design♔dna

laura millard

2008-04-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

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

andy goldsworthy

2008-03-29T20:04:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-27T06:19:00.001-07:00

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

bob sherman: photographer

2008-03-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

whew.

showtime

2008-03-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

day 1

2008-03-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

untitled

2008-03-01T12:45:00.003-08:00

untitled

2008-03-01T12:45:00.001-08:00

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

2008-03-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

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

untitled

2008-02-26T19:23:00.001-08:00

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

dear Mr. Maurer,

2008-02-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

my favorite part

2008-02-24T06:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-21T09:48:00.001-08:00

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

2008-02-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

...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

2008-02-13T20:37:00.001-08:00

kate blee

2008-02-13T20:13:00.001-08:00

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

2008-02-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-11T05:34:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-09T14:40:00.002-08:00

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

2008-02-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

exciting news coming soon...

feather: these have sold, thank you

2008-02-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-06T12:21:00.001-08:00

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

2008-02-04T15:48:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

anne kyyrö quinn contemporary textiles. beautiful textures.

love it, love it

anna lewis

2008-02-01T05:00:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-30T20:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

natural light. what a difference.

helen amy murray

2008-01-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-15T16:41:00.001-08:00

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

jim thompson

2008-01-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

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

margrethe standberg

2008-01-09T05:42:00.000-08:00

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

innumerable goods

2008-01-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

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

woodgrain

2008-01-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

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

georgetti

2008-01-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

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

beach combing

2008-01-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

ghost furniture

2008-01-02T17:03:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

shiny squirrel

2007-12-16T07:01:00.001-08:00

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

all or nothing

2007-12-13T18:07:00.001-08:00

free range

2007-12-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

i can not stop

2007-12-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

still with the photos. it is so addictive. i just want to try one more. every time.

and blogger, why so ornery? why will you not upload my photos in a timely manner? why do you make me try three times per photograph? i am very frustrated.

finally, a little success

2007-12-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

experimentation has kept me absent this week. i have been experimenting with photo transfer and finally today, a little success. i have been invited to participate in an art show this weekend and i think i will take a few of these along with my lights. i have a few lights in progress but will have to get super busy to get them done in time.

i do think i will have to devote one more day to my photographs. i am happy to see them coming along. my favorites are on large canvas paper and are unfortunately too large to scan.

and still the learning curve. mirror images do not work with numbers.

luis caicedo

2007-12-02T19:30:00.001-08:00

luis caicedo, super fine self-taught columbian artist/designer, and a bowl of cherries.

i am a big fan of caicedo style for many reasons and on many levels. first and foremost, his fantastic natural sense of style that is completely absent of formula. when i asked him about his style, luis said, "Regardless of money, I think that spaces and objects should be something that gives you real joy and pleasure. Very simple." testify!

his interiors are very individual, INTERESTING, welcoming, and beautiful. not your everyday beautiful room but a room that is beautiful AND INTERESTING. yes, i am a big fan of interesting.

luis is also a decorative painter. check out these fabulous painted floors. the unexpected colors and patterns below are fantastic. that floor will never see itself walking down the street and that's why i love it.

the bedroom below is that of a well known poet and his partner on fire island. they wanted dramatic and classic, yet modern. the artworks behind the bed are street banners from a museum show that the couple already owned. lucky ducks.

speaking of lucky ducks, in the heat of a passionate argument in chicago (where he lived at the time), luis hopped on his bike and rode off in a fit, only to find this spectacular panel (below). a church at the end of his block was falling apart and they were throwing the pieces into a dumpster, amazing pieces he says, pieces of saints and other carvings. so there he is, steaming mad and puts his head on the dumpster "and there he was....that face with those huge eyes staring at me. It was folded so all you could see were the eyes. Needless to say I almost died and got inside of the dumpster and pick them up. They were pretty huge canvases with all kinds of saints.......one is walking on fire and another is being decapitated. I ran back to to my house with my bike full of canvases one of top of the other." !!!!! this is the guy you want to dumpster dive with for real. could you imagine? ...well, moods dramatically improved and the rest of the evening was spent mounting the canvases to the dining room walls.

these maps are from an early XX century insurance book. he put them on the wall looking for something huge but not overwhelming. the result looked too "mappish" for him so he edged a circle over it. perfect.

