kernology - where laurie and learning meet
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Pictures
    • Art & Craft >
      • Temari
      • Yubinuki
      • Quilting
      • Weaving
      • Lapidary Work
      • Metal Work 2010
      • Metal Work 2009
      • Classes - 2010
      • Classes - 2009
    • Boots
    • Views of Texas
    • Views of Scotland
    • Travel >
      • Bunny Bravehart Road Trips
      • Scotland 2012
      • Maine 2011
      • New Mexico 2010
      • Scotland 2008
  • Oh, the places you will go!
  • Contact Laurie

Ponderings of a Polyhistor and the Joy of being an Artisan

3/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
So what is a POLYHISTOR?  I am a polyhistor!  But I do not think I am a polymath since there are areas of learning that hold no interest to me such as philosophy.  And because of my age I am a Opsimath too.

Please refer to this image of the definition of a polyhistor, then keep reading for more background and understanding.

​
​When the Covid-19 pandemic started, I was doing some metal work and temari; reading. After a few weeks into the lockdown I was still making temari and started a weaving project; the metal work was set aside. Now one year into the pandemic I have set aside the weaving and I am spending my evenings mostly working on temari and yubinuki. 

It was during this past year I began to ponder my penchant for learning which to me was a bit odd considering I did not enjoy "school" as a child. That's not to say I did not like going to school or all of the things I was told I had to learn; what I did not enjoy was some of the things I had to learn and the more I thought about it I realized I did not enjoy the subjects where the learning was difficult due to my then unknown dyslexia.  The subjects I did enjoy were home economics, physical education, art, poetry, the sciences except the heavy math parts, and many after school activities like stage crew, (more) sports and Girl Scouts. It was the math, spelling and learning French - all for a while until I learned, on my own, how to make a game of learning and mastering the rules. 

What can be even more confounding is that I chose to pursue an engineering degree after high school.  I decided on the degree because I am a "natural engineer" and my father was one too and he said I would have a more difficult time trying to follow my dreams without a degree, like him, than with one (being female in the 60-70's being the other).  College was extremely difficult and my undergraduate grades where crap (gong to a very difficult school did not help) but I did graduate. 

NOTE: A natural engineer is NOT a person who engineers nature or natural resources. A natural engineer is someone who is an engineer but has no formal training and exhibits the ability to see and solve problems at a young age. I was telling my father how to fix things, he was working on, starting sometime around 5th grade.


Since then I have had this desire to learn new things - embroidery and crewl work, weaving and spinning, quilting (which is very different than sewing clothing which I do as well), knitting, temari and yubinuki, metalsmithing, raising and sinking vessels, constructing boxes, chasing and repousse and learning to make the tools for metalsmithing - all subjects that are, in a way mathematical and engineering related while allowing the person doing them to be creative. I say they involve engineering and mathematical aspects because all do require the use of math, some more than others, and they have a technical aspect to them; when you know the basics there are challenges and problems to be solved when an idea presents it self.

As I said, I realized this past year that I like learning and specifically learning where I can solve problems or processes. When I find a subject that piques my interest, I am ALL IN.  I find ways to learn at my own pace, I acquire the books, tools and other aqutromonts to master it. Many of the skills I have listed I really enjoy and have done for 30, 40 or more years And yet.... I realized that for some of these other subjects, which I also enjoy(ed) I have set aside and never come back to.  So do I enjoy the learning and gaining the understanding MORE than the act of doing it?
​
I present to you as an example my 10 year foray into Metalsmithing, shall we. I first learned how to cut and polish a cabochon, then I moved into basic jewelry so I could wear what I had made. I enjoy making the odd piece of jewelry but it did not inspire me to make more.  I like working with metal because of the underlying science and engineering which most metalsmiths have no interest in. From there I tried chain maille which I found boring after a while and from there I moved into raising and sinking of vessels - now that challenged me and continues to do so.  To do more with the vessels I made, I then learned chasing and repousse; to color my work I delved into the alchemy behind patina and the construction techniques of making boxes and hinges. 

Throughout all of this I realize that I am very good at the technical aspects and can make some wonderful things many of which are my own original ideas. What I lack is the continuous flow of creative ideas that would make me a true artist in some things I have learned but not in others.  I am OK with that which is why I am an Artisan not an artist.  

I know I can find a subject I enjoy, learn it, become proficient in it and make and be creative and sell these items as a polyhistor and an artisan.
0 Comments

Two Temari and A Yubinuki

3/26/2021

0 Comments

 
For the past few weeks I have been working on some advanced temaril - this first is Cedar and this was done 3 times to get it correct. It is stitched with 3 strands of floss to make an all over covering.  The second is a type of  yubinuki obi design that is stitched with double perle cotton thread. I stitched twice as my first color choices did not get the design to pop. I then decided to make a yubinuki stand to go with it it.
0 Comments

March Pandemic Stats

3/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Oh, what a year!! 
  • Months: 12 (+1) OR
    • 365 days
    • 52 weeks
    • 100% of a common year (365 days)
  • Trips to the Office: 6 (+1)
  • Pounds Lost: 13 (0) 
  • Books Read: 37 (+1)
  • Temari Made: 55 (+2)
  • Temari Tutorial/Pattern Written: 8 (0)
  • Yubinuki Made: 9 (+1)
  • Haircut: 1 (0)
  • Studio Ghibli Movies Watched: 20 (+4)
  • Other Series Binge Watched: 8 (+2)
  • Voted for President: 1 (0)
  • Sewing Projects: 2 (0)
  • Lines of Executable Code Written: 37,471 (+21635)
  • Participation in Snowmageddon: 1 (+0) 
0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    About Laurie

    Laurie lives in central Texas with Erich, a.k.a. "the shop elf", her hubby of 35+ years and Cowboy Boots, the cat; her metals studio including 100+ hammers and 300+ chasing tools; her sewing studio which has a sewing machine, a closet filled with fabric, hundreds of skeins of embroidery floss and perle cotton, silk and other materials, and Mrs. King the dress dummy; two weaving looms, assorted knitting needles, tubs of yarn; lots of books; plus a plethora of geeky tech gadgets, computers, and more.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    August 2009

    Categories

    All
    42
    Android
    Boots
    Bunny Bravehart
    Codesmith
    Comic-Con
    Covid
    Day Job
    Family
    Fencing
    Fiber
    Health
    Hike
    Jewelry
    Knitting
    Laurie
    Metals
    Minecraft
    Pandemic
    Photography
    Quilting
    Retirement
    Road Trip
    Scotland
    Sources
    Spinning
    Temari
    Texas
    The Big Walk
    Weaving
    Web
    Yubinuki

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.