Pinecone - Tumblr Posts
Some observational sketches I did on some organic items that I had lying around the house.
Oceans
He stood on the shoreline of a distant ocean, the cold body lapping in pirouettes around his legs. The ocean before him was a boundless expanse of tyrannical waves and their allied storms, this ancient empire placing its borders on the mist veiled horizon. He surveyed the land before him, to which he was an alien, from the reeds that hummed with the breath of the wind, to the waves aglow in bleached yellow spray and hazy gradients of orange, tinged by a distant sun all in contrast with the sky, dawning the veil of night over a soon dying day. While these quintessential elements, the sky and the ocean, brought him comfort in their continuity, an uneasy feeling set in. He understood that he was a trespasser on this virgin landscape.
He felt the growing tempo of the waves rushing in excitement, the pallid nature giving way on its coastlines. He freed himself from the sand that had begun to set around his travel torn feet and began walking forward along the beach.The wind drew up the fragments of long ago eroded rock, they ran like knives along his calves. He cringed at the sting. The pain of every fibre gnashing at his legs grew excruciating, he was forced closer to the swells of an agitated ocean.
The sky in its delirium, grew careless in its fading state, Exposing the depths of amber and meandering hues of magenta and etchings of coal blue. Rushes of light flung themselves on the stage of that celestial body, in swirls and violent protrusion of their great golden arms, they performed in the arches and golden murals of a dying day.
The advances of the waves grew stronger with every restful retreat into the depths of the vanishing shoreline. He saw the waves writhing in chaotic licks of water, cavernous blues mingled with golden light at their crests. The waves reached for the sky, so drawn by its splendour.
Each battalion of water trying at his balance, no longer was it pooling passively around his legs but scampering up his flanks with growing confidence. He faltered, his legs trying to escape the thrashing, an instinctual urge to retreat to the shore confused his motion. A reluctance set in, remembering the glass like shards of sand slicing into him. He looked back upon the beach, the sand had swarmed like hornets in plumes of fury, preventing even eyesight from reaching beyond its guard.
*
Out beyond the tidal waves he saw an island. Mountainous upheavals of land masked by tall standing armadas of trees, bearing fruits in the deepest tones of crimson, nourished by pools of water that sparkled like diamond. The vision flickered and faded, the apparition evaporating and a moment of hazy realisation before he was placed back in the water, his eyes lifted, they met the horizon. He trudges forward still entranced by the island, so impossibly perfect and serene, a place where the world was quiet.
The ocean mounted skyward, pitching torrents higher and higher, arms outstretched it longed to be one with the heavens in its fiery beauty, forbidden love. Bound by gravity the monolithic waves crashed back to the ocean, sending tremors to the shores and shallow waters.
Best girl
This project is the reason I kind of dropped off the internet for a couple months there. But isn't it beautiful?
It's a chandelier I was commissioned to design and build for a big fancy fundraising gala. It's being installed in two days.
I'll make a longer more in-depth post with in-progress shots and explanations later, but for now:
laser cut
1/16" thick okoume plywood
bolted together
1/8" birch plywood internal frame
14 light bulbs inside
about 50 lbs
about 50 inches in diameter
currently taking up most of my living room
f***ing awesome.
Chandelier Saga Part 5: Electric Boogaloo
And I thought I might be done. The big chandelier was finished and hung and beautiful, but I still had more work to do. The organization I designed the chandelier for was launching a kickstarter to raise money for the maker space they were going to build, and they really wanted a small version of the lamp to make available as a backer reward.
Though I was able to reuse most of the 3D modeling techniques I worked out for the big one, this one basically had to be redesigned from the ground up. I adjusted the shape to be more compact, and to look better from the side. The structure of the big one relied on the wood bending a certain amount so the scales could be bolted to each other, but that wouldn't work on a this small a piece, so instead it has a central structure with radial ribs that the scales get hung on.
This was the first iteration for the small size. It looked good, but there were two major things I was unhappy with. The big issue had to do with the attachment of the scales to the ribs. Each scale had a single slot along the center-line that fit onto a tab/hook on the ribs. This setup means that all the scales can rotate a little bit along their center-line, so they kind of rustle and jostle in a breeze. Basically, it doesn't feel super solid. I would need to adjust the attachment in some way. The simpler issue was that the scales weren't letting as much light through from below them as I would like, so I would need to angle them outwards more.
