Lush Bella

inspired by downton abbey

2012-01-16T17:47:00.000-06:00

i have a habit of reading the contributor bios of
every house beautiful i get. in the 02/12 issue,
miles redd mentioned his latest obsession –
the new season of downton abbey.

though i love period drama pieces, i hadn't heard of it,
so i spent the next several evenings watching season 1
on netflix. i, too, am now completely obsessed.

it's no wonder they landed a golden globe for best
television mini-series.

the sets are ravishing; in particular, lady mary's bedroom.

the walls are papered in a red and cream print very similar to the

design of this 18th century silk from

the world of ornament published by taschen.

******

1: antique fashion print; 2: candle wall sconce; 3: octagonal gilt mirror;

4: embroidered velvet pillow; 5: carved and gilded louis xv style canapé

paper snowflakes

2011-12-14T14:58:00.003-06:00

some DIY ornaments for a christmas tree we haven't put up yet.
so far we have a pine wreath that i wish smelled more like pine
and shed fewer needles. how about you?

:: ingredients for layered snowflakes ::

butterfly die cuts

charms

a dash of millinery

assorted origami papers

german dresden embossed remnants from d. blümchen and company

chenille embroidery thread

velvet ribbon

glitter

glue

scissors

instructions and patterns for making your own paper
snowflakes can be found here. if you prefer to make
your own patterns and need a little inspiration, check out
w. a. bentley's book of snowflake photographs;
a favorite on my bookshelf. reminds me of the starn twins.

inspired by – 04.04.11

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

every so often, i check
in here for some inspiration.
i hope your week is off to a
great start.

clockwise from top left: the golden age by benjamin west; portrait of heinrike dannecker by gottlieb schick; marchesa geronima spinola by anton van dyck; oortrait of a married couple in the park by coques (attributed); proserpine by dante gabriel rossetti; portrait of a lady, called elizabeth, lady tanfield, british school 17th century

boundaries

2011-03-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

"art is a subversive activity. it pushes against
boundaries, even if, at the beginning, those
boundaries are first your own." – david duchemin

taking a photo of someone who is
unaware, and whom you don't know
is a part of image making that, for me,
will take some getting used to. it's
something i'm trying to do more of
lately.

this one is from yesterday. i like the
way he's looking at the girl with the
ball in the distance. makes me wonder
if he knows her. maybe he's waiting
for her to finish her game.

or maybe he's all alone and here so
that he can feel what it's like to be
around other people.

then again he may've just gotten off work
and is unwinding after a long day of painting
houses. i noticed when he got up to leave
that his pants were covered in different
colors of paint.

i'm still here

2011-02-10T17:46:00.005-06:00

ingrid wrote to me the day before yesterday.
made me realize that i haven't posted here
in over three months.

part of the reason has to do with the time of
year. and the other has to do with some work
i'm developing.

anyway, her message sparked a light in me, so
i want to share some polaroids i took
of my sisters and the lake when i was just 13
years old. i found them this morning as i was
looking through some old photo albums.

::

this is part of a whole series i did of a
balloon race i have no recollection of.
i wrote in marker that this one took
first place. last place landed in the lake
in front of our cabin.

i used to sail. whenever i wasn't racing,

i'd watch the races from shore.

my little sister...one of five. i absolutely love this image

of her. she was always picking up cats - both

ours, the neighbors' cats, and strays like this one,
who thought he might get some food. this was taken

at a place called horshoe bend park where we used

to go for picnics. one of my favorite places

in the whole world.

here she is again at the zoo.

such a beautiful child.

they all were.

this last one made my heart stop,
for written on the back was –

"the first picture i ever took"

rus anson

2010-11-05T17:07:00.007-05:00

today i discovered a new to me
photographer / storyteller...
her name is rosanna, and she
goes by rus.

i found her through the APA awards.
she won 1st place in the student
category. yes, she's a student at the
academy of art university in
san francisco.

i can't even to begin to articulate
how magical the work is that she
captures with the help of stylists,
assistants, hair and makeup, and
models.

she sounds like a beautiful spirit
too. from her about page ~ "i would
like to make people forget the
troubles of the world and concentrate
on their wishes and hopes." i did so
just by looking at her work.

below are some images from the september issue of 7x7. read about the behind-the-scenes here.

i especially love this one, since i have a thing for dressing trees.

and this reminds me so much of anthropologie's november catalog. don't you think?

her work and blog.

my affliction

2010-10-21T10:41:00.044-05:00

it's not a sickness or grief, thank heavens, but rather this – expensive taste. very expensive. ann getty expensive. the kind that loves ormolu-mounted porcelain vases, japanned and carved giltwood bureau cabinets, and walls covered in antique chinese textiles. a bit of a challenge for someone whose income doesn't come even remotely close to satisfying this condition.

just the other day i went to house of fabrics to look for some frames for some antique botanicals i want to put up in the room makeover and every frame i picked out was larson juhl.

and again this morning, i received an email from j.crew about their 20% off outerwear sale. having worn the same coat for the past 2...or is it 3 winters now, i don't think i can bear to wear it again this year. i kind of feel like a ragamuffin when wearing it. actually, i don't think it will bear it. it's missing a button, the belt always comes out of its loop, and it isn't warm enough to begin with for this climate.

anyway, i followed the link, and quickly scanned what they have to offer. every coat that caught my eye, like this cashmere twill, cost around a grand. why couldn't i go for something in the under 200 category? then i saw this particularly lovely albeit sold out popover.

to be honest, even if i had the means to live in a house like this or buy any one of these coats, i know it wouldn't make me any happier than i already am. and i'm pretty sure i'd be nervous about spilling or pulling a thread, since i tend to run into things like rose bushes.

how about you? what's your affliction?

image credit: photo by lisa romerein for 1stdibs

the world is a wonderful place

2010-10-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

this past friday, chloe and i had a yard sale.

have you ever had one? if so, you know

how much effort it takes to put one together.

before i began preparing for it, i had grand

aspirations of having everything priced,

fending off the early birds, and selling it all!

the craigslist post and the signs we put up the

night before advertised the sale as beginning at

10:00. by 11:00 a.m., one person had haggled

me down to $3 for 27 jars of testors paints.

by noon, i began to think i had wasted a lot of

time for nothing.

but as the day went on, things gradually picked

up. though it didn't come close to my expectations

of hundreds of people and hundreds of dollars

made, i did come away with a few wonderful

experiences and learned some things.

1) giving things away isn't costly and a waste of money
since we weren't about to bring it all back in the house, g. and i went next door to our neighbor and told her she could take whatever she wanted. she chose some books, including a copy of david sedaris's me talk pretty one day, a sisal rug, and a messenger bag she said the boys would get a lot of use out of. all these things had been sitting in our basement forgotten for months. the rest went to big brothers big sisters. to know that someone will actually use these things makes me wish i'd done this sooner.

2) from here on out, we'll buy less because we don't need as much as we thought
how many candleholders do we really need? i told g. the next thing i buy will be something to replace something that's old, like a new cardi-jacket, though i'll need to have a few more yard sales before i add this to my wardrobe.

