» Art

on the farm

laura — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:55 +0000

I must say, other than my mothers’ love of roosters, farm animals aren’t exactly on my radar when it comes to design. A week or two ago I was looking at Jeffrey Bilhuber’s portfolio I noticed these big pigs. So you know how once you notice something, it becomes more obvious to you? Farm animals continued to appear…

While clicking around online I came across this big cow in a Ginger Barber designed guest house,

and a rooster print from the 1900’s in a hallway.

Then I got a blog post into my inbox from one of my favorite new bloggers Divine Distractions with this design by Pamplemouse in it.

With the zebra wallpaper and bed coverings, I might prefer this bench with some different legs.

So here’s my list: Pigs, Cow, Turkey, Sheep, and Horse. What am I missing?

Maybe it’s a sign I need to revisit my Barns Post.

Photo Credits: Jeffrey Bilhuber, House Beautiful (2,3), Pamplemouse via Divine Distractions, via VT Interiors.

A PVE Summer Giveaway!

laura — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:37 +0000

Congratulations to Susanna! The winner of my PVE Summer Giveaway.

The super talented Patricia van Essche is so kind to be giving a custom piece of summer-inspired artwork to one of my readers. What best describes summer in your eyes? If It could be your front porch, the ocean, something from your childhood, your garden or anything that evokes summer to you.

Remember when she created this beautiful one for me last year?

PVE writes one of my favorite blogs and has a fantastic website with all her beautiful work.

Leave a comment and let me know what inspires summer for you! I’ll reveal the winner soon.

Inspiration: Walker Evans & Wolf Kahn

laura — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:00:11 +0000

A fellow blogger recently asked me what inspires me whether it be books, music, etc.

Two artists I find inspiration from are…

Walker Evans who was a genius American photographer (1903-1975).

His work captures the basics, yet evokes emotion. Look closely at the details.

And Wolf Kahn who uses color so brilliantly in unexpected combinations how can I not be inspired?

I would love to do a room with accents in any of these color combinations.

He is represented by Jerald Melberg Gallery here in Charlotte.

Maybe this post sums up my aesthetic goals quite well: simple with details, straight-forward, functional, beautiful + color.

Both of these books are within arms reach…..

What inspires you?

map it out

laura — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:00:42 +0000

Maps as art and in other places than a study? I like it.

The Washington Post has a great article today on map restoration. Click here to read it.

What do you think?

Photo Credits: Elle Decor & House Beautiful

Patterned Textiles

laura — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:00:27 +0000

It is rare for me to work on a project without incorporating pattern somewhere. I love textile design whether fabrics or wallpaper. Steven Gambrel does this so well, and how smart that there is a tight image of the pattern early in the photograph to the left.

Whether used on headboards, wallpaper, as art, throw pillows or bedding, patterns add so much visual interest to a room.

Do you love a wallpaper of fabric and want to use it in a small amount? Turning it into art is a great way to incorporate it into your home.

One of my favorite textile designers based in London is Aleta.

You can read about the interesting process for her textile design here.

Old persian rugs are often inspirational to textile designers. The colors in this antique suzani are outstanding.

I wrote a post in the early fall about Indigo Resist fabrics. You can click here to read it if you missed it.

Do you love pattern as much as I do?

Photo Credits: Steven Gambrel (1), Sarah Laird (2,4), Richard Keith Langham (3), Anne Becker photography by Simon Upton for Elle Decor(6), Katrin Cargill (5), via House Beautiful (9)

PVE

laura — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:00:07 +0000

A big thank you to Patricia van Essche (PVE) for capturing the magestic emerald cottageso beautifully.

She had them made into notecards for me to give my parents as a gift for Christmas.

Reesie & Anne Harwell

laura — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Reesie is my in-laws sweet golden retriever. Anne Harwell painted this adorable picture for me to give as a gift to my mother-in-law. Yesterday was her birthday, and I gave it to her over the weekend when they came to Charlotte to visit us. She loves dogs and Anne does such beautiful pet portraits I thought it would be a great opportunity to have Reesie captured.

She has a great Etsy shop with lots of ideas for Holiday gifts and a fun blog Annechovie.

I think Anne did a wonderful job. Don’t you?

Artist’s Profile: Christina Dowdy

laura — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:24 +0000

Christina Dowdy is a Charlotte based artist with tremendous talent who “celebrates color and form without clutter”, maybe this is why I am so drawn to her work. She works largely on commission pieces . Her clients come to her with vacation photos, ideas for still lifes, their children on the beach, whatever they want her to paint.

