I’ve learnt a new word.

Wracking my brain for the past week I’ve tried to calculate how to make a dome thing that looks like a parabola but in 3D. Why does high school mathematics slip from the memory immediately after graduation? From the effort it took to cram and practice functions, calculus and integration I decided that there would be no chance of forgetting this stuff. By the way, as anyone ever heard of the word “paraboloid”?

This is a model of a sake vessel that I’m going to make for an exhibition this northern autumn in Osaka. Tin is very good for containing sake as the metal ionises the liquid and making the sake tastier. Not having made a vessel before or in tin I was told by a master tinsmith to make a model out of paper so we can make a mold. I love my master tinsmith. So I tried to research how to draw parabolae again so I can make an accurate drawing and calculate the volume of liquid it can hold. 180ml or 1 Go in sake language is appropriate for one round.

Not so much luck on relearning mathematics, better to wait until I can have my future children teach me. However, I am so proud of myself for making this model. It’s so beautiful, like an American football, a blimp of a butterfly egg. It’s amazing how people make structures like these without it falling on people’s heads. Architects deserve everyone’s admiration. I don’t know of many but my favourites are Hundertwasser and Gaudi. Anyone making crazy curves I look to with awe.

Now I look back on it though, if only my mathematics teacher said something like ‘Pretend you are an apprentice to a Renaissance architect that has just been commissioned to construct a new palace for the Medici family. You have been given the task of making the calculations for the domes on the palace. Plot the points where the windows will go. If the roof is to be covered with tiles how many tiles do you need?  Construct this dome in paper’. What an awesome maths problem would that have been?

The next step is to convince master tinsmith that I can make this.

My friend Ninja and I went to a new contemporary jewellery shop Facile in Kyoto on Marutamachi-dori, opposite the Gosho. The owner, KOJIMA Takashi focuses on custom made jewellery and selling his own pieces. His mother is also in the business, being a collector of antique jewellery, and have numerous pieces on display and for sale. Facile is Italian for “easy”.

Front of Facile

The floating cabinets. The interior is a mixture of modern and classic styles. Lovely.

Takashi’s art jewellery pieces. His father’s painting hangs in the background.

Takashi

Beautiful pieces and a beautiful shop. Ninja and I had a great afternoon.

Such a long summer, I wonder if this has an effect on the lives of insects? Will they get problems with an aging population too?

Japanese Rice (Oryza sativa var. japonica)

For those who deny the earth is warming, I’m feeling pretty warm right now.

I’ve been told a few times this summer that the gods have put on the heater outside. Well, someone’s left the room and forgot to turn it off.

A Kyoto tradition held on the 16th August every year is Daimonji, where a pattern of words on the side of the mountains are lit on fire. I can see this from my parent’s window, though I like to go onto the roof, it’s more fun, especially with the families and parties out on the balconies.

My camera can’t zoom very well so I stuck my mother’s binoculars onto the camera lens to take this photo.

My home made dust collector box for polishing and grinding that I broke when I moved studios. It’s just PVC, cardboard and tape. The polishing tool (flexi-shaft) goes through the side and my hands go in the front, and then I polish my work inside the box. Kind of like what they do at nuclear power plants but far less radioactive. I really should attach a suction device like a vacuum cleaner to have full effect but I’ll drive the neighbours crazy so I just have the box. Better than nothing at all.

My all new improved dust collector box. The right side is longer so I have more room to move my flexi. So much easier than the one before!

I love making my own tools.

“The moon’s lovely tonight. I wonder if I can take a picture.”

“Aghh, it wobbles. Hey what if I wobble it on purpose?”

“How funny! What if I shake it more?”

“Ooo a G. G for Go!”

“Ha! A dragon!”

“Sherlock Holmes’ pipe. Hehe.

……..

Oh dear. I indulge in such simple pleasures. “

Whatthehellisthisflower

Passed the plant loving barber shop on my way home when this stopped me in my tracks. The barber master said that the sprouty bits on the edge of the leaf blade are flowers. The world sure is a wonderful place……

Greater Blue Skimmer (female) (Orthetrum triangulare)

She loved posing for the camera.

Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)

Got him!