3) objects that commemorate a life i aspire to but do not have are a burden
there are many, but a perfect example of this is the pilates ball i bought five years ago and used only once. i want to tone my abs and increase my strength, i really do. really? what about the pilates abs rower i purchased last april? turns out no one wanted either one, so i kept both. in this case, the guilt continues.

4) objects that commemorate a life i once had are a burden
i designed jewelry that was picked up by upscale boutiques and anthropologie, and i loved doing it. but that time in my life is over. i have other interests now like photography and styling. all the drawers of beads and lace remind me of this. not that that's a bad thing, but why hold onto these things when people like amy (my last customer) could make her own necklaces from a collection of vintage czech nailhead glass beads?

5) i love talking to people

this was the highlight of the whole day and gave me a chance to meet our neighbors and others who share some of the same interests. like krystal who bought some of g.'s screenwriting books for a friend moving to l.a. and the girl who bought our t.v. combination vcr so her boyfriend could watch his old anime videotapes. when you take the time to get out there and listen to peoples' stories, even if it be on your front porch surrounded by a bunch of ______, you realize the world is a wonderful place.

good things come to those who wait

2010-10-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

we've had this gilded frame
leaning up against a wall
in our studio for a couple
years now. i've been saving it
for something magnificent.
i finally found it rummaging
through g.'s paintings he keeps
stacked on a shelf. and in this
room she now gazes out at us
preserved behind glass.
i love her.

art wall + stairway = accident waiting to happen

2010-10-05T14:22:00.001-05:00

feeling inspired after seeing what
jen did with her new brooklyn
apartment in just 4 weeks, and hating
myself even more for having
empty frames on this wall for almost
a year, i finally filled them with still
lifes, photograms, a sun print, a marbled
endpaper from an old book, and my absolute
favorite...a drawing g. did.

here's a peek of it through the banister.
it's the one of a lady with a tattooed neck
right above the moth.

it was sequestered away in one of his
sketchbooks until i did a barbaric thing
and released it with an exacto blade.

already, i've nearly toppled a few frames on my way
down the stairs when i should be looking at my feet
and not the art. i'm a bit on the clumsy side, so this
just further complicates things.

in our last apartment, i fell down a flight of stairs
whilst painting the walls. naturally, i took the gallon
can of white paint with me, which meant the dingy brown
stairs went next on the list of things to touch up. it ended
up being a huge improvement and so it was meant to be.

it seems everywhere i look...

2010-10-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

i see classical sculpture.
have you seen anthropologie's
october catalog?

and this twinkle by wenlan dress?

when i saw the winged figure,
it reminded me of the
victory of samothrace
i wrote about a little
while ago.

i've attempted working with
marble, and have great respect
for those who create something
like this. i once took a class in
marble sculpture through the
smithsonian when we lived in
washington, d.c.

my unfinished project is still at
my in-laws. it's too heavy to
ship, and each time we visit,
i forget to bring it back with me.

i also still have the chisels and rasps,
and though i'll never use
them again, i don't think i'll part
with them. too many great memories...
like meeting g. for indonesian food
and slipping into the national gallery
for some inspiration.

images credits: anthropologie

room makeover - part III

2010-09-21T18:04:00.008-05:00

it's been awhile since i posted about the room makeover, and though we're mid-project, i thought i'd show you where we are at the moment. here's a shot of the room as it looked once we moved everything next door. in the corner is some crown molding we decided to add. g. did an amazing job, especially since he's never done this before. naturally, the walls aren't true and the miter saw we have is dull and rusty, so we used molding blocks at the corners to connect the molding.

here is the room mid-makeover with some furniture. for the wall color, we chose a match to farrow and ball's off-black. it looks black but is in fact a deep, dark prussian blue. for someone who normally chooses shades of white, gray, and blue when making over rooms, i didn't know what we were missing out on. if you're brave enough, you may want to give it a go.

there's still more to be done, like replacing the wood blinds with fabric shades, but next i'll tackle the walls and hang some art. a couple months ago, i found some antique e.j. lowe fern prints, which i recently spotted at okl's barbara barry tastemaker sale. the few they had sold out within the first hour. i nearly fell off my chair when i saw the tag sale price. $649! the regular price was $1800! though i still need to frame ours, the prints i found locally cost $12. even if i were to choose a larson-juhl frame & filet, with museum glass and fabric mat, each framed print will cost around $100. i haven't made up my mind yet, but ours won't come close – then again, i'm not barbara barry.

the future of my collecting (hoarding)

2010-09-21T15:27:00.013-05:00

lately i've given thought
to the idea of simplifying.

strange for someone who
has accumulated so many
things, like antique pins,
and can't bear to throw
anything away.

i've managed to gather a gigantic
collection of beads, trims, ribbon,
paper goods, books, and textiles
that would send a minimalist
over the edge. at times it has the
same effect on me.

along with collecting (or accumulating),
comes finding an appropriate way to
catalog. i still struggle with this, and
that is the reason why i rarely find
what i'm looking for.

i'm not saying i'm organizationally
challenged. quite the opposite.
i'm a bit like margaret from little britain.
if you have no idea who
i'm talking about, little britain is a
british comedy that you must see
straight away.

to put it another way, i can tell you
the tube of alizarin crimson oil paint
is upstairs in the metal cabinet,
3rd drawer from the top, on the left-hand side,
next to the tube of williamsburg ultramarine.
all this from the living room downstairs.

if i were to sell some of these things,
i'd never make back what i spent.
but if someone is able to make
something beautiful from it...

why keep things i no longer need?
why hold onto things i've never used?

do you struggle with this? are you a
hoarder turned minimalist? if so, i'd love
to hear how you did it, and whether you'll
ever go back.

souvenirs from a morning walk

2010-09-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

cooler weather is finally here.
a chance for longer walks
and gathering things that
catch our eye. the feathers are
what chloe found.

the souls of old things

2010-09-14T16:11:00.001-05:00

this past weekend, i found a box of dolls
i've had since i was a little girl.
i had many more...
but now have only three.
when i went off to college,
my younger sister took over my bedroom,
and my collection of dolls.
she wrote her name on each one with marker.
even today, when i look at these dolls, i think of this.
and wonder why she did it.
***

autumn's nectar feast

2010-09-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

the sedum bed is alive with
butterflies of all different kinds
and thankfully...finally...
honeybees.

each afternoon they all gather
on the clusters of star-like flowers
to share the nectar feast.
*********************

classical art and modern dress

2010-09-13T14:54:00.001-05:00

"it is in the variation and manipulation of a reduced number of basic iconic styles that later artists and contemporary designers have been able to expand on their increasingly inventive interpretations of grecian dress." – harold koda

this post made me realize why
some of my favorite designers
are madeleine vionnet, madame grès,
& claire mccardell, for what i admire
about their oeuvres is the influence of
the art of ancient greece as interpreted
through manipulated and draped cloth.

