chisels

Discovering chisels, I was at first hesitant to explore beyond a safe, controlled movement upon simple surfaces. But I slowly began acknowledging the blade's urge towards more depth. In the concave spaces of spoons I began to recognize a pattern of smoothness against stress, of grain flow and points where the chisel could move against the grain and still move smoothly, while at other points there remains a tension that all but disallows the chisel to pass over those specific areas. I feel like I'm in a boat in new waters, learning to navigate upon a surface whose personality changes with the course of the tides, the boat's bow urging itself through the pliant clefts of sea...