luis does custom tile work. i dig the integrated hand vase. i imagine you could arrange for someone to hand you the soap in your custom shower instead of the flowers. or both, depending on how fancy you roll. and for this, he has just the thing...

his new soap opera line is causing a real stir. i especially like these three together. a fine hostess gift indeed, they would be beautiful in a silver bowl by the sink. there are many styles available on his website, cast from his collection of oddities around the house. the heart soap is cast from his grandmother's 17th century sacred heart so perhaps it will wash away more than you think.

his website is full of great products and projects and is worth a complete click through. can you imagine his small tree bowls with your traditional fine china? perfect for holiday ambrosia. interesting, beautiful and unexpected.

these bowls of recycled film look great. i love the idea and love that they are all different.

and finally, this is the guy that originally caught my eye. who can pass on a man with a perpetual good idea? just like his maker. one day i will meet him in person. maybe we can go through dumpsters. in bogota!

all photographs via luiscaicedo.com. i feel it.

charleston

2007-11-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

bird watching me watching the boys..

charleston

2007-11-26T07:19:00.001-08:00

charleston

2007-11-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving in charleston, sc

off we go

2007-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

we are off for holiday travel. if you are in charleston, sc or savannah, ga let us know!

clyfford still

2007-11-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

abstract expressionist clyfford still, reclusive, elusive, brilliant art world drop-out. on his death he bequethed his entire collection, around 3000 paintings, to anyone who could meet a few criteria. among other requirements, these included:

recipient will never sell, trade or give away any of his work
recipient will build and maintain a special permanent museum to hold his work
recipient will show only his work in said permanent museum
recipient will never show his work alongside that of any other artist

after 20 odd years, his estate found a taker, the city of denver, colorodo. the museum is set to open in 2010. probably worth a trip.

his actions may seem arrogant, but i imagine him a man of true conviction. one who did not want his art objectified by an audience that did not take care to understand it. he said, "I hold it imperative to evolve an instrument of thought which will aid in cutting through all cultural opiates, past and present, so that a direct, immediate, and truly free vision can be achieved. . .and I affirm my profound concern to achieve a purpose beyond vanity, ambition, or remembrance." it seems he stood by that, lived his life that way, when he could have easily taken the money and run. i also have to like a guy who says something like this;

"How can we live and die and never know the difference?" ....oh how i am desperate to avoid it.

arline fisch

2007-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

pretty as a sculpture

photograph: William Guilette

jean-michael othoniel

2007-11-13T18:09:00.001-08:00

le bateau de larmes 2004
i am always a pushover for glass. this boat installation by jean-michael othoniel is so magical. everything i love all rolled into one; glass, light, boat, the suggestion of the sea. jean-michael took this cuban boat, abandoned after it's voyage to maimi, and added crowns, chains and necklaces of glass. his sculpture "floats on the water like a ghost ship, loaded with tears of suffering and joy, overflowing with memories and covered by festive ornaments". i wish i could scoop up all the original passengers and stand them in front of it. i wonder what they would think, what they would say, what the artist would do next after he heard their story...

bottle of tears
"transformations, mutations of materials, and rites of passage from one state to another echo an essential rite in the artist’s work: that of journeys and memory. the notion of wound or injury is at the heart of his work." i feel it.

all photographs via galerie emmanuel perrotin.

cai guo-qiang

2007-11-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

cai guo-qiang and the best use of gunpowder in all the land, EVER. you MUST check out the video of him creating "descending wolves" in front of a crowd at the guggenheim. WOW.

how very original. i love his work. it stopped me in my tracks and made me talk out loud to myself. i feel like high-tailing somewhere right now to see it in person.

about the artist..."Cai initially began working with gunpowder to foster spontaneity and confront the suppression that he felt from the controlled artistic tradition and social climate in China at the time. While living in Japan from 1986 to 1995, Cai explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings, an inquiry that eventually led to his experimentation with explosives on a massive scale, and the development of his signature explosion events, exemplified in his series, Projects for Extraterrestrials. These explosion projects, both wildly poetic and ambitious at their core, aim to establish an exchange between viewers and the larger universe around them."

there are all kinds of videos on the site. be sure to check out some of the large scale explosion projects. great artist and great website. he really invites you in with the videos. i love it!

all photographs via cai guo-qiang.

xavier veilhan

2007-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

the mobile looks beautiful in this setting. such contrasts. but he snaggged me with the rhinoceros. i just have a real thing for rhinoceroses. no biography on his site, but if you visit xavier veilhan, and you speak french or spanish, there are a couple of videos - one of which is translated from his native french into spanish. if he says something spectacular, come back and fill me in!

