Supplies:
Let us know about your favourites!
Lee Valley Tools - a terrific source of cool little tools, hardware, and some materials. If you're a woodworker already, you know about this place. Not the cheapest but their stuff is good.
Rotblott's Discount Warehouse - Right downtown, but hidden away off the main drag, it's a good source of all kinds of hardware and random stuff for your workshop.
W. H. Kilby (Bamboo Bazaar) on Davenport Ave. in Toronto has closed (too bad!) so you will probably have to source reed and rattan online.
Wicker Woman has a good list of sources.
The Paper Place - They carry a huge range of beautiful papers - ask them for their strong Japanese papers if you are looking for the good stuff! They also sell suitable pastes.
Home Depot carries many useful things - wire, glass frosting spray, flashlights, batteries, tape, bamboo, and assorted bits and pieces, plus tools.
Barry Scientific - Do a lot of geometric drawing? Their innovative protractor will make your life much easier.
Reference material:
LED calculator - This helps you figure out how many LEDS you can use and what sort of resistors you'll need.Soldering tutorial - This useful tutorial from Make Magazine is aimed at beginning electronics hobbyists, so it covers all the basics in an accessible sort of way.
Tapescuplture.org - how to make translucent sculptures with only plastic wrap and packing tape.
Inspiration - lantern artists
We'll be listing artists and craftspeople who specialize in lantern arts in various ways. Please support them. Buy their beautiful work, take their classes, smile and say Hi if you see them at the craft shows!If you think you should be listed here, please send a link to some of your work and we'll give you the shout out here.
Sculpted Light - Joanne Rich
Joanne builds graceful, organically shaped lanterns from reed and paper of various kinds, some of it made by Joanne herself. Leaf and flower inclusions add a warm natural quality to her work.
Pietersma Tinworks - Greg Pietersma
Greg Pietersma's masterfully crafted tinware includes hurricane lampshades and Paul Revere hand-held candle lanterns. Check out his website for examples of the intricate punched patterns he creates. He also teaches at Haliburton School Of The Arts. Go and learn from him.Events and people you should know about:
The Kensington Market Winter Solstice (formerly known as the Festival Of Lights)
Yes, I'm encouraging all of you to get out there and make some kick-ass lanterns. MORE LANTERNS!
Here's some more, including the joyous groove of Samba Squad.
Redpepper Spectacle Arts These folks (headed by Andy Moro and Gabriella Caruso) organize the Kensington Market Winter Solstice every year, and do lots of activist and theatre work the rest of the time. They have a store-front studio in Kensington. They also teach workshops in mask-making and lantern-making for beginners. Support them!
Redpepper Spectacle Arts
160 Baldwin
Toronto, ON M5T 3K7
(416) 598-3729
The Rogers Chinese Lantern Festival (Toronto). Professional lantern builders from China came to create this, and you can see they are skilled at their craft.
I personally could do without the blinky lights and hyperactive effects, but they really went all out for this. That's why it cost 25 bucks to get in. This event was held for three years, but has been cancelled indefinitely as of 2009. All the more reason to make our own!
The Nebuta Festival in Aomori, Japan. They are the grand poobahs of illuminated floats.
The Yi Peng Festival in Thailand crosses the line a little into fire arts - there are substantial flames needed to raise these high into the air - but it's magical! Don't try this at home unless home is in the middle of the lake. Thest things are now illegal in some locales due to concerns about wildfires - please check your local regs before trying these out, and use your best safety practices if you do.
Enlighter Magazine is aimed at lighting designers and artists. Worth spending some time here.
Lumina Arts (UK) - A British organization that produces some mighty fine eye candy. Be inspired!
Public Dreams Society (BC) - "Founded in 1985, Public Dreams Society brings art and celebration to the community by creating participatory events, traditions and rituals that promote healthy neighbourhoods". Vancouver has never been the same.
The Secret Lantern Society. More celebration from Vancouver.
Luminara (BC) puts on a great lantern festival in Victoria.
Because of significant budget cuts recently, they reinvented themselves in 2010 as a series of small neighbourhood events rather than one big one. Share the joy, I say!
Slaithewaite Moonraking Festival (UK). These folks combine local history and a love for lanterns into a great community party. They have decided to do this every other year - watch for it in 2013!