Tag Archives: furniture

Jewlery, Writing

Writing and Painting

Leave a comment
Book Cover
Book Cover

Writing is back in the forefront this week. As a trial, I published a Kindle Cookbook. It is simple and focuses on using storage and space in cooking for 1 or 2 people. The only illustration is a drawing I have previously posted here, I used on the cover.

http://smile.amazon.com/Cooking-cookbook-singles-Practical-Creative-ebook/dp/B00MJOFRQC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408110199&sr=8-1&keywords=B00MJOFRQC

I am also working on a new book that is more elaborate and contains hand drawn illustrations and maybe some of my photographs. This one is on organization and space planning in the home. I studied interior design and architecture and was assistant designer for many years at a small construction company and space planning fascinates me.

Pendant
Pendant

I did also work on another pendant painting. Copper wire from an old CRT monitor has been woven into a mounting for an acrylic painting of a Hawaiian Sunrise silhouetting the scene. I pulled the copper gun mounts apart and unstrung one, wove the wire together and shaped the mounting for the picture. It is pure rich color copper not the art wire I usually see, I love it.

I grouted the table but have not yet sealed it or but the glass top or trim on.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/199515276/original-painting-hawaiian-sunrise? I forgot the link at first if you wanted to see the other pictures of this one.

Uncategorized

Wormy Wood Desks

Leave a comment
I just love the shape of this piece with perfect branching.
I just love the shape of this piece with perfect branching.

Though I am still working on what day each week I will post, or if I want to specify that, I have been working on a couple of new projects that will be available in my Etsy store when I am finished. I enjoy working with raw wood and discarded wood to create furniture. I love the back-and-forth development of design and creation as you go through the wood to find the right pieces then update or redo the design to work with your primary pieces then the other parts as you find and prepare them. I began this type of work years ago, my mother had several of my pieces that I had offers for but designed for her.

These are pieces of 2 furniture pieces I am working on
These are pieces of 2 furniture pieces I am working on

Currently, I am working on a Wormy Wood Laptop Desk or end table with shelf and mosaic tile, and on another one that will either be a coffee table or another small desk, I  have not chosen all of the wood yet and am still developing that one.

I am Cleaning and prepping the wood. Currently, it is a little dark from the treatment to make sure nothing lives in it now. Wormy wood is a lot of time and work.
 I am Cleaning and prepping the wood. Currently, it is a little dark from the treatment to make sure nothing lives  in it now. Wormy wood is a lot of time and work.

The base piece of wood has perfect branching for a drink shelf and for a paper shelf.

the base for the tile is also a reclaimed piece, but from a remodel job not raw wood.

The

The other piece I am working on is not a pedestal style and has smaller legs as you see above. I am cleaning the wood and prepping it by hand. I use as many old, often antique, hand tools as I can because I not only enjoy them, I respect the tools and the quality of work.

analysis, Found Object, furniture, House, Photography, Steampunk

An Interior Design Project

Leave a comment

One of the things I studies in college was Interior Design. I have been considering a couple interior design projects in Steampunk. Today has been very long so I am going to share a few of the ideas I have looked at this week in that area. Many of these are images I got from Secret Garden on Facebook, others from gaming sites. I did not take these photos and did nothing to them, they are property of other artists, I am sharing them as part of developing a foundation for a Steampunk design. Much of it would obviously need to be custom, but then I wanted to consider multiple price ranges and skill levels. I would want to have readily purchasable options, custom options, build-able options, ways to alter accessible or current items, and ways to use different types of spaces. This is obviously not a one day project, but would be a good series.

