Screen Inspiration, the backstory

I first introduced the metal screens designed for our new house a while back and promised to explain the inspiration behind them. Our architects wanted these screens to be personalized with a design unique to us, something meaningful and significant. At first we were completely stumped as to what design to use, thinking we had to come up with something that would represent us and also look artistic and abstract. Then they made it easy on us and asked us to just send them some images of places and things meaningful to us.

I don't remember all the images we sent, there was definitely a Jayhawk somewhere and possibly a mountain scene and a few other travel locations. And then there was this image - vineyards in Tuscany - and that is the image they chose.  Ryan and I honeymooned in Tuscany, and I spent the most amazing year of my life living in Florence. Italy holds a special place in both our lives.

I had no idea how they would eventually turn this image into a design for our metal screens. But now when I look at this picture, I can only see our screen design. Amazing. Here's the step by step process of how they adapted this image of vineyards in Tuscany into our personal work of art.

I have no idea what this image really means, except that somehow there is a software program that converts the lines and shapes in an image into a digital map.

The image is first sectioned into grids as shown above. Notice that they zoomed in on three different sections of the original image to create a unique design for each of the three screens (there was a fourth small screen in the original plans, upper left, that was eventually dropped from the overall plans).

After the images are put into grids, lines are drawn to capture the patterns in each image (see lines in white visible in the lower of the three images)

This is how the images look with just the white lines depicting the pattern.

Those lines are then turned into dots, and here you can see the red dots overlaid on the white lines...

And the dots alone, with the white lines removed.

This next step is where the finished design starts to emerge. I'm not sure how they determine the shape that is used here, or its size, but essentially each dot is encircled by a roundish/oval shape, almost leaf-like in some places....

and here is a visual of that shape with the dots removed from the center. This is the final design.

According to our architects, these are "rhino-scripted custom-perforated steel panels" in case that means anything to you...Can you still see the rolling hills of the vineyards when you look at the finished screen designs?

Now you know the inspiration story behind our metal screens. When we look at them we are reminded of one of our favorite places, and we are awed by the very personal works of art these turned out be. Bella vista!