Tag: Inspiration

Poured Paint Sculpture Lamps: Embracing New Artistic Influences and Future Creations

Personal Reflections

The featured image above was generated by AI after it analysed all the images on this post. Interesting 🧐 not sure I like it this week.

Now that all the lamps have their feet attatched the look is completed. I like that the feet echo the organic black shapes in the poured skin that surflaces the barrel of the lamp.

In creating a series of painted and poured skins and assembling each onto lampshade making backing I first thouhgt I was a bit crazy, but I didnt mind because people had volunteered that they loved what I had created. I later discovered that I am not solitary in making sculpural forms out of paint integrating a clear foundation for a more etherial spirited look. I had learned about sculptural skins before as we were taught that in my mixed media class at Central Saint Martins. But I hadnt come across an artist who had had integrated the clarity of acrylic sheeting in their work.

Poured paint sculpture lamps: The first trio with all their feet fitted, allowing paintings to be formed into semi transparent tablelamps
15 cm acrylic abstract poured on PVC formed to tablelamp signed on the back..
20cm poured acrylic and ink laminated on PVC framed with black cotton formed to tablelamp

Yet, this week I found new company for this sculpural element of my artwork in the work of Lillian Thomas Burrell. This American artist born in 1927 and five years younger than my mother, wrote a book called From Painting to Painting as Sculpture: The Journey of Lilian Thomas Burwell, by Lilian Thomas Burwell, Hampton University Museum.1997. I have orded a signed copy of it.

I learned about her this week, when Kitty Gurnos-Davis of @artistic.identities posted a reel on IG (16th August 2024) talking about the work of Lilian Thomas Burwell (saying she was ashamed to not yet had discovered her). From watching this reel, I entered into a new world. My internet research took me on a journey. I discovered the images of her sculptures made of painting canvas over a wooden form. There are also images and videos of her use of acrylic sheets with wood in her paintings on canvas.

The Lillian Thomas Burrell exhibition at Berry Cambell Gallery from You Tube

My prior career as a management academic allows me to understand the importance of asserting and connecting with the seminal works in my field. I know that using paint skins is something that is a constant in all my work. Seeing and using paint’s sculptural potential is what only a few artists do. It was encouraging to digitally meet the work of Lilian Thomas Burwell this week. I’ve downloaded the book to discover more about this genre and even asked for a signed copy so I can have it to hand for future reference and inspiration..

I shall be making more of these poured paint sculpure lamps in other colours. Purple and gold was requested on instagram and I might do a deep red and organic green and even a yellow and blue later.

What colour would you like to see?

Colorful vs. White Lighting: Wow House Display Insights

Exhibitions & Events, Organisational Aesthetics

The current lampshade and lighting trend is for big white empires with the gathered version emerging as being a preference.

Above is an array of white neutral lampshades for table lamps in a variety of styles and forms, seen at the Design centre Chelsea during my Wow House visit.

However, please enjoy the feast of table lighting fashions taken from my recent trip to the various rooms in Wow House at Chelsea last week.

https://videopress.com/v/izPlK2Xj?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

This white lighting trend at some areas of the Chelsea design centre appears to echo what I wrote about in my previous posts, especially the one anbout high street table lighting.

As a lampshade maker, I don’t make big white lampshades.

More white drum lampshades

Instead, I specialise in creating small lighting and shade accessories so that they both fit on a shelf system or bookcase arrangement on bedside tables adding a pop of colour, to support shelf styling and staging themes.

I’m here to support those whose tastes for colour are not yet met by monotonous style trends or lackluster supplier management tactics. Did the mainstream lampshade suppliers suddenly say you can have any colour as long as it’s white (just like Henry Ford said about cars in the early 1900s)? I also understand, the plethora of white lampshades might also be down to the minimalist’s quiet assertion and retaliation against the rise of maximalism.

Despite the dominant theme of white lighting, I was pleased to notice more bold and characterful displays of table and ceiling lighting for the home. These seemed to be more fun and cheeky suggesting a personality of their own. Alas, there wasn’t many of the colourful ones to find.

