I'm drawn to warm jewel-toned colors, as well as to items that have a rough, natural look to them. I feel that nature does a wonderful job of creating art, and it takes a careful eye to enhance it without detracting from it. This is what I enjoy about the art of bonsai, which was one of my first creative endeavors, where one seeks to recreate the beauty and grandeur of an old majestic tree in miniature form. I later began to work with jewelry in an attempt to translate my ideas of color and form into tangible objects, however I found it difficult to continue due to cost and space constraints. I've always had an interest in stained glass, especially the darker, warmer colored antique glass. The colors and designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany have always been particularly appealing to me. I also like naturalistic wood forms including rough, turned bowls with lots of texture.

I began working with stained glass in 2001,and first started with original cross designs which I still enjoy making. I intentionally leave my work looking a little old and crusty, and I particularly like using materials like seaglass and agate because of the irregularity and roughness of the media.

The idea for creating driftwood lamps came from my work. I am a family physician who cares for those with mental deficiencies and illnesses in central Mississippi. In late 2005, I was inspired by the challenge of a colleague. If he were to help ease the emotional distress and behavioral difficulties of a mutual patient, then he would earn a gift. Well, he succeeded, and I was off to create a unique, interesting gift. My first attempt resulted in an irregularly shaped shade made of a multitude of different colored glass pieces. The original intent was for it to be a candle holder, but after completing it, I felt that it needed a base. I then carved a piece of a cypress plank into a free-form shape of a stump. After determining that a candle did not provide enough light to adequately see the shade, I wired it to form my first lamp. On the top of the shade, all of the colors are randomly placed, and as you move down, the colors meld into groups of similar shades. The design continues down into the wood base with it's "roots" appearing to sink beneath the surface, all of which symbolizes the grounding of Anita."

While working on "Anita" I purchased a small piece of driftwood at an antique mall which was collected from the Pacific coast in the 1950's. As I was carving the base I realized that nature was much better at creating beautiful wood forms that I was. "Anita" became to inspiration for a series of lamps that bring together natural driftwood forms with free-form stained glass shades. I particularly enjoy the challenge that each piece of wood brings in trying to create a shade that complements the shape of the wood rather than detracting from it. Creating these lamps combines my appreciation of natural wood forms, which first began with bonsai, and jewel-toned colors that attracted me to jewelry making. It is the culmination of years of searching within myself for the best physical medium with which to express my artistic visions.

Craig L. Escude, MD

2/2006

Copper Trees

In preparing for the 2006 Chimneyville Crafts Festival, I was trying to design display pieces which I could use to display my crosses. As a tribute to my background in bonsai, my initial plan was to have seven foot tall, rough, irregular trees made of iron on which I could hang the crosses. I spoke with a gentleman who contracts with a firm in Mexico that specializes in creating ironwork items. When the trees arrived, although they were quite nice, they did not have the appearance that I desired for the display pieces.

I have always had a affinity for copper. it's warmth, malleability and patina are particularly interesting to me. With my background in bonsai. I set off to create trees of my own. I purchased several sizes of pipe and began hammering away. I created three groups of trees ranging from about six to nine feet tall and mounted them on large driftwood stumps that will be used for display pieces.   

In the art of bonsai, one tries to re-create the beauty and grander of large, old trees shaped by nature in a small, miniature form. Following in the tradition of this art, I began creating smaller trees out of copper. I am drawn to the earthy, warm glow of copper and, like living bonsai, these trees will also change with time as they develop a patina, although much slower than their counterparts.

Not all of the driftwood that I collect are suitable for lamps. I began using driftwood as bases for the trees. As with most of my designs, I prefer rough, old looking textures. Most of my trees are in a windswept style with rough, irregular patterns on the trunks and branches. I try to create a balance in the trunk line and the branch structure to keep the form simple, yet dramatic. These trees have a few desirable qualities that their live cousins do not possess.....they never need watering, you don't have to worry about the proper amount of sunlight, and they never die!

Craig L. Escude, MD

6/2006