The Rhinoceros, 1999. Painted polyester resin ; 170 x 140 x 415 cm/ 67 x 55 x 163 inch. Collection Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.

my marrakesh

2007-11-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

i can not imagine that you all have not met maryam, a human rights and democracy specialist trotting the globe by day, a builder of peacock pavillions, dream guest house in marrakesh by night and a blogger of gorgeous middle eastern culture by...who knows when she fits it in. i go to her site regularly to live vicariously a life of following the wildest of dreams full tilt.

maryam is a finalist for Best Middle East or African Blog in the 2007 blog awards. i hope you will click here and show her some love. then head over to my marrakesh and enjoy the beautiful, the exotic and the out of the ordinary. be careful, it's addictive.

all photos via my marrakesh

goudji

2007-11-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

interesting fellow, master goldsmith goudji. born in soviet georgia, studied at the academy of fine art in tbilissi, and at 21 was forced to leave georgia when suspected of complicity in his friends' attempt to cross the iron curtain by swimming to turkey. goudji fled to moscow where he "However, refused to work for the glorification of the regime and limited his contribution to designing items for interior decoration and monumental iron gates. He also created models for commemorative medals and designed stamps. But, most of all, he took advantage of opportunities to travel and meet other creators, while continuing, Goudji met, observed, imitated and assisted two old goldsmiths who beat copper, day in, day out, producing the same pots and pans for sale on the market.This was to be his only training in an ancient craft that can only be passed down by apprenticeship. Two months later, he knew how to beat copper, work repoussé metal, weld, rivet, and tin."

goudji married a french woman but was not allowed exit to meet his wife in france for five years. goudji says, "I was born in Paris at the age of 33. "

"In the Soviet Union, Goudji had been prohibited from working with precious metals. However he had sacrificed a few small silver spoons so as to offer his friends brooches made with colored stones found on the beaches of the Black Sea. It was his only experienceas a silversmith until his arrival in France.

Goudji both loves and needs to create. For obvious economic reasons, his first parisian creations broaches, necklaces and belt buckles - were initially made of recuperated copper and latten, bought at the Porte de Clignancourt fleamarket in Paris. From1975 onwards, his copper alloy creations were silvered by electrolysis. Thanks to these small works - first modest, later sumptuous - Goudji rapidly became well-known among lovers of contemporary jewelry.Always unique, due to the technique employed, this first batch of jewels quickly came to the notice of Hubert de Givenchy, but Goudji was unable to accept the idea of mass-production under any name but his own: his first personal exhibition in Paris was presented in 1975 in the Sven gallery."

lots of interesting information on goudji, his technique and materials can be found on his website. very interesting and very beautiful, this would be my choice to replace drum playing chicken riding elephant. obviously, the chicken can make himself comfortable.

photographs by marc wittmer.

house in my head

2007-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

i would like to see this libertine lounge (above) by todd bracher for triode dressed up like this (below), built in as a window seat, which is part of a bookcase wall dressed in the same fashion. i have put it in the modern house in my head.

i would also like the table (below) dressed like the table (above) although the veneer would be impossible with those legs and that is the whole reason i want the table. really killer legs by julien armand.

these little doo dads (below) are not part of the imaginary equation.

