No Lace, No Problem!

As our final project in BDS we had to create a light form! With this challenge we couldn't use any glue, no tape, nothing sticky! We only had one substitute item and the paper. For my light form substitute item I used brass! I had the brilliant idea to create a flower, snow globe lamp! It would have petals on the outside and right in the center have cut out shapes with the sphere around it! 

That's what I did until I realize Bristol paper isn't easy to mold into a sphere... I wanted to incorporate flowers somehow, I then decided to make a giant lily flower and weave a basket so it could hang in the basket! But then I realized I couldn't weave nor make the giant flower how I thought I could. 

As I looked at my lamp I randomly decided to put flowers on the band I already made and attached a long "cape" like figure. That's when it came to my mind to create a paper wedding veil lamp! I also was running behind just trying to have an idea so I figured this lamp would take time but save so much time with it also being a unique item.

As I made that piece above I had to create lace like material with the paper... I didn't know how until I remembered mineral oil makes the paper semi transparent and also molds the paper better. I crumbled the paper, opened it and put mineral oil on it again. 

It took awhile to dry so I tried two methods. First I tried blow drying it, then a friend suggested to wipe it down with a paper towel.

As the drying was complete I cut a shape out of the paper that looked veil like and attached a rose flower to the back... I wasn't too happy with the result.

Although it wasn't the complete form or anything, something was bothering me. I then realized it was giving ghost. I had to to look at veil references again and realized the front part of the veil isn't as equally as long as the back. I trimmed the front a lot.

I was more happy with the result this way. From the Third stage of the wedding veil, you can see with the flower in the back there was multiple slits. I decided to create flowers in slits. A friend also suggested I should make them go all the way down on the veil. As I did I ran into a problem on the day professor was going to take a look at our lamps.

As you can see the brass is showing very visibly which kinda distracts the lamps image. Also the back and front lace is not really giving the lace affect. Its very.. square and has no "movement". Professor Lily took a look and suggested what if I put a lace behind the one in the back and give the original piece in the back a curvy cut following the flowers. With the front lace cut more curvy on the sides and bottom. I thought that would actually work. I took the criticism and went to go fix it.

I first cut the extra back piece of the "lace" crumbled it in mineral oil, dried it and then attached it. I then made the front part of the "lace" curvy for the movement soft affect. I also added these two strips just to add more character.

Once again, I came across that "ghost" feeling. It looked rounded and it was because the additional lace. I thought about cutting it the way the original back piece is, so I did. I ended up liking the results. 

I brought it to school the next day for hanging and presenting and it went well!

For never making a lamp, not bad. I incorporated texture, simplicity mainly to form a light source! Took a lot of patience and refining. 

Fin