Tag Archives: illumibrate

Illumibrate Preview / Ukraine Benefit

Usually Illumibrate is held every March at JUMP Boise. Sadly, the event got canceled this year due to the Omicron Covid-19 variant was surging. And a shame too, as I had been leading a team of artists and volunteers in building several pieces of sea-themed black light-activated art.

But when the Omicron wave abated, the powers-that-be at JUMP looked around for an excuse to show everything they had been working on. The result: a partnership with a local church to raise funds to benefit those affected by war in Ukraine. It culminated in a two-night event featuring live music. The art was arranged in a main centerpiece with nine sub-installations around the room.

Good news: Illumibrate will be back for 2023, and this work will be on display!

More info –
JUMP Boise: https://jumpboise.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBDaniels-Art-103699161740609
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbdanielsart/

Walk-around of the centerpiece
Another view of the centerpiece 12′ x 8′
Tyler showed up at one of the meetups, and before long she was hooked! She did a great job painting up this moray eel.
Manta rays
Local artist Betsy Hinze provided this clam shell
Detail of the coral. A local school helped come up with all the individual pieces.
Angelfish and coral
Tunas during setup

The fish were all made out of reclaimed cardboard. For the midsized ones (angelfish, manta rays, tuna), I handmade the prototypes, and then Jesse at the JUMP Maker Studio digitized the pieces and used a laser cutter to cut them out. Volunteers assembled them with hot glue and packing tape.

The larger fish (hammerhead sharks, moray eel) were custom-built one-offs. Each one was over 6 feet long. Details on the fabrication of one of the sharks:

Ready for paint

The large coral centerpiece was made from recycled styrofoam blocks that JUMP had somehow scored for dirt cheap. They were cemented together with gap-filling insulation foam and then carved back. We tried several approaches for the carving, including hot wire/hot knife (toxic odors) and an angle grinder with wire brush wheel (carved fast but made a horrific mess). But in the end, it was a trusty bread knife that did most of the work.

Made in three pieces so we could fit it through the doors
Thumbs up!

Giraffe Family

Illuminated giraffe family made for JUMP’s Illumibrate festival, March 6, 2020, Boise, Idaho. They are life size, reaching up to 16 feet. They were lit from the inside using LED lights sequenced to be controlled by a digital theremin that members of the audience could operate. Surrounding them were several foam trees fabricated by JUMP and also lighted and controlled by the theremin.

This was a collaboration with the JUMP team and several other volunteers. Special thanks to JUMP team members Maggie Soderberg (administration, approval, financing), Jesse Cordtz (coordination, technical support), Amanda Fitch (head sculpture), and Mark Freckleton (wiring). Also a big thanks to Ross Butler and his team for lighting, sequencing, programming, etc.

This project was a rush with little more than 2 months from conception to completion. I never liked how spindly the legs on the big giraffes came out, but with the time constraints and the fact that most of the body work had to be completed before it could be lifted up onto the legs, this was the best that could be managed. I’m working with the JUMP staff to rebuild the legs (particularly the thigh areas) to give them more bulk, as well as redesigning the knees, and adding in feet, which we didn’t have time for.

Though more time would’ve been appreciated, we were lucky: if the event was a week or two later, it likely would’ve been shut down by the growing pandemic.

My girlfriend’s family came by for a look-see
Quick little video
Ah yes, those spindly legs! In foreground are the controls for the lights shaped as flowers. The closest one could be spun to cycle the color patterns, while the others had lasers pointed at the ceiling as the digital theremin. Putting a hand above them to break the beams would change light intensity, colors, etc.
Night before the event. Almost ready! Problems with the electronics dogged us in the final 24 hours leading up to it – poor Ross was up deep into the night working on it. But he got it!
Small giraffe getting skinned. LED lights wrapped around the frame are clearly visible. The skin consisted of chicken wire for shape, followed by a layer of bubble wrap and two layers of quilt batting. These layers helped diffuse the light coming through for even illumination without any shadowing from the frame showing through.
Big thanks to Amanda! She brought these guys to life with her detailed work on the heads.
Working on the big ones. Here you can see the layers. Zip ties were used to make the neck fringe.
Basic framing for the little guy. Chicken wire was later added to give more shape. In the background is seen a small prototype for the Illumicone – another Ross Butler creation. At the event he also had the full size version up and running. It must’ve been around 30 feet in diameter.

Within the Deep

Sailfish and bait ball. Collaboration with Billy Edney.

Shown at Illumibrate at JUMP, March 2019, and at the Art & Soul of the Magic Valley, April 2019.

Size: 10′ diameter
Materials: paper, steel wire, steel flat bar

At Illumibrate. Boise, Idaho
360° walk around
At the Art & Soul of the Magic Valley. Venue: Stay Well Health Foods, Twin Falls, Idaho
Structure made from steel wire. Paper scales then layered over top.
Making the sail fin. Steel wires pressed between two pieces of paper and glued down. Paper then carefully rubbed to bring out the ribbed pattern.
Small fish based on Spanish mackerel. Made from two pieces of paper sandwiched together. The cut along the gill slit allowed the head to be pulled down slightly and glued into position, Forcing the the body into a rounded 3-D shape.