2007-10-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

real life

2007-10-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

i wish i had some before and after pics but i am the world's most impatient project starter. i am an exceptionally quick draw with the sawz-all. that sawz-all and i are thick as thieves and as soon as my hubs turns his back, we are on it. more than a few times hubs has returned from a trip to find a kitchen or a wall or two missing without a trace. nothing that spectacular happened in this room...

this is our condo, the result of my failure to commit to life here. everything is recycled from the last house and the house before that except for this obscenely uncomfortable sofa. i wanted something narrow with no arms. total disaster (are you listening lee industries?) this is the first time we have not made our own sofa and it will also be the last. i have added extra cushions on the back but it really doesn't help much. and they really don't match.

uncomfortable sofa, grade school art

my room is too narrow to get a pic of the whole fireplace wall. all the mess on the table and in front of the fireplace are lamp making parts. we sit here on the floor for days and make them. i drew the charcoal on the left of the mantel in a fundamental drawing class. it was my copy of a master, pavonia, by lord frederick leighton. i was so happy with myself that i had it framed. then a friend walked in one day and said "why do you have a portrait of madonna?", and when she says madonna, she does not mean the virgin. back to the drawing board...

one day the perfect over mantel piece will present itself. until then, drum playing chicken riding elephant. so chic, so fancy.

a lovely cabinet by talented hubs.

jesus, mary, bear and donkey. i have a thing for these old wind up toys. i also have a thing for portraits with wonky eyes. this mary has a wonky eye. my friend nancy gave me the elf baby. she makes the tiniest little babies out of clay and crochets them tiny outfits. she keeps plates of tiny heads in her refrigerator... i will put my elf in a terrarium. design note: if you back your bookcase in mirror on an exterior wall, find a mastic that does not fully harden. sadly, three pieces of our glass cracked last (their first) winter as seen here. we used plain mirror mastic.

collection of fine sculpture.

piglet, model for fine sculpture.

bob sherman

2007-10-28T21:23:00.001-07:00

my favorite piece of real art that i own is the photograph "garland cow" by my friend bob sherman. i love it for so many reasons; the color, the texture, the architecture, the dark man in the striking white beard and striking red robe, the exotic locale steeped in a deep history of everything i have never known... and then there is the cow. the cow, WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS behind the striking dark man. WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS, MUNCHING THE FLOWER GARLAND he managed to get from around his neck. i can't get enough of that. i enjoy it every day, the idea of being there in a moment of something so beautiful and so silly in such a heavy place. i don't know, i just really feel it.

bob was born and raised in queens, ny and began taking pictures with his kodak brownie hawkeye around the age of 7. now he is always off to some far-flung, fabulous land soaking up some life. i have selected the following photographs from his website, including my own, and asked him to tell me a little about them. i will post his beautiful portraits separately

Garland cow: taken in Varanasi, India , 2/97. Varanasi is the holiest city of India. Garlands of flowers are a common form of showing devotion and worship. This part of Varanasi is on the Ganges River. The photo shows the steps, called "ghats" that lead down to the river. I was in a boat on the river when I took this shot. I was at least 200 yards away from the man in the shot and I was surrounded by many other boats. Yet the first 4 times I attempted to take the shot the man in the scene covered his face. An hour later I walked up to the man and he spontaneously said to me that it was rude of me to attempt to take his picture without first asking him. I immediately agreed and we spent the next 1 1/2 days talking about the necessity of the experience of lonliness on the spiritual path.

Afghan horsemen: taken in Band-i-Amir Afghanistan, 7/75. These men are playing a game called bushkazee in which a dead goat is "the ball" that is taken to the opponents goal. The bushkazee can last for days and spectators need to be on horseback to see the entire game. I was standing in the middle of their "playing field" when I took the shot. Band-i-Amir was a spectacularly beautiful place. The surrounding mountains look like a scene from Monument Valley with the addition of 7 amazingly beautiful lakes. The area is in the middle of nowhere so hopefully it has not been destroyed by recent events.

Varanasi alley: (left) taken in Varanasi, India, 3/03 in a back alley of the oldest bazaar. This is a 3 1/2 minute time exposure that was taken at 4 in the morning. The blue cast is how film records shade. If one looks closely there appears to be a ghost at the end of the alley. In reality this is a man that has a bicycle at his side. As soon as he entered the alley he froze when he spotted my tripod. He was only in the shot for the last 20 seconds of the exposure. It was so dark that his image appears ghostlike. The time before dawn is quite magical in India.
Pink Prayer: (right) taken in another holy India City, Haridwar, 2/05 at around 8 p.m.. The Ganges River here is quite clean as Haridwar is much closer to the source of the river. There are chains along the river here because the current is so strong. Bathing in the river is a vital part of worship. Every night there is a wonderful prayer ceremony performed at the river that involves many burning candles. This shot was taken just after the cremony ended.

