It’s a wonderful thing to be curious. So many of life’s greatest pursuits begin with curiosity. It is the force from which the greatest questions of life emerge: Who am I? What is the purpose of life? What is the nature of space and time? What is true love? To live your curiosity is to taste the great sensations of life in a way that harmonizes with your individuality.

The Drawings for Africa project has provided me with an endless journey of learning spurred on by curiosity. I’ve explored drawing, printing, graphic design, web design, 3D modeling, 3D printing, 3D laser printing, and woodblock art. To me, each new skill is like a cog in the mechanism of the artist that I hope to be one day. Through trial and error and the passage of time, just maybe these cogs will turn in synchrony, enabling my hands to transform the intangible creations of my imagination into concrete forms of art and expression.

So, what is the next cog? Having completed the first of a series of prints incorporating woodblock art, perhaps it’s time to frame it. Let’s make a frame! But where to start?

I initially created a prototype of molding for a frame using router bits.

Having a prototype, or sample, makes it easy to remember which router bits were used to create it.

I then ran wood through the same routing process to create the pieces of the frame. This is a two-piece frame, with inner and outer parts glued together.

Lastly, I cut the corners and glued them using biscuits to secure the miter joints.

The last step will be the staining process, to be completed when the weather warms up.

So, whatever your curiosities are, don’t hesitate to live them. Let them guide you to the complete discovery of you. Stay curious my friends!