Made from black walnut, Australian banksia pod, turquoise, and sterling silver, this original design lantern was an attempt to add as much texture movement and rhythm to a wood turning project as possible. While I am infatuated with the natural beauty of wood grain, I wanted to take it up several notches by emphasizing the character and texture of some already incredibly beautiful gifts of nature. The body of the lantern is made from Australian banksia pod. To add texture, I turned the pod on a lathe just enough to expose a natural red velvety layer in random areas. It tends to soften the overall look and feel of the lantern in much the same way an interior designer might add textiles to a room full of hard surfaces to make the room more inviting. The soft light created by a flameless candle offers a certain warmth when glowing softly through the eyes of the pod.
The top and base is made from black walnut, which I have inlaid with crushed turquoise stone and tiny bits of sterling silver. To give the work piece a pattern of natural rhythm and implied movement, I cut my inlay lines to mimic the grain of the wood.
The finial was made from walnut as well. I created it by turning it somewhat smaller than needed and then encrusting it with the same turquoise gemstones and sterling silver that I used on the base and top.
I like the way that the finished product fits well in a natural environment and has a certain whimsical feel to it. Onlookers seem to come to their own interesting conclusions about what the intent of my design was, which suits me fine. I am in fact rather flattered that it is interesting enough for people to stop and ponder about. Some seem to think it is of Asian influence. One man seemed to think that the natural holes in the banksia pod body resembled numerous little eyes looking back at you. Others seem to think it is something that a small faerie or creature might live in, deep in an enchanted forest. To me, the most important element for an artist is fun, and I tend to try and evoke these kinds of comments and thought processes from onlookers rather than discourage them. I think that artist often make a mistake when they insist that that their art should be viewed a certain way.
This particular lantern sold prior to getting it on this site and is now part of a private collection. While my plans are to do a series of these, all will be quite different. If you are interested in reserving a signed original lantern I can be emailed at r.alancurtis@gmail.com.
