laura millard

oil on chromira photographs by laura millard. through skew gallery.

andy goldsworthy

i have been in a little fit of creation lately which tends to drown everything else out..but the whole family crawled into bed the other night and watched "rivers and tides", a documentary on andy goldsworthy. i thought when i ordered it i was getting a film on the american artist that makes amazing reed and grass structures (name? do you know?) but was thrilled to learn about mr. goldsworthy in his stead. this artist/naturalist creates artwork on site using only material and tools that nature supplies in the immediate area. sometimes it falls apart before he is finished, sometimes several times and he never finishes. the film is just mesmerizing. we are so inspired to build something on the beach this summer, we can hardly stand it. i could not find an official website for him but i did find these images via landliving.com.

tricia cline

interesting porcelains from the self taught tricia cline. i really like the strapping of animals onto the back.

bob sherman: photographer

my friend bob sherman has a real gift. he will take off on a journey to the other side of the world, strike up a relationship with the people there and in turn they will open themselves up for a portrait. he has years and years of photographs so it is near impossible to choose.

bob was also lucky to spend a lot of time in the middle east and took amazing photographs of afghan nomads in the middle of nowhere afghanistan in the 1970's. the color and landscape there are so beautiful and otherworldly and the nomads are so expressive and decorated. they should really be together in a book.


Taken in Varanasi, India in 1997. This man is a Yogi. After I took this shot I spent considerable time with him for the next day. During this time we discussed the essential nature of loneliness on the spiritual path.


This was taken in Cambodia at the end of November 2007. This young girl was selling crafts at one of the temples in Angkor Wat. It was about 7:00 a.m. and there were no other people around. Cambodian children are very friendly and enjoy any opportunity to play. Cambodia appears to be a very poor country and the people appear to have not yet recovered from the atrocities of the Khymer Rouge.


This was taken in Rishikesh, India, during January 2003. The man is drinking a spiced tea called Chai. The beads around his neck are called a mala. They are made from the Rudrakshna seed and they are used to connect with Shiva (in the form of the masculine energy of the universe ).



This was taken in Rishikesh during January 2003. Indians make wonderful use of color. The blue background behind the man is a metal protection grate in front of a closed store.


This was taken in Rajija National Game Park near Chilla, India during January 2003. This family lives in the jungle and supports themselves by selling the milk from wild animals. The children are literate and don't attend school at all. This shot was taken about 1 month before we invaded Iraq. The family knew of the impending invasion. It was generally believed in India that the only reason we wanted to invade Iraq was to get control of their oil. The shadow behind the girl is her father. She would only allow me to take her picture with him present.


This was taken in Rishikesh, India, during January 2003. The eyes of Indian children are amazing. Their beauty is further enhanced by the black charcoal substance that parents use to protect the eyes.


Taken in Varanasi, India, in 1997. This man has 30 feet of hair under his turban. The horizontal lines on his forehead indicate that he is a worshipper of Shiva.



This was taken on a train in Vietnam going from Hanoi to Sapa, November 2007. The Vietnamese people are very friendly. There is an extraordinary absence of anger towards Americans all across Vietnam.

bob sends a daily dose every day that consists of a photograph and a quotes of wisdom and thought from all traditions and cultures. you can sign up on his website.

this is my favorite dose:

There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.
- Martha Graham to colleague Agnes DeMille

thanks Bob!

things i like from the ad show: part 1

aviva stanhoff was in the booth across the isle. her hand mixed colors are amazing. the fan coral is my favorite design, although the net is a close second. the hand dyed lengths of fabric were also out of this world. she is super talented and super nice. the blues in her line are spectacular. i wish i had taken a picture.



the hand built ceramic sculptures by pamela sunday are very nice. the golds and charcoals are my favorites.



the khamen line by christina topaloglou is very handsome, though for a daybed i would probably pick this one by tucker robbins (below).

i also very much liked his pierced cubes. the colors and textures are so gorgeous.

home again, home again, jiggity jig

whew.

