letter press
printing has required enough precision to be able to set type, set up a
printing block and turn out nicely done printing. Beautiful, but not at
millimeter specifications. This much used and loved “furniture” is part of the
press work in setting up type for printing. We often use wood blocks that help
keep it all in place. I think they are beautiful…and precise enough for me.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Small Stone: January 15, 2014
The first picture is a Denver Square; second: San Francisco Victorian; third: a 1915 store front; fourth: an art deco apartment building; fifth: a 2013 street side mural. All of the San Francisco buildings are within three blocks of my house.
In my childhood Denver , I thought of “architecture”
as the buildings I knew well─ the Denver
Square . Solid, built of brick and with almost no
adornment. But, now I live in city where there is a long tradition of
ornamental architecture. I wonder what a child growing up in my current
neighborhood takes in as their “standard” of architectural style. So very
diverse, it must have a life long impact on creativity.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Small Stone: January 14, 2014
It must be spring. Flowers
explode in brilliant colors at stalls along the street. The sun shines so
bright that it must not be winter. People lounge in the park on blankets and
munch afternoon picnic treats. Except, it is not really spring. Mother Nature is
playing a trick with a high pressure ridge all along the west coast. When, oh
when, will she tire of this game and let it rain?
Monday, January 13, 2014
Small Stone: January 13, 2014
How do we define creativity?
I have been observing the work of this assemblage artist at the San Francisco Center for the Book gallery over the
past few weeks. I am amazed at how she has taken so many elements to make her
artistic statement. Otto Octavius combines
a lot of elements from an antique lens device to a 50’s set of rabbit ears. All
the little tubes filled with objects are obviously part of the statement. I
want to appreciate her work. Yet, I simply don’t get it. I guess I just need a
little help here.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Small Stone: January 12, 2014
A blissful Sunday morning.
The clouds lifted from our all-to-brief weather front yesterday and the sun was
shining. I spent a few minutes just checking how the potted plants in my garden
were doing….well, I pretty much do that all the time. Today, however, was
special. The dampness in the night left dew-drop jewels all over some of the
plants. A gift.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Small Stone: January 11, 2014
At last, we had a very light rain.
After weeks of nothing but dry, warm weather we finally had just a little
rain. The air is clearer, the sidewalks a bit cleaner and there were even a few
puddles. The smiles of the passersby were worth getting a little wet. In fact,
it was joyful.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Small Stone: January 10, 2014
Today I received a real
lesson in communication and communicating. I was on a cross-town MUNI bus. Two
young men got on the bus at different stops. They did not seem to know one
another. One sat in front of me, the other across the aisle from me. Both had
ear buds attached to their iPhones. My assumption was that they were tuned out
of the bus environment.
The man in front of me began to move with the music,
clicking his fingers, head from side to side in time with what he was hearing.
The young man across the aisle tapped him on the shoulder and identified the song
and the group! There was a fist bump of recognition and they had communicated.
Only the rest of us were left out. My iPhone was firmly in my pocket and no ear buds attached!
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