mark james
IAP Collection, Curator
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables - XI
The Sketches of Leonardo da Vinci
The Sketches of Leonardo da Vinci
Born, April 15 1452 in the Tuscan village called Vinci, a boy was named Leonardo.
By the end of this boy's life, "Leonardo" was regarded as a "True Genius" of unparalleled intellect. His areas of interest included: Engineering, Anatomy, History, Writing, Painting, Cartography, Botony, Literature, Astronomy, and more. Where did this wellspring of inspiration come from?
Sparse facts are known of Leonardo da Vinci's early years, but some reports of basic education in Latin, geometry and math are assumed. It is a known fact that at the age of 14, Leonardo was apprenticed as a "studio boy" to the artist Vercocchio at his workshop. It is here that Leonardo would have received his first formal exposure to drawing, drafting, chemistry, metallurgy, plaster casting, leather working, mechanics and carpentry.
As was common practice, Apprentices had to demonstrate certain skills to be elevated to the titles of Craftsman, Journeyman and finally a Master. While Leonardo's final wealth of accomplishments are diverse in topic, he is most renowned as a painter, artist and draftsman. And these areas were crucially dependent on Leonardo's final test at Vercocchio's School; accomplish the task, and he would be released from the Apprenticeship and could make his own way as a free Master Artist.
Assigned to supervise and monitor the tutelage of Leonardo, a senior member of the school gave Leonardo his task:
"As a true Master, you must make your own tools.
To begin this, you have to know what you wish to accomplish.
Until you know your path in life, you will make no progress."
To begin this, you have to know what you wish to accomplish.
Until you know your path in life, you will make no progress."
Leonardo knew his passion, he also knew what tools would guide his life. He asked:
"What materials am I to be supplied with?"
The answer…
"Nothing,
you must demonstrate your own ingenuity,
creativity and ability to be self-reliant.
What you accomplish will not be an end-point,
but rather a beginning."
With no supplied materials, no direction on how to proceed, and no assistance from more experienced artists, Leonardo created a set of drafting quills that would serve him well the rest of his life. To demonstrate the utility of his instruments, Leonardo submitted an early conceptual draft of a later masterpiece - "The Vitruvian Man."
As history has recorded, Leonardo passed his test and was released from Apprenticeship as a free Master Artist. Later in life Leonardo was frequently asked where his inspirations came from. He always answered:
"Inspiration flows from my Quills made from no supplied materials (aka: kitless)!"
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables I - John Hancock's Signature
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables II - Elon Musk and the Chase for his Roadster
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables III - The Scribe, the Master Segmenter and World Peace.
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables IV - The Path to Pen Turning Enlightenment.
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables V - The Tortoise and the Hare.
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables VI - The War of the Roses.
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables VII - The First Marathon
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables VIII - The Fountain of Youth
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables IX - Banjo O'Leary and the Call of the Kookaburra.
Pen Turning Lore, Myths and Fables X - Pandora's Box.
Addendum: The Four Little Penturner's
