Sunday, August 29, 2010

22" Tulip Shade

Tulips are used as the design motif on a large variety of Tiffany Studios shades. Sizes for tulip shades range from 14" to 22". Due to the multitude of colors which these springtime flowers come in, the palette for shades is practically endless.








We have been working on a 22" Tulip shade for a local client. The flower colors for this lamp are an impressionistic blend of reds, oranges, purples, yellows and peach tones. Even with the multiple flower colors, the overall tone of the lamp is lighter and not heavy. A variety of greens have been chosen for the lush foliage. In the photo to the left, Bill is seen laying out the cut and fit flower pieces on the glass palettes. To the right, Irwin is foiling a completed section.

The layout for this shade pattern has three repeats, but because of the complexity of the pattern and size of the shade, it is difficult to see the repeated section when the lamp is put together. One foiled section is shown below.
Large floral shades like this 22" Tulip take many weeks to complete. Much time and care is spent on the complicated layout of colors which bring the pattern to life. Once the glass has been cut and fit to the pattern, the construction of the shade takes a considerable amount of time and patience. In the photo to the left, Irwin is seen soldering on the outside of the shade.

The completed lamp is shown on the impressive Turtleback base (see photo at the top). This bronze reproduction base was created by our studio using molds taken from an original Tiffany Studios example. The heavy base can be used with many different large shades from 22" to 28".

Sunday, August 15, 2010

20" Acorn Shade

Over the years we have seen several original Tiffany Studios' shades and bases come into our studio. We have also been fortunate to have been invited by clients to see their treasures in their homes. It is always a thrill to see an original Tiffany lamp "up close and personal".

Recently, we had a couple bring in an original Tiffany Studios 20" Acorn shade. The shade had been hanging as a chandelier fixture in their dining room (as is often the case, the chandelier fixture was not period), and they wanted to convert the shade into a table lamp.

After reviewing the multiple base options, our clients chose one of our Grueby reproduction pottery bases. The proportions of the base worked beautifully with this large shade. The pottery portion of this lamp base was created for Century Studios by Ephraim Faience Pottery, and the wonderful matte green glaze perfectly complements the green acorns and amber/orange tones in the background of the shade.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

By The Seaside Window

We have completed the large, multi-layered window inspired by the painting By The Seaside by Pierre Auguste Renoir. This Impressionist masterpiece presented several exciting challenges as we translated the piece into a stained glass window.

Impressionist paintings are all about color and the play of light on the scenes being depicted. When touring our studio, we often tell visitors that the best renditions of Tiffany floral lamp designs occur when the color is selected in an Impressionist palette. The same holds true for windows. When selecting the glass for this style of window, the piece becomes more about the way the colors and textures are blended than about being too literal. When chosen and executed properly, this style of working gives the finished window (or lamp) a liveliness and a spark of excitement. The element of surprise delights the viewer and allows them to see something different in the finished work every time they look at it.















This window was commissioned by a couple in New York City and is housed in a custom made light box that will hang on their wall as a "lit painting". The photo above shows Irwin soldering on the back side of the window before adding the additional plated layers of glass to the front of the piece.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Oz Window Completed


The Oz window is completed and in place. The finished window can be seen in the photo above. In the picture to the right, Bill is foiling the pieces in preparation for soldering. To the left, Irwin is seen finish soldering on the back of the window. Once the soldering was done, the window was cleaned and a darkening patina was applied to the solder lines to turn them black rather than silver.

The window is now in place in a window seat on the finished attic/third floor of our home, waiting for trim molding to cover the outside edge. The window will primarily be seen at close range, due to the placement within the room. The photo on the right was taken at night with a flash, showing how the window looks when it isn't lit by sunlight.