showtime

day 1

woo hoo. we are here.

load in for the show. glamorous, no?


flat stanley at booth 840.

work work



it has been an long haul the past couple of days but well worth the effort. i have photographed some of my favorites from the show and will share them soon.

here we are

tomorrow we will load our little lights into the show! how lovely is claudia of the paris apartment to invite us?! tomorrow i will report from the front lines. we will be there to help get the booth ready for its closeup.

untitled

untitled

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and on the way to new york city....

we will stop to see this beautiful girl who is off at college.

untitled

again the color issue. i hope you get the idea...

dear Mr. Maurer,

my favorite part

for me, the best part of these little light specimens is the engineering that goes on along the way. it is a lot of fun to experiment and this light in particular gave us plenty of problems to solve.

here is a heat test on the green transformer. the transformer and little red circuit let us run the LEDs on a regular wall plug. green transformer failed but the yellow one passed with flying colors.

here is d making the circuit. i am so glad he loves the soldering iron. our old one shorted out and caught fire while i was using it. it was in my hand flaming with big sparks while plugged into the wall. i am now afraid of the soldering iron. it is the boogey man and as d would say, i am a delicate flower.

all the connections, nice and neat.

this container is big but the mouth is small, so the base had to be cut into three pieces, wired with slack, folded up and squeezed through. this is my first LED specimen! look at my cute transformer! i can not wait to put it all together.

last chore of the day, watching glue dry. yes, i am in my robe and slippers....from three days ago..... sad but true.

this is a test

so, LEDs are NOT plug and play. here is my dear hubs conducting a test to see if we can run 3volt dc only LEDs with 6volt flashlight bulbs on the same power source by using a dividing network of resistors, a transformer, and a regular 120 wall plug. i thought i would take a cute little photo of him working away. then i really looked at what he was up to. you know, 120volts will leave a mark.... careful the end of those red wires.

exciting times: architectural digest home design show 2008

...and i will be there. i was invited to exhibit my lamps at the architectural digest home design show by claudia of the paris apartment, who will have a booth this year. i know my posting has been spotty and will continue that way for the next two weeks while i prepare. two weeks. yikes.

i will post each lamp as i finish it. i hope you will all bear with me while i try to take two steps forward without taking two steps back! work, work, work.

free range

kate blee

painted cashmere

draw rug

cast rug

kate blee. the painted cashmere is unbelievable. and you could absolutely paint glass panels yourself for the same effect as the blue installation.

patricia van essche: pve design

patricia van essche of pve design is simply the most lovely person. look at her illustrations inspired by my lights! what a kind thing to do. look at me with my little rake, i love them!

patricia has all sorts fine ideas, like these love bird note cards. a perfect valentine... her commissioned house illustrations are such a great idea for housewarming or welcoming baby or stationery for either occasion. such a thoughtful gift that is useful, personal and unexpected. patricia is very prolific with her paint brush and is always posting new ideas. how lucky to be able to express yourself quickly and beautifully. i can just imagine notebooks full of sketches.

chris redecke, peter zumthor and getting one's peacocks in a row

i was reading an article about peter zumthor's kolumba project and all the lacy architecture reminded me of another project i have been watching by none other than chris redecke. mr. redecke's design for peacock pavilions (of my marrakesh fame) looks to me as if it has been crocheted of concrete. so massive, but delicate. so solid, but open. the maze of archways and openings is exciting, like unwrapping a present within a present.


i have always loved architecture, even as a small child. i used to walk around with my mother's hand mirror under my chin just to make my house more interesting. that way, you could step over door frames as you entered rooms and walk around ceiling fixtures that became lighted side tables. that is the first thing that came to mind when i saw the pierced dome above, i imagined what it would look like in the mirror and how fun it would be to walk down into it.

a little bird tells me chris is a modernist at heart and is completely preoccupied with the casting of shadows with light, not with his carbon footprint. admirable indeed. he has done a beautiful job here marrying the clean, soothing modern aesthetic with the exotic tradition of marrakesh. what an excellent quality of space and light. check the light in the room above. it is all such a dream.

