 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
     |
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
So you want to know more... In 1990, Cairo Cocalis began Zoo Gang Studios
(www coming soon), a pottery and ceramic tile business in the foothills
of Oregon’s coastal mountains. Years of silversmithing, screen printing
and hand painting textiles acquainted her with numerous design techniques,
many of which she has incorporated into her ceramic work. Her pottery
has been displayed in galleries in California, Oregon, New Mexico, Idaho,
Michigan, Illinois and New York. She has won awards in juried tile competitions
in Texas and Pennsylvania. Her tile sample boards are currently on display
in showrooms across the country where interior designers place orders
for custom tile work on behalf of their clients. In 1995, Cairo left New Mexico, and moved
back to California where Flying Spark Furniture was born. Over the next
two years, the flagship pieces (the first was the proud Throne Chair)
in the line of functional artwork were designed and prototypes built in
a loft in West Oakland. Then, in 1997, with a very large U-haul and a
longing for open spaces, Cairo moved her studio and her life to a secluded
valley in Northern California. The line has since expanded to include
some purely decorative pieces and the artist is always open to new ideas
and requests for custom work. The building process is begun using a strong
3/4" wood stock. Each pattern is then drawn and cut by hand. The next
step involves meticulous sanding and preparing the surface for painting.
After careful inspection, the pieces are then assembled into their final
form. Ralph Lauren premium quality latex paints (with the most exquisitely
delicious colour range!) are applied, and the pieces begin to come alive.
With a steady hand and a touch of genius (according to her sister, anyway),
Cairo uses artists’ pastels to reveal the individual personalities
of her signature faces. The final step is sealing the piece for durability
using many coats of a non-toxic, water based matte lustre varnish. The
final works are each truly one-of-a-kind, and the larger pieces are numbered
and signed by the artist. Upon completion of each piece, the artist and her friends and her cats celebrate with a ritual of eating rose petals dipped in beeswax and rolled in the very sawdust of the celebrated piece, while running naked in circles on the front lawn. Video tapes of this ritual are not available. |
|
Out of the mind and into the fire... The spark, the smoke, and finally the fire of creation come to life in the innovative designs of Cairo Cocalis. As the proud creatress of Flying Spark
Furniture, I hold to the truth that our experience of daily life flourishes
as it is infused with beauty, opulence, and a bit of creative magic! It is in this spirit that I would like to present you with my line of handcrafted furnishings. The intriguing forms are cut from wood,
then built and finished by hand, one piece at a time. The designs are enhanced by handpainting
with a polychromatic palette. I work with designers and clients to incorporate
custom colours which compliment existing interior spaces. the personality of each piece emerges as final embellishments and details are applied using artists’ pastel sticks. The final steps involve the application of many coats of durable waterbased varnish with a smooth matte luster. Each and every piece is an original, and each of the tables and chairs is numbered and signed by the artist.
| top | |
|
FLYING SPARK FURNITURE HOME
| GALLERY | ABOUT
FLYING SPARK | CONTACT | ORDER
| SITE
|
