What’s in a Shed? Or how I have been teaching myself CAD

What’s in a Shed? Or how I have been teaching myself CAD

ByJoseph Travis

In 2016 I started working as a Design Technology Technician at a local school, after I finished my Masters I felt like a change.  The job means I work in a variety of materials, mainly wood and plastics but also metals.  There is also an element of electronics which the department wants to expand in an I have qualifications in, so I am helping them expand what they offer to their students. The other main skill that they offer is computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacture (CAM), we have a laser cutter, cnc router and 3D printer that…

Am I thinking too much?

ByJoseph Travis

“Better to put Spirit into the Materials” -Jacques Kauffman This last weekend I travelled to Scotland and back to be part of a friend’s wood and soda kiln firing. The journey was a long one taking me 12 hours for the return trip, so I went well armed with a sketchbook and an iPod loaded with my two favourite podcasts The Potters Cast and Tales of a Red Clay Rambler. As I travelled I listened to the podcasts and sketched what I saw out of the window. It was a pleasant way to travel alone to somewhere I have never…

New Videos

ByJoseph Travis

I have been busy recently working through my dissertation and creating videos for the practical part of the research.  Learning to edit on Adobe Premiere Pro has been a bit of a slog this week but it has sped up the process no end now I am getting to grips with it.  I just wish it weren’t a subscription based service but nevermind. 1) I had the idea of making a video from the pots point of view, I replaced some of the sound to change the qualities.

Looming Boredom

ByJoseph Travis

“boredom haunts me as I work, I fear it will destroy me. I want to be better than my fears” -a note in my sketchbook. Not all old ideas and thoughts are comfortable. Putting them out into the world makes me feel uncertain like I am giving away too much. As for the date if this particular quote it is between January and December 2014. Finding this quote reminds me that I haven’t been happy with my work for some time. I am at the uncomfortable stage of being a maker where I am very aware of how bad I…