Good things come to those that wait.

At least that's what I had to tell my impatient self for the past 18 months. It's like waiting for a baby to be born, and then another one. It's a long time. Yes, this is my baby.

What we have here is a flat, beastly wood “deck” with fine, intricate texture and matte finish, surrounded by raised, stained panels.  Affixed to the deck sits a “floating” platform which holds the 24”x36” canvas artwork perfectly along with the LED strips carefully adhered underneath.  The lights cast a subtle, colored light under the platform which reveal the textured deck and enhance the artwork that floats above it.  It’s simply a unique backlit dimension.

The LED strips are plugged into a recessed box under the deck which allows the entire artwork to sit flush on the wall. Additionally for this installation, a ceiling spotlight with dimmer was installed to give the surface of the canvas a perfect amount of surface illumination.  

The fun part is the LED remote control allows me turn the artwork on and off at will and change the light to be ANY color I want it to be. I can also choose for it to cycle through many colors in smooth, fast or slow transitions to give the artwork different expressions.  

Perhaps the best part (in my selfish art-hungry opinion) is that the platform has L-bracket rests that hold the canvas in place securely, yet allows you to quickly and easily slide it off so that you can display a different standard 24”x36” artwork of your choice.

How about purple?

Or how about green?

Simply put, the artwork is not only impactful, but it can change and evolve depending on the work displayed and the color it emits.  The colors enhance a single artwork and change to make it look different, yet when it’s time for a major overhaul, you simply switch the canvas and start all over again.  

How about AQUA in blue?

It’s bliss for an art lover.

I’m going to sell them. Interested?
  

Here's the rest of the story.

(in case you're interested)....  

About 18 months ago, I was at a local store and discovered some artworks that were on clearance.  I’m always curious, looking at other artwork to get ideas when I noticed this very large, wood artwork which was in beautiful condition.  I picked up the beast.  I saved $500 and paid $99 for it.  I knew it would be a “some day” project.
I wanted to build an artwork that was unique, substantial, and impactful…one that demanded attention.  I knew that I couldn’t just use any old substrate.  I needed something more.  

Thank you Hit Lights!

I decided that light was going to be an important element in it, so I purchased some LED lighting from HitLights, and it was crucial to be able to control the color of the light.  Luckily, LED strips exist, and with the assistance with a remote control, you can create any color.  Yes, any color by using combinations of Red, Green, and Blue.  This was going to be fun.
I then obsessed for the next 8 months or so…yes, 8 months.  I drew various diagrams and dimensions, trying to figure out how I was going to repurpose this huge artwork for the benefit of Franklin Arts.  After hammering out a few ideas, I came to what I felt was the best one.  For about another month, I had to change the game plan twice because new obstacles revealed themselves during the journey.

Thank you Sioux Falls Kitchen & Bath!

A major component , a platform for the artwork, needed to be added, and luckily my friends at Sioux Falls Kitchen & Bath were ready to assist.  They matched our house trim color, so this would tie perfectly into the existing wood of the artwork and our home.
Components were gathered and ready.  

Now it was time for assembly.  I knew this part of the project was going to try my patience.  My perfectionistic tendencies and my vast ignorance for building and assembling were going to have a little war.  We needed to have some internal diplomacy to resolve this peacefully.

It wasn’t very peaceful. 

I spent another month measuring twice, buying nails, more nails, bolts, more bolts, and washers, and more washers.  And nuts.  And electrical tape.  I had about 5-6 trips to the hardware store.  I had to grind it out.

Soon, my studio became a little “workshop” where I was drilling holes and fastening bolts, and trying my absolute best to get things perfect.  

I'm quite satisifed with the result.