Athena skateboard lamp
I bought a skateboard deck to customize with acrylic paint.
When considering and researching how I wanted the skateboard oriented and hung on my wall, I came across Pinterest images of skateboards turned into home appliances, furniture, and shelves. Inspired, I decided to turn my skateboard deck into a lamp. I ordered double-sided light sockets with wires, a lamp cord, and wire connectors on the internet.
While I waited for my supplies, I began painting the board.
At first, I considered creating an intricate pattern along the board. However, when brainstorming, I became inspired by Neoclassical depictions of Greek gods and decided to paint Athena (based on the Statue of Athena, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece). Painting a whole skateboard deck would take a lot of paint, so I decided to save money by only using two paint bottles (black & white). I already had gold flakes from a previous project and figured they would be the perfect accent to the black and white Athena painting and would also reflect the light coming from the bulbs.
Once the light sockets were secured at the front of the board, I used two wire connectors and electrical tape to connect the wires on the back of the board. I bought a cord with a light switch on it, so when the skateboard is hung on a wall, I don't have to plug and unplug it whenever I want my lamp to turn on. Next, it was time to test my lamp!
After I completed my painting, I moved on to building the lamp. I had to drill two holes at the top and bottom of the board to thread the wires to the back of the skateboard. As I didn't have a drill on hand, I had to wait a bit and borrow my friend's drill. In the meantime, I got a little impatient and broke some screws, trying to screw the brackets into the board with a cheaper electric screwdriver.
I used Edison bulbs so the light bulbs wouldn't cover the Athena painting behind it; instead, they would accent it. Overall, I am very happy with my lamp and can't wait to hang it on my wall.