{symmetrical pleats}

{liquid folds falling on the bias}

{sleeveless bodices}

{bloused}

porch of the karyatids, 420 b.c.

one-shoulder dress in black velvet by vionnet photographed by hoyningen-heune

“grecian” evening dress by madame gres

claire mccardell jersey dress

isabel toledo's diamond draped bodice dresses, finished and unfinished, fall 2005

to learn more ~

the exhibition "goddess" held by the metropolitan museum of art in autumn 2003

women's apparel in ancient greece

image credits: 1, 2, 4) madeleine vionnet by betty kirke; 3) greek museums published by ekdotike athenon s.a.; 5) the curated object; 6) metropolitan museum of art; 7) manila fashion observer

empress leilia

2010-09-10T14:57:00.001-05:00

i found her in the neighbor's driveway
she was flying outside her range
some eight hundred miles away
i wonder how she ended up here?

ads in gmail and your personal data

2010-09-08T11:59:00.001-05:00

according to a google help article, "ads that appear next to gmail messages are similar to the ads that appear next to google search results and on content pages throughout the web. our goal is to provide gmail users with ads that are useful and relevant to their interests."

this morning, g. and i were emailing each other links to books having to do with the subject of happiness. i'm a happy person, and can roll pretty well with the occasional setback that comes along, but there isn't any harm in being happier, right? it was then that i noticed an ad served by google in my gmail that said "beware of garbage trucks."

at first i interpreted it literally and thought it had to do with – look both ways before you cross the street, b/c if you don't you could get mowed down by a truck, which once nearly happened to me in london. then you'll realize how good you had it. right?

a little bit curious and a bona fide sucker for targeted advertising, i clicked on the link and eventually found myself at amazon. the book hasn't been released yet, but it's now in my wish list along with this one reviewed by miss b.

for those wondering (i was), the good news is that no humans read your email. if there were any reading mine, they'd be bored to tears and/or confused esp. with the emails g. and i exchange with a very witty and charming couple in seattle. as the weekend approaches, our inboxes blow up with messages having to do with soccer, beer, hamburger helper, insects, and just this morning...cocktail-slurping squirrels and mine-sniffing rats.

diaphanous drapery

2010-08-30T16:28:00.017-05:00

gossamer...diaphanous drapery
highly expressive, swirling folds
as depicted in paintings and sculpture
makes my heart skip a beat
represented here by some of the greats.

primavera by sandro botticelli

primavera (detail)

portrait of josephine by francois gerard

laure regnaud de saint-jean d'angély by francois gerard

since this post is quickly becoming one about gerard,
here is yet another by him exploring the
neoplatonic theme as the above primavera.
human soul and divine love united…

psyché et l'amour by francois gerard

another botticelli...incidentally, i was reading here that the plant depicted in the lower right corner is datura stramonium also known as "poor man's acid" – a hallucinogen. so perhaps mars isn't just sleeping. i can sleep through severe thunderstorms, but i'm quite sure trumpet-blowing satyrs would have no trouble waking me.

venus and mars

venus and mars (detail)

the three graces by rubens

lucretia by cranach

perseus and andromeda by anton raphael mengs

morpheus and iris by pierre narcisse guerin

the pleiades by elihu vedder

now let's turn to illusionary transparency as a formal device in sculpture defined in looking at greek and roman sculpture in stone: a guide to terms, styles and techniques as…

"an impression of a diaphanous fabric for the clothing of a sculpted figure. It was especially popular among sculptors working in the last thirty years of the fifth century B.C. In order to appear like gathered and transparent fabric a successful rendering of illusionary transparency depended on substituting raised ridges for the incised grooves of the modeling line technique to depict drapery."

venus genitrix , roman copy of 5th century greek original

another roman imperial copy of venus genitrix, late first-early second century AD

three maenads, altar of dionysos, 5th century b.c.

another votary of Dionysos...

relief with a dancing maenad ca. 27 b.c.–14 a.d.; augustan roman copy of a greek relief attributed to kallimachos, ca. 425–400 b.c.

ludovisi throne, early 5th century b.c.

to think that many other objects of art from the same time period were broken, buried, reused, melted,

used as in-fill, sunk and therefore lost forever reminds me of this.

eastern section of the parthenon frieze representing poseidon, apollo and artemis, executed by alkamenes, 447 – 432 b.c.

nike unlacing her sandal from the parapet of the temple of nike, late 5th century b.c.

stele of hegeso, late 5th c.

i realize i'm hopping around in history by adding this two-layered arabian onyx cameo from after 10 a.d., but look how perfectly it illustrates the subject. to imagine the gem cutter executing such incredible detail over an area measuring 7.5 inches tall by 9 inches wide makes me weak in the knees.

gemma augustea, created by dioscurides or one of his disciples

the nike of paionios, the work of paionios of mende in the chalkidike peninsula, c. 420 b.c.

unlike the nike of paionios, the identity of the sculptor(s) is often unknown. instead scholars must attribute a work to "the sculptors" or "follower of the sculptor".

such is the case with the winged victory of samothrace, for a dedicatory inscription has yet to be found.
who was this man who sculpted one of the most famous statues of antiquity?
we don't even know your name, except that you may've been from the island of rhodes.

winged victory of samothrace, 190 b.c.

only a handful of greek sculptors are known to us by name, such as skopas, lysippos, paionios, pheidias and praxiteles, and yet they greatly influenced the history of sculpture, artists of the italian renaissance, as well as modern art, fashion and dance. however, as sir john beazley said, "the name of the artist is of little importance, since we are privileged to have before us his own work, which conveys the highest artistic messages, as well as the spiritual and religious exaltation of those distant times."

for a closer look at the winged victory of samothrace

watch a video about the parthenon sculptures

taste and the antique: the lure of classical sculpture, 1500-1900
the beazley archive

image credits: 1-2, 4) wikipedia; 3, 10-11) the hermitage; 5, 14, 23) the louvre; 6-7) the national gallery; 8) museo nacional del prado; 9) gemäldegalerie der akademie der bildenden künste, wien; 12, 15-16) the metropolitan museum of art; 18-20, 22) the greek museums published by ekdotike athenon s.a.; 21) behind the image by federico zeri

i'll never do this again

2010-08-26T14:43:00.001-05:00

i FINALLY finished a project i've been putting off for a long, long time. i won't even say how long it took me to do this, let alone the fact they've been up a year and a half, packaging wrinkles and all.

we bought some drapery panels for the living room windows, but they weren't long enough, so i thought, surely it won't be any trouble to get an extra panel, cut it up and and add length to each one. well, there are 6. i'm not good at sewing. i'm too ambitious for my own good. i would rather be doing something else.

i debated over how to cover the seam and where to add the length. initially i planned to buy some trim, but i couldn't find the right width and color at a price we could afford. so instead of letting that hold up the project – did i mention it had already been a year and a half! – i got started and went with a french seam near the top, because i wanted the wrong side to be finished, since the fabric is sheer.

i read the instructions over here, and started on the first panel. it wasn't until i had spent an hour and a half sewing and cutting that i noticed my mistake. instead of putting WRONG SIDES TOGETHER (she clearly noted this using caps), i did the opposite. this is always what happens when i sit down to sew. but the beauty about this is that i no longer had to worry about covering the seam with tape or trim, because the french seam was facing the outside...and didn't look like an accident!

