This is one of our more ambitious projects to date, incorporating shadowbox mounting, heavy objects, and electronics.
The final result!
This customer had a number of memorial plaques from the family synagogue that he wanted to incorporate into a display for his father’s 80th birthday. There were two styles of plaques: brass and plastic. The brass plaques were 1/4″ thick and rather heavy, requiring special mounting considerations.
The customer had devised an overall layout for the plaques but left the details to us. We used our visualization system to mock up a design for his approval. The customer wanted the overall background to be black. While from a design standpoint black was an excellent choice for the brass plaques, we believed it provided insufficient contrast for the black plaques. The solution was to use a double mat: black on top, metallic gold underneath. We would cut openings for the black plaques, leaving 1/2″ of gold around each set.
The other requirement was that we incorporate a yahrzeit lamp into the design. By Jewish custom, special “yahrzeit” (anniversary) candles are lit on the anniversary of a loved one’s death and at other high holidays. In modern times electric lamps have been used in place of candles. We chose to incorporate a circular light with a Star Of David motif above the plaques. We used a super-bright LED rather than a conventional bulb for long lamp life, low heat, and low power consumption. The LED is powered by four AA batteries built into the frame.
Here is how we put it together:
First, we will be hosting Natick artist Tamu (Tamara Gurevitz) as our guest for this month’s Natick Center Art Walk. Art Walk features over thirty downtown merchants hosting local artists for a fun, festive evening! Tamu will have a variety of her whimsical “Coo Creatures” on display, and will hold a live clayworking demonstration.
