This is the second of two pieces I created for the "Light My Way" Show. The inspiration for this piece was a Pineapple, a traditional welcome symbol... and that is exactly what I wanted this piece to convey, warmth & welcome. To create it I used two small gourds and cut them into pieces and then reconfigured them to form a pineapple... working with the smaller gourds is much more difficult because the skin is much thinner making it more fragile and very easy to break. It is a two part piece consisting of a tea light base and top. I burned the cross lines in with a wood burner and hand painted the designs using opaque watercolour paint believing that watercolour would be more translucent allowing more light to shine through. It was finished with light sanding and a few coats of varnish. When the lantern is lit, it gives off a beautiful amber glow and casts small polka dots onto the walls.