christien meindertsma

with flocks, christien meindertsma explored issues of consumerism, production process and the lost connection between farmer and final consumer by working with one farmer and producing product from one flock of sheep, attaching each animal's ear tag number to the final product made from it's wool. three years in the making, christien takes it one step further with PIG 05049.


this book chronicles every product made from a single pig, number 05049, showing the products at their true scale (1:1). unexpected results include ammunition, medicine, photo paper, heart valves, brakes, chewing gum, porcelain, cosmetics, cigarettes, conditioner and bio diesel. i really appreciate christien's work. i often wonder where people and things come from and really, most people and things have very interesting stories if you bother to ask.

rhinoceros for baby

i stopped everything today to make a gift for tomorrow. i figure, who wouldn't love a rhinoceros? so i embroidered one on linen in variegated red (which looks orange here but it's not)and made some little pom-pom stripes with variegated blue, lined it with cream flannel and frayed the edges of both layers. i was inspired by this red rhinoceros and of course i am always insired by lalannes and their rhinoceros(es?). this blanket is too big to show the whole thing but the other side has a few blue pom-pom stripes but no rhinoceros. i am no skilled embroiderer and i am not a seamstress but i thought it would be cute....and different. i hope she likes it.

untitled: in progress

exciting news coming soon...

feather: these have sold, thank you

inspired by anna lewis and her spectacular feathers, i dug out some feathers and made these earrings with aquamarine. i like that all the feathers are different. i will explore further.

jan garside

impending storm, the piece below, is so incredibly beautiful. in fact, it hurts my feelings it is so beautiful. i have an overwhelming need for it. it shows the hand of the artist, imperfect but perfect, such balance and detail. i love that it is blue and so very interesting.



hand woven textiles by jan garside. how i wish i knew how to do this. another blue beauty below.

wrist: these have sold, thank you

a little burst of color just in time for spring. semi-precious stones with gold on wire. these bracelets are $75usd each. just email me for details if one in particular strikes your fancy.

anne kyyrö quinn

anne kyyrö quinn contemporary textiles. beautiful textures.



love it, love it

anna lewis

this is incredibly beautiful to me. my favorite is the molded feather stole below. i would like mine as a vessel, not a stole. i will fill it with the fossilized bone i collected on the beach. and i will cast some of those bones in fine silver and add them too. hand constructed using millinery wire , crin andare layered with hand cut white goose feathers. some areas are individually hand printed with various images and colours. i like that a lot.


hand stripped and printed goose feathers tied with invisible thread




hand printed goose feathers combined with silver , leather and nylon monofilament


feather series by anna lewis.

cathexis exhibition.

cou: these have sold, thank you

i've been busy. here is a preview of the necklaces i have been working on. the charms are vintage and they are strung with semi-precious stones and gold-filled chain.

the antidote

natural light. what a difference.

helen amy murray

you have probably already seen the critically acclaimed work of helen amy murray. since i no longer buy magazines, i am often the last to know! i have also developed a wicked twitch whenever i drive by the bookstore. i miss it so...

ANYWAY, her technique is patent pending and she wants to be a big star. it seems she is well on her way. her work looks incredibly technically involved. most of it is in leather, which is not my favorite, but i am sure before long she will be busting out some new materials. my custom order would be fish scales in heather charcoal cashmere. though the peony is very nice!

peony


fish scales


you may check out her upholstered pieces here.

rose


p.s. once, in a huge 200 acre sculpture garden where you wind through the woods on a trail, i came across a huge boulder size sculpture that looked like a giant boulder except that it was completely covered in carved scales. it left such a huge impression. (no pun intended) i sat with that rock for the longest time and then skipped the last half of the trail so i could go back and sit with it some more. it had been there a long time and had some mosses growing on it. i think about it surprisingly often.

