Catalogue : L017
Title : Laser Cosmos
Self-Built : No
Light Source : Powerful green laser and blue dust-cloud effect light
Special Features : Knob to fade cloud lighting
Comments : A truly fantastic lighting effect that requires a very dark room with a white wall or ceiling for best results. More a winter light than a summer light. The laser is shone through a slowly rotating diffraction grating so the thousands of stars move across the night sky. The cunning part is they all have different directions and speeds, and also have varying intensities to give a near / far distance effect. Not a cheap laser light but brilliantly executed.
Link : www.iwantoneofthose.com search for ‘Laser Cosmos’
Catalogue : L018
Title : Ice Blue Hand
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : Internally-reflected sunlight
Special Features : Melts !
Comments : A temporary exhibit only. Fill a rubber glove with water and blue food dye. Place in freezer and bring out on a sunny day for a spectacular living sculpture. Ideally place on a self-draining surface.
Catalogue : L019
Title : Ice Cream Cone Ceiling Light
Self-Built : No
Light Source : 4 x 40W candle bulbs
Special Features : Mirrored ceiling constructed from free computer & promotional CDs
Comments : A contemporary light on contemporary background. Gluing 800 CDs to the ceiling took a little while. Putting up real mirror tiles would (a) have cost a fortune and (b) pulled the ceiling down. Rainbows of colours are generated from any oblique lighting.
Catalogue : L020
Title : Remote Control Bedside Light
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : 1 x 40W candle bulb
Special Features : Coloured glass diffuser and pine surround
Comments : The bulb holder is a radio frequency controlled dimmer so the ‘TV remote’ can be used to fade the light up and down at bedtime. Picture shows small auxiliary spotlight for reading and a laser pointer trace.
Catalogue : L021
Title : Theatrical Curtain Light
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : 1 x bare 60W tungsten bulb
Special Features : Hidden light source
Comments : Creates a nice glow at night through the white ceiling to floor curtains.
Catalogue : L022
Title : The Millennium Light
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : 20 x 12V 2.2W MES bulbs, 1 x 10W halogen at top
Special Features : Like nothing else in the 20th century.
Comments : Originally built to celebrate the year 2000. Constructed out of many materials. Blue stained glass was cut and lead-soldered for the top shade and bottom panelling. The bulbs were mounted in screw holders soldered along 2 tinned wires. The pole was made from 2 back-to-back banister rails. The wide base contained a 12V switch-mode mains transformer and fuse. It was side-stabilised with copper wire rigging.
On the downside the bulbs seemed to last about a week.
Now sadly decommissioned. It burnt brightly in the night sky and is now gone for good.
Catalogue : L023
Title : Lichtenberg Figure
Self-Built : No
Light Source : Illuminated Base : 9 x intense blue LEDs
Special Features : It’s a piece of illuminated art with that Wow! factor. The closer you look, the more detail you see.
Comments : Check out the web site to see how these figures are made. Basically they are blocks of acrylic that have been placed in a beam of high-speed electrons from a linear accelerator. A huge electrical field builds up in the block which is then violently discharged with a loud bang. They are the closest you can get to ‘captured lightning’ and have an almost infinite fractal-like complexity. Each figure is unique and truly beautiful.
Link : www.capturedlightning.com
Catalogue : L024
Title : Cathedral Window
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : Sunlight
Special Features : Genuine coloured glass ( no paint ). And lead-solder.
Comments : A labour of love by Louise and her mum. They went to stained glass evening class and learned the skill of glass cutting, grinding and soldering. They were rarely without sticking-plasters on their fingers. Diamond cutters and nibbling tools. This project took months. Do you know how difficult it is to cut curves and circles ? This is truly a one-off masterpiece.
Catalogue : L025
Title : Cloud Mountain
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : Reflected natural light ( OK, so it’s not a light as such )
Special Features : Ephemeral party piece.
Comments : If you can get hold of expensive dry ice ( frozen carbon dioxide ) then you can have plenty of fun. This is just a few cubes placed in a plastic watering can of water. Stand-back and watch the volcano erupt.
Catalogue : L026
Title : Tree Light
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : Sunlight
Special Features : Genuine stained glass.
Comments : Another Louise masterpiece in different shades of green glass.
Catalogue : L027
Title : Halogen Tulips
Self-Built : No
Light Source : 6 x 20W 12V halogens
Special Features : Stainless steel lamp
Comments : A home interior classic.
Catalogue : L028
Title : Light Box
Self-Built : Yes
Light Source : 2 x fluorescent low-energy bulbs
Special Features : Mahogany-effect wooden carry case
Comments : Originally designed to illuminate stained glass but subsequently used as a slide viewer. Traditional craftsmanship.
Catalogue : L029
Title : Fan Light
Self-Built : No
Light Source : 3 x 60W screw-fitting candle bulbs
Special Features : Rubber ceiling mount to reduce vibration noise. Reversible spin direction.
Comments : A design classic and a much greener form of air conditioning in summer.
Catalogue : L030
Title : Red Light Room
Self-Built : No
Light Source : 1 x 60W ‘firelight’ bulb
Special Features : Red filter coating
Comments : Demonstrates the psychological warmth effect of red light. Who needs a fire ?
Catalogue : L031
Title : Sunrise Lamp
Self-Built : No
Light Source : Verilux ‘Sunshine in a Box’ 60W Natural Spectrum E14 bulb
Special Features : Alarm clock light
Comments : What better way to wake gently than the rising sun shining into your face ? Also works nicely going to sleep as the sun sets over the horizon. The audible alarm is for hangovers only.
Catalogue : L032
Title : Picture Downlighters
Self-Built : No
Light Source : Philips energy saver 11W bayonet bulb ( 60W equivalent, 600 lumen )
Special Features : Light switch pull chord
Comments : Brass fittings for traditional style. All light is reflected towards wall with little leakage.
Catalogue : L033
Title : False Ceiling Lights
Self-Built : No ( already in house when moved in )
Light Source : 4ft fluorescent strip
Special Features : None
Comments : Creates uniform lighting with no glare and a certain cosiness.
Catalogue : L034
Title : WHS Glow
Self-Built : No
Light Source : Blue LEDs
Special Features : None
Comments : A slight indulgence. The night glow from a Tranquil PC Harmony Home Server running Microsoft Windows Home Server software. The web site you are looking at now lives in this box 24/7.