Project Summary

Althought the majority of this project was an unmitigated disaster on my end, it was not completely without its merits. A great deal of BDS for me as a Photomedia student who has never touched an art class before has been subjecting myself to completely unknown situations. The triumph being that at the end of all the frustation and humilation I have conquered one more thing I thought I could not do. Woodworking was not an exception to this. I completely mangled and destroyed $24 worth of beautiful walnut. It was frustrating and I hated it, but what I’m left with, a new skill (and a lovely wooden box), is very much worth it.
I wish, of course, that I had been able to follow through with my original design. Somehow despite the confidence I felt practicing on scrap wood and cardboard, I just could not make the semi circle design work the way it needed to when I finally got to working with the walnut. Even though it did not work out, I was left feeling very appreciative of the support and advice Cotter and Garret were able to give me. If I went back to work on this project again I would make practice half-circle after practce half-cirlce until I absolutely knew that I could do it. The problem with art forms that don’t require Photoshop is that there is no “undo” button. I think that if I had not tried to rush into my final piece it might have gone better in the long run
That being said, I am very happy with the box I ended up with. It was challenging to make and it is by no means perfect but I was able to work from a design I had sketched out early on in the process and make it fit the
requirements of the project by the time I was finished. The “spice jar” shape of the final box plays on the typesof imaginary things I would do as a child as I collected what are now the contents of the box. Aditionally, the heriarchy of the different shades of wood fit together nicely and seem to complemet eachother.
I can’t exactly say whether I am exciting to begin a new woodworking project anytime soon but as a result of this project I have been left very curious about what other things I could create in the Common Shop given the time and resources.