IT SALES BY DAY – STEAMPUNK LAMP ARTIST BY NIGHT

I have always been obsessed with lighting.

I replaced every light fixture in all the homes we’ve lived in.  I could attribute this to my Dad, who was an electrician.  Growing up, I learned all the basics from him, but it was challenging being his apprentice as a young boy, as he was very demanding.  Whenever I walk into a home or a restaurant, the first thing I observe is the lighting - what it does for the space and how it could be improved.  

I follow a Facebook group (Electrical Hacks and Other Screw Ups) that makes fun of homeowners doing electrical work in their homes, without consulting a professional electrician.  One day, they posted electricians taking supplies out of their truck and making lamps out of it.  That looked fun to me.  I made my first lamp out of some electrical parts.  Someone informed me that it looked sort of “Steampunk”.  I researched it further and learned how to combine plumbing/gas fittings with electrical components.  My Dad and I jokingly referred to my new craft as being a “plumbtrician”.  That’s how this hobby started for me.  Now it has developed into a combination of made-to-order, custom, and repurposed designs.  Some examples include a saxophone lamp, 50s heater lamp, cigar box lamps, and pull-chain telegraph insulator lamps.  

My wife, Jane and I live in the western suburbs of Chicago.  We have 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren, and 2 Portuguese Water Dogs, Jonah and Simon.  I’m not retired yet, but maybe someday this could be more than a hobby.