Special Projects Collaboration

I have the great fortune to have many very talented and creative family members!
A fiber artist, a watercolorist, one art gallery lighting designer, a fashion museum curator, two animation specialists, and a musician. Yea, what a bunch!
I’ve been able to hang lighting for a couple art shows of some of their works over time, and more recently gotten to directly collaborate with my sister’s fiber art. Kris is internationally known for & teaches a unique combination of hooking & braiding rugs and hanging art pieces.
We’d discussed lighting one of her pieces for a while & on “Awakening“ it came together. Below the image is the Artists Statement, shown with the piece at each exhibit (in multiple regional & national events):

Awakening
2021
Hooked, Braided, Joomchi, LED Lights
Kris McDermet and Tim Mathiesen

I got the idea of the Leechee nuts from a platter I bought at the Brattleboro Area Hospice’s shop called Experience Goods in Brattleboro, VT. I loved the cranberry colored nuts and the greens of the leaves. Awakening started to be a rug for the floor but about a quarter of the way to completion, it became evident it was too light in color for muddy boots and animals! While hooking & braiding the center I realized I would never walk on it so decided to make it for the wall (the first moment of discovery!). Due to the weight of the braids, I decided to make it into multiple pieces and let my wall become part of the finished piece. There would be about 1.5 “ of air space between each piece with the walls considered just as important as the hooked & braided sections (another artistic piece-altering decision!). It grew to 10 sections but using the common theme of simple leaves and nuts throughout.

At the time I was working on the sections, I took a class in Joomchi* felting and made the decision to combine the Joomchi and the hooked & braided sections using the common leaf pattern as a base (now a third ‘ah ha’ moment! - now the name Awakening!). I had wanted to back light one of my fiber art creations and this seemed a fitting idea with my brother Tim Mathiesen who is a wonderful lighting designer. Awakening was taking shape over the winter of 2021 during the pandemic and stay at home orders. Our imaginations were developing and Tim began looking at how best to light the Joomchi elements.

After exploring how natural back-lighting enhanced the wonderful qualities of the hand-made paper, we settled on using a lightbox. The shallow depth of the box would utilize a ‘sheet’ of LEDs with layers of diffusion to help soften or smooth the light. My husband Stewart built the lightbox and we three figured out how to attach the Joomchi 3 layers of felting. The LEDs are ‘tunable’ white (they can be a warm, neutral, or cool white depending on the room setting) and we utilized a dimmer to have ultimate control of the lighting effect.

The lights make the felting shine and help to bring out the color of the wool and silk used in the hooking & braiding.

The effect of the entire piece needs the natural light (or overhead display lights) of the room plus the brilliance of the back-lit Joomchi.

* Joomchi is a “centuries-old Korean paper-making technique that uses water to seal several layers of thin, handmade mulberry papers together to form a single, strong sheet. The paper is first wet, then, aggressively gripped, grabbed, stretched, and manipulated until the fibers are broken down, or felted. A major transformation occurs: flat sheets of paper become a very organic, leather-like, almost living form.” from Susan Avishai

There is more collaborating in the works (lucky me!). See this post from @krisbraids on instagram for a sneak peek. As well, in the wings, we have a nice piece in the conceptual stage at this time, so stay tuned for that.

In Progress

Here’s a bit of what is going on (and is a bit of the cause for lack of posting)…

I’m just wrapping up a design consultation in western MA.
Property makeover where lighting & furnishings are getting updated to reflect the owners’ style. I was brought in to the project by the interior designer, wanting to provide her clients with the best lighting advice possible (many thanks to Susan!)
Getting to recommend & install wonderful custom fixtures from Shakuff, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Allied Maker, American Ltg. Trulux, etc.

Shakuff custom in the dining area.

Beginning a new project with clients of Peter Rose & Partners Architects of Boston MA. For a new SFR in southern VT, construction is just now getting underway. Clients & the project architects are looking for fixture options to adhere to a minimalist style, enhance the architecture, and not tax the budget - no mean feat!

As well, I’m currently crossing the finish line on two projects in central VT.
One is a lighting update to kitchen and living spaces. Homeowners desired nicer/better lighting to replace out-dated technology, and to add layers of light creating options during various uses within the spaces. Also adding hidden LED tape lights to spice cabinet and pantry to make choosing the right item a breeze.
The second is a new timber frame ADU. The interior designer on this one recommended me (many thanks to Sarah!), and we’ve been able to get custom Hubbardton Forge and SponnDesign pendants incorporated into the design.
Looking forward to seeing how these come together as they wrap up!

I’ll provide images as they become available.

I love my clients, the design partners I get to collaborate with, and the electricians/installers that make it all look good. I’m lucky & honored to have a part in this creative work!

Blog on Blogs & the Day of Light

Happy International Day of Light y’all!
The UNESCO International Day of Light is celebrated on 16 May each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. This day is a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and harness its potential to foster peace and sustainable development.

With that in mind…
We all share good information, right?
By doing so we can only get better at what we do and we build a stronger community, right as well?
And isn’t our mission to get better design details out to our clients, about process, & about best practices, etc.?
In that vein, I present some of the best blogs that I visit regularly to get great information. Stuff that impacts my work, that provides details I need to make better lighting designs for you. No matter whether you are a homeowner or a design pro, you can appreciate how good lighting makes an important impact on life.
David Warfel: Founder @ lightcanhelpyou.com; he blogs here; member/contributor to ies.org; linkedin
J P Bedell: Find him @ deliveredlumens.lighting; his Day of Light vid; also a member of SDA Lighting; insta, twitter, linkedin
Candela Studio: They blog here; insta

We Have Launch!

The new site is live.
If you made it here, you already know this.
If this is your first visit, I hope you’ll have a look around and let me know what you think. I’m quite pleased with the outcome.
My design work would not be able to illuminate and look good without the collaborations with many talented architectural designers, interior designers, electrical contractors, general contractors, building crews and clients that understand the value of great lighting.
Hat-tip to my friend & web specialist Meg.
My sincere thanks to you all!