Outside Inspiration: Creating from Tools

I just wanted to stop and think about a possible source of inspiration that I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of in polymer, most likely because we don’t deal with any particularly intricate versions of it: the tool. Our tools are pretty straightforward, but if you venture into the hand-tool section of the hardware store, there are some really interesting forms such as bobs, hand planers, lathe knives, and specialty drill bits. Get yourself into other crafter’s studios (like those of glass-, ceramic-, fiber-, and metal-smiths), and you’ll find even more cool and curious items.

We can really draw inspiration from anything; but specialized tools can be particularly interesting, since their forms are based on specific and unusual functions that may need special handles or angles to work. I remember the first time I saw an old-style block plane. The handles made such beautiful shapes. Here is the profile of an antique version; it could be a sculpture unto itself.

Okay, you probably think I’m nuts; but really, if you stop and look at a tool or–any functional object–and see it for its form, pattern, colors, or texture, you can find all kinds of unexpected beauty and inspiration. I assume that’s how Jude Clarke decided to create this pin out of rulers.

I had never really looked at a ruler as anything but the most banal tool, something I’ve had around me since I was in grade school. But the rhythm of the line repetition and the elegant font of the numbers make for a beautiful surface design. There’s also a great juxtaposition between the ruler and the diamond, the contrast of ordinary and precious, which gives you pause and makes you stop and think about how a ruler might be seen as highly valued as a gemstone. Or at least, I did; I don’t know that I will ever look at a ruler quite the same way again.