My studio assistant (the late Nico Gogan / Carrie Riehl) and I used the CNC to drill two holes for the wire stem in each of hundreds of leaf-shapes and cut them out from a frosted acrylic sheet. Then I took them home and heated them on baking sheets in our oven and, wearing oven mits, bent them into shapes I liked and dropped them into a bowl of water to cool. We inserted a length of wire into each and crimped it securely before airbrushing each leaf with a range of autumn colors.
LED bulbs and connectors were purchased and shrink-wrapped with a stiff wire inside so their ‘stems’ would hold their shape. Aluminum channel was drilled to hold the wire stems from the leaves and a couple of lengths of aluminum tube were drilled and tapped so the channels with leaves could be screwed on, clamping the ends of the wire securely. A pair of small switching transformers to power the LEDs and a pull-chain switch were secured inside each tube and the bulbs were wired into each of the open ends.
Finally, the jumble of leaves and stems and bulbs were bent and shaped into hanging globes. At present, they drop down over my studio furniture from the 14 foot ceiling. They really are gorgeous!
Core with lighting during assembly Parts ready for assembly Lights are working First rack of leaves is on racks of leaves assembled Bending stems Nico and hanging lamp Forming 2nd lamp Two lamps Carrie / Nico explains the lamps during studio open house
