Sunday, April 29, 2012

12" Turtleback Lamp

At the studio, we are usually working on several projects at the same time. At the moment, we have two shades, a lamp base, and two windows going on simultaneously. This may sound counterproductive, but each project is at a different stage of production and gives us the opportunity to vary our work during the day. One window has been cut and fit, and is ready for foiling. The second is being laid out and is taking up both light tables. One shade is in the final stages of soldering, while the other is ready for foiling and final assembly. The lamp base is waiting for a light cluster and then it will be patinated and wired, ready for its debut in the showroom.

In the midst of all this activity, we have completed a 12" Turtleback shade for the showroom. The background glass shifts from a pleasant off-white down to a vibrant green, which sets off the green turtleback tiles. Displayed on the Budding Gourd Pottery Base, this petite lamp would make a perfect accent light in any room of the house.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

22" Nasturtium Shade


The 22" Nasturtium commissioned by an East Coast client has been completed and delivered.

Large shades provide an generous canvas to blend colors. The glass in this large shade contains a plethora of colors and textures, creating unexpected juxtapositions of flat, textured, mottled, streaky, transparent and more opaque glasses. The glasses combine to present a lively rendering of Nasturtiums at the height of summer.

The 22" Nasturtium is a shade pattern with three repeats in the design. The brightly colored flowers mound realistically on the shade as if they are growing over the piece. As with most Tiffany Studios' lamp shade designs, the skillful rendering of the lifelike flowers makes the repeat difficult to easily discover.

Once the foiling was completed, the shade was soldered together and reinforcing wires were affixed to the interior of the shade, providing the additional stability which has enabled original Tiffany examples to last over 100 years in perfect condition.

22" shades are quite versatile and are well suited to be used as large table lamps, floor lamps, or chandelier fixtures. Our client chose the highly detailed Bird Skeleton base for the shade. This base features an organic surface with many cutouts from the legs and continuing on the stem which gives the base a light, airy feel. The distinctive Pigtail Cap completes the piece with an added touch of whimsy.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Back to Work

We are back from our trip to NYC and are hard at work on several projects. While Irwin solders on a 20" Geometric shade for a client, Bill is laying out a 16" Daisy shade. The background, leaves and stems are in place, and he is working on the flower petals now.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Century Studios Will Be Closed

Century Studios will be closed Thursday April 12 through Saturday April 14. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday April 17.