here's a before shot. forgive the dim picture. it was overcast that day.

as you can see, the original panels had a rod pocket treatment at the top, which i thought i would keep, but once i re-hung them, i didn't like how scrunched they looked. complicating matters further and prolonging this project to the point of being intolerable, i decided to add drapery rings. what i didn't know is that little rings of metal run $3 apiece. i needed 50. so i went through my stash of chain and found some circular brass links, which i cut apart and sewed on.

now they touch the floor, are wrinkle-free, and are coming with us if and when we leave this house, because i'm never doing this again.

idarica gazzoni – pientre decoratrice

2010-08-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

these rooms with their light, mix of patterns, and patina really speak to me and though very different in style, remind me of how my mother-in-law has created a home where you feel peaceful and comfortable. no wonder she says, "guests, like fish, start to smell after 3 days." that's because when people come to visit, they never want to leave.

these beautiful images are from the website of idarica gazzoni. inspired by italian frescoes she saw as a child, she later went on to study decorative painting in brussels.

i wouldn't change a thing about this room with its checkered carpet and papered ceiling.

wallpapers printed with turkish moons and suzani-inspired patterns from the arjumand collection.

idarica gazzoni

dreaming of windows

2010-08-18T15:41:00.004-05:00

danske

Seeing windows in your dream means bright hopes, vast possibilities and insight.

henri matisse explored the window theme, often with a still life set before it. looking at these paintings with their light and color and characteristic pattern brings me peace and happiness. better than meditation, which usually puts me to sleep, though i do feel rested afterward.

interior with black notebook. 1918

still life in the studio, nice. 1923

interior with egyptian curtain. 1948

open window at collioure. 1910

image credits: danske; metropolitan museum of art; history of modern art by h.h. arnason; web museum of fine art

a week without mirrors

2010-08-18T13:05:00.011-05:00

as someone who should probably look in the mirror more often, this shouldn't be terribly difficult. the idea is an exercise from twyla tharp's book – the creative habit – designed to clear time and mental space to focus you.

make-up mirror 1950s by thurston hopkins

mary jane russell in dior by louise dahl-wolfe

outtake from a series taken by mark shaw for LIFE magazine in 1960. pictured is a model wearing dior.

couple d'amoureux dans un petit café by brassai

a bar at the folies-bergère by édouard manet

the comtesse d’haussonville by ingres

las meninas by diego velazquez

just above the infanta margarita's head is a mirror reflecting the king and queen, though some believe it may instead be a reflection of the painting the artist (velazquez) is working on.

another velazquez - the rokeby venus

rubens's venus in front of the mirror

rauschenberg's tracer

if you look in the upper right corner, you can see rubens's venus with her mirror & the dark-skinned maidservant behind the red box. this was one of my favorite paintings to stop at when i worked at the nelson. as soon as the students made out the profile of the maidservant, their eyes lit up as if they had just seen a rainbow.

venus with a mirror by titian

the arnolfini portrait by jan van eyck

detail of the mirror

another ingres – madame moitessier

new york, réflexion by jean-marc bernard

a building near times square reflected as seen from the artist's hotel room window on the 34th floor.

***

could you go a week without looking in the mirror?

image credits: 1) surfaceview; 2) louise dahl-wolfe: a retrospective by vicki goldberg; 3) andrew wilder gallery; 4) metropolitan museum of art; 5) getty museum of art; 6) artnet; 7) museo nacional del prado; 8) the national gallery, london; 9) liechtenstein museum; 10) nelson-atkins museum of art; 11) national gallery of art; 12-14) the national gallery, london; 15) yellowkorner

elle decor

2010-08-18T05:19:00.001-05:00

some work i did a few weeks back paid off. george had a nice write-up on elle decor. the photo they chose is one i took of the whitewashed oak cases filled with antiques and textiles. i love how the shape of the amphora in the center pops against the dark background. this was a little tricky to take because right in front of it is a huge terence conran parsons table, but i like the result.

my thanks to michael, dickson and julia for a great write-up.

heaven on earth

2010-08-17T19:35:00.000-05:00

i love water…just being near it is enough for me. but put me in it, where i can swim (though not far) or sail, and i'm in my element. why i'm living in the middle of america is anybody's guess.

this image by slim aarons and the row of italian cypresses remind me of another place i hope to visit one day.

image credit: getty image gallery

old style

2010-08-17T15:11:00.006-05:00

i recently came upon a site via photojojo that applies a vintage effect to your photos. here are a few images i uploaded.

to give you an idea of the effect and what it can do, here is a photo of a shaker room in the new american wing of
the metropolitan museum of art.

if you want to try it yourself, the site is in japanese but there is a link to switch to english in the top right corner. enjoy!

notes from a sketchbook 08.12

2010-08-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

workshops of the nile delta became famous for an iridescent quality of linen where colors changed with the time of day.

inspired by – 08.11.10

2010-08-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

left to right: embossed and gilded pasteboard simulating leather via surfaceview; funny face (1957) directed by stanley donen; handpainted panel featuring silhouette design painted on a pieced silver 18th century style background via gracie; mecistogaster linearis via the evolution store

japonisme: fashion

2010-08-02T15:30:00.004-05:00

continuing with this series of posts on japonisme, this one is about fashion. japan has long provided inspiration for those who design clothing for women, whether it's meant to be worn or purely for the sake of art like galliano's spring 2007 japanese-inspired collection for dior.

the details are what i especially loved about this collection. things like exquisite embroidery worked in lustrous silk threads and sequins, and these blue feathered butterflies perched on thin shoulders.

hand-painted umbrellas, folding fans, and tiered pearl chokers...

time and again, fashion looks to traditional japanese artforms, like origami...

isabel toledo tube jacket via the museum at FIT

marchesa spring 2009 rtw collection

and kirie – the japanese art of paper cutting, which may have been the inspiration for the decoration on this dress from marchesa's spring 2010 collection.

this post wouldn't be complete without mention of the three main fashion houses in japan – yohji yamamoto, issey miyake, and rei kawakubo – the designer behind the 'comme des garcons' label. if you follow the work of these internationally known fashion designers, you may recognize some of these images. their work is sculptural, often confrontational, and shows the use of innovative textiles and construction techniques.

for this hand-pleated silk crepe gown, it seems the current for inspiration was reversed, from west to east, for when asked about the inspiration, yamamoto replied, “maybe mme. grès."

white bride dress with big hoop skirt from yohji yamamoto's spring/summer 2009 collection

"wedding dress”, yohji yamamoto spring/summer 2000

a dress from the staircase series by miyake

issey miyake, spring/summer 2001

i may have champagne taste and a beer budget, but i can dream about one day wearing a creation by the genius that is rei kawakubo. untrained as a fashion designer, she conveys her ideas verbally to her patternmakers.

and now, for a look back in time to the year 1952, a swimsuit designed by carolyn schnurer re-embroidered in the pattern of a japanese paper box.

