Things I do When
I'm Not Working
Painting
Mostly clouds, water, and plants — subjects with no straight lines to get wrong. I paint the way I'd take a walk: no destination, just somewhere to put my attention.
Goldsmithing
Gold leaf tears if you look at it wrong, and it sticks to everything except where you want it. It's the closest thing I have to a patience exercise.
Cutting stems
Flowers are the one material that keeps changing after I'm done with it. I arrange them knowing the arrangement has maybe five days, which makes me less precious about it.
Clay by Hand
Before you can shape anything, you spend a long time just getting the clay to sit still in the middle of the wheel. Half my time at the wheel is spent on the part nobody sees.
Folds and Cuts
Paper is cheap enough to ruin, which makes it the best place to try something I don't know how to do yet.
Carving
Carving is the only craft here where you can't add material back. Every cut is a decision you have to live with, which is either terrifying or clarifying depending on the day.