8.30.2007

in honor of labor



Don't you just love this adorable shot of a young, completely open, idealistic Bob Dylan? I do. It seems an apt image for Labor Day. So there we are.

Enjoy yours.

8.29.2007

break on through (to the other side)



This fantazmagorical image is and was (note past & present tense) a fundamental influence on my pink&orange obsession. And it will be (note future tense) the centerpiece of an ode to the age of aquarius--once we get past some big end-of-summer projects and trips (the sort that involve luggage and travel) of our own.

:photo courtesy of moma

I just can't help myself. These little beauties belong here (photos from a recent walk to Central Park)...




...as well as this handmade wallpaper from Dunford Wood.

8.27.2007

farewell, Grace



This was a person.

That's a phrase we dole out carefully - and rarely - in our home. It doesn't apply to many folks these days. But it perfectly captures the spirit and purpose of Grace Paley's life and writing; and it immediately came to mind when we learned of Grace Paley's death late last week.

The last time I "saw" Ms. Paley was at Symphony Space in 1995. She hosted an evening of readings from her Collected Stories. (I've saved the program in my copy of the book.) The selections that night were: "The Pale Pink Roast", read by Linda Lavin; "Friends", read by Tandy Cronyn; and "Wants", read by Maria Tucci.

During the upcoming holidays, as we laugh and cry our way through "The Loudest Voice" (perhaps our favorite Grace Paley short story), we'll do so with special gratitude for this extraordinary woman who wrote so brilliantly about ordinary life - and who lived in response to her deepest convictions.

from Regina Hackett at seattlepi.com: "With [Grace Paley's] passing, there aren't many of her ilk left on earth, those New York socialist Jewish activists of a literary bent who never gave up their elbows-out fight for the underdog and never passed up the opportunity to indulge an undignified belly laugh. In her stories, they live on, fortitude rewarded."

A person, indeed.


(photo courtesy of msmagazine.com)

8.26.2007

under the influence



:whitney museum of art

The two images just above are card-carrying treasures that I picked up at The Whitney this weekend. The Summer of Love exhibit is a total groove-fest (my head hurts a little, though). Inspired me to get off the dime and start writing and posting about San Francisco in the 60s (or stories of my youth) and other tales of the many, varied early influences on my aesthetics, such as it is.

Hope you've all had a great weekend.

8.23.2007

party on


This megawatt, no-wallflowers-allowed paper would zap the doldrums from any weary space. But I imagine a little would go a long way. Perhaps a single wall--or a door or two. Okay, bookshelf backing. Aptly named "Party Girl." Designed by Karen Hsu of Omnivore. Available at Flavorleague.com

:flavorleague

8.21.2007

fixture fix of the day

I was so taken with Suzanne Kasler's use of sconces and chandeliers (SK is featured at brilliant asylum today), I decided to do a bit of fixture hunting myself. I found this delicate, French iron beauty, ca. 1930 - with original blue cups and drops - at theparisapartment.com

The blue glass really sends me.

And here's another stunner from Suzanne Kasler's portfolio. I'm fixated on those bright turquoise-crystal jewels. Feast. Your. Eyes.

What about this vision of Venetian glass loveliness at...? You guessed it. ABC Carpet&Home (old reliable).

rococo exotic at the frick

:frick collection

Run, don't walk, to view this beautiful exhibit at The Frick. (Extended through September 9). And if you're not able to see these treasures up close, the 52-page catalog is a valuable addition to any design or decorative arts library.



A bit more info...
In mid-eighteenth-century France, mounted Asian porcelains were the height of fashion. More Far Eastern porcelains were set into elaborate metal mounts in the period between 1740 and 1760 than at any other point in European history, and Paris was the center of this phenomenon. Commissioned by the Parisian marchands merciers, or luxury merchants, artisans produced exquisite gilt bronze confections to adorn imported porcelains and often modified the porcelains themselves in order to adapt them to the décor of French interiors.