nutre arayavanish

i very much admire this work by nutre arayavanish. i love the idea of the posted jewelry. particularly the letter that you write, fold, mail and the recipient reads, cuts out and wears. everyone is so involved. i am a big fan of interactive design. i think it is so fascinating. i love to participate and nutre is full of good ideas. necklace in an envelope below.


postable jewelry


treasure lock keeps your jems under lock and key, to be released when worn.


petal wreath. you pop this necklace out of the wood sheet and pop open as many beads as you would like to wear open and leave the rest flat.


i also appreciate her metalwork. her flourish series uses slotting, folding and riveting. this one is my favorite.


put your rose petals in this silver clip and wear the scent of fresh roses around your neck. she also offers a rose brooch. great idea. i would add a sprig of lavander to mine.

david wiseman

new work from david wiseman this morning! i am always a fan. i imagine this would cast some gorgeous shadows when the fire is lit at night. i imagine it highlights the birds as well. thanks david!

roe ethridge

i have always loved the bird in flight photographs by roe ethridge. i seem to remember a black bird that struck me in particular but i do not find it on the web. i did find this shark photograph that is so sad. i want to hug it anyway. yes dear andrea, another dead animal. i can't explain it.

maryam: and some very kind words

one mile, a commissioned light for maryam of my marrakesh. thank you maryam for your very kind words. i am thrilled that you are thrilled!

morris louis

seal, acrylic resin on canvas, 101 1/2 x 141", 1959. to me, this is so beautiful.

jim thompson

3256 thalia silk ikat by jim thompson. so delicious i could eat it. i REALLY love it.

sunanda halder

wrap me up in this and stick me on the winter shore in maine. in a teepee. with a fire in it. and a nice scotch. with rocks. by sunanda halder.

margrethe standberg

fotografi:margrethe standberg. i love these colors and i love far-flung places with these colors in the landscape.

innumerable goods

look what i found at innumerable goods. her friend had them made for her father. i think they are a riot.

woodgrain

woodgrain, my favorite by studio printworks. a little animal-y but not animal. different. i also appreciate that it is blue.

georgetti

there are a lot of things i like about this georgetti bed.

beach combing

we spent our holiday either on the beach, on a boat, or in the ocean. our gift to each other this year was time spent together. santa brought one gift (our year of non-consumption) yet even the 9 year old said it was his best holiday ever.

we combed the beaches looking for shells at first, a sample of our finest above.


then we honed in on a hundred odd sharks teeth and other small treasures before finding the pièce de résistance, the HUGE seahorse below.

and then i found my true calling, bone collector. a lovely lady we met on the trip introduced us to the world of fossilized bone and i am hooked. i love to imagine what creature they belonged to. i spent the balance of the trip collecting these, the most exciting being the large pieces of vertebrae and joints.


of course i can not pass a nice piece of coral without picking it up.

yes, my nature collecting is compulsive. can't help it.

technique

ghost furniture

di overton from designers block uk has launched her ghost furniture online! where have i been? she has been busy bringing quality furniture back from the dead and making it hauntingly beautiful. di moves from one creative career to the next and is always a grand success. check out her eco-chic.


and check the view from her cottage below. endless inspiration for sure.

happy new year, year one

december 29, 2006, i had no idea what a blog was. january 1, 2007, i started this blog of my own. 404 posts later, here we are. i hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season and i wish you the happiest, most fulfilling year yet. if you do not celebrate a holiday this season, my good wishes go also with you! here's to moving forward.

holiday

shiny squirrel

sunburst necklace, gemma redux

a few last minute things for the holiday list from fabulous jessica of the the shiny squirrel. jessica does a great job with emerging artists and designers, giving them a place to display and sell their limited edition or one-of-a-kind work. who can resist that? short on inspiration and long on the same old thing? the shiny squirrel blog has a finger on the pulse of emerging and fabulous whether it is available at the shiny squirrel or not. sharing the love is très chic, no?


anteater mask, matt cipov

hooded cowl top, figmint clothing

kingdom of spirit 1, sub-studio

57, nicole poko

jezebel, for your thank yous

untitled in progress..

all or nothing

free range