Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do

Awe is something undeniably crucial to what makes us human. It's at the core of what moves us towards beauty, especially in art and in creation.

Awe seems to be an enigma and a problem for some worldviews that believe we exist merely due to blind meaningless random "chance". Such worldviews absolutely fail to account for the weight, beauty, and majesty that we all feel in our hearts and minds in the midst of what we call "awe".
That's why I believe its so important to challenge our assumptions, especially on the topics of awe in the human heart and our approach to beauty.

Awe is a response to external beautiful truths and experiences, not a created thing out of the void of our hearts and minds.
I resonate with John Piper's words when he says:
"Do people go to the Grand Canyon to increase their self-esteem? Probably not. This is, at least, a hint that the deepest joys in life come not from savoring the self, but from seeing splendor. And in the end even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God. "

I'm thrilled to hear and read author Paul Tripp's writings on these topics, as he approaches them with humility, honesty, and a sharp eye to challenge our self-focused assumptions.

Paul has been an author who has greatly encouraged me in my path as an artist.
And so for anyone who is at all fascinated about the topic of awe, beauty, and truth, no matter the worldview or background you come from: I encourage you to dig into Paul's new book: Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do

Echos over Éire and our footsteps through it

 

Harvest Harmonies and Cold Breeze

This Fall has been a season full of busyness and blessings with family, work, and life. I've been fighting to finish up work on lots of new blades. So almost every day for the past few weeks has been non-stop forge welding of pattern welded steel, and lots of blade grinding.

Here is a brief glimpse at some of what I'm working on:

I've been working on an axe collaboration with my good friend Nathanael Brandt

This axe is a commissioned piece for a client:

And an art piece I recently finished. Some Tolkien inspired Tauremorna Black-Forest Swords:

You can find prints and t-shirts of this piece here:

society6.com/daviddelagardelle/tauremorna-black-forest-swords

Fall is the perfect time to work by the forge. The coming cold winds and crisp clean air spark something in me every year which makes inspiration flow faster, and motivates work at the blazing warm forge better. This season seems to turn typically tiring and stressful work into adventures challenges to be conquered, all while playing with the fire that is giving both warmth and sparking creativity.
The thought of winter looming is in the back of my mind, and strangely adds a joy and urgency to my work, that seems to help more craftsmen than just myself always use their time more wisely during this season.

I visit my good friend and fellow artist/craftsman Shad Peters a lot during every Autumn. Shad crafts gorgeous one of a kind electric guitars by hand, all from locally salvaged antique wood.

I'm working on finishing up a new attic studio-space away from my workshop here at my home a few miles away from my forge, which will be ideal for cleaner hilt and scabbard work not involving forging or grinding. This will be a comfortable space that will be warm and inviting, and make work during the icy winter months much easier and more productive for me. And if you want to get a glimpse of what my attic looks like, simply glance a couple inches to the right or left, as it is the background of this very blog.

The rough blades which will soon be finished in my studio:

 

The coming weeks and months will involve finishing up work on these blades, polishing them and etching their patterns into visibility. I'll then begin the slow but enjoyable process of of crafting their hilts, sheaths, and scabbards.

My beautiful wife and I also have a two and a half week journey planned through Ireland, Scotland, and England to visit friends and familiar sites in late November. So there is lots of work to be done before then...