Several years ago I was asked to do a demonstration on carving a daiza. My initial reaction was “Have you got several weeks you don’t know what to do with?”

I had attended other demonstrations where the craftsman went through various techniques, with all the tools, prepared samples and lecture set-ups (over head mirrors, power cords, microphones etc.) and I realized that what I do just wouldn’t fit that type of demonstration mode... and it would take forever.

I believed pictures, especially close-up photos, would convey my technique in the clearest maner, especially since I had been in the habit of photographing each stone and daiza as I finished them and I had plenty of photos to use. It was suggested that I create a PowerPoint presentation… so I had to learn how to work with PowerPoint, brought a digital camera and began scanning lots of pictures into my computer. If you really want to learn a lot about something… offer to teach it! I started out blissfully unaware of what I didn‘t know.  Now, after researching many books, scanning dozens of pictures, trying to fit it all into what I do and to put it all into a program, I realize that I had learned a lot and there is still so much more out there.