She is drawn to simpler compositions and uses old techniques of layering and glazing to build up vibrant color on the canvas.

Recently she has been expanding her work into portraits. Her work is very well priced, and for a 16″ x 20″ portrait the cost generally runs about $400.

I recently spent some time with her in her light filled studio. She works from her home and choses to represent herself. Her work is available in a range of sizes.

To see her outstanding portfolio please visit her website Christina Dowdy Fine Art.

Impressionist Exhibits

laura — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:02:49 +0000

Works of the great Impressionist painters are gracing North and South Carolina this spring. Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art opens today at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC and will be open until June 21st. The exhibit also includes European and American works ranging from the 16th through the 20th century. Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday March 15th) John Bullard, the director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, will be giving a lecture at 3 PM on the top masterpieces in the collection. The Impressionists painters produced some of my favorite works, and I am looking forward to going to this exhibit.

Edgar Degas, Dancer in Green, 1878

Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child in Conservatory, 1905

Claude Monet, Houses on the Old Bridge at Vernon, 1883

Edgar Degas, Dancer Adjusting her Stocking, modeled circa 1880, cast 1919–1921

TURNER TO CÉZANNE: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection is on exhibit from March 6th-June 7th at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC. This is the first time these works are available to view in the United States. The Welch sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies amassed an incredibly large 19th and 20th century art collection between 1908-1923. They bequethed their collection to the National Museum Wales. The exhibit is travelling to five locations throughout the United States in the next eighteen months.

Claude Monet, Waterlillies, 1906

Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Storm, 1840-1845

Vincent Van Gogh, Rain-Auvers, 1890

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Parisienne, 1874

While travelling in Paris in 2002 I spent an afternoon at the Musée d’Orsay, which has possibly the best Impressionist permanent collection in the world. It is a wonderful museum as it is not overwhelming in its size and structurally is it beautiful. Two paintings I loved seeing are

Edgar Degas, The Ballet Class, 1871-1874

Claude Monet, London, Houses of Parliament, The Sun Shining through the Fog, 1904

The term Impressionist is derived from Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise , 1872

Can you tell who is my favorite? I see Monet’s work whenever I can.

Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge: Auction at Christie's

laura — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:06:47 +0000

Christie’s, in conjunction with Pierre Berge & Associates, will be auctioning 733 pieces from Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge’s estate February 23rd-25th in Paris at the Grand Palais. Berge co-founded YSL Couture House with YSL in 1962. An unbelievably impressive art collection- Degas, Monet, Matisse, Gaugin, Picasso, Cezanne and Mondrian. The furniture collection is from some of the most famous furniture makers in history- Eileen Gray, Emile- Jaques Ruhlman, Gustave Miklos, Edgar Brandt, and Pierre Le Grain. It is a mix of Impressionist and Modern Artwork, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and French Furniture. There are also Old Masters and 19th Century Drawings, 20th Century Decorative Arts, Asian & Islamic Art and Antiquities, Silver, Miniatures and Object of Vertu. Images from their apartment interior on rue de Babylone and rue Bonaparte were rarely published. Here are some amazing interior photographs, each room with an incredible amount of important art and furiture.

The Main Drawing Room

The Library

In the background you can see Mondrian’s Composition with blue, red, yellow and black and to the right Matisse’s Le Danser.

rue Bonaparte where Berge lived at the end of the 1980’s.

The 20th century custom Art Deco pair of stools by Hungarian sculptor Gustav Miklos (1888-1957) is

lacquered wood & bronze covered in leopard skin (1922).

Eileen Gray (1878-1976)

“The Dragons” armchair, circa 1917-1919

Seating arrangement with both above items. Note the Picasso above right back wall.

Set of eighteen Italian chairs, mid-18th century

Interestingly paired with an Art Deco dining table

Claude Lalanne (b.1925)
Set of fifteen mirrors decorated with copper branches, 1974-1985

Eileen Gray (1878-1976)
Sideboard, circa 1920-1922

A few selected works of art that will be closely watched.

Pablo Picasso (1878-1973)
Musical Instruments on Instruments on a side-table, 1914

Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Le Danser, 1937-1938

Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)

Composition with blue, red, yellow and black, 1922

A few other pieces that caught my eye…

Emile Jacques-Ruhlman walnut chest with fan motif. Look at the feet. Very Art Deco-1925.

Emile Jacques-Ruhlman (1879-1933)
Bernstein N.4 Occasional Table, 920

Cross Framed Stool by Andre Groult 1920

Suspension “Satellite” Lamp by Eileen Gray 1925

All photos from Christie’s YSL Auction Catalog.