Category Archives: Design

3D Model, Architecture, Design, Schindler, Schindler Frame

Schindler Frame – Introduction, part 1 of 3

Trying to understand Schindler’s later houses

Introduction

Lately I have been looking at Schindler’s later buildings. They (fig 1) are different from his earlier buildings (fig 2) that I have written about.1 The earlier houses, described by Schindler as Plaster Skin houses, are smooth masses with little detail and dynamic exteriors. His later homes, described by Schindler as Schindler Frame buildings, are thinner, with roof overhangs, exposed structure and intricate interiors. His later buildings can be more difficult to like and understand-particularly from the outside.  They lack the dynamic, modern Plaster Skin exteriors. To some people they look strange, cobbled together, as if they were not even built by an architect at all.
  Continue reading Schindler Frame – Introduction, part 1 of 3 →

Design, Garden/Furniture

More Murals, part 2 of 2

Side Door Mural unveiled

 

We decided to go with alternate B, the fish swimming in the same direction whether the door is open or closed. We reversed the direction shown in the previous article, so the big red fish is swimming toward our house.

Alternate B created an unexpected problem – what do you do at the edges, where the fish on one side meets the corral on the other side? I decided to bring both patterns around the corner and let them meet on the edges (third from top). It creates a wonderful texture as the different patterns battle it out.

An unexpected bonus is the color the mural adds to our garage, when the door is closed (sixth from top).

The side door faces our backyard, and the new murals add even more color to our wonderful garden.

Top                            door closed
Second from top        door open
Third from top            patterns meeting at edge
Fourth and fifth          details
Sixth from top            color in the garage
Seventh from top        down the stairs from our two story deck
Bottom picture            finished and signed by the biggest fish of all
Continue reading More Murals, part 2 of 2 →
Cartoons, Design, Garden/Furniture

The Scrap Family or Happy Anniversary

More Uses for Scraps

I can’t throw anything away. After our recent construction projects, I had boxes of oddly shaped wood scraps taking up space and getting in the way. Inspired by the little wood figures of Joaquín Torres-García, Lisa had suggested that I could make little people sculptures from the scraps. With our 29th anniversary coming up, I decided that now was the time.

I started with a figure in a suit, hat and tie – sort of a 1950’s company man. I then made a gardener, in tribute to Lisa. At the last minute, I added a cat.

In the first paint phase, the figures are black & white, with just a few touches of color. After looking at them a while, we decided to add some color, using some of the left-over paint from our garage door murals. Since Lisa is a Certified Master Gardener, the colorful gardener has MG on its sleeve. She is holding a plant, which some people insist looks more like a margarita.

I like them both ways, plain and colored. Which do you prefer?

I also made an anniversary card. I was trying to capture the feeling of those small moments when we say big things.

But wait, that’s not all! We got some terra cotta clay for our arts & crafts activity on the 4th of July – and made pots and cat faces. Lisa planted them up beautifully, as always.