Better Pictures

Here are pictures of some of the work in the show.

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Not A Hack Table

English sycamore, jatoba, cherry, Spanish cedar, bog oak, leather

18” x 18” x 29”

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Disclosure

Acrylic sheet, ear plugs,

2” x 4” x 11”

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Shelter

Acrylic sheet, brass, hardware

15” x 11” x 21”

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Lingerie Chest

Acrylic sheet, poplar, milk paint, wood shavings, ribbon

60” x 28” x 16”

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Gift

Bamboo plywood, steel, magnets

5” x 5” x 5”

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Karesansui Table (Dry Landscape)

Concrete, poplar

38” x 14” x 40”

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More on Amplification

For this first attempt, I tried to keep it simple.  The original idea was to make a 2D surface look 3D in some way by adding a particular pattern to the surface.  I had some high density foam around from a previous project that I could use to try some ideas on.  Here’s the first attempt:

This was derivative of the clock that I am using as the inspiration for this Amplification project.  Here’s the clock I made earlier.

I was thinking of trying to get this above pattern to go all the way around the simple form of a blanket chest, but seeing it larger in the foam wasn’t really doing it for me.  I think that the shape of the furniture should relate to the pattern more explicitly.  For me, the rectilinear shape of a blanket chest would kill the pattern.  Perhaps if the furniture had curves and the pattern accentuated those curves, it would be more successful.

Thinking about a more traditional approach to patterns on case pieces especially veneer patterns, I decided to instead try working with a grid.  Also, considering the way a perspective view works using the CAD software I use, the object’s relationship to the grid is what helps it look three-dimensional.  I did a couple samples in the foam first using diamonds,

and then using squares.

I preferred the look of the squares then the diamonds, but then came the issue of the corner.  How do I get the corners to come together in a tidy fashion?  I talked to Matt about this issue, and together we figured that perhaps I should try getting the shape of the cabinet and the shape of the curving surface that the grid was going to be arrayed on to relate to each other. This is how I got the corners to work out:

The grid was arrayed on the red curve and then "projected” onto the flat surface. 
I made a cardboard mock up to make sure the size was what I wanted.  I'm glad I did this because I tweaked the measurements a touch before I cut a single piece of wood.

After turning a couple of 8/4 ash boards into veneers on top of plywood, I set up some simple tool paths with the CNC router, and voilà!  I was also thinking of making it look more explicitly like a checker board with paint.  I rendered the blanket chest to see what it might look like.

But after it was cut out, I liked the wood grain so much (amongst other reasons) that I decided to leave it as is--without paint.  But looking at how the real thing turned out and the rendered picture looks now side-by-side, perhaps I should look into using paint…

For a first attempt, I am very pleased with the outcome.  I learned a lot too.  Now for a case piece, maybe with curves….

Show’s up!

Here’s what it looks like.  Thanks everyone for the help!

I have a show soon

 I have lots I want to share, but I am working my tail off to get my show together.  More will come soon, until then here is my show card.  Hope to see you all there!

My dad reads the Wall Street Journal

Every couple months or so my dad sends me a clipping from the Wall Street Journal. Usually he sends me  something that has to do with furniture making or the business associated with it.  This time he sent me an ad for an antique Jupe table, named for its designer Robert Jupe.  This table reminds me of an earlier e-mail Wendy sent of a table opening up by simply spinning it around.

 Check out this link to the antique dealers website to see it in action.  (click on the little video button in the lower right below the picture slideshow.)  I couldn't believe how this thing was patented in 1835!  Pretty cool...  The website looks to have some wild stuff for sale too.

Amplification

I like this assignment.  The piece I am going to amplify (no surprise I am sure) is this clock:

I am thinking about really addressing the surface of a furniture piece.  I am wondering if it is possible to make the surface that the dots rise from undulate one way and the dots change shape and size to describe a surface that undulates a different way.  The goal being to make two different surfaces appear to exist in the same place or at least very close to one another. (Maybe pass through?)

This idea is kind of funny to me because I recently downloaded a sample of a book to my Kindle app on my phone titled, “The Hidden Reality:  Parallel Universes and Deep Laws of the Cosmos.”  I have not read very much of it, but from what I have gathered so far, it suggests the possibility that all things that could happen do happen in an infinite amount of parallel universes.  The construct of time is also called into question as that may only be an aspect of our consciousness.  So what if everything that could happen, does happen, and it happens all at the same time?  Whoa, blew my mind there a little bit…  (In undergrad before I was an art major, I considered astro-physics for a semester.  I liked astronomy,but didn’t like physics.)  This book does a good job of explaining the ideas as the author does not presuppose any background in physics or mathematics. 

To bring it back to furniture, I have become more aware of how a three dimensional surface can be described two dimensionally.  I am on the lookout for patterns in space these days, and they are everywhere! The camera is going to be an important tool in my “research.“

I was talking to Rachel in metals about this new idea and she lent me this book for inspiration:

Its pretty fun to look through.  It’s on my bench if anyone wants to check it out. 

I was talking to Dr. B about this idea too, and she suggested looking at Op Art form the 60’s.  Like these people:

Richard Anuszkiewicz

Bridget RileyVictor Vasarely

Anyway, I am going to do some samples over the next couple weeks and try to have a furniture piece that begins to explore this direction for my advancement show.  I think I am going to start with a blanket chest form.

Words and such…

First I wanted to add to Adam's bit about the flu shots in his post.  I was going to Rite Aide in O.B. the other day and there was a sign for shingles shots on one of those sandwich boards out front.  On the other side of the board was a sign advertising swine flu shots.  I mean, seriously, I know there are a lot of painful and bad diseases out there, but do I really want to go to my local drug store and get a cocktail of vaccinations in addition to my soap and toothpaste?  Nope, I don't.  It’s a little weird to say the least.

Totally unrelated, but the other day I showed my housemate, George, thisplywood piece I made for Digi Fab last semester.

He thought it was interesting, and reminded him of something he did when he was in school.  So he went to his files and brought out a newspaper page.

 

I thought this was way cooler than my table.  He made that chair in the back out of Baltic birch ply wood and synthetic webbing.  At the top left there it says Los Angeles Times with the date of July 22, 1956.  So mid-century modern…

And to reiterate what Adam has posted about shows in the student galleries here at school, beside this coming weekend, there should be some good work to look at almost every Saturday night until the end of the semester.  Whoa, it is going to be crazy!