Glass Art Lamp #18

ArsLumina is a line of highly unique, handmade lamps and other glass art objects which have been featured in the Astro Gallery of Gems, the Bryant Park Holiday Fair, the Contemporary Art and Craft Fair at the Javits Center in New York City, and various galleries in the U.S. I build them using the traditional Tiffany method of copper foiling but with a modern design approach. Form and function combine to create luxurious sculptural pieces which, when illuminated, create vibrant lighting and bring beauty to any room.

I attended School of Visual Arts in NY and graduated in 2004 with a BFA in illustration, but ended up going more in the direction of general art conservation and sculpture restoration instead. Through this experience, my interest in other mediums of art grew, and I began experimenting with different materials and techniques in my personal work (something I continue to do to this day.) It wasn't long before a colleague of mine turned me on to creating stained glass pieces, and I instantly fell in love with the radiant quality of glass as well as the sculptural and decorative possibilities of solder. As soon as I felt more comfortable with my technique, I became inspired to turn my abstract drawings into whimsical lamps and created the product line Ars Lumina, meaning "Art Light" in Latin.

I start each project by sketching out what I want the lamp to look like. After deciding the color palette and outlining the design for each side, various soldering techniques are employed for additional artistry and as well as for creating the overall structure of the lamp. The placement of other elements such as agates and gemstones are then carefully chosen, and introduced to create an organic feel, as well as to ensure a balanced yet dynamic composition.

Once the final design touches are complete and the bases attached, approximately 6 foot long cords (usually white or clear) are wired in, and 20-40 watt bulbs are installed, usually through the bottom. I often like to install aura-descent candelabra bulbs, as this can create a spectacular “splash” effect on the walls, (you will see this featured in some of my photos.) Finally, the lamp is signed and dated on the base or in the bottom corner edge of the shade.

I welcome commissions for shades, sconces, pendant lamps, boxes, etc, and 2D pieces as well.
Feel free to contact me with any questions, and I look forward to making a beautiful work of art, just for you!

Sincerely,
Renata Pugh