Mary P Williams

Off in the morning to see a woodworking craft show in Weslaco, Texas.

Bill Killough

Here is Bill Killough with his intricate little house … of course we all see it as a “hobbit house” after being inundated with “Lord of the Rings” and Disney. The interior spiral staircase is a marvel … I am charmed!

Craft is defined as “skill in making things by hand” or “an occupation requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill.” As I turn his carvings in my hands I wonder … what is the difference between art and craft?  His attention to detail and perception of space is excellent.  Art, per Wikipedia, is “the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often of symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.”

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says “The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy … (a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics).”  Holding the “hobbit house” and feeling the wood, the way the knife has gouged its way in feathered strokes, it appears to me that there is minimal difference between “art” and “craft” … Bill has his own aesthetic.

Bill Killough "Hobbit House"

Looking carefully at his face and his carvings, you can see his Philosophy of Life!