This exhibition explores the design and reception of such rococo luxury objects by focusing on a pair of mounted eighteenth-century Chinese porcelains in The Frick Collection. The deep blue vases were cut down and the mounts added between 1745 and 1749. Ornamented with elaborate gilt-bronze imitations of natural forms such as shells, coral, pearls, and bulrushes, these costly items fuse a contemporary fascination with natural exotica, largely imported from the East, with the concurrent fashion for Far Eastern porcelains. Drawing on prints, books, and other objects, the exhibition explores the convergence of the natural and the humanly wrought in the production of such elite wares and probes the fascination with the exotic that lies at the heart of the Rococo.

8.20.2007

wall logo

:domestic.fr

I love the delightful interplay between these two pink&orange (yes!) designs. Like a mod variation on the yin and yang theme. Vinyl, removeable. Available at domestic.fr

8.17.2007

mixed media series: pisanka

:dianamuse

I recently pulled out an image from a collage-series I developed this spring. These colors never fail to delight and amuse me. And the egg, although an ancient symbol of spring, reminds me of rebirth and renewal year-round. So, I ask myself, why not today?

And here's some info (more than you need, surely) on the origins of eggart.

The art of the decorated egg in Ukraine (pysanka)--pisanka in Russia--dates back to ancient times. As in many ancient cultures, Ukrainians worshipped a sun god (Dazhboh). The sun was important - it warmed the earth and thus was a source of all life. Eggs decorated with nature symbols became an integral part of spring rituals, serving as benevolent talismans. In pre-Christian times, Dazhboh was one of the main deities in the Slavic pantheon; birds were the sun god's chosen creations, for they were the only ones who could get near him. Humans could not catch the birds, but they did manage to obtain the eggs the birds laid. Thus, the eggs were magical objects, a source of life. The egg was also honored during rite-of-spring festivals––it represented the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers.

8.16.2007

tricia guild thursday

:tricia guild at designers guild

Today's color trip fantastic, courtesy of design&color maven Tricia Guild. These images (love the montage) are from her new autumn collection, amalienborg. I know. It's dizzying. Take a break and come back later...

8.15.2007

preview: tricia guild thursday

:designers guild

your daily etsy: storm on the ocean

:becksey at etsy

I was looking through an old Frankenthaler retrospective catalog earlier today...which probably explains (in part) why this caught my eye. Find it at becksey on etsy. This is a triptych but can be sold seperately if desired. Mixed media on quality canvas, these pieces are original artworks each measuring 13"x 9"x 0.5".

8.12.2007

hello, brand new week

:Emilija Pasagic, shawgalleries.co.uk

This painting is so sweet, mysterious and welcoming. I see a new week greeting and bringing each of us along--one by one--into fresh, unknown experience.



And for all of us who could benefit from some Pema* guidance today, here we go...

Trying to fix ourselves is not helpful. It implies struggle and self-denigration. Self-improvement can have temporary results, but lasting transformation occurs only when we honor ourselves as the source of wisdom and compassion. We are...very much like a blind person who finds a jewel buried in a heap of garbage. Right here in what we'd like to throw away, in what we find repulsive and frightening, we discover the warmth and clarity of [our awakened/enlightened mind].

It is only when we begin to relax with ourselves that meditation becomes a transformative process. Only when we relate with ourselves without moralizing, without harshness, without deception, can we let go of harmful patterns. (I'll be back in just a bit...)


* from Pema Chodron's The Places That Scare You
[I still don't know how to underline or italicize on my blog. Heaven, or someone reading this, help me.]

8.11.2007

sunday eves at ten thirty - i'm so there...


Flight of the Conchords: Foux Da Fa Fa

These two are tres brilliant. They've joined the ranks of my TV boyfriends (alongside Jon Stewart, Alec Baldwin and Steve Carell).

8.10.2007

for all you weary empresses

:the conran shop

Someone to lean on.

8.07.2007

waiting with hope

:reprodepot

Laughter will likely bubble up from within the depths of your soul frequently today, leaving you feeling boisterous and refreshed regardless of the circumstances unfolding around you. Even if you tend to adopt a serious demeanor in the face of a serious situation, you may find that humor helps you cope with the challenges you are dealing with in the present. Your lighthearted and whimsical mood can bolster your spirits and ensure you maintain an attitude of hope while also giving those around you a beacon of good cheer to draw from.