They are rare find indeed. I noticed that the more colourful ones were displayed in the trade shops in the Chelsea Design centre, while a couple of select dark red, purple hand sewn table lamps with or without gathers were thoughtfully placed in the Wow house display.

https://videopress.com/v/WmcLIIZV?resizeToParent=1&cover=1&autoPlay=0&controls=1&loop=0&muted=0&persistVolume=1&playsinline=0&preloadContent=metadata&sbc&sbpc&sblc&useAverageColor=1

This was a development from previous years as those with colour in the Wow house previously were looking a bit anemic, washed out. Might we see more colourful table lamps in the Wow house next year?

Update: 1st July. Just Seen Homes and Gardens on Instagram just posted a thought provocation, asking scrollers to consider the whimsical style featuring colourful lamps and various colour palettes Homes and Gardens on Instagram thus we live in hope of the un-bland-ing of ambient lighting pieces.

The main thing to remember when selecting your lighting or designing your lights for ambiance within  a colour scheme is to not be pulled in by what is obviously available. Dog deeper for more interesting suppliers. Go for colour drenching, harmonising or coordinating until you are happy that you are making your own mark and showing your personality.

Do you prefer a colourful light for ambient lighting or white lights?

Let me know in the comments, below.

Click on the link to view the colourful lighting I have in my Etsy Shop

Since it’s the end of the month here are links to the previous four weekly posts, just in case you missed them.

ANCIENT CLASSICS: MY STYLE TOO

Personal Reflections

I realised how much I appreciate some classical English stately home decor from my trip to Ashridge House in Hertfordshire recently. I was surprised as I thought a lot of my style comes from my Caribbean heritage and London urban living and my immersion in corporate training.

But I discovered how much I love the juxtaposition of earthy stone tones with the bling of gold frames that can be found in some English Stately homes like Ashridge.

The amazing thing about Ashridge house is that it used to be where Henry the VIII and Elizabeth 1st lived. It is also famous for various films like Beauty and the Beast, Malificent, killing Eve and More.

Continue reading “ANCIENT CLASSICS: MY STYLE TOO” →

The Drums are not Beaten

Personal Reflections
My return to and finding new uses for the small drum lampshades have sparked fresh creativity and renewed interest.

Currently the empire and coolie (more correctly conical) style of lampshade is all the rage. This created my dilemma, as fewer people were buying the drum shades, especially in the small sizes that I make. And I had made a lot to experiment and sharpen my practice of adding more decorative elements to them like the metal upholstery studs as I’ve always loved that classic look.

But, this week I set on a spree to rediscover what the styling options were for the plethora of small 15cm drum lampshades that I have in store (not all are in the online shop).

Continue reading “The Drums are not Beaten” →

Celebrating Unique Bookshelves

Organisational Aesthetics

This new year allowed me to reflect on how important our home office decor is. I was encouraged about its importance from recently watching the Jay Shetty conversation with Kelly Wearstler (famous interior designer) on You Tube 2nd October 2023. The messages about decor from their talk (Your space can affect your Mood) that I took away were:

  • The decor of your home needs to stand out and be distinctive to everyone else’s as so much of our interiors looks the same these days
  • Beautiful interior decor and careful styling can help to uplift your spirit as well as bring peace and calm
  • Everyone is looking at our backgrounds in online meetings and trying to make sense of who we are
Picture is of my backdrop in the midst of a shelfie makeover. I was trying to get the books and outline aligned to the obligatory smile shape. Lighting of the bookshelf is also vital several reasons which I shall explain in other postings

Some of the other reading I have done say more. Since doing my interior styling course and reading more about shelfies and office decor, I note they all tend to stress the connections that people make about your decor and your identity. Our office decor then is an important piece of personal branding.

I even stumbled across a couple of old organisation behaviour papers that I shall share later in other blogs with you. These research papers point to the important role of artefacts like office decor on shaping and sending messages about organisation culture.

So this year some of my content will provide helpful hints and tips about home office styling that converts your online meeting attendees into people that start icebreaking conversations that are more meaningful.

Drop me a line. If there is anything particular you would like me to cover in my future posts about home office styling, shelfies, backdrops, cultural artefacts in organisations, then please let me know.