bob is also a clinical psychologist and sends a "daily dose" with a photograph every day and tells me something like this: "Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days... What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe". you can sign up for that via his website

2007-10-28T21:22:00.001-07:00

Fenway Park: Under Left Field Grandstand - photo by rnolan1087.

claude nature, paris

2007-10-23T09:11:00.001-07:00

i have taken the decorno original content challenge this week so you will be hearing a bit more about me. not usually something i write about...but here goes.
so, my visit to claude nature. this spring i went to paris for the first time ever and naturally, upon my arrival, the weather took a turn for the worse. in a few hours the rain had arrived to stay for the duration of our trip and it was pouring rain that drove us into claude nature the very first night, just trying to escape the downpour. we fell into the door looking like we had just swum over from the ile st louis and it was not until i wiped the fog from my glasses that i realized my great fortune. it was a REAL cabinet of curiosities, cases and cases of insect specimens, fossils, shells, just enormous beauty from the far reaches of the earth. if i ever realize the dream of my own boutique, it will have a section devoted to just this.
the couple keeping shop (the owners i assume) did not speak a word of english but we had a lovely visit nonetheless. the more interested and exclamatory i became about the specimens, the faster they would talk and the more treasures they would drag from the back.

when i chose the saddle color bug with the curved horn for my box, the woman proudly produced from the back a specimen 100x it's size. seriously the size of a teacup puppy and sporting a tremedous horn. as my good fortune continued, the man who ordered the giant bug like mine arrived to pick it up. i told him in butchered french and grand hand gesture how i admired his bug and he returned the favor, patting me on the back and shrugging (i translated this as a good natured "i agree with your taste, but see how mine is so grand?"). so there we were, me selecting bugs, mr. big bug and shopkeeper giving me feedback in fast exclamatory french, opening and reopening box after box of strange specimens, the holding up to the light, the looking at the backs, the reading of the scientific names, the measuring, the pinning, the remeasuring and finally standing back in admiration. two hours later.
this little box of bugs does not even measure 8x10" but the experience was so great. it is amazing how genuine interest and and a little kindness completely erased the language barrier.

here is my box of bugs on the bookcase that my husband built. a few weeks ago my son came home with the tessellation artwork that matches the bugs exactly. go figure! soon i will replace the scotch tape with a frame. i love it.

and here is a better shot of the hubs handiwork. his cabinet making improves with every house. he is now quite good and i am quite lucky.

francis bacon and the kindness of strangers

2007-10-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

crucifixion 1933, said to be his first success. the work came across strong enough to be purchased by telegram by foremost english collector sir michael sadler. later the same year sadler sent an x-ray of his own skull to be incorporated in one of 2 further crucifixion pieces he purchased that year.

study for a portrait, man screaming 1952 is a masterpiece lost for 40 years after a collector bought it in the early 60's for £3000. it resurfaced at christies, london in 2000 and was expected to sell for around £1.8m. obviously they were very excited to have it show up! his screams, no matter the screamer, are considered by some the best in the art world.

apparently francis was highly allergic to dogs because of his asthma. they show up in quite a few works throughout the years, as does a major series of unsettling shrieking popes suggested to mirror strong feelings about his father and the horrible war years. but that's another post entirely.

and now, the kindness of strangers.

i would never have found this great francis bacon website with tons of history and explanations had jessica of the the shiny squirrel not mentioned in a comment that whitney mcveigh reminded her of francis bacon. because of her quick note, i looked up an artist i had never heard of and enjoyed something completely new. thank you jennifer!

if you are ever visiting and recognize or are reminded of something, i hope you will leave a quick note if you have the time. i appreciate the chance to look at things in a new way and explore something completely new altogether. all i know of art and design and architecture is whether i react to it emotionally. even if i am moved by the architecture of a building, my immediate reaction is to want to hug it, to pick it up and carry it around and i feel frustrated that i can not. maybe it's not a bad thing that i can not pick it apart academically, that i can just enjoy it how i feel it. or not. either way, after a little research, learn a little about the building, the architect, and it's place in history i can appreciate it beyond wanting to hug it (although the urge never leaves me). so, if something crosses your mind while you are here, i hope you will leave a note and that concludes more about me than you bargained for!

