Fall

If I were a season, this would be it. I love fall, the slowing, contemplative, winding down time of the year, heading to the stillness of winter.

I haven't written much at all lately (stating the obivious); my daily routine doesn't offer much entertainment value compared to building big sculptures. And I generally believe readable blogs do at least one of these 3 things: inform, inspire, or entertain. Lately, I feel incapable of doing any of these things, except for myself personnally. Which is not meant to be selfish, I just came to the realizationt that most of what I say/do probably doesn't mean much to anyone except me.

Which is fine. I find it liberating to be able to do things that don't "matter" to anyone. So I've been starting to do clay again, making some small paintings, dabbling in some video, reading two fine books, writing a lot about "alterations" (sorting this out in my mind), working at my day job, coming home and going up in the woods and working on the woodpile, taking walks, reading the Tao Te Ching and generally downshifting. Along with the usual random ponderings of things that interest me, like light and shadow, the life cycle of stone, and exactly what kind of tree this is I'm sawing and splitting.

Last week I hung out with my friend Tom, mentor and teacher extraordinaire. The things he pulls out of me amaze me. We were talking about art and making stuff, like we always do, and I said I just recently decided that objects don't matter to me as much as making them does. What I make isn't as important as why I make things. The objects are artifacts.
What matters most to me is the experience. So this is a big thing, coming to that understanding about myself. It might be interesting to see where this leads.

I'll go back over the mountains soon to photo the finsihed sculpture in the daylight. Haven't had time lately, but I really want to see it. I'll post it as soon as I do.

Hope everyone is healthy and reasonably happy and enjoying their days. I wish you all some time to get outside and wander aimlessly in the warm fall light, and a little peace to descend on your like falling leaves.