THE BIGGEST
Challenge
My Table lamp XXVII Escher’s Leaves was probably the most challenging and labor-intensive of all my lamps but creating it gave me enormous satisfaction. I have also learned a lot, both during the designing stage as while carving it.
From this post, you can learn more about how this unique, organic lamp inspired by work of the genius M.C.Escher was created.
As for the beginning, you can watch this short video.
For about 5 months, on every stage of work, I recorded the rotating gourd from the same angle, with the same exposure and speed.
In the end, all videos were edited into one, showing how the gourd has become the piece of art.
DESIGNING OF
The Pattern
Although the original work of M.C. Escher was built on a rectangular grid, I have built the leaf design on the spiral grid and of course spherical. My aim was not to copy the Escher’s pattern but to create something new, an organic design – a kind of tribute to this genius graphic artist.
Most of my designs I project directly on the gourd, but this time I had to first make several drawings to design this pattern and create evolving, symmetrical and continuous leaf forms being in perfect balance.
Carving
Forgive me for jumping over the stage of the more detailed drawing the pattern on the gourd, but I simply forgot to take a pictures of that stage. Besides, I would like to focus more on the carving process.
After engraving all the contours, the first part I was carving were the leaves without perforation.
The steps were almost the same like in case of the perforated leaves, so you will see more in the next pictures.
SECOND STRUCTURE OF
The Leaves
Now, was the time to carve another part of the pattern – the leaves with the perforation. The first stage is carving the veins.
The veins of all the leaves are finished. Of course, not everything can be done using Presto turbine. A lot of work I had to do by hand sanding.
Carving the open-work perforation of the leaves which structure is based upon the Voronoi diagram was probably the most time-consuming part.
REALLY CLOSE TO
The Final Touch
I love that look of the gourd in the process. Almost none of the original outer layer of the wood is left and it finally looks like the intricate sculpture.
Now, all the details need to be sanded and finished. The wood on this stage is still raw.
IT’S TIME FOR
The Pyrography
Next step is making the texture of the contours. It was made with a very precise wood burner (Razertip) and it’s been the first of my lamps where I have applied this technique.
Painting and Finishing
The last step of creating the head of the Escher’s Leaves is painting. That is the first of my lamps where I decided to paint the carved thin wood.
I have applied a very thin layer of the natural oil to make the desired color without the impact on its capability to transmit the light.
In the end, the whole gourd was protected with colorless varnish.
EVERY PART
Is Important
Carving the openwork ending part of the base was another challenge. I wanted its motif to be closely related to the main pattern of the lamp.
The whole gallery of the finished lamp you can see HERE.
Tarig · 03:57 · 30/01/2023 -
Very nice