Stories and lessons learned about the hows and whys of living by a traditional understanding of art — not as object, but as activity, as a way of life. Included are essays about principles of design, measure, and proportion, as well as social and economic aspects of working as an artist -- earning money, working for community, teaching, learning.... You can read it in it's entirety below, and download it free or buy a paper copy ($20, full color, w/photos) through the bookstore. There's also a forum at theworkofart.org. The ideas aren't new but, like seeds, they must be adapted to each . . .
ovens and efficiency
Dear Oven builders, mud teachers, bakers, and eaters: I would like to talk to you about some of the claims being published about the efficiency of earthen ovens. I think we need to be clear that any masonry oven, whether it's made of unfired earth or fired brick, is not, by definition, a "fuel efficient appliance" --Â especially if it isn't insulated. There are more and less efficient ways to work with an oven, and some of them make quite good use of the wood burnt in them, but in my experience, those ways don't apply to people who just want to cook a few pizzas, or a few loaves of . . .
stix ‘n mud can make a hug
A new charter school in Corvallis commissioned this mud project as the initial step in creating an "outdoor classroom." All 60 kids, K-5, participated in 2 days of playdough brainstorming and design, and six days of mud. Parents and neighbors contributed random prunings of willow, fruitwood, and forsythia that we wove into a rough hut; the mud came up out of a hole in the ground, and we ended up making a lovely cob bench and this "hug hut." Â The hut is intended to be temporary. It will probably "last" for at least one winter, but my hope is that teachers and parents will replace or . . .