Kathleen Doody Hotaru
Lanterns by Design
416 203-0829
hotarulanterns@rogers.com

Kathleen studied Japanese lantern forms while living in Japan. In addition to the smaller ones seen here, she now creates six foot dragons, snail fish and heron lanterns used in ritual Japanese parades near her home on Ward's Island in Lake Ontario.

Kathleen captures the Japanese sculptural quality of traditional lanterns which allows them to stand on their own as an art piece whether they are lighted or not. Set in place with their potential for light is simply enough.

The lanterns are constructed from local red dogwood and joined with copper wire. Kathleen then covers the form with wire screen coated with weather resistant paper that she makes herself. She then beats sheets of copper to form the roofs that keep out the rain and snow.