photographed by louise dahl-wolfe for harper's bazaar january 1952

image credits: TOP: japonaise sous l'orage by kusakabe kimbei via yellowkorner; rei kawakubo images courtesy of los angeles county museum of art

japonisme: surface design

2010-07-31T17:26:00.000-05:00

for centuries, japan has been associated with a rich textile tradition. some of my favorite techniques are layering, pleating and resist-dyeing.

a method i've personally tried is arashi shibori also known as pole-wrapping shibori. it's a lot of work, but worth it. a long hollow pvc tube is needed, which is not something one normally keeps around the house. it's also cumbersome to store if one lives in a studio apartment with limited closet space.

mine was acquired when we didn't have a car and were living in chicago. g. still reminds me of the time he attempted to board a rush hour chicago bus with one of these that he picked up from home depot. naturally, the driver wouldn't let him board, which led to a 2 mile walk home.

g. if you're reading this, i love you for putting up with my diversions.

by wrapping fabric around this tube using string and tape, the fabric is then scrunched together and dyes are applied. an endless array of stripes and pleats are possible.

i also tried my hand at board clamping (itajime). these examples (and the ones above) are from shibori: the inventive art of japanese shaped resist dyeing.

if these images have inspired you to try shibori, these are some great resources:

shibori: the inventive art of japanese shaped resist dyeing
shibori: creating color & texture on silk

wrapping up this post, below are examples of contemporary japanese textiles from an exhibit at the MoMA in 1998.

screenprinted and flash heated polyester

machine pleated and manually compressed polyester

nylon stitched onto soluble base fabric that is then dissolved

reverse side of a jacquard double weave made of wool and washi paper

notes from a sketchbook 07.22.10

2010-07-22T15:01:00.003-05:00

i found some old sketchbooks and paging through them, i was taken back in time to the person i was and the things i was thinking about. there are no dates, and many are lists of ideas and scribbled notes and passages with no attribution or context. not wanting to lose them, i thought i'd enter them here periodically so that i have them all in one place.

below is a scribbled note from a page with a clipping of a spring bulb. i now remember that after reading this somewhere, i planted this lily in our garden when we lived in seattle.

"look inside the cup of a mariposa lily and see an animated scene – a small army of insects...tiny beetles – that suggests a rococo design."

japonisme: fabrics

2010-07-21T12:02:00.005-05:00

following the previous post on japanese papers, this next post is about japanese-inspired furnishing pattern. like many, i am unabashedly obsessed with fabric, and a quick glance online and through tear sheets revealed the influence japanese design and culture continue to have on those designing fabrics for interiors. following are just a few.

the inspiration for this collection by john stefanidis came from a trip to japan. i immediately recognized a resemblance to katazome papers, and am intrigued by how any one of these might look gracing a chair or pillow cover.

fossil fabric in the style of a Japanese wood cut

pagodas, dahlias, cherry blossoms, and peonies – all from designers guild. these to me look more like chrysanthemums...even the leaves, but either one – dahlias or mums – are on the list for next year's cutting garden.

this one is a wallpaper from the same collection as the one directly above, but i couldn't resist including it, for i love the colors.

kyoto shrine – a geometric from david hicks

next up: japonisme: textiles and surface design

japonisme: paper

2010-07-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

looking back at what i'm drawn to and what inspires me, i see there are influences that have stood the test of time. one is japanese design and culture. since this blog is a place for me to document what i find beautiful in the world, i thought i'd spend a few posts devoted to my love affair with japonisme, starting with paper.

repetitive designs of small dense patterns have always fascinated me, so it's no wonder that i love chiyogami.

two of my favorite places to find these beautiful papers are paper mojo and shepherds falkiners. what i especially love about falkiners's site is that it allows you to add things to a wish list. it's been at least 4 months since my last visit, but they still had my list safe and sound. i'm familiar with persistent shopping carts, but this is fabulous. another resource is japanese paper place, but be prepared to spend hours there, if you like this sort of thing.

chrysanthemums – always a favorite.

are there any persistent styles, art, people, or places that have inspired you and lasted over the years? feel free to share this in the comments and stay tuned for part 2.

image credits: palace garden by nelson hancock at james sansum; paper mojo; shepherds falkiners; japanese paper place

legs in the sunlight

2010-07-12T17:40:00.009-05:00

this image by erwin blumenfeld perfectly captures what i'd like to be doing right now. though instead of a pimm's cup cucumber,

i'll take a glass of sangria.

in lieu of this, i'll continue with my plan for putting together our own at-home bar stocked with glasses, jigger, ice, mixers, wine and the usual suspects – vodka and gin.

these bars will serve as inspiration ~

i love metal shades, especially when they're brass like this one.

helmet table lamp, ralph lauren home

though i'll probably end up employing a console we already have, i found this gorgeous drinks cart and some trollies.

c.1950 aldo tura lacquered goat skin drinks cart

josef frank mahogany trolley

alvar aalto tea trolley that debuted at the paris world's fair in 1937

do you have a bar that you use for entertaining? or do you mix your drinks in your kitchen like us? feel free to share any favorite cocktails in the comments. here is one i found over at design*sponge for sangria.

salut!

image credits: 'legs in the sunlight' american vogue, july 1950 via blumenfeld: photographs: a passion for beauty; house beautiful dec/jan 2010; domino 11/08; miles redd's cocktail bar photographed by paul costello

make a wish

2010-07-09T12:57:00.004-05:00

i tend to put off opening the mail...and emptying the dishwasher, but last night, i received a padded envelope that didn't look like a bill or credit card offer. this was inside.

the candle has a generously long wick that forms a necklace, and the pinhole cupcake reminded me of the covetable work of this lovely girl.

here is what i wish for...

clockwise from top:

i've had my eye on this book for a long time.

an icy green votive scented with neroli - a fragrance that holds many memories for me.

a crewel rug.

espadrilles dressed in suede, silky ribbon, and raffia. i might just wear them to bed.

mood indigo

2010-07-08T18:09:00.008-05:00

i know i mentioned before that i tend to have several projects going at once. for whatever reason, this tendency is very pronounced around this time of year, despite sweltering temperatures, which i could do without.

in addition to the room makeover, which is slowly progressing, i'm painting our staircase. i was going to paint it all one color, until i saw this indigo stripe on amanda harlech's staircase.

i haven't even finished priming the whole thing, and am dreading the 2 top coats and suggested polyurethane varnish, which i may have to dismiss. so if i were to add a faux runner, the above application, which looks as though it was made with a paint roller, seems more doable, as opposed to the tedious chore of marking and taping.

let's leave the paint to dry & look at some indigo.

still life images from the incredibly talented kate mathis.

not to change the subject again, but every time i go down into our crummy basement looking for something, i end up rummaging through boxes, finding things i forgot we had...like this old vogue living issue from march/april 2004. just look at these gorgeous images photographed by ditte isager and styled by christine rudolph.

the 1920s settee is embellished with royal copenhagen's 'blue fluted'-inspired white stitch pattern. on the wall you can see the royal copenhagen trademark and drawings of the 'blue fluted' pattern, courtesy of royal copenhagen. blue fluted mega and plain are by far my favorite patterns.

