A chat with my uncle about a brick arch in St. Louis changed my whole approach

He was visiting and saw me struggling with a small garden wall arch. He said, 'You're fighting the brick. Let the shape come from the bond, not the other way around.' We spent an hour just looking at pictures of old bridges he worked on. I tried his way on my next little project and it just... clicked. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a stubborn problem for them?

4 comments

4 Comments

tara6422mo ago

Ever try to force a straight line with a material that wants to curve? My big one was learning to wet the clay a bit more when throwing pots. I kept fighting to center dry clay, and my teacher just said "let it be slick" and suddenly the wheel stopped fighting me. It's wild how one tiny change in how you handle the stuff makes everything flow. What's the hardest material you've had to learn to work with?

murphy.aaron2mo ago

Oh man, leather. Trying to cut it when it's too stiff is a nightmare. A little conditioner and it just gives up the fight.

diana6172mo ago

Sometimes fighting the material is how you learn its true nature.

danielnelson1mo ago

Saw a video about glassblowing, same deal.