Ikebana and Accessories

For the past year or so I have been studying Japanese art and culture, and in line with this I recently took a class in Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. The lesson was with a private instructor through the Ikebana International, check out some of the work at: http://www.ikebana-minneapolis-stpaul.com/ikebana_gallery

Inspired by the Ikebana, I have also been making what I call "accessories": small sculptural objects designed to bring a breath of beauty into a room. Check it out below!

Turning Bowls

 So, This year I have started turning bowls on the lathe. I have been studying Japanese stoneware and porcelain tea bowls, and these are inspired by what research I have done. I think for my first jump on the lathe they are not too bad!!
Here are some progress shots of the pieces I have so far... more to come soon!

Prototyping a stool

I am learning about the making of multiples, and exploring jigs. I am also exploring my own aesthetic, pulling inspiration from the tori-i gates that stand in front of Shinto shrines.
Here are some photos of the process so far, basically I am setting the groundwork for more of these to be made easily.

Some of the models i made for brainstorming

The drafting table we set up

A taper jig to ensure all the legs are the same shape

The mold i used to vacuum form the seat

The seat - made of layers of 1/8 inch baltic birch

Finishing off the mortises by hand

The tenons - compound angles are difficult!

The piece starting to come together

Gluing up the cross pieces

New work from this semester

Kinsei, a stool inspired by Japanese architecture made from baltic birch plywood, ash, and a cushion.

More Zaisu chairs and a Walnut and Bamboo table to accompany them.

Tic - Tac - Toe bench made from Maple and Ash.

Walnut-Kozo Cabinet

This wall-hanging cabinet is made using Walnut and Kozo, a material used for making Japanese paper. I was inspired by Japanese design principals of asymmetry and austere beauty, embracing the imperfections in the wood and bringing them to the front of the piece.

Zen Room

 This is an installation I made taking inspiration from the principals of Zen Buddhism and creating a space inside a busy school for meditation. I filled the room with sand and gravel and made small cushions to sit on. I also made more of the lights you see below  which were the only source of light in the room. I was surprised at the amount of people that experienced this installation and who gave me positive feedback.

Japanese Lamps

I have been so excited about all the Japanese paper that I made, and wanting to incorporate it into my furniture. This here is an edition of eight lamps that I am making using walnut, handmade Japanese Paper, and battery-powered LED's. Here are some pictures of the process and the first artist's proof:





The first finished piece, then all the little pieces of the rest















All the little boxes. I really enjoy working in multiples like this, and working small is nice too.














They are too small to fit in clamps, so I am taping them up for pressure while gluing.













So many hours of sanding! I sanded them all by hand.















A string of 3 LED's is wired up to three 3-volt batteries. (hmm... thats a lot of 3's)













Finishing them with a clear satin polyurethane.














The lamp, all put together, glowing in my studio.














A nice studio shot of the first finished piece.