March 21, 2009 - Snow and a lamp

Early Saturday, first day of Spring—snow. Very appropriate, in Wisconsin that it. But it's the kind of snow I like, only on the grass, gone fast. I'll take it.

I'm kind of fascinated by the trend toward creating functional items out of wood. Combined with new technologies it seems wood might be able to do some new and amazing things. And of course it's renewable. It's interesting, now that we have global warming and dwindling wood resources staring us in the face that we're suddenly figuring so many more ways to use this renewable resource that's been around for millions of years. The radio I posted a few weeks ago is a great example.

I got the following photos from a e-newsletter called designboom which featured a new series of lamps from Asaf Weinbroom. The lamp designs focus on unifying concepts, mechanism, joinery and new technologies using wood as the main material. The lamps have a mass produced aesthetic and the one-of-a-kind warmth that comes from a handmade product. The shades are created using a unique lamination technology producing a very strong cone made from thin layers of veneer. I'm sure there's more great designs to come. Have a great week and bon voyage Katie and Dave. Hope you have a great trip. m

March 8, 2010 - What do yo think?

Here's a new lamp idea. Let me know what you think. I created this image based on old bowling post cards and then put it through a Photoshop filter. I think it looks pretty good. m

March 7, 2010 - Cool wood radio

I wandered into one of my favorite stores in Madison, Century House—one that has actually displayed my lamps from time to time—and saw this amazing little radio made of wood. When do you see that? At first I thought it was some kind of cool toy, the details were so simple, the wood so smooth and rounded. But it's an actual radio with the most current mp3 playing compatible electronics. The design is very simple but every detail is a treat to the eyes and you can't help but want to touch and feel the smooth beautiful wood. A smooth rounded wood peg through a metal loop holds the back panel on. I don't know why but this may be one of my favorite details. It's obviously manufactured but at the same time hand made. There are even small wooden ends on the connector cables. As a designer and fan of industrial design I was smitten. Of course having no money in this lovely era of frugality means smitten is what I will remain.

So I did some searching on the net and was surprised to see that it's all over the place including stores like Anthropologie. Here's the scoop; there are 3 radios in the product line; small, medium and large. They range in price from $200-$300. Designed by Singgih Kartono for Magno. Each tree used to create these radios had one replanted in its place, as Antropologie touts "making each song played sound just a bit sweeter." Don't you love marketing? The wood is not coated with anything but oil and needs maintaining. Yes, a product you actually have to care for. Not an easy proposition for most of us.

The product was also made as an attempt to improve the Indonesian economy, creating jobs for local woodworkers making wooden commodities needing relatively low skills. This falls into a new category called "New Craft." New Craft attempts to utilize existing systems and technology with the most important factor being to use well managed human resources. To learn more about the designers vision for producing this sustainable product check the Magno Website.

I also want to send out a big Happy Birthday to my mom and my good friend JoAnn who had a great art opening last night at the Commonweath gallery space as well as a fab party afterwards. Loved it. Have a good week. m

February 28, 2010 - Something new

Howdy. It's been too long I know. What can I say but it's winter and everything in me goes a bit slower. The temps are very slowly rising and although I have sympathy for those out east getting more white stuff they can handle I'm not missing it here in Wisconsin. But then I'm not a huge winter sports participant. There are many here who love to get on the slopes and the ice rink. Judging from the piles still out there I think they're pretty happy. With only one big storm in December it's been pretty normal here. The temps do seem to be lower than the average but next week there's hope of reaching almost 40. I hear birds singing and steady drip of melting snow. Music to the ears.

I've been making lamps for 5 years now. Didn't know a thing when I started. I know a little more now. I've pretty much kept to the same materials of wood and paper. This year I'm in the need for some new inspiration and ideas so it's a year of exploration. I'm not planning on doing any art fairs in 2010, sorry, unless of course something comes up out of the blue. I'm just not good at the outdoor art fair thing. It's hard to display lit lamps in bright sunlight and the weather is a never ending source of anxiety for me. My lamps are basically box kites when a big wind hits. Except their tendency is to crash rather than fly. So this year I'm in learning mode and the first is glass. It's taken me way to long to start exploring this very flexible medium.

I'm starting simple. The photo above is my first stained glass project against a rather stark winter background. It's pretty good for my first time. There's a few rough edges. I'm taking a class at The Vinery here in Madison and hope to take a few more. Fusing is next on the list. I have to say it went better than expected. But then I didn't push myself too hard with the first project in terms of difficulty. I just wanted to learn the basics. My next step is to start thinking about how glass might be used in some of my current lamp styles, the first and most simple being the Iotta box lamp. But down the road I'm hoping to find new and imaginative ways to integrate wood, paper, glass and any number of materials to create something unique. I'm definitely getting inspired.

My biggest challenges were: 1) Choosing the glass. There's a lot to choose from and I'm used to just flipping through paper swatches to find what I want. 2) Cutting the pieces to fit. I did pretty good but this is where practice and experience are really going to help. I was surprised at how little pressure is needed to score the glass. 3) Soldering is definitely a challenge. Getting a smooth rounded bead is not simple. But the good news is that you don't have to get it right the first time. You can re-melt the solder and strive for something better. Overall I'm pretty proud of my first project. I'll keep you abreast of my next project, in fact I'll be working on a pattern today.

Talk to you soon. Next posting will be about some cool products that use wood in some unconventional ways. m

February 19, 2010 - Well, it's unique

I like to bring you the latest in lamp design. Here's one that seems to be getting some attention. It's called the Less Lamp. It's designed by Jordi Canudas and when you bring it home it's a sealed egg of a lampshade. Only a little light escapes through a hole in the top. Your job is to use the specially designed pick hammer and chip away until you're happy with the result. You can poke a pattern into the shell or chop off a chunk. A truly interactive lamp design. Only $875. You better get it right the first time. m

February 14, 2010 - Happy Valentine's Day

February 2, 2010 - I love Retro Futurism

All images are reblogged from Dark Roasted Blend.