[Woodcarver] phi-1.618 (chat)...

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Sally,

Nothing that magical about Phi.. Yes, both Noah's Ark and the Ark of the
Covenant were based on the ratio of Phi.

Phi is just a cool number 1.618.

If you take any length line and divide it so the ratio of its large section
to the original length is the same as the small section is to the large
section, that's Phi =(1.618).

It's the only number that you can square , than subtract 1 and your back to
the same number. It is also the only number you can take the reciprocal and
add 1 and get the original number.

Phi is all over your body. The ratio of the length of your forearm to your
wrist is to the length from your wrist to your first knuckle is 1.618. Again
the ration of the length from your wrist to your first knuckle is to the
length of your first knuckle to the second knuckle is 1.618. And it
continues to the end of your fingers. As someone mentioned before, it is in
you head, that's the design of your head. It shows up in nature, population
growth, energy, color, music and architecture.

A few things my apprentices haven't had need of is a ruler and knife. When
they draw, instead of a ruler we approximate visually. I sometimes take a
ruler and measure to see how close their estimation was. One of the things
we practice is approximate Phi in their designs. It is simply visualizing
the total distance divided into 8 equal segments and picking the spot with 3
of those segments on one side and 5 on the other. When they design their own
molding I want them to incorporate the ratio of Phi some place in the
design.

I don't know about birds but I would bet that you could find Phi in the
number of feather of each row (3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc). Some flowers have
the ratio Phi in the rows of peddles as it comes from the center.

There's nothing magical or spiritual about the number Phi. It is just a very
pleasing ration that we can recognize and use in many of our designs.


Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
**************************************************


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "sally nye" <sarolyn at accn.org>
To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] phi-1.618 (chat)...


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>
> Hi Joe and Bob,
>
> You have a good point in having a session about this at the GOW.  I
> think it's a great idea and I'm sure Joe can explain it simplified
> terms.  I have never had an art class but read about this in a book
> many years ago.  It was a spiritual book...not an art book.  Don't
> remember the name.
>
> So "phi" is a global standard that everyone knows about from the
> beginning of time, evidently.  Did Noah build his ark based on phi?  It
> sounds as if it is God's measurement...an inherent knowing even if we
> didn't learn it in a classroom setting.
>
> Anyway, thanks to everyone for jumping in here.  Very interesting even
> though I my never measure up to Leonardo.
>
> Sally
> http://www.geocities.com/fancarving/home.html
>
> On Jun 28, 2004, at 1:31 PM, Joe Dillett wrote:
>
> Hi Bob,
>
> That could be one of those topics for a general round table discussion.
> Have
> everyone put in their 2-cents of different topics.
>
> Joe Dillett
> The Carving Shop
> 645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
> Somonauk, IL. 60552
> (815) 498-9290 phone
> (815) 498-9249 fax
> http://www.thecarvingshop.com
> jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
> http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers
> Forum
> **************************************************
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bob Mau" <basswood at aol.com>
> To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
> Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 10:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] phi-1.618 (chat)...
>
> > You could try sending Joe an e-mail and see If he would spend an hour
> > at
> > GOW o go through it.
> > Hint Hint.
> > Bob Mau
> > Big Rock IL
>
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