Forest Of Light

This is a project that I have been working on with Viktor. At the moment we have one prototype and the current plan is to construct the forest this summer. Well a little forest at least and lighter in colour.

The concept is this. Wall mounted candleholders that can be extended and retracted to suit the mood of the evening. Each unit is fully flexible and is in essence a 'branch' holding a candle. The arms can be rotated from a primary axis to be positioned exactly as one wishes. The unit can be packed down to minimise space and be discreet when not in use.

I wanted to create an ' interior forest' contructed from the arms of the candleholders and the cast shadows that they create. A flexible forest, adaptable, fully retractable and graphically sculptural. This was a fictive poster that I created to illustrate the concept, so none of the 'links' work in real life.

Actual photographs will follow once I've found the location to base the photoshoot on, and once we have built the forest.

And further...

At the end of play today, there were two. But I forgot to take the camera to the workshop.

The journey continues

The journey continues with some abstract shapes, before everything comes together.

These....

These sketches are for small sculptural window decorations in silver. This year I would like to talk about designs that haven't been realised as yet and show what happens with their development, as the project progresses.

With this design I'd originally intended to do a 'sketch' that was semi-realistic. As I started drawing it transpired that actually the emotion and meaning behind the piece were dictating the style. The resulting design is spindly and ghost-like with the form dissapearing into the air at the extremities. A fire bird, with vitality in the centre, that has been lost to the wind.

Engraving with Pierce

We had a wonderful engraving course at LOD last weekend. What an inspirational day! Engraving was a really satisfying technique and very direct - like drawing but slower and more controlled.

That's us learning how to sharpen the gravers and how to pick the tool up so that it's held correctly when engraving. Oh and that's my first bit of engraving there.

Behind the scenes at Solviksbadet

We are preparing for the next exhibition at LOD and took the opportunity to do a summer photoshoot on one of Stockholm's most beautiful beaches. The exhibition is all about necklaces and setting the scene of summer at LOD, so it's been pretty busy in the workshop in the run up.

It was such a breath of fresh air to come to the tranquility of Solviksbadet and we had a lot of fun creating a series of stunning shots for the exhibition. Although the true credit must go to our fantastic model who was a chameleon - literally changing character for each piece of jewellery and to Christian who was behind the lens capturing the magic.

In these shots it's Petronella and Pernilla's necklaces that are being modelled. You'll just have to wait and see the results with mine.

Small but important steps forward.

   

It was a bit of a challenge to make the interior structure for 'Papillions De Nuit' as I wanted to embue an industrial feel to the light frame, yet not distract from the activity and the graphics of the butterflies. The result is very sparse and minimal.

The stainless ´Papillions de Nuit´ have arrived.......

Yesterday the stainless butterflies arrived, and today I've literally bled for my work. Three plasters later and a pile of butterflies to file. What is it that they say? You've got to suffer to succeed, so the prognosis looks good for the outcome of this light! In some way I always find the 'leftovers' interesting. They are always overlooked unusual shapes that could find a new life?

I hope we're going to Belgrade so that this light will get a chance to shine. Maybe tomorrow we'll find out.

Papillons de nuit - A preliminar sketch

I like the idea of quite delicate and fragile night butterflies, angular and stylised, flocking to the light. Masses of delicate little creatures fluttering in a still around a bare desolate light source - industrial and minimal in it's existance. I would like to capture an essence of movement and fragility towards a simple light source.

The aim is to achieve a sculptural light that is both poetic yet raw at the same time. In this sketch I wanted to see how the thin wings could be constructed to capture movement and to observe how light was conveyed through the graphic.

'Papillions de nuit' is a theme that I'd like to extend into a collection of jewellery..... for the night.

Graphics in the workshop - black, white, silver.... and green!

I like the possibilities of interpreting the 'simple' T bar catch grapically. This design is going to form the backside of some necklaces that I am working on, continuing the feel of the design right through from front to back.

This photo captures the trial catch, checking that the weight balance works. Again the power of repetition can reveal the potential for development into other pieces. A pile of 'T's and a bracelet could be on the cards?

A little mention has to go out to the gloriously delicious graphics that hang around LOD from time to time. There's a few contenders but this week's winner is namely 'Super Sculpey'.  Klara bought this clay to mould and hammer against, but the true value of this product lies in it's graphic profile? I have to bow down to the supreme quality of the graphic design here. Simply sublime with a hint of green! Goregous and very very inspirational.

Ghost images in the wake of silver

Today I've been sanding, sanding, and sanding in preparation for the final solderings to these necklaces as the long awaited silver tubing has arrived.

Transient reproductions appear on 240 grit, shadows of the lines formed in silver dust, and lost to the wind.

Hello Stainless

I've been handsawing these Cherry Blossom Armbands in silver, but have always had the ambition to produce them in Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel is so strong and posseses such a beautiful understated industrial colour that I feel it needs to be brought into the spotlight. It lends itself well to small scale production which is the aim with these versions. Silver Cherry Blossom armbands will remain hand sawn, with that personal touch.

Today I recieved the first prototype of this model in Stainless steel which needs to be tested and modified. There's more in the pipeline with this collection, so watch this space. Fortsättning följer.

The beauty of 'Potential'

I love this stage when the drawings are on the desk and there's work in progress. This is when I find designing/making most exciting. I think it's due to the element called potential. The eyes can see tangible physical things in front of you, yet the mind sees many different design possibilities.

This design allows one to literally draw with thin silver wire, making a three dimensional piece of art.