Conceptually, this small table lamp is an elemental pairing of Earth and Sun. The red alder base makes a globular form. The shade is naturally dyed with onion skin to create a yellow ombré effect as fire and air, the sun in the sky. The coves that form the upper contours of the body suggest the effect of one element upon another, the interplay of earth, wind, and fire.

This lamp will be at home where some warm mid tones and a reminder of these powerful elements is desired. It will be quite at home in an organic modern setting. It might also find its home in a Scandinavian-influenced space with a warmer Bohemian touch to it. 

The wood itself suggests a coastal locality, as in the alder groves that form coastal forests from central California northward. The adaptability of Alnus rubra to nitrogen-poor sand dunes finds a parallel in our own malleability and resiliency, health being achievable through a bit of cooperative ingenuity even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Note: A light green shade dyed with dune tansy is also available for this lamp. Tanacetum bipinnatum is a California native herbaceous plant we grow for harvest in our own garden. It’s a favored pollen source for our diminutive native bees.