Leather Designer and Creator Shades the Lights

ANDREA LIEN (aka Alien) designer and creator of leather work, accepted the invitation and challenge to design calfskin shades for some fluorescent lights at The Number Nine. She intuited from my very brief specifications what I was looking for and I am now happily basking in the new glow the shades give to the light.

Ric’s obsession with lighting could reach manic proportions. As every artist knows, light is essential for judging color and needs to be abundant with no shadows. I have found that I have a huge stash of different kinds of light bulbs and fixtures that Ric rigged up over the years to solve his lighting problems. The bare fluorescent bulbs worked well for him but I was finding them a little shocking and glary.

So the lights have been toned down but Andrea complied with the need to make the shades easily removed for bulb replacement and to release the light if I ever find I have the need for more!

Being an old compatriot of Ric’s from Angel’s Gate, I got great pleasure having her here to share Ric’s dream place. We had lovely conversations and non-conversations of just sharing Ric’s space and things. I drew great comfort having her working in his space knowing that this is how he would want the place used. We laughed and we cried as we connected through our memories of Ric.

Thank you Andrea! Come back soon!