a 'blue fluted' teacup rests on the floor next to a 19th c. french chair. love the french chandelier too. if you're lusting after the plates on the wall (like i am) there's a seller on ebay, whose prices range from $85 for a salad plate to $102 for a dinner plate.

before i go back to painting, there is a book you must get if you're thinking about dyeing fiber or fabric with indigo. trudy van stralen has recipes for creating blues ranging from pale baby blue to deep blackish blue. you'll need materials like saxon blue, a tin premordant, and lichen, which are things not everyone has lying about, but the colors one can achieve are worth it and absolutely exquisite.

image credits not mentioned: top image ~ vogue living: houses, gardens, people

room makeover - part II

2010-07-03T15:04:00.002-05:00

here goes part II of our room makeover. the room is presently g.'s studio, but is very, VERY small, which is why he's moving next door to my old studio, whose contents are now scattered here and there throughout the house. my soon-to-be-realized-too-lofty ambition is to make it into a library/den/room to retire to for after-dinner drinks.

here is the room as it looks now.

i haven't even begun and am already a little overwhelmed, but once we clear everything out, i'll start on the walls and molding. though it's a small room, i loathe painting, so midway through i'll begin making the shades. this is my usual approach to projects like this. i'll start one thing, then another...and another. i realize this isn't exactly efficient, but eventually it gets done.

i found instructions for the shades here, but after reading the how-to, i already have questions. if anyone has made shades like this, please feel free to share your tips in the comments.

i hope you'll come along with me as i ~~suffer through~~ convert this room from bland to beautiful.

room makeover - part I

2010-06-29T00:15:00.010-05:00

taking inspiration from tom scheerer, i'm about to transform a tiny bedroom into something that i hope {remotely} resembles this beautiful room...minus the michael thonet designed café daum side chair.

though nothing like it - in quality, design or spirit - this rickety old chair may be its humble substitute, after a few coats of black paint and some wood glue.

this faded allover floral paisley is the fabric i'll use to make the shades.

there are two windows in this room. sewing is not my forte, nor is it something i enjoy. hopefully, i'll get it right on the second one.

for the walls, i have my eye on a couple benjamin moore colors - black satin & appalachian brown - and farrow and ball's mahogany.

i love the look of lacquered walls, but like the aforementioned thonet chair, that's not in the budget, so i'll have to settle for high gloss on the walls, and possibly eggshell on the moldings - all the same color.

stay tuned!

my picks for canopy beds

2010-06-24T20:30:00.012-05:00

my recent post and this hauntingly beautiful surreal image of a canopy by robert stivers got me thinking again about how i've always wanted a canopy or four-poster in our bedroom.

sadly, the ceilings have never been tall enough to allow for one, but i can always dream.

here are some favorites.

anthropologie's much-loved italian campaign canopy.

the niermann weeks loire bed seen here in elizabeth mayhew's bedroom and in her book - flip for decorating.

here it is again...this time draped. to see more of this home, visit here.

alder-wood bed recently seen at OKL's martyn lawrence bullard sale.

the always great willa bed by oly in this tom scheerer designed bedroom via house beautiful dec/jan 2010.

gilded

mirrored

verdured

happy world oceans day

2010-06-08T14:12:00.012-05:00

it makes my heart ache to see all the recent images of the oil spill, but rather than ignore it, i must remain informed and do something about it, even though some say there is little i can do. and though i am only one, i mustn't let this turn into apathy or non-action either. i don't live near the region, where i would volunteer to help, but i can support organizations, whose mission it is to protect the oceans.

so today in honor of world oceans day…

i sent messages to lawmakers and companies;
made a donation;
made a pledge to reduce my plastic consumption;

learned about 10 things i can do to save the oceans;

became a wavemaker.

it sickens me to think that things may never be the same, but taking these small steps has brought me a calm respite.

gerhard richter
seascape (contre-jour)
oil on canvas
1969
image courtesy of gerhard richter

sweet dreams

2010-06-01T13:47:00.012-05:00

i thought i'd do a post on bedrooms, since i'm on the lookout for a new bed cover. as i searched my hard drive for inspiration, i found i'm drawn to several recurring themes, and have remained pretty consistent in my taste for things. hmmm. imagine that.

for starters, i'm a sucker for traditional damask and organic prints paired with linear, graphic stripes like this bedroom styled by lucyina moodie…

and this room designed by nathan turner. i love everything about these 2 rooms and would love to get my hands on this quilt.

red lampshades are another element i'm drawn to judging by these images i've gathered over time. though a bold color, red shades cast a romantic and flattering light. according to joe nye's "five things you can do in a day" in the latest issue of house beautiful, one tip he shares is to buy an inexpensive paper shade and paint it red. though i'm fairly sure it will take more than a day for me to accomplish this, i'll be adding this to my to do list.

what could've been just another white room is altogether original thanks to these beautiful ornate antique beds.

sheets of paper with small repeating patterns on the walls add a layer of visual interest. the black lace panel with pink ribbon tieback further adds allure to this ultra feminine room.

recurring element no. 3 – red bed covers. speaking of which, the bedroom on the far left is joe nye's. what a coincidence. bedding is from williams-sonoma home and the throw is from harnaz cashmere collection.

this last image is of a bedroom we spent a weekend in while in olema, ca years ago. at the time, we were under seige by lady beetles...they were all over the windows and walls, but thankfully we both aren't bothered by bugs. the floors were heated and the bathroom was equally gorgeous.

so now that i'm inspired, the quest begins anew. until then, sweet dreams to you. ♥

image credits: 1) lucyina moonie ; 2) coco+kelley; 3) polly wreford at sarah kaye; 4) nathan turner designed bedroom for amanda peet; 5) bedroom of paul & sara ruffin costello via style court; 6) decorology; 7) ivanka trump's park avenue apartment bedroom designed by emma jane pilkington (a favorite of mine) seen on style court; 8) joe nye's beverly hills bedroom via house beautiful; 9) david netto; 10) bedroom photographed by douglas friedman; 11) olema druids hall

inspired by...05.28

2010-05-28T16:19:00.003-05:00

this post started out with a search for all things pink, since lately i can't seem to get the words to "think pink" from funny face out of my head...

"banish the black
burn the blue
bury the beige
from now on...think pink!"

though not as pink as i originally imagined, i love how the above images look together. if our bedroom looked like this, i fear i'd never get out of bed, and i like how the trompe l'oeil lace wallpaper complements the lace on the mantel in the last image – one of my flickr faves.

curious if the manufacturer – zuber et cie – of the wallpaper was still around, i searched and found them. in france since 1797, they are the last factory in the world to produce woodblock printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics. on the one hand, i was happy to see they're still creating these beautiful papers, but to learn they're also the last is disheartening.

