DESIGN BLOG
Thoughts
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Musings
The Art of Ekphrasis
Very pleased to have my painting "Hapless Thing" included in the group show "The Art of Ekphrasis" at Blue Line Arts. The exhibit runs from January 13th to February 25th.
Ekphrasis from the Greek, ek and φράσις phrásis, "out" and "speak" is used for the verbal description of a work of art.
Each work in this show is accompanied by the artist's own response to the work in written form.
Saving Water Beautifully
One of my clients whom I've done numerous art and design commissions for in the past came to me with a new request. In Southern California, everyone is (or should be) painfully aware of the drought situation. My client was surveying her rather large landscaped yard and seriously reconsidering the amount of water she was dispensing on maintaining a lawn as ground cover.
What I put together for the renovation were some visuals and a proposal for ditching the lawn and creating a xeriscape that used a mix drought resistant plants and succulents along with a combination of different river rock for ground cover.
In addition to creating a garden that used less water, visually, I wanted to carry through the color theme of a rich Mediterranean blue that had been used in pots that were already in the garden.
My idea to integrate the blue was twofold. The landscaping as it was had a beautiful view to the surrounding hills and mountains. What the garden was missing some mid height features in between the pool and far away vista. I would source some "props" like old row boats and wheelbarrows to create planters that could be painted and would pull the blue across as a color continuum.
For the rocks, I had sourced granite river cobble and larger river rocks that had a bluish bias in color that would contrast with the largely tan hardscaped patio area.
A Table For All Reasons
Finding a table for a corner shouldn't be hard. When it becomes a bit more challenging is when it needs to be different things at different times. A piece that works with everything else in the room, is the right height and depth, is light enough to be carried to different locations depending on how many people are using the space and for what purpose.
This pair of Brancusi style tables could be stunning stacked when not being used.
Cool Brancusi style side tables
Love this silhouette, but when I noticed the weight (55 lbs.) it just wouldn't be practical for shuffling around the room.
Also an interesting piece that reads like sculpture.
Found these on Houzz, lightweight and stackable, they also soften the right angles of a corner with the curves of its repeat pattern.
I like the delicate detail and the way these work, one slides out of the other, so no lifting.
This is steampunk beautiful.
Clean and neutral, the geometry of the design adds interest to an otherwise dull corner without overwhelming it
A Better quality of Life Through Buildings
This talk touches on so many things that concern and interest me. How can we improve people's lives and solve problems by creating better environments? A very inspiring talk that gives examples in action of this concept.
On Not Designing Josh
Josh looking content in his new specs
My husband Chris and I are artists. We have been making and designing throughout our decades long career. Our passion, hobbies, interests, conversations revolve around form, function, color and other artsy preoccupations. As a result, it is our lead foot in whether it's what we find something aesthetically pleasing.
On a routine eye exam at the office of the wonderful Dr.Moradi in Glendale we found out our 8-year-old son Joshua needed glasses. The trepidation Josh had about wearing them vanished when we pointed out that many scientists wore glasses. Being a scientist, along with becoming a stuntman, is one of his dreams.
After the exam, we all shuffled into the area where there were racks of frames just for kids. Edie, the lovely optician there, concentrated on presenting Josh with different styles. Chris and I pulled our choices from the shelves. Chris leant towards the subtle, almost frameless. I picked some that had a classic Harry Potter look. Plonking different spectacles on Josh's nose, he looked handsome but unimpressed. Edie sat right in front of Joshua and asked, "What do you like Joshua? Do you like light or dark frames?" "Dark!" he responded without hesitating. She reached for a pair of heavy rimmed glasses down with a splash of violent lime green on the sides. My husband and I both cringed. She put them on Joshua; he said "cool!"
I spoke first after Chris, and I threw each other sideward glances of horror. "Really? Josh, are you sure? Wouldn't you like...." Edie stopped me right there.
"Look," she said, "this is the first time that Joshua has smiled during this whole process. He knows what he likes; he knows what kids wear. If he doesn't like them, he won't be happy and won't wear them."
There and then it became instantly apparent to Chris and I that it was not about how we would like to see Josh but who Josh wanted to be.
After letting go and standing back, looking at his beautiful smile in those glasses, we understood that he had made a perfect choice. We saw Josh in a way we would have never imagined. We saw Josh the way he wanted to be.
Art, Color and More Art
How I design spaces with color as probably has a lot to do with my background as an artist. Conversely, I've noticed these different design projects for clients, the spaces themselves; creep back into my art work. Fascination with architectural form fuels the subject matter of my paintings, while the particular way I try to enhance environments comes from the way I understand spatial composition, color and proportion learned from studying painting.
