Project Proposal: Flower Orb Lamp

Intention

I wanted to create an-orb like hanging lamp that imitates the center of a flower with small petals. When it starts to get dark outside the lamp will glow brighter and the petals will gently unfurl.

The idea came about because I am really interested in the idea of representing living things and the growth of living things using organic shapes and materials. I also always notice the effect of different types of light on how a room feels - I always do my work in rooms with natural light or windows.

Process and/or Research

I did some research on how to create spherical lampshades. A lot of the ones online were paper-based, but I finally found a project that uses embroidery hoops to create a spherical frame for lighted wires (https://www.darbysmart.com/projects/make-a-light-orb).To create the diffuse look, I want to embed light yellow electroluminescent wire between layers of fabric like cotton or linen, which will then be sewn around the spherical frame made of embroidery hoops. I’ll sew muscle wire to the undersides of the leaves which can be made of felt, so they can raise and lower gently. The electronics can be hidden inside the orb, and I can use a wire to hang it.

I found an image of el wire wrapped in a way close to what I was imagining:

Reflection

I had a lot of fun with this class, learning new techniques and getting to practice a bit. With this specific project, I anticipate some issues in the construction of the sphere especially in being able to sew the fabric over it smoothly and cleanly.

Sample Book

image 1: sewable circuit components

image 2 and 3: el wire