What if...

It was so warped, I almost hesitated to hang it. I knew this piece might be a problem, but it was worse than I had anticipated. It was a week before the show, and my art had curled like cardboard in a rainstorm. It wasn't that surprising. This one had started with a slight warp. What was surprising, however, was how much more it had warped overnight.

Behind every pain-point is a solution waiting to be found.

I know how temperamental untreated wood can be, especially with the weather, so I expected a little play in the material. This one surprised me, though, and reiterated the fact that I needed to find a better solution. The craftsmanship put into these large-scale pieces involves countless hours and commitment so the last thing I want is to make a hasty decision and choose a finishing coat I'm unhappy with. The good news was the warp was hardly noticed… (by everyone but me, of course). The bad news is I need to step up my efforts to find a solution.

"After the show," I told myself, "I'll find a better solution, after the show." So, now it’s after the show and I’m contemplating better solutions. I've learned that lying the art flat for a week or so removes 99% of the warp from this piece. The other pieces appear to be none the worse for wear, so not sure why this one chose to warp. The perfectionist in me tells me there is no guarantee that this won’t happen again, Not every piece will live in the perfect climate-controlled environment once it leaves my studio, so I need to find a way to make it warp-proof. I've discussed the problem with my buddy Rock and weighed a more permanent solution, aside from finding a suitable topcoat, I’m considering attaching a backer, most likely some type of plywood. Initially, I bristled at the idea of the added weight, but as we all know, the best ideas start with, "What if..."

The best ideas always start with, "What if ?..."

The art

So here’s my "What if ?"

What if instead of just attaching a backer, I did something a little more special? What if I used a thick enough ply that I could run lights along the edge underneath the art? What if I cut the backer an inch or two shallower than the art, allowing me to install the lights along the edge of the backer. What if the overlap was wide enough so lights would remain hidden? What if the art appeared to have an edge glow? What if I could then choose a color to match the theme, allowing it to command the kind of attention these pieces so richly deserve and 10-X the cool factor?

This is not a new idea. I've wanted to add lighting to my work for years, but unfortunately, when I started this adventure, the tech just wasn’t available in the affordable way it is today. Each time I looked into it, I ended up shelving the idea due to the cost. Now, at long last, the technology has caught up with the demand. LED lighting is dirt cheap which makes lighting these pieces a reality.

The Concept

The best way to see if an idea is going to work is to create a mock-up. Luckily, being an artist in the modern age means that creating mock-ups is as easy as firing up Photoshop.

Annnnd, BAM! There it is. This is what my vision will look like when it's lit, and I LOVE IT!

Now all I have to do is build it and the first order of business is to create a small-scale test project. I’ve got just the piece in mind for this project, and I think you guys are going to love it. If the results turn out well, I’ll move to the larger size and take it from there. If not, it's back to the drawingboard.

Wish me luck, readers, and stay tuned for more exciting updates. Cya next time!