I have always been deeply affected by nature—trees, flowers, plants, animals, water, soil, and stone. It’s not just about hugging trees. (In fact, leave those trees alone! They don’t deserve the indignity!) This is a beautiful and sacred rock that we live on and on this rock spring forth all of the life-sustaining elements that we need as organic beings. The natural world provides the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. This is not optional—we NEED these things, so they need to be respected and preserved. Hide in your concrete jungle all you want, but you can’t survive without the natural world. Not even in the worst-case scenario post-apocalyptic vision of the future. (Does Wall-E ring a bell?) But it’s not even just our physical needs that benefit from exposure to natural elements. Our SOULS need to see and experience the creations of whatever divine beings you may worship or whatever wonder you may experience as you ponder the existence of the universe. We do not live in a bubble. We live in a complicated, multifaceted, connected universe on an equally complicated, multifaceted rock that acts as an incubator that keeps us all alive—without exception! Which brings me to why I do what I do…I create things that mimic those things that I hold most dear. It’s that simple. I get nothing but joy out of a finished piece—even after all the frustration, mistakes, bleeding, cursing, and things being thrown. It’s all worth it in the end. Just seeing something that mimics the natural world makes me feel more peaceful and whole, and I feel like this is something that I have to share. I have to share it because it means something to me. My background in interior design may seem counter-intuitive--much of what designers create is non-organic. But the real magic comes from combining man-made materials and organic elements. My pieces bring a sense of nature into the home—a place often void of anything organic. For example, many people don’t put plants in their homes…And I get it. I suffer from the “black thumb” syndrome myself! In my household, some plants make it…and some plants don’t! I make a point of apologizing to all new plants the first day they enter my house. I know as sure as I am sitting here that a certain percentage will fall victim either to well-intentioned over-watering or under-watering due to my short-term memory loss. If a month has passed and they are still alive, they’ve won the lottery of life. (BTW—don’t ever give me an orchid. I’ve killed two out of two…so far.) Poor thing! I love making candle and home decor pieces incorporating nature into the theme. It stays alive forever and brings endless beauty into a space. My vision is to create a world where it is no longer necessary to create awkward moments with the trees in the backyard. In my vision, the outdoors finds a way into the interior through nature-inspired decor that will put a smile on the face and create a more harmonious interior space. Put one of these beauties on your table…The trees will thank you! Shop for handcrafted nature-inspired decorative candleholders and faux floral centerpieces by Di's Studio Designs here!
Related blog posts you may want to read: Capturing the beautiful details in nature Creation of a centerpiece Art imitates nature Inspiration
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This week, I thought I’d share the inside scoop on a project I just completed. The project is called Forest--and I just put the finishing touches on it this morning! It has been a long and arduous road to get to the finish line! There were many roadblocks and logistical problems along the way, but I kept at it and stayed true to my original vision. The inspiration behind this design was to create a unique candleholder that would be a semi-abstract form of a group of forest trees. Images such as those below kept me focused and reminded me of what I was trying to achieve. My original design concept was a primitive and abstract form with very linear geometric shapes to create the illusion of tree trunks and a canopy set into a bed of stones. The only embellishments were small bushes in the tray bed and the votive candles in the canopy. I used hand renderings and SketchUp models to sharpen my vision and tweak the preliminary design, drew out full-scale schematics for my candleholder, and then took my ideas into AutoCAD to create cleaner scaled schematics from each angle. It was time to gather all the materials needed to bring this design to fruition. A wooden base and small canopy trays—made from basswood—were cut out and assembled according to my schematics and attached to pillars of varying heights. The trees' pillars were then attached to the base. The whole piece received a round of sanding, followed by three gradients of brown paint to achieve the look of weathered tree bark. The only difference between the original design concept and the finished product is the inclusion of tree branches. I purchased juniper sprays, which would add an incredible organic feel to the piece. So, the final design was not as abstract as I had in mind at the start, but I am definitely in love with the results! This decorative candle holder will make a beautiful addition to someone’s table, that’s for sure! Shop for handcrafted nature-inspired decorative candleholders by Di's Studio Designs here!
Related blog posts you may want to read: Finding creative inspiration from nothing Nature and well-being Art imitates nature Inspiration New decorative lanterns by Di's Studio Designs |
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