Doolittle's Raiders Help with Arbol de Vidas

This week is Arbol de Vida making week. These sculptures are really challenging to make. They require perfect timing, and clay consistency. It is easy for them to collapse, or to crack. The degree of dryness of the clay must match on all of the parts except for the flowers and leaves. Flowers and leaves must be dry. They also have to be constructed flat, and then flipped vertically. Usually, I make several at a time. Today, the shed was really hot, and I had a frustrating collapse. I think that I was able to save the piece though, after rebuilding it. Hopefully, it won't warp in the kiln. If I make several in a row, I get better at making them, and it becomes a more fluid process. Tomorrow will be easier!

While working, I've been listening to the story of Doolittle's Raiders. Several years ago, one of my students, Ethan, chose to be Jimmy Doolittle for his Famous Californian Report. I was ashamed to say, that I didn't know much about him. Ethan's report was stellar. His costume, his writing, and he even constructed a four foot long cardboard model of Jimmy's bomber. It's still hanging from the ceiling of my classroom, on loan, until Ethan has a place for it in his bedroom. This is a compelling read. It focuses on the airmen who were taken prisoner in China. Three men were shot, and a few died when planes crashed off the coast of China. I am now listening to an account of the war crimes trial, for the three men killed by a Japanese firing squad, and for the torture of other airmen. The defense attorney for the Japanese commander, who wasn't really an attorney, found that the raiders had indeed fired on a school, and on fishing boats, and neighborhoods. Doolittle was very clear about only bombing military and industrial locations. It is really lengthy and detailed, but it's also fascinating. And, there are definitely moral ambiguities. Good stuff. Thank you, Ethan! 

I'm also constructing some red and white polka dot plates for my freshly painted kitchen. They are more like chargers, with irregular shapes. If I make one each day this week, I'll have enough to fill my plate rack!