Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas to everyone who takes the time to read my blog! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. 
This year I fell in love with creative Christmas decorations. I especially love non-traditional decorations and bulbs. Bulbs were very colorful this year. Silver, blue, purple and, yes, even black. Here are some beautiful Christmas displays. I love bulbs used in installation art.  Hope you enjoy!

Image from Peeks.

Image from flickr user ianb888.

Image from flicker user Supercamel.

Image from flicker user chooyutshing.

Image from flickr user Ruffle & Blossom.

Isn't this cute? Super creative flickr user ATLITW. She made this out of objects she's been collecting over the years. I'd be tempted to leave it up all year it's so cute.


I've seen a lot of black bulbs this year. Love them. Especially on white trees. Image from flickr user katisworld.

Orange and pink flocked bulbs in my apartment.

Pottery Jones

I adore the internet and I adore flickr. I am always discovering artists who I might never have experienced. The discovery and connection the internet has afforded me is a miracle I am deeply grateful for.

Today I would like to present the work of a marvelous potter I recently discovered on flickr, Richard Bax. All of his work is sensual and serene, elegant and simple. It begs to be touched, just like good pottery should. If you are a pottery buff, you simply must check out his flickr set. Here are a few examples of his work. I love all of his work so much, I had difficulty selecting just a few works to highlight.

Oh how I wish I could touch these! I am sure the texture is marvelous. Great work, Richard!

A Preview

At the end of last year I did a post entitled "Year in Review - Best Contemporary Painters." See post here. I received a great many emails after this post. I think of this blog as a museum, and I am its curator. Since that post was popular - and more importantly - since I am so obsessed with paintings, I will do another year in review on December 31. Here is a preview.




Relapse by Singleton. Singleton calls her work hippie art. It's all about peace, love and yearning. This particularly tender piece really struck me. It speaks to me of the feminine burning desire to be loved by man, as well as the fragile state of unrequited love. Her flickr set is here, and her Etsy shop is here.


Isn't this marvelous! "A Nun Sets a Dried Fish Free" by Lynn Beesley. Here is a work I would love to have in my home! I adore the shades of blue Lynn paints with and the surreal, spiritual and feminist nature of her work. Her works speak to me on a deep psychic level. I could write a treatise on what this painting means to me, but won't. Sometimes I get annoyed with critics (including me) who pontificate about art, presuming to know the intent of an artist. As an artist, I know that sometimes artists don't even know the intent. They do what they do because they have to. Art is about a feeling. And Lynn's artwork evokes such powerful feeling - the only thing I know for sure is that she is doing what she has to. See her flickr set here, and website here.

The Beauty of Ordinary Objects

Ordinary objects are a testimony to the work of designers. Some objects are so recognizable that they become inconographic. Take the ordinary disposable coffee cup with lid. Someone designed it. And it's an incredibly sucessful design. Everyone recognizes it, and no doubt, probably every one has held one in their hand. Many of these recognizable objects are now being rendered into permanent art, perhaps in a nod to the green movement. Here are a few examples. Wouldn't these be cool lined up on a shelf?

The Not Paper Cup by Chiasso.

The carton vase by CB2.

Milk Bottle series by Alyssa Ettinger. I love these!

A ceramic version of the "We Are Happy to Serve You" cup. Brings back memories of dates at donut shops, hot chocolate at football games and my favorite egg drop soup. Available at MoMA.

Color Scheme: Hot Pink and Dark Blue

I adore hot pink. Hot pink looks great with any color, but it is especially wonderful with dark blue. Sexy and bold.

Flickr user foto.phrend.

A still life done by flickr user Krysto_O. Krysto has a very interesting flickr set. He's got some great photos of his toy collection, arranged by color.


Apartment Therapy. I love this place. And dig that pink Togo sofa!

At the thrift store. The workers are so sweet there. They are used to me rearranging the vases and taking pictures.

In my apartment. I love that blue bottle.

My apartment, for today. Stay tuned, tomorrow is Saturday and it's going to be cold. That means staying inside and cleaning and rearranging. I adore the hot pink covers, but I am craving white again. I often experiment with color, but I always return to white.

Color Scheme: Hot Pink and Yellow

Flickr user Grant MacDonald.

Hot pink and yellow looks great with a pop of red. Flickr user Lucky D.

Painting by Melissa Moss. I love this!

Flickr user platinumblondelife.

Flickr user Jodie Hurt.





Flickr user YouHao.

Flickr user Pedro Vidigal.

Flickr user artsy_T.


Cute clock available on Ebay.

Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.




Domino.



My apartment. For today.

Darkly Romantic Rooms

It all started when I noticed Abigail Ahren's lovely home on Designspongeshop.


See previous posts here and here. I've been noticing dark decor. Both dark furniture and walls. I am so in love with white, I never thought I would find rooms painted in dark colors interesting. But I do. They are cave like and very, very romantic. Here's a sampling. Hope you enjoy!

Meredith's black living room, image from Apartment Therapy. Love the white Buddha on the crate. Really pops against the black.

Love organic touches with the black walls. Just like in all white rooms, texture is very important in dark rooms. Of course, rugs would have to be faux. My readers already know I am opposed to animal rugs. Image Ilse Crawford via The Style Files.

I adore these salmon colored chairs with the gray walls. Very glamorous.

And, of course, pink looks great with black. Pink looks great with any color. Images from flickr user Chicfreaksali.

I love chalkboard walls. Image from flickr user linsmika. Linsmika has a great house. You simply must check it out.




Like I said, pink looks great with black. Black makes an entryway especially dramatic. Image from Jan Showers.

All this thinking about black makes me want this piece of pottery that I saw at a vintage shop. I've been resisting, I already have too many white vases and I don't want to start another obsession!

But it is gorgeous...

This month's Domino was full of dark interiors. I love this one.

Yellow looks great in a black and white interior. And I adore ugly dolls in elegant rooms!

I adore this bedroom. Simple, peaceful and elegant.

With these beautiful rooms, one would definitely need to dress the part. And what would be better than this gorgeous outfit featured in Domino? Love the textures. Again, it would have to be faux fur.

This is one of the finest outfits I have seen this year. Simply gorgeous, great texture, and the perfect counterpart to darkly romantic rooms.

Sunlight

I love the sunshine on my painting. It's funny how the sun is so beautiful on freezing days!