now i am off to investigate the shiny squirrel.

desire to inspire by midcenturyjo

2007-10-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

midcenturyjo has opened a new etsy shop for her illustrations. i hope everyone will head right over and share some love and support. bravo jo!

jo and kim from desire to inspire not only inspire me daily with design and architecture from around the globe, they are lovely about supporting other folks in their art, their websites and other endeavors. i am happy to have the privledge of returning the favor.

whitney mcveigh

2007-10-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

something about these works by whitney mcveigh. my favorite is above. while investigating, i came across this entry on her blog. how very exciting and good for her! oh what i would give for such an invite...endless gratitude for sure.

june schwarcz

2007-10-13T17:19:00.001-07:00

gold plated copper and enamel

also at de vera, this beautiful work by june schwarcz. read a very interesting interview for the archives of american art, smithsonian institution, here. i enjoyed this interview very much, especially in the way ms. schwarcz is so honest and matter of fact. i enjoyed it in the same way i enjoy a great studio shot. it makes the art seem possible and all the more fascinating.

mattte silver plated copper

patinated copper with enamel

de vera

2007-10-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

on suggestion of a VERY stylish david, i paid a visit to de vera while in new york. if you have not been yourself, you must go straight away. not only is everything there spectacularly beautiful, wildly unusual and interesting, but the folks keeping shop are....FRIENDLY, INFORMATIVE and HELPFUL! is it just me who inspires keepers of fabulous shops to only reluctantly give fragments of information when i ask about their beautiful wares? perhaps they can tell by looking at me that i will not be purchasing the bowl with the price in the five digits and decide that information on the beautiful vessel will be given on a need to know basis. not so at de vera.

it was obvious we would not be buying the $45,000 temple bear when my husband made an involuntary noise upon hearing the price, but a very nice man answered all of our many questions anyway. when my son was convinced that the glass hermit crab was small enough for him to afford given he had $22 in his pocket, the very nice man went downstairs, opened the case, let my son hold the glass crab, took it upstairs, looked up the price in the catalog and did not even hint at annoyance when my child was $353 short.

if i could, i would shop there for anything and everything i ever needed. i hope that if you can, you will. and if you need an ancient brass temple bear about the size of very fat bulldog...... i'm telling you, it is really gorgeous!

dear claudia

2007-10-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

claudia (designer, author, entrepreneur extrordinare and all around lovely, generous person) of the paris apartment was kind enough to squeeze me into the most busy of her days while i was in new york. i very much enjoyed our visit and walked away with a greater resolve to keep moving forward and try new ideas, to not be a chicken.... it is so great to talk with someone who has created opportunities for themselves and done something about it. thank you, claudia, for the inspiration. bonne chance and bonne santé in your new endeavors!

ingo maurer

2007-10-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

today was a fabulous day for us in new york. because our child will freakishly withstand hours of modern art and design we decided to spend the morning at the cooper-hewitt.....and the retrospective on show? none other than INGO MAURER !!. it was beyond exciting to see his work in person. so much of it i had never even seen in a photograph.

we were greeted by a sharpie embellished mr. and mrs. carnegie who, when motion detector sensed a visitor approaching, began moving their eyes back and forth and whispering to each other from their frames. love it!

"a memory from shanghai, or was it cairo?" it is hard for me to pick a favorite, but if i had to pick one work to save from impending doom, it would have to be this. the fact that the mice are wearing little red sleep masks really seals the deal for me.

led wallpaper. even if i were to take up residence in the chateau de versailles itself, i would find a way to work this in.

"l'eclat joyeux", my husband's favorite. son especially appreciated the upside down guy at the bottom.

"one can't be tall without the small!!!", my son's favorite.

something we have in common! love of circuit boards!

sadly, they were sold out of the catalog but i have ordered one to be shipped when they are replenished. i WILL be holding my breath.

hella - ella - ella

2007-10-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

nice texture for a change. love the seals and that red is a knockout. hella jongerius for makkum.

UPDATE: i saw these in person at the cooper-hewitt shop and they are large, of beautiful proportions and really lovely. the red one was calling for me...

more makkum

2007-10-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

jan broekstra. again with the texture. makkum.

metalaceart

2007-10-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

metalaceart by talila abraham. i choose gold.

new york city

2007-10-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

photograph by premshree pillai.

i'm off to kick around the city for the week. if you have suggestions for interesting art or fabulous boutiques that are off the beaten path, i would be so grateful for the tip! have a happy weekend and i will post this week from the road.

