Features, personality, mood — all grow out of the time spent shifting an eyebrow slightly up here, slightly down there. Equanimity is the basis. Centeredness, and strength, a prerequisite. That extra block of clay at the top? Why, let it be as it is, a crown of sorts. A glory of clay.

Weather has taken the central role in this second phase of Buddha un-making, and it seems that we’re in for a stretch of sunny, windy fall days, with temperatures reaching down near to freezing at night. There was slightly more pooling of liquid clay at the base today, and a few more pine needles glued to the surface. And then there was Maurice, my daughter’s curious dog, that came dangerously close to stepping on it and collapsing the figure all at once. At first, I told my daughter, “We’ll let Maurice do whatever he wants to do; my goal here is not to protect this sculpture, but rather to let it go the way it goes.”

And yet, a moment later I couldn’t help but usher the playful dog to another direction. “Maurice! Over here!”