You may think a family crest is a quirk for the old-fashioned rich or someone affected by delusions of grandeur. An out-of-date knickknack poorly pretending to depict yourself. The ultimate “useless uselessness” at the time of social networks.
Well, I respectfully disagree.
A crest isn’t that frilly: it’s just a super-condensed way to tell the World who you are and what’s your story by the means of design and visual arts.
The key here is to find out how a symbol suits you or whatever related to you. In a word, your personal trademark.
“Oh, that’s cool…wait, what?!?“ Yup, you heard me right. Temet nosce, someone said. Quite tricky, huh?
Starting from your own house makes sometimes things easier. And that’s exactly what I did.
A tiger, for the strength of concrete and solid tuff-brick structure.
A dragon, for the elegance of red chestnut and light oak finishes.
Their unbreakable balance, meaning the domination of one over the other would be someway damaging.
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My sketchbook is one of my best friends, we’re both analog (and so we’ll surely remain over time…). I could never imagine myself without a pencil to start my tinkering: but, also, I could never imagine myself without my digital equipment to get the most out of the result.
All the digital pen strokes are thoroughly captured by a 3D printer, bit by bit, pulleys pulling hard, gears into gears, the stunning dance of mechatronics…
And look at you, my intimidating tiger and graceful dragon, you’re here in my hands, now!
I want something more, though. I can’t stand by a plastic toy pretending to feel all the sensations a family crest should give. It deserves the power of a timeless stone and the fluidity of pottery crafting. Ceramic, that’s the point. So let’s keep going with silicon moulding and cold casting!
Now, I want you to close your eyes and breath softly for just a moment.
I’d like to make you catch just a bit of what the ancient pottery masters used to feel mixing and preparing that slurry.
The smell of earthware.
Your hands getting dirty.
Your mind and muscles struggling together to find the right consistency while stirring (ok, stop thinking about Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore for a while, you little nasty…).
Maybe you’re now feeling to get into something stronger than time. Don’t you think your “trademark” deserves all of this?
Pour the obtained “chocolate” (quite similar, huh?) into the mould, and wait. Just idle. Time knows very well what to do and really doesn’t care whether you’re in a hurry or not…
Unmould.
Be proud of yourself. Maybe you’re not a noble, but surely you made something noble.
Elegantia Visque Plena
Grace and Strength, the eternal balance