Posted at 09:04 PM in Articles, Barakah Life | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Digital
transfer offers endless possibilities for creating custom décor
elements. I recently came across a company that expanded my ideas
regarding the medium. The company, Orangepiel of Sausalito, California
offers creative technology that has intriguing possibilities on a grand
scale. With one decoxr panel they can completely infuse a room with the
mood and style that is desired. They have the ability to custom print
virtually any text, graphic, photograph, or pattern on an almost
limitless size panel.
Orangepiel is on the forefront of this technology and as they say they
are “redefining atmosphere through innovation.” They have created and
patented a textile system that looks and feels like an artist’s canvas
stretched. The fabric and process is environmentally friendly and can
be applied without any adhesives. The panels are installed on a
perimeter tracking system, which can create seamless walls and ceilings
up to 16 feet by 165 feet run lengths. They have the flexibility to
create unique design shapes, drop ceilings and backlit panels. Imagine
the possibilities!
I went to beautiful Sausalito to visit the Orangepiel Design Studio,
which is located in the old shipyards from World War II. The owner of
Orangepiel, Daniel McCool, showed me around the studio and discussed
his work and his artful approach to the medium and life. His studio
showcases some of the design applications of transfer, from watercolors
and photos, to photos of photos. The studio ceiling is a huge black and
white photo of a full moon which can be lit from behind at night.
The Material
The material was developed to accommodate the Asian and European
markets where they have older construction made with plaster, concrete
and block. The material was created as an efficient way to reskin the
ceiling or walls. What makes the material unique is its technical
properties, it can be stretched wide widths up to 16 feet by 16 feet
without deflection, it will not sag in the middle like fabric would.
The material creates a perfectly flat plane, which is really important
for construction or architectural applications. Where you need to know
standard deviations and how the material is going to react.
Artistic Applications
The technical side is the less glamorous side of what Orangepiel does.
They have been importing to the United States and have gone through the
process of learning how to print on it. McCool has been working with
the printing aspect and one thing he likes about it is that it is not
limited to any particular medium. It’s a digital transfer taking
something that has been digitized and reproducing it but it lends
itself to photography, to the graphic arts and even a poet’s text on
watercolor. They can take all sorts of mediums. McCool expressed his
views in what they are doing by saying that to him it is like that
transition that was made around the turn of the 20th Century. How long
did it take before photography was considered art?
Through this medium he is providing a pallet to people who approach it
in new ways that he has not even thought of and to be involved in the
creative process.
McCool says “The way I want to approach and take this medium is to
create atmosphere and the way to do it efficiently and without using
vast resources. We can get a lot of bang for the buck with what we are
doing. The footprint of how much we can create verses how much material
we are really using, it’s not that much so it gives the artist that
flexibility to create a space or to really set themselves apart.”
The applications are almost unlimited not just for the home but can be
used in the hospitality industry, commercial space, retail or by an
artist that wants to create an experiential installation it works
across all applications.
The way most other digital transfer companies work is you send them an
image and they will reproduce it. It is a business-oriented
transaction. Orangepiel offers design services to customize and create
a unique piece.
“The reason I do this is because I like to make beautiful things and I
feel like as a business model that sets me apart from other digital
transferring and large printing houses,” McCool said.
McCool likes the process of connecting and collaborating with the
artist and creating unique and beautiful settings. He feels the beauty
of his job is others coming across incredible artists and experiencing
the diversity of their art. This is a lot of fun for him.
McCool is philosophic about his work in the world and questions if he
is doing enough to make it a better place by intending and bringing
beauty in the world.
“We have a unique product but my big word is collaboration, we are
about making sure we can connect the right artist to the right client
and really go that extra step to give the client what they really
want.”
What I left with after visiting with McCool was that his business is
about beauty, people and connection which to me is the new healthy
model of growing and being in business as well as being in the world.
Posted at 02:23 PM in Articles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A new article written by Diane Gilleland for craftstylish
What a surprise to see Diane's article in craftstylish http://www.craftstylish.com/ she mentions Barakah Life's "Sew Giving" Baby Blanket Drive.
Please check out Diane's blog Craftypod; http://www.craftypod.com/ and her fun crafting podcast which you can find at itunes by the same name.
Our next Sew Giving Drive is just around the corner in January of 2009. We've been coming up with new ways for more people to get involved and double the goodness.
Emily Kizer and Jessica Long of the Portland yarn shop Twisted participate in an effort to knit mittens for bears rescued by Animals Asia Foundation.
Bay Area crafter Khadija O'Connell collected these blankets from other crafters around the country for Project Night Night, a charity that serves homeless children.
Donations of knitted and crochet gifts pour in from around the world to the headquarters of afghans for Afghans, which redistributes them to refugees from war-torn Afghanistan. Shown here are piles of donations awaiting sorting and shipping.
As a crafter, you possess an important power: the power to use your creative skills to bring comfort to people in need. There are so many charity crafting projects you can participate in on a local, national, and even global level.
Let's
start locally. Check with your city's volunteer centers to find out
where there might be a need for handmade items in your community. A
local homeless shelter might be in need of warm knitted hats. A
children's hospital might welcome a donation of handmade soft toys. Or
there might be a senior-care center that would appreciate a gift of
your time to bring craft projects to its residents. You can use your
local phone directory to find ways to contribute in your city, or try
these websites: SmartVolunteer, VolunteerMatch, or 1-800-Volunteer.
On a national level, there are lots of charity crafting projects being organized on the web:
• ChemoCaps seeks donations of soft, hand-knit caps for cancer patients.
• Care Wear coordinates volunteers across the United States who sew, knit, and crochet baby items and donate them to hospitals.
• Warm Up America! collects handmade blankets, clothing, and accessories for people facing crisis or receiving medical care.
You can also find a long list of nationwide charity crafting projects at Sewing Charity and another at Wool Works.
If you read craft blogs, you can often find limited-time projects to participate in. A couple of wonderful recent examples were Tricot du Coeur, Softies for Mirabel, and the Barakah Life Handmade Baby Blanket Drive.
On a global level, you can use your crafting skills for good through these projects:
• afghans for Afghans collects hand-knit or crocheted blankets, hats, sweaters, and socks to send to refugees from war-torn Afghanistan.
• The Animals Asia Foundation recently put out a call for hand-knit mittens for bears
that have been rescued from China's bear bile farms. The mittens keep
the bears' paws warm and protected while they undergo medical
treatments after rescue.
This list may seem overwhelming—there
seems to be so much need out there for your crafting skills! When
you're first exploring the world of crafting for charity, it's wise to
start small. Try making one item for one of these projects. If you find
that you enjoy the process of making things for charity, then you can
take on more. But be careful! It's so easy to overcommit.
Many
charity crafting projects operate on deadlines, meaning that if you
volunteer to help, you'll be expected to turn in your handmade donation
by a specific date so that it can be distributed to someone in need.
When you agree to participate in a charity effort, make sure you have
plenty of available time in your schedule for the project.
Another
important point is that when you decide to participate in a charity
project, be sure to read all of the project guidelines thoroughly. Some
projects require specific materials. Some require items to be made in
specific sizes. Be sure that your donations are something the project
can use.
Keep in mind, too, that if you're too busy to craft for
any of these projects, you can always make a cash donation—any of these
charity crafting efforts would be grateful for your support.
Posted at 04:36 PM in Articles | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)