The Process
Driftwood Lamps & Sculptures
The Search
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The hunt for quality driftwood led me to the North Carolina seashore where I was able to select individual pieces of cypress driftwood that a boat captain had collected during his charters. Each has a unique shape, size and quality ideal for my future lamps and sculptures.
I look for pieces that have a story to reveal. Interesting shapes which mimic mythical birds, sea creatures and flights of imagination are discovered within each piece of driftwood. Nature provides the source material and I am able to repurpose the discarded wood to reveal its underlying beauty. |
The Creation
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Once the cypress is cleaned, scraped and sanded, the time comes to decide the future shade design. It's the moment when the driftwood takes on its own identity and the creative process begins.
I need to spend time with the wood until it speaks to me of its future - a driftwood whisperer of sorts. Once I decide its course, reed material is bent into a complimentary shape and epoxied to its wooden base. |
The Finale
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The shade's surface is created by gluing together small pieces of archival tissue paper using an acid-free PVA glue. Layers upon layers of tissue are required to build a uniform, seamless surface .
The wood receives a beautiful sheen once Renaissance wax is applied and buffed. Warm rich brown tones of the cypress wood are showcased in each sculptural piece. It's almost velvety in touch. Each illuminated sculpture is equipped with a 6-watt LED bulb which supplies an energy efficient, cool-to-the-touch 350 lumens. Rated for 10,000 hours, you can expect a lifetime of use before a bulb change is needed. |
