Spirit of the Time

My first ever photo with Ianto!  Here we are celebrating the inaugural curing fire.  This rumford was built mostly during the two-day “Pyromania” course that we put on at Cob Cottage Company.  I went back for another full’s day work to bring the whole shape to completion and will go back for a half day to do final shaping on the main volume.  The project has served as a great inspiration to me and left with me with many lessons.  Amongst them: 1) Believe when you’re laying your first brick, as insignificant as it may seem, that great things can happen. 2) Never underestimate the capacity of a group of people, all headed in the same direction, to create beautiful things all-of-a-sudden.  3) Engage in processes actively and be present as they evolve.  4) Materials and shapes speak to you.  Listen.  5)  There is a moment in a natural building/cob project where the object you are are making takes on a life of its own and then you are much more at its service than it is at yours’.

Another in a series of Rumfords that I have built at Cob Cottage.

After a year and a half of living and working at the Cob Cottage Company – initially as gardener and then mostly heading up maintenance and acting as lead builder, I have moved into journeyman phase.  Here are some photos of my time there – hopefully they will reflect the magic of the place!  I am so grateful to Ianto Evans and Linda Smiley for all that I learned during my time with them.