***

happy memorial day weekend.

image credits: bedroom of lisa fine via lonny; a design for "lace" wallpaper dating from 1831 via french style and decoration; two pink candles via limonada on flickr

paper covered books

2010-05-26T10:42:00.000-05:00

the day before yesterday i took a break from work, and covered some books with patterned papers left over from another project. the inspiration for this came from an image in johnny miller's portfolio. he was born and raised in lawrence – just 45 minutes from here – and now lives in brooklyn, which might as well be on another continent. that's just my opinion, for i've only spent a day in lawrence, and lived in new york city for 2 weeks. another story for a future post??

exquisite skeletons

2010-05-24T18:56:00.005-05:00

diatoms make up about a quarter of plant life by weight and produce a quarter of the oxygen we breathe. some 25 million would fit in a teaspoon, yet they can provide nutrition to animals as large as baleen whales. according to richard fortey, who wrote dry storeroom no. 1: the secret life of the natural history museum, "few people know that diatoms exist, yet the stories they have to tell may chart shifts of climate that are crucial to understanding how the world came to its present state."

i agree with him and his assertion that support be given to experts in small and less showy organisms such as they, but i'm also fascinated by their shapes and delicate filigrees, and cannot help but wonder if the makers, who created these ornaments took inspiration from them.

gold brooch with pearls and star sapphire intaglio

gold filigree dress ornaments from the 13th-14th century

image credits: uppermost collage ~ Proyecto Agua via flickr; 2nd collage ~ graham matthews & natural history museum; 3rd image ~ metropolitan museum of art; 4th image ~ sotheby's

inspired by...05.17.10

2010-05-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

clockwise:

alicia bock on flickr

marie claire bedroom

designers guild cabriole fabric in heather

untitled

move over, dhurries and oushaks

2010-05-10T18:01:00.002-05:00

apple matting and wall to wall seagrass – with or without area rugs layered on top – are two of my favorite flooring options. and i can't forget striped dhurris & oushaks, but my heart stopped when i saw these jürgen dahlmanns wool and silk rugs. instant favorites were these strong apple green and supercharged magenta beauties inspired by the colors worn by those who make them.

in other colorways ~

what struck a chord with me is the designer's statement that "there is already too much useless rubbish in this world, with no love and no passion and no sense." cheap toaster ovens and coffee makers made in china come to mind.

be sure and read the "about us" for his personal account of why he is pleased that his workshop is located in bhaktapur, and don't miss the "about" for each collection.

all images from j. dahlmanns

tigers and taxidermy

2010-04-20T18:30:00.043-05:00

top: old world weavers fabric

bottom: nepalese rug by diane von furstenberg for the rug company

***

lion vis-a-vis tiger by william curtis rolf taken at deyrolle in paris

antique settee with velvet cushion and Brunschwig & Fils tiger velvet pillows from thomas o'brien's american modern

castaing's leves salon with her signature leopard carpet via vogue living may/june 2005

faux "leopard spot" print silk velvet man's coat via fashion in detail: from the 17th and 18th centuries. the imitation markings, made with black and white silk, were woven as part of the pile of this turquoise velvet.

colors found in nature

2010-04-19T16:37:00.001-05:00

the brilliant tiffany gem stones illustrated in the color plate from 1921 (above left) go so perfectly with these paper lithographs of victorian-era butterflies.

color palettes inspired by butterflies

happy monday.

what i did yesterday

2010-04-09T12:39:00.003-05:00

i had forgotten how peaceful and happy i feel when behind the camera.
time falls away. thoughts disappear.

priceless

2010-04-08T17:31:00.000-05:00

i found this little nest many years ago. a storm had blown it from its branch. i tried to put it back, but the tree was too big and so i kept it.

through all the many long-distance and cross-town moves we've made, i've carefully wrapped and packaged it in its very own box…

as if it were a priceless object.

to me it is.

flowers-to-be

2010-04-07T20:44:00.001-05:00

the seedlings we planted a little over a month ago are really coming along now. the morning glory's and crimson glory vines are getting so tall, twining together and reaching for the window, seeming to beg me to take them outside and into the ground. others aren't doing so well. i don't know if it's a lack of light, the quality of the seed, or over- or under-watering.

i keep reminding myself that not all can be as strong and resilient as the morning glory. some rogues from last year have already made an appearance in the side yard. i can see the house being overtaken this year by these rambling beauties, but won't it be lovely.

we've had so much rain…or rather torrential downpours that i'm glad we didn't put them out this past weekend. they would've surely drowned. and tonight the weather may get down to the mid-30s, so for now at least, these little flowers-to-be are better off inside.

***

stay tuned and thanks for stopping by.

tantalizing turquoise, teal blue and aqua

2010-03-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

1) turquoise printed silk

2) 18th c. marbled paper

3) holland and sherry embroidered border

4) cameroon dance ceremony feathered mask

5) kingfisher lacquered background

6) Ediger and Bouticourt designed wallpaper

so long souvenir foto school

2010-03-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

over the course of six weeks, i ventured out into the backyard (through snow, sleet, and rain) to photograph the branch of a tree we planted last year. i will admit, before i enrolled in miss b's souvenir foto school, i almost didn't because i never thought i'd be able to post every week, let alone go out in the cold, mittens and all, just to take pictures of a sleeping tree.

though not much changed…for the tree that is (amazing what happens in a life in 6 weeks), i shall never forget how much i enjoyed this process, the camaraderie that comes with being on flickr, and the chance to meet new people.

thank you miss b.

tutus and flowery vines

2010-03-26T07:36:00.000-05:00

clockwise from top left ~

candida mascia zanelli

Original textile design on paper from jean-michel hausmann

noddyboom on flickr

chelsea textiles fabric

topiaries and tapis vert

2010-03-25T08:30:00.004-05:00

clockwise from upper left ~

in this William Curtis Rolf photograph, we see andre le notre's use of topiaries and unbroken expanse of terraced lawns at sceaux. i could lie down on this blanket of green for hours.

quadrille's este linen/cotton in pistachio

beth dow photograph

designers guild emerald jacquard velvet

delicate like veneer

2010-03-24T18:05:00.017-05:00

clockwise from the top~

a pair of canopied beds via house beautiful. these twin beds and the bird egg canvas are what started me off on a quest to find the other images assembled here. i think the fabrics are quadrille's trilby and fiorentina.

adam fuss (one of my favorite photographers) daguerreotype moth via artnet

rug over here

bird eggs via lovemissb

the flowing rococo pattern of this designers guild jacquard velvet fabric is a kindred spirit of the pattern of the dress in fuss's photogram to the left.

antique egg print via panteek

adam fuss photogram from the series My Ghost

colors i'm loving

2010-03-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

1) warwick's burlesque damask velvet

2) french sofa at a. tyner antiques

3) Junya Watanabe for comme des garcons

4) bella notte linens

5) pierre frey gotham fabric

6) quadrille linen fabric

7) jocelyn warner flora blush wallpaper at the wallpaper collective

inspired by coco chanel

2010-03-22T20:24:00.050-05:00

this past weekend, i discovered this wonderful photostream on flickr of fashion photos from 1920 through 1965.

evelyn tripp. dovima. jean patchett.

the photographers – john rawlings, horst, and louise dahl-wolfe.

fashions by edith small, adrian, henri bendel, and dior.

i went all the way through to the very last page. and it was worth it.

this portrait of coco inspired me to go searching for some exquisite beauties.

here is what i found ~

chanel gilt & gripoix ear clips at 1stdibs

a bracelet cum handbag embroidered by lesage – the haute-couture embroidery workshop that created beaded wonders for chanel and is now owned by the house of chanel.

a christian lacroix necklace. with its cascading, brightly colored gemstones, it looks just like one she may have worn for this portrait.

calodema ribbei – THE jewel beetle

a black and white diamond bracelet from bochic

quilted patent leather inspired by a chanel handbag

the black satin ribbon in her hair is why i chose these anouska hempel lamps with their beribboned bases and coolie hat shades.