Oooh man, I finally assembled two (TWO!) items of furniture I designed! The shelves I cut this last Monday. The lamp pieces have been sitting in a box since before Christmas.
I took progress photos of the assembly of both of these, and I’ll post them with an in-depth write-up later. But for now, enjoy this final photo!
One point for everything you can identify on the shelves.
Look what I found in my workroom! A lovely pine cone. #tsumamizaiku #tsumamikanzashi #silkflowers #silkart #kanzashiflowers #kanzashi #handmade #flower #fabricflower #japanesecraft #flowerart #つまみ細工コンテスト #日本つまみ細工コンテスト #つまみ細工 #つまみ簪 #日本文化 #手作り #羽二重生地 #伝統工芸 #つまみ細工好きな人と繋がりたい #つまみ細工教室 #ikebana #ikebanaflowers #活け花 #生け花 #rose #薔薇 #pinecone #松毬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CDb9cDPAZGO/?igshid=8s0bs1cup4hb
Carefully showing you the pinecone arrangement. #tsumamizaiku #tsumamikanzashi #silkflowers #silkart #kanzashiflowers #kanzashi #handmade #flower #fabricflower #japanesecraft #flowerart #つまみ細工コンテスト #日本つまみ細工コンテスト #つまみ細工 #つまみ簪 #日本文化 #手作り #羽二重生地 #伝統工芸 #つまみ細工好きな人と繋がりたい #つまみ細工教室 #ikebana #ikebanaflowers #活け花 #生け花 #rose #薔薇 #pinecone #松毬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CDee9-lg2Rl/?igshid=1m0blirtzxxav
As the days cool down, it is the perfect time to reconnect with the outdoors before the leaves begin to fall and we take our shelter to the indoors to keep warm. Let the breeze relieve you from the hot summer and remind yourself of all the fun things of autumn and winter to come. 🌼🍂
Visual literacy finals from last semester
Personally I think I’ve made them a bit too cluttered, but it worked with the theme I went with and I still think they’re neat.
The Magic of the Pines & Correspondences 🌲
“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines And you shiver when the cold wind blows”
–Dolly Parton
Pine Tree (pinus spp.)
Energy: Both hot & cold
Planet: Mars
Element: Air
Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Astarte, Attis, Cybele, Dionysus, Pan, Venus, The Horned God
Fertility • Love • Purification • Healing • Banishing • Protection • Abundance
There are around 115 types of pine trees and, aside from oak, pine trees are the most successful and widely ranging trees in North America. Pinyon pine nuts are edible and can be ground to make flour, pine oil is used as an antiseptic, pine rosin can be used in soaps and sealing wax, and some Native American tribes used pine gum to treat boils.
The ancient Romans used pine trees cut from sacred groves in a manner similar to modern-day Christmas trees. They would take the trees the night before Saturnalia and place them in temples to be decorated and used as a fertility symbol.
Dreaming of tall straight pine trees means that you will receive good news.
Pine needles can be burned to cleanse and purify the home (mix equal parts juniper & cedar) and to reverse spells and hexes made against you. Scatter the needles on the floor to drive away those with ill-intent. Add crushed pine needles to bath sachets in winter for a relaxing magical cleansing. They can also be used in sleep and dream sachets—just make sure they won’t poke through!
Use branches of pine to sweep an outdoor area before performing magic. Branches can also be placed above the bed to keep sickness away, above the entrance to the home to ensure continual joy within, and a cross of pinch branches or needles above the fireplace will keep evil from entering through it.
Pinecones can be carried or hung in the home to increase fertility and to stay well in old age. Place one near your bed or under your pillow to draw or keep a lover.
Burn pinecones in your hearth to protect (and warm!) your home.
Place pinecones in your office to draw prosperity and success.
To draw positivity and blessings to you tie a bundle of pine needles with thread and burn them. Pass pinecones through the smoke and place them on your altar or in a place you will see them often. Send grateful energy toward them as you pass by them and good things will flow toward you.
References: Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Whispers from the Woods by Sandra Kynes, Magical Folkhealing by DJ Conway