You could do some interesting things in a Steampunk interior design project with this window as a base.
You could do some interesting things in a Steampunk interior design project with this window as a base.
It's the stair railing that caught my eye here.
It’s the stair railing that caught my eye here.
Tradition
Tradition
Not much for baby pics, but this bed was too perfect.
Not much for baby pics, but this bed was too perfect.
There are many ideas that this brings up for a Victorian leaning Steampunk interior. Some changes, but the idea is there.
There are many ideas that this brings up for a Victorian leaning Steampunk interior. Some changes, but the idea is there.
This would just be a base for many things, but what a great way to expand a Steampunk design and get that added depth and the tiny Victorian rooms without actually closing the rooms off.
This would just be a base for many things, but what a great way to expand a Steampunk design and get that added depth and the tiny Victorian rooms without actually closing the rooms off.
I know I may be unusual in this being a first thought for a Steampunk design but it appeals.
I know I may be unusual in this being a first thought for a Steampunk design but it appeals.
The obvious choice.
The obvious choice.
Another great use of space, that also draws in the international and colonial travel aspects and allows the rooms within a room idea.
Another great use of space, that also draws in the international and colonial travel aspects and allows the rooms within a room idea.
An obvious one, but one that could be expanded in so many ways.
An obvious one, but one that could be expanded in so many ways.
furniture, GIMP, Photoshop, Steampunk

Modular Gearing

4 Comments
This is my original drawing, done in Sketch-Up.
This is my original drawing, done in Sketch-Up.
This is an art rendition done in GIMP and Photoshop.
This is an art rendition done in GIMP and Photoshop.

I designed this unit off a modular shelf unit I saw some time ago. I used gears instead of tubes and designed 3 possible shelf sizes to fit however is needed into the gears. Each gear can be added or removed separably for reconfiguration of the unit. The units are 1 foot in depth and internal diameter but could be any size, even mixed sizes, because they are gears, they can be fitted more solidly than tubes. You could do the gears out of metal and the shelves in wood or reverse.

GIMP, pencil, Photoshop, Steampunk, Week 3, Wood

Spices and Brass

3 Comments
Redraw and coloring done in GIMP and Photoshop combined.
Redraw and coloring done in GIMP and Photoshop combined.

Many of my furniture designs are done taking a piece of material or a piece of furniture I have or see and modifying it to fit my idea or a theme. This one is just a small wood spice shelf, seen in the center of the piece. It could be done with that piece or be redone in metal in the same color or tone. I have been redesigning pieces we have to fit the Steampunk Alice theme. I have not really been able to work on making them yet, but will have all the designs when I do. Not sure why the sides look so Klingon but they kinda do. The lines and the idea of the lines came from a gate or castle in Alice I think, not that it was like this at all, just where I went with it. Somewhat of the mirror mirror tone looking at it now isn’t there? Lots of influences and things blended. Maybe not strictly Steampunk but the materials and lines fit so it goes.

furniture, GIMP, Photoshop, Steampunk, Week 3, Wood

Alice Who in Hong Kong

Leave a comment

Today’s pieces are all developing ideas. They are complete pieces in themselves but based on drawings by others. Probably the storage shelves are the least recognizable from original. However, I chose these because they each inspired drawing or images in my mind I want to develop more before working on. The shelves use the Chinese influence that was growing in Victorian times because of the newly acquired Hong Kong. I also want to do some using the other influences that were entering the design and furniture heavily at the time and nearby. I quite enjoyed studying those influences in design classes. These influences appeal for several reasons: one, the styles tend to be dramatic and interesting, and they go well with steampunk. Two, the travel and incorporation of things from other cultures and places really fits my approach to life and Steampunk. Three, the influence of a newly emerging global society and the impact on life, science, design, economy, and more fascinates me and is a very helpful study when trying to understand people, culture, economy, and more. Four, they are interesting cultures and designs in and of themselves, and the aspects from their history that have similarities to Steampunk are work finding. without further ado…

The brass and wood with sinuous details fit the Steampunk feel and it is a Victorian base. I added those and the somewhat Chinese Lacquer feel.
The brass and wood with sinuous details fit the Steampunk feel and it is a Victorian base. I added those and the somewhat Chinese Lacquer feel.
This is just a developing idea based on an image from the Doctor Who Facebook page. I want to do a drawing and Photoshop it completely from scratch. I did not do the base image.
This is just a developing idea based on an image from the Doctor Who Facebook page. I want to do a drawing and Photoshop it completely from scratch. I did not do the base image.
Yes, its fairly simple and has only subtle links to the topics at the moment, but it is an idea I want to do from scratch both on computer/pencil and an actual table or model.
Yes, its fairly simple and has only subtle links to the topics at the moment, but it is an idea I want to do from scratch both on computer/pencil and an actual table or model.
furniture, Gallifreyan, Steampunk, Week 2

The Box with no Name – Steampunk Trials

2 Comments

More Steampunk furniture. Yes I like designing and building furniture, I also currently lack what I need for models, jewelry, and a lot of physical art forms. I do want to paint more though. This one was done entirely in Google Sketch-up. I drew each component except the small clock, I just liked it and it was marked free source. I don’t have many materials in the program yet and haven’t found my pro version, so it didn’t have a few things I am unsure if I can do in the standard version. I’m learning.