{gypsy} moth

2010-03-20T21:57:00.008-05:00

clockwise from left:

18th century wallpaper design at surface view two
moth by joseph scheer

an gyselinck at voila!

ikat at bermingham & co.

de gournay plum blossom via the president wears prada

springtime on my mind

2010-03-20T20:38:00.000-05:00

clockwise from above left:

1) markham roberts designed porch via house beautiful

2) caroline hyman via luminous lint

3) manual canovas wallpaper for cowtan and tout

4) moth by joseph scheer at ruby beets

first day of spring

2010-03-20T14:47:00.003-05:00

it's the first day of spring and snowing. sigh. yesterday, it was in the 60s and so the robins are (like we) just trying to keep warm.

what's the weather like where you are? i hope it's warm and sunny.

line vautrin – the poetess of metal

2010-03-17T14:01:00.007-05:00

not only do i love the work of line vautrin, i also admire her unrelenting pursuit of her art. a lack of commercial connections and formal training didn't stop her. she took risks, and everything she learned was by creating, making mistakes, and discovering new materials. as she declared in an interview, she managed the best she could. she had no intention of being stopped by how to do something.

imagine if she had.

she gave her bracelets and necklaces names like "if all the guys in the world", the "trapeze artists" and "the weakest link".

she also created decorative items for interiors like lamp bases, screens, doorknobs, boxes and mirrors.

she had a playful sense of humor as evidenced by the proverbs and lines of poems she added to the lids of boxes and cigarette cases. imprinted on many of her unique and beautiful boxes are passages of poems and sayings like this gilded bronze box inspired by a guillaume apollinaire poem.

these beautiful mirrors show the use of bronze and talosel – a material she patented. it is an acronym based on the syllables of aceTAte de celluLOSe ELaboré.

sheets of talosel

no matter what was happening around her (and life was difficult), her work was what gave her the most joy.

does the work you do bring you happiness?

creativity, determination, authenticity. these are the qualities that she possessed. what spurs you on? is it money? freedom? what others may think/expect of you? the ability to live your life on your own terms?

a photo of line taken in 1995 by jean-grançois gaté

favorites {ingres}

2010-03-11T13:30:00.004-06:00

la grande odalisque by ingres

instead of noticing the distorted proportions of her figure as so many others have, what i notice are the sensual fabrics, the texture and colors, the fur she's lying on, the silk curtains, the peacock feather fan and hookah, the pattern and passementerie of her turban, and the jewel in her hair.

i love the original, but i also appreciate how contemporary artists have interpreted this exotic beauty, like the brilliant

photographer rodney smith.

going back in time to the unfinished painting of madame recamier (more on her later) by jacques-louis david, we see what may have inspired ingres to paint his odalisque.

portrait of madame récamier by jacques-louis david

the reason this painting went unfinished is because david learned she had commissioned one of his pupils – gerard – to also paint her.

madame récamier by francois gerard

what especially draws me to these two paintings is the furniture. this type of sofa or day bed or whatever you want to call it is one she liked to recline on, and was ultimately named after her, hence the recamier we know today.

another ingres i love…

the valpinçon bather

and daniel gastaud's homage combining feathers (yes these are feathers. click on the link.) and a photograph on plexiglass.

what i find so interesting is how different artists interpret the same subject. don't you?

my picks for trays

2010-03-09T21:00:00.010-06:00

i have a thing for trays, and not because i like things looking tidy. well now that i think about it, that's precisely the reason why…not that things are even remotely tidy around here. however, i also think trays are like a platform begging for you to display your decorative objects, even if this be keys and bills. here are some favorites.

rablab's crystal & 24k gold and sterling silver trays

this lacquer and mirrored tray

oly's mia tray

the corset tray that i've mentioned before

trays made using real sheets of handspun linen coated in hard resin

sienna tray at bungalow 5

19th Century Asian Wooden Trays at antony todd on 1stdibs

something to remind me of chicago

and since i can't seem to get enough of decoupage, i'm head over heels with all the trays found here.

a seedling forest

2010-03-09T10:44:00.000-06:00

we planted the seeds for this year's flower garden last week. the first thing i do now when i get up in the morning is to check in on them. the zinnias, morning glory and cosmos have already germinated, and some have their second pair of leaves. this time, we're using a heating mat, which has made all the difference. there are some rudbeckia that, according to the package, may take 1 to 3 months to germinate, but i think i see tiny leaves already.

thanks for stopping by!

havana through the lens of robert polidori

2010-03-09T10:28:00.009-06:00

page after page of robert polidori's photography book titled havana is filled with elegantly decaying architecture, peeling stucco, and crumbling building facades.

these rooms are interesting to me for their sherbert colors and the carpet-like effect of the tile, which reminds me of another book havana tile designs that contains examples of tile produced in havana during the early 20th century.

but i digress…

his work has a visceral appeal, for i feel as if i'm there now in this room. i can hear the breeze coming through the open shuttered doors, and feel the sun-warmed floor beneath my bare feet.

more about polidori

{image credits: robert polidori: havana and havana tile designs}

a visit to james sansum fine and decorative art

2010-03-08T18:36:00.007-06:00

i first became acquainted with james sansum after reading an interview with markham roberts over at stylebeat. marisa asked the question – What trade or retail store inspires you most? – to which he replied, "my boyfriend james’ gallery." knowing i was in for a real treat, i sought out his gallery online, and found treasure after treasure...like this pair of bergères in the louis xvi taste made by maison jansen (one of my all-time favorites).

a pair of louis xvi period side chairs with arcaded back rests.

a directoire style settee in the same painted beech wood and what appears to be the same beautiful blue shade of velvet.

an english edwardian period mirror in the taste of robert adam.

a napoleon III period carcel lamp – formerly an oil lamp, now electrified.

and these faceted colored glass victorian period paperweights. according to james' description, they were known to have been used "to catch the eye" in window shop displays by jewelers and apothecaries. that acid green color would definitely catch my eye.

there are also some photographs by nelson hancock…

and some lovely works on paper like this ernst heinrich platz watercolor and gouache over traces of graphite done some time between 1895-1900. this may have been painted en plein air. i can't imagine painting anything en plein air, let alone climbing to this altitude under these conditions.

thanks to marisa for introducing me to this incredible gallerist/antiquarian.

{image credits: james sansum}