2007-10-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

i would like eleven or so, arranged as a chandelier. just the thing to lighten up a dark, masculine room. from cox & cox via the lovely esprit boheme.

nancy lorenz

2007-10-04T10:19:00.001-07:00

mother of pearl, gesso, enamel on wood panel

mother of pearl inlay, pigment and shellac on panel. i am not a big fan of the butterfly (though i like moths? why?) but i included this because of the mother of pearl inlay which i seem to always like. especially used this way.

nancy lorenz via pdx contemporary art.

untitled

2007-10-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

formal cogitation

2007-10-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

ghada amer

2007-09-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

ghada amer embroidered paintings.

julian mayor

2007-09-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

moon over water

great website. sculptor julian mayor.

contour

new york

francis guerrier

2007-09-27T21:10:00.001-07:00

i really like this work by francis guerrier. i looked him up for his butterfly installation but i like these small works even better. if i had to pick? i pick the blue neon. what is that brass bit? a peep hole? for me, it would not be the same without it. i would not choose it if it had no curious brass bit.

madame des vosges

2007-09-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

i just came across madame des vosges and i am liking it. what a bunch of random interesting stuff. they also have, and i love, a vintage french foosball table. who doesn't need one of those? there is a box of optometrists lenses that would make a fab chandelier or mobile or room divider. now that i've said it, i'm feeling the hanging room divider thought ... i like the big birdcage below for an art project. maybe i can find one on this side of the ocean.

empiric

2007-09-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

i am thrilled to report that empiric in los angeles will carry our dna♔lights. i hope you will stop by and see what great company we will keep while there! here is what apartment therapy has to say about empiric:

“Okay, so we are going to say it - our favorite store in LA is Empiric.
Empiric has the most beautifully restored Deco and mid century furniture around and the best lamps we have ever seen. Also lots of sexy, sturdy steel and metal office furniture all set in a whimsical atmosphere that looks like an old apothecary.
Empiric makes a lot of great furniture as well. Many of the pieces feel truly vintage, yet everything can be customized to fit your needs. There is a clutter to the store that we would usually loathe, but every last detail seems important to the vibe, and most everything we touch is like a long lost friend waiting to come home with us... “

needless to say, this is very exciting news for us!

sarah cihat

2007-09-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

you might recognize the name sarah cihat from her line of rehabilitated dishware (below), but what i am loving even more is her hand cast porcelian work called dirt (above). the bowl with chain strikes my fancy in particular.

england & co

2007-09-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

lightbox sculpture, joanne berry (above) through england & co, the same gallery that represents the lovely georgia russell (below).

passing through ii 2006-07, cut photographs

les saisons de haydn 2007, cut and painted sheet music

hard to find 2003, cut US army playing cards

based upon

2007-09-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

di overton of designers block uk and owner/designer of soon to be launched ghost furniture recently featured the design house based upon. these two brothers create beautiful surfaces with liquid metal, semi-precious resins and coloured laquers. the slide shows on their website are absolutely divine and incredibly inspiring.

magdalena abakanowicz

2007-09-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

walking figures 2001, bronze. exhibition at san peter church in cologne, germany

winged figure

abakans

i am really feeling the sculpture lately. magdalena abakanowicz has a website full of beautiful, inspiring sculpture and an interesting biography. it is so inspiring to see such large bodies of work and giant installations. it makes me feel that i can surely create something small if another is capable of creating things so large.

carol todaro

2007-09-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

i like these giant drawings of wings by carol todaro. she is also a book artist who gives workshops. it seems she does not have a website... i will have to make do with the drawing.

the dilemma

2007-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

jane rosen

2007-09-15T19:16:00.001-07:00

my favorite

the mei mei series

if i could buy real money art, i would own atleast a hoof and a deer. i ADORE this work by jane rosen. marble mix, limestone, willow, and pigment. i LOVE it.

hooves

from sears.peyton.gallery.

cowboy

2007-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

cowboy

2007-09-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

in the deep, deep woods.