Bundle of Sticks
This chandelier was created for a beautiful waterfront home on Bainbridge Is., Washington. I wanted the design to draw from the natural beauty surrounding the home. I remembered a Led Zeppelin album cover that featured a man with a large bundle of sticks on his back. The clients remembered the album and liked the idea. I realized that actual sticks could be fragile and prone to breakage during dusting. I was talking with a sculptor friend about the idea. He ushered me out side to show me a long, approximately 14’, x 8” diameter, bundle of old, weathered tubing, laying under a tree. He offered it to me in trade for some photography of his beautiful, bronze, wildlife sculptures. He delivered the bundle to my shop and the fun began.
I started pulling tubes from the bundle and cutting them into lengths between 52” and 62” lengths. The ends were cut to look like pruning snips. The tubes were individually Hand rubbed to reveal the natural dark bronze patina. The ends were then pressed into a wire wheel to soften the cuts and add a bright, brass, tip to each “stick”. Each tube was them bent and straightened and bent and straitened until they had a more organic shape. I did this 137 times.
Three hanger collars were then created to hold the “sticks” in a loose bundle. These were made from hammered, copper flex tubing. A 1’’ tube was buried in the top of the bundle to carry the wires to each pendant. From there they went up through the 1/2” copper tubes to the steel hanger bracket secured to the beam over the table.
The shades were fabricated from copper foil that was heated to make them very soft and easy to crush into the desired shapes. The heat process also created a wonderful “fire finish”. Each pendant had a shallow, 50w equivalent, LED flood bulb. The chandelier was hung about 8’ from the beam to the bottom of the shades. This gave and uninterrupted view of the water from the kitchen. The fixture was 62” long with a 3” bundle of tubes.
Meet the Maker
Jerry Davis
Jerry Davis, craftsman
My work started as a part of the crafts movement in the 70's. Street fairs, galleries, and word-of-mouth provided me with a steady stream of commissioned work. While most of my work revolved around lighting, I often did other fun, creative, problem solving projects for clients.
In the 90's I became a commercial photographer and enjoyed that lifestyle for almost 30 years. Near the end of the photography work I started getting back into my crafts roots. I did both photography and crafts for about eight years and then returned full time to the craftsman life. I am still doing mostly lights but do branch out now and then if the project seems fun or challenging. At this point I have projects scattered all over the Puget Sound area as well as around the country. I have several clients with multiple pieces including one client for which I have created ten custom lights.
My work is very eclectic. It's basically a refined industrial style using a wide range of materials and fabrication techniques, This makes almost every piece a unique, one-of-a-kind, work of art.
Customer Reviews
Sam F
Jun 13, 2019Jerry designed and built a custom lamp for me. I needed the lamp to be able to telescope up and down. I added a further wrinkle with interchangeable custom lamp shades. The blown glass shades were beautiful, but very heavy which made the geometry of the lamp base a little tricky. Jerry worked diligently to make it all work perfectly and the finished product is both beautiful and functional. Jerry's communication throughout was fantastic and was usually accompanied by pictures showing progress. Jerry is a true craftsman and brings the unteachable secret-sauce called caring to his prodigious artistic and technical expertise. I highly highly recommend Jerry for anything requiring an artistic and engineering skill-set. It doesn't get better than Jerry!
Laura P
Sep 17, 2017vicki w
Jun 16, 2016I have never had a better experience with anyone then I did working with Jerry Davis! Not only did my lamps come out crazy gorgeous...perfection! But the every day communication w Jerry, and The constant updates and my involvement, made this project so much more joyous. He was beyond professional and the lamps he made for me...well, let's just say that they far exceeded my expectations. They really are a work of art and everyone who walks into my home flips over them! Jerry and I become friends over this project and I hope that continues. You won't work w a better person, to make your dreams come true, then him!! An amazing person
Vanessa H
Dec 19, 2015I could not be happier with Jerry. The quality was fantastic, but I also really enjoyed the thoughtful communication and progress photos! I should be going on and on about the fixture, but I am not surprised it is wonderful. I am surprised at how smooth the process was. As an interior designer I work with all sorts of craftspeople, and Jerry is a wonderful blend of artist and professional! Thank you so much.
Sally S
Mar 26, 2020Jerry was the perfect craftsman for my project. His communication and attention to details was exceptional, and he was patient in working through the design process as we worked together to get to the final plan. We had some unforeseen installation issues and he took extra time to understand the issue and determine the right corrective course. All while staying enthusiastic and curious. I look forward to more projects in the future!
