September 11, 2012

Georgia O’Keeffe

Like Monet’s waterlillies, images of Georgia O’Keeffe’s work were ubiquitous throughout my high school and college career, covering the walls of dorm rooms and beat-down apartments, so much so that I dismissed her as a “poster art” artist and moved on. Oh, you silly, naive fool! This summer after a particularly trying visit to a conceptual contemporary art show, I began thinking about Ms. O’Keeffe and her lush, emotional paintings of the western flora and fauna she held so dear. It was time to revisit her work. Man, am I glad I did. I was truly moved and deeply excited by what I saw. Both the palettes of her painting and the homes she lived in are deeply inspirational to me and I am happy to say that I am not the only one feeling this way. There is a gorgeous piece on her home in Abiqui, New Mexico currently being re-run on the Architectural Digest site and a new book out on both that home and her beloved Ghost Ranch called Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiqui by Barbara Buhler Lynes. Naturally, I snatched a copy up pronto and have been covetously flipping from one austere, elemental image to the next for days on end. In case you doubt the power and freshness of this thoroughly modern woman and painter, feast your eyes on some of her elegant, enduring work and enjoy!

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May 12, 2012

Nick Lamia

Today, ladies and gents, I’d like to turn you on to an artist I discovered recently who is doing a few very cool and different kinds work. His name is Nick Lamia and he paints, draws and creates installations, but it’s not the range of mediums that intrigue me as much as his diveristy of subject matter and style. I am a sucker for art that observes the natural world so was rather moved when I saw some of his recent watercolor and pencil studies of dead flies and bees and other bits of natural detritus.

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May 24, 2011

Lost Arts Salon

As I have been slogging through my ever-daunting inbox, I came across a One Kings Lane reminder and I clicked through to see what is currently on offer. I was thrilled to find a sale from the San Francisco based, Lost Art Salon. This company is new to me and I think their aesthetic and price range is going to make more than me smile. Naturally, since I came to the party a little late, a lot of goodies have been snapped up but as of this writing, there were two pieces that were still available that really caught my eye. Number one is this 1978 Dellard Cassity painting:

And numero dos is this pretty 1920s-30s drawing by C. F. Seavey of a contemplative woman:
Never fear. If you are like me and almost (or did) miss the sale, their website is full of treasures. A sampling of some of my faves is below but check it out for yourself to find your own gem. Remember to always imagine the frame you want around each piece (not necessarily the current one). That choice will make the piece more modern or colorful or traditional or whatever your heart desires for your space.

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November 10, 2010

Trend Alert!

Here’s a little something I’ve noticed cropping up more and more: the designer as curator. Exhibit A – The New York Times asked five interior designers (Jonathan Adler, Thom Filicia, Laura Kirar, Kelly Wearstler and Vincente Wolf) to go through the Times’s extensive archive of photographs and pick their ten favorites. The results are as varied as the designers. You really get a sense of what intrigues each of them and a little insight into how they view the world. All of the images are for sale so if you share say, Jonathan’s love of the giddy and surreal, get one of the delightful photos for your very own. Take a look at a few of my faves:

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