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| Lighthouse lights |
| You don't have to be the old man from the sea to have a lighthouse of your own! |
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Australia's long coastlines and beautiful harbours are the perfect habitat for lighthouses. And you don't have to be the old man from the sea to have one of your own. With a little creative help from artist Fairlie Kingston, you can have your very own lighthouse to guide you home at night.
Living on Sydney Harbour's South Head, Fairlie is surrounded by maritime history. So, it's not surprising she has developed a fascination for lighthouses. The artist has been making her own lighthouses for more than seven years and is inspired by the light and shadows they create.
Fairlie's lighthouses are hand built from clay and stand about a metre high. She has made more than 40 lighthouses to date and would ultimately like to travel the coast of Australia, visiting and photographing lighthouses then put on a show.
The red and white Hornby Lighthouse at South Head was Fairlie's first project. Her favourite is the Wedding Cake Lighthouse, which she sees winking on the shoreline every time she goes for a walk. The Wedding Cake casts beautiful light through its cracked skirt and is decorated with seaweed around the base.
Fairlie begins the design process by taking photographs, or collecting small images, of lighthouses. Sometimes she is lucky enough to track down the architectural plans, however she doesn't attempt to create carbon copies. Fairlie thinks architecturally correct miniatures would be very boring and lacking in character.
The lighthouse is drawn roughly on paper, then sculpture begins. The body is a combination of clay slabs and coils (snakes of clay) that are stuck on top of each other with slurry (watery clay). The slab is smoothed with a palette knife. The process is slow as the clay needs to dry between stages or it will collapse. Overall, it takes about six days to construct.
Doors and windows are added next, then finer details like needles, shells, coral, rocks or banksia nuts, which are pressed into the clay. Fairlie makes seaweed by pushing the clay through a sieve.
The lighthouse sits tight for three or four weeks to dry, then it's popped in the kiln for 12 hours. Next, glazes are added and it's back to the kiln for an extra 10 hours. The colour is never the same, so it's always a surprise when the lighthouse finally emerges.
As with most building constructions, tradespeople are needed for those specialist jobs. After the clay is fired, the measurements are taken for the glass. This can't be done earlier in the process because the clay shrinks while in the kiln. A glass blower cuts and sandblasts the glass then a professional framer silicones the glass into the lighthouse and makes the wire details. Finally, the electrician fits the light and wiring.
Fairlie believes people love lighthouses because they create a feeling of romance and fantasy as well as evoking childhood memories of fairy stories. Many clients have a special request, such as a lighthouse that reminds them of their honeymoon or favourite port. Some customers us their lighthouses as night lights — perhaps to guide them safely to the loo.
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Cost
Lighthouses cost approximately $1850-$2000 each.
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More Info
Fairlie Kingston
C/- Australian Galleries
15 Roylston Street
Paddington NSW 2010
Ph: 02 9360 5177
Fax: 02 9360 2361
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Disclaimer
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