I am SO happy with these buttons hewn from peach pits, which since 2005 have been sitting patiently in a little box waiting for me to figure out what to do with a peach pit. Let me tell you, now I know why they're called peach stones in places where language reflects reality better. They are hard, and I bent over them for unnoticed hours with sawdust building up on my cuffs and thighs. But in the end I had twelve little coins that slid and clicked together in my palm in a most satisfying way.I've heard from two different people that I should sell these. But the point of this month-long exercise is to make stuff that's not for sale. Even so, while I was making them, I thought to myself a few times, "really? really? You're just going to send these fruit stones of your labor off to some stranger who might not appreciate how much you put into them, instead scorning their lack of uniform symmetry? Are you sure?" And each time, I decided again that the process is the point, not the product. I'm challenging myself to make new things, to make things with no profit at the end, to make things with confidence that the universe will get them where they need to go. I was sorry to turn them over to the post office, it's true, but non-attachment is a good lesson.
I attached them in sets to a card cut from an atlas cover:
I like this photo particularly. They look like cookies, but they'd break your teeth:
Posts
3 comments:
Beautiful! I love that feeling of sending off something that you've had stashed away for a while, whether it be to a friend or a random swap partner. Perhaps with me, it's a "see, there *was* a reason I kept that for x years, it *did* come in handy"... :P And I also am still a non-attachment student. I'm new to the random swapping game, and there's always that question of whether the recipient will appreciate it or not. See with friends, they always appreciate it because whatever it is, it's mail from a friend :) But there's a thrill in sending to a total stranger too...
Truly inspired! I've never seen a peach pit button before. :D
Wow, that's amazing! I know it was a while ago, but do you mind explaining how you made these? It won't be peach season for a while but I'd love to try making some when the times comes. I imagine you cut them in half, then sanded each half while clamping it down? Did you use power tools?
Post a Comment