This piece is a Steampunk worktable, full 3-d model. If you look at the 3 views, some of the details you will see are 2 perpetual motion machines, 2 clocks, quite a few drawers, some almost Galifreyan symbols, and a variety of woods and Brass, copper materials. Gears connect from one side to the other inside the piece and power the perpetual motion machines.

notice the clock, and the perpetual motion machine on top.
notice the clock, and the perpetual motion machine on top.
notice the extendable fan table, one on opposite side as well.
notice the extendable fan table, one on opposite side as well.
You can see the interior gears and perpetual motion machines as well as most drawers.
You can see the interior gears and perpetual motion machines as well as most drawers.
good shot of brass top, the perpetual motion machine, and the fan tables.
good shot of brass top, the perpetual motion machine, and the fan tables.

Frankly, this piece grew entirely organically, there was no plan. I was drawing components to have them for future use and just started drawing.

Anyone know how to change the timezone on your WordPress account?

Alice, cat furniture, GIMP, pencil, Steampunk, Week 2

Steampunk Desk to share with Feline Companion

2 Comments

Day 8 desk cat tree 5This desk was a remarkable pain, GIMP crashed 5 times and my file was lost each time. Working on this version, I saved steps and am going to upload them as I talk also. I began with a sketch as I usually do of a steampunk desk with places for cats to play and sleep. The enclosed area is designed to open for them or storage as needed. The following is the original sketch I worked from.

sketchI have Photoshop installed but no plugins and having never used it, I was to tired to use it instead of GIMP…GIMP was not friendly.I began the color stages with simple materials.Day 8 desk cat treeThe brass desk was too bare so I began to work. This is where things went bad. I did 5 versions beyond this, each entirely different, and I was each time unable to recreate what I had done. I had separated floor and wall, redrawn the entire sketch in GIMP with the trackball and was finishing up when I lost my first one. The following was my next step that survived. As you can see, I am patterning the desk and attempting to add shadows and depth. This was my third one that survived but my 4th design. After the next crash, I quickly did another and decided the program was shutting down, I was too tired to focus and the day is over.Day 8 desk cat tree 1I like the idea and the base concept. I really liked my first and third pieces today, and am honestly too tired to judge the final one that I began the post with. I did leave a little Alice influence in with the clock and red carpeting but might add more if I did another version…not sure.

I may go in sometime tomorrow and add captions to the images, but I need sleep.

 

 

GIMP, Steampunk, Week 1

Freedom through Restriction

Leave a comment
My husband said it looked like it was done on hammered copper, I like that thought.
My husband said it looked like it was done on hammered copper, I like that thought.

This is one of those rare moments for me of actually liking a piece I did. As I worked on this piece it just wasn’t going well, was just off somehow and all of a sudden I had a moment of “that’s it! Done.” I always have more to do on my pieces. This particular trait was one of the things prompting me to embark on this project; the need to post a piece each day limits the amount of obsessing over the piece I can do to my available time to work. Another aspect of this same requirement is that I must consistently work on my art in some form or another. This week has been rather heavier in the computer drawing than I am practiced with. I have wanted to improve my skills in this area for some time and have taken this a a time to focus and develop skills and traits beneficial to my art and life. 

On this note of introspection that could lead to a long discussion, the automaton is going to sleep. One more very early morning and then I have a brief break from such sleep banishing torments. I hope you enjoy my pieces and my ramblings, I am learning to see my art in a new way already, even if it sometimes takes posting the piece before I feel that way.

Steampunk chair based on a basic Victorian rocker in metal, done in GIMP.