Monday, September 15, 2008

28" Lemon Tree with Birds Chandelier

Inspired by a Tiffany Studios' mosaic wall hanging, the 28" Lemon Tree w/Birds Chandelier is a Century Studios' original lamp design. Currently available for purchase in our showroom, this generously proportioned shade features a wealth of details and a lush color palette.

Using the mosaic as inspiration, Bill began to design the shade by blocking out the position of the branches so they would have a naturalistic flow on the cone shape. Getting the birds to "perch" on the branches and look natural was quite a challenge. Drawing on a three dimensional surface presents challenges that are not present when working on a design for a flat panel. Positioning the birds in a vertical stance looked normal when viewed straight-on, but they appeared to be hanging on for all they were worth when viewed from an angle! Since a lamp will be viewed from many perspectives, finding just the right angle for the birds took much time and repositioning. Once the birds were safely resting amongst the branches and foliage and the design was finalized, the shade was ready to be rendered in glass.

Usually, either Irwin or Bill will be "in charge" of a project and will select the colors and lay out the glass pieces of the lamp. Both of us work on construction, but usually only one does the layout. On this lamp, we worked together as a team and both laid out portions of the lamp concurrently to create the tropical color scheme.

The elaborate three chain chandelier fixture adds visual interest to the profile of the lamp. This fixture design is Moorish in design and the elaborate cast bronze crown gives the shade added detailing and visual interest. We cast the crown and fabricated the fixture in our studio.

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