Machines

Last post, I mentioned "travelling" to the town of Da Vinci's birth. Now I will attempt to project myself into his workshop. To prepare for the journey, I deprived myself of food during the past few days. I have just ingested a tea brewed with South American botanicals known for opening pathways in the mind. I now sit in the dark, breathing slowly and deeply, and empty my thoughts of all things other than Leonardo's workshop.

An image becomes clear in my mind, and I realize I'm looking at Leonardo's drafting table. I am in his workshop! Okay. Now I'm back home. I will try to find an image like this on the web, and get some information on this contraption. After some browsing, I found this site. It explains that Leonardo's vision enabled him to see the separate parts of machines, and combine them in new ways.

Astral projection being an arduous endeavor, I've had a nap. I will now attempt to find an example of the device above in use........Oh it was horrible. I was transported to a suburban garage and witnessed a chubby school-boy turning a modified culvert to raise a glass of kool-aid for his little sister. Still, a good example of a device that was intensely modified upon by our hero, Leonardo.

Aaahh, this is more like it. Back at the drawing table and looking at the first European variable speed transmission. This drawing, and others like it, influenced humankind's industrial aspirations centuries after Da Vinci sketched them.

Next post, I would like to back-track a little and explore the artistic legacy of you-know-who.