FIRE LEAF

The FireLeaf is the first long-process special interest art piece inspired by yours truly.

Let’s break it down.

Inspiration

It starts with a song. Cue "Fire on the Horizon" by Stick Figure. Listen to the lyrics; they really set the mood.

Now, the photo. This leaf on the ground that looked like a flame caught my attention. My reaction? I immediately named it FireLeaf and snapped a picture because it made me happy. There is, in fact, inspiration in looking down. A deeper meaning? Probably.

Fire and sunrises are on my list of favorite things. I find fire mesmerizing, meditative, and rich in both literal and symbolic meanings. I have loved sunrises for as long as I can remember—they take my breath away every time. There’s incredible beauty in sunsets too. It’s all a matter of perspective here.

Purpose

Since entering the “Lazer Zone,” I knew I wanted to do something big. The main purpose is playing with wood and other materials, testing for wall art.

Process

One of the first lessons I learned was to start small, and testing is key… chain…

Moving on…

Happy with the design, I went forward with my bigger idea. After a few test runs including plexiglass, my plan wasn’t coming together the way I wanted. I was doing too much. Lesson two, a reminder really: keep it simple, stupid. My light bulb moment was when I remembered a recent conversation with my Grandpa about how the grain of wood can inspire a whole design. I knew the direction I was headed. Choosing the wood was initially overwhelming, but I was stoked with my choices. Using a stencil, I captured the grains to create movement that would mimic a flame. The pieces were then individually laser-cut and glued together. The sunrise(set) is then laser-engraved to complete the design. Finally, add some finishing touches, and the first FireLeaf is wall-ready.

Final materials: Redwood—reclaimed by my Dad from a fence in Side Lake Cedar, aromatic cedar, maple, oak, and 1/8” mahogany plywood—reclaimed by my Grandpa in New Ulm Black Walnut—from a blowdown in New Ulm Birch Bark—scavenged from the backyard

The keychain design was reworked. It includes plexiglass and utilizes the scraps left from the main project.

My intentions are to go bigger. Something that really lights up a space.

To be continued…

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Continuing on!

It is still getting bigger.

This one measures 12” wide by 24” tall. The design has again been reworked to have the grains follow the flow of the clouds rather than the flame.

Final materials from bottom to back:

Black Walnut

Mahogany

Douglas-fir

Pine

Ash

Maple

Birch bark

Whitewood

All materials except the Whitewood back were reclaim and/or locally scavenged.

I am very confident this series will keep extending. I was serious about lighting up a space. Maybe wearables too?

Stay tuned…