Layers Project
My concept for this project was to create something nature like using wood. One of the first ideas I had was to create a koi pond scene from above. I loved the idea too much to abandon it so I just had to figure out how to bring it to life from there. My concept sketch in Inkscape gave me the idea to use contrasting colors for the designs on the fish. Then when I saw how versatile wood veneers are, I decided to use them for the main design of my piece. Originally, I had planned on only embedding my design into plywood, but through the suggestions of classmates I went with separating the layers using clear acrylic. This helped to give the fish an “underwater” vibe and help the lily pads appear to be floating on top. I really love how the piece came out despite the stress that went into getting the small pieces cut out.
Lantern Project
My inspiration for this project came as soon as I realized I could make an octagonal box. I had already saved the bath tiles as something I would want to work on art wise and remembered them as soon as I saw the box. My concept sketch had the meat of the design already decided with the tiles being removable and having an inner octagon structure to hold the lantern together. All that was left was a long process of sanding, painting and gluing. I had originally wanted to use see through colored acrylic for the inner tile designs but opted for painting over clear acrylic I already had instead. For the lighting, I bought a short 7 foot string light that can be plugged into the wall or connected to a battery pack, and wrapped it around the inner octagon. As you can hopefully see in the photos below, the light shines through the open sides as well as the inner tile designs. Also, I was able to make all of the tiles completely removable if more light is needed. The top I hand painted using a reference of the bath house featured in the movie (Spirited Away, Ghibli film I highly recommend), the same inspiration source for the bath tiles.
Altered Toys Project
For this project I was inspired by a family board game known as Chinese checkers. I was excited to combine 3D printed pieces with a laser cut game board. Science is a huge part of my life and I wanted to incorporate it into something that reminds me of when I was younger. There were a few struggles that came with printing and cutting but overall, most of the pieces printed great for the final run. The board itself is modeled after atomic orbitals, and the game pieces are inspired by different types of glassware found in any science lab. I’m planning to smooth out the pieces and potentially paint them different colors in the future so that the game is completely functional.
Hi Lauren,
I really like how you layered your koi pond layers project. The wood veneers and acrylic work really well together to give the piece depth.
I appreciate the detail you put into painting the top part of your lantern. The colors are also really nice and vibrant.
Hi!
I really appreciate and love all of the color and details you painted into your lantern piece.
The acrylic layer of your layers project I agree makes it have a feeling of being underwater and I am very impressed by how all of the fish and lilly pads came out after hearing you talk about all of your struggles with the smaller pieces.
Hi! I appreciate the final effect the layers project has where the lily pad appears above and the fish below. The acrylic provides a contrast to the wooden pieces. I also really appreciate and like the complexity for your lantern project with the removable pieces and detailed painting on top.
Hi Lauren! I LOVE how your layers project turned out. I know that it was a struggle with the small pieces, but the end result is truly amazing!
I like how you painted a picture on your lantern. You combined your previous skills with something new.
Your lantern is simple, yet striking. The bold reds make it really stand out. I’m also struck by how detailed and colorful the painting on the top is. Your solution to the layers project turned out really well too. Using the clear acrylic as the backdrop makes it actually look like the piece is on water. Well done!
i really love the koi fish idea, wish i had done it ahha well done!
Hi Lauren! I really appreciate your attention to detail for both projects! I love looking at the details of the koi for the Layers project and your brush work on the Lantern Project is absolutely stunning!
Hi Lauren! I absolutely love the detailing on your lantern project, the colours and design turned out amazing! I also appreciate the final piece for your layers project, it looks like a lot of hard work went into getting the details for it all to come together!
Hi Lauren! I really love how your layers project came out, the fish and lilypads look amazing in the clear acrylic and I really appreciate the small inlayed details in the fish!! I love the paint work on your lantern too, I showed it to my friend who is a big Ghibli fan and she loved it!
Amazing job! My favorite of your pieces is the layers project. I love the different colors of wood that you used for the piece!