One example is the home of one of my clients in Santa Monica. It's a beautiful contemporary three-story building with open space that lets light spill in from the third floor all the way to the first. As you look up the upper ceiling forms a sweeping curve and is clad with a warm tongue and groove wood. Sailing down back to the ground floor is a large flue that extracts the smoke from the fireplace. The upper two floors look onto the main living area with half walls that not only let the natural light everywhere but give the wonderful feeling of expansiveness; the same way you feel the open sky when you lean over the side of a ship.
I tried to enhance these qualities with color. Two elements in particular that nagged at me were the wonderful orange tone of the vaulted ceiling wasn't relating to anything of the same color family. It had no one to "speak" to. For the flue, I designed a custom color metallic copper paint. Instead of apologizing for itself when it was painted the same hue as the wall in back of it, it is now a proud feature in the room.
Back to painting, some of the feelings I try convey in my painting are the moments that you feel standing in a new space before you become "used to it". The time when you walk up a staircase for the first time with the anticipation of what you'll find at the top of the landing.
There was a a particular place on the second floor that struck me enough to do a painting. It was a place where all the different planes, some enhanced by different colors, converged. The contrast of the zig zagging perpendicular lines, the wood ceiling curving to make an arch on the tallest wall gave me a serene feeling mixed with exhilaration, I wanted to capture it in a painting.
Crazy Colorful Video
Love the look and concept of OK Go's new video shot (in one take) in an aircraft experiencing zero gravity. Visually arresting and cleverly choreographed it is fun to watch.
The Perfect Match
This is a wonderful film made in 1968 about the process of handmade wallpaper and fabric in England. All printing blocks carved by hand, All colors matched by sight.
#pathe #artistry #documentary #process #handmade #colormatch #wallpaper #decorative arts
Shades of Blue
The color blue in its most positive symbolism and psychological influence conveys intelligence, communication, trust, serenity, reflection and calm. Some of its negative connotations can be coldness, aloofness, and lack of emotion.
The skill of using color in design and art to its best advantage is knowing how much, where and why.
A good example and simple illustration is the difference between the two interiors above and below; the first uses a deep ultramarine blue as the dominant theme, below a lighter sea foam blue.
Even though the common denominator is blue; the difference in effect couldn't be more radical. The first conveys a strong, quiet, earthy, contemplative mood. The second although peaceful is far more delicate and ephemeral.
Below is Picasso's self portrait done during his blue period. His gaze is a faraway, pensive look. The surrounding blue creates a mysterious atmosphere; his coat in a deeper navy anchors the pale jaundiced visage of the painter.
Pablo Picasso, Self Portrait
Just as blue can be used as a device to create an entire mood, it can also be used as a way of balancing out the presence of a color such as this orange / red and stopping it from completely dominating a room. In this instance, the exciting warmth of the couch's color is countered by the cool blues in the water and sky of this landscape I created for a client's home, clearly illustrating using color in art as a design solution.
"The Queen's Necklace" by Nathalie Tierce
Understanding Which Color is Right and Why
A space can serve a singular purpose or have several functions. Color reinforces that harmony between that environment and the reason someone is in it.
Some spaces are for social gathering and interaction, others for quiet contemplation. Understanding the psychological effects of hue on our minds and emotions makes for better choices in designing living areas with color.
A study which illustrates the power of color effecting state of mind was done in the 1960's. Violent prisoners at a Naval Detention Center were placed in cells painted particular shade of pink (now known as Baxter - Miller Pink), there were no incidents of violent or erratic behavior. Exposure of 15 minutes was enough to have the effect.
Another aspect to understanding color sometimes ignored is the type of light the area in question receives. This gives rise to one of a very common problem of seeing a paint swatch or fabric sample in a showroom and then getting it home and it looking completely different to the way it did in the store.
Natural sunlight provides the widest spectrum of light allowing us to perceive the widest spectrum of chroma.
Even so, depending on the direction of light and time of day there is a huge variation in terms of the light being warm or cool.
Monet's Haystacks early morning
Monet's Haystack's evening
Artificial light, LEDs, for example have an enormous range of variation as seen in the chart below. This can have an enormous impact in the way a color reads in one place to another.
As the higher an LED is in terms of its Kelvin rating, the cooler and brighter the light will be. On the lower end, the light will appear warmer or more yellow akin to candlelight.
So, for example a warm light will dull a cool color and intensify a warm one.
Another elusive variable to the color selection process is surface texture. This is linked to a phenomenon called metamerism. The same color on two different surfaces will appear differently to the eye because of how the light waves are reflected back. This is a prevalent frustration when a sample color on a smooth surface (like card paper) appears different from paint on drywall.
These factors can help you understand the way color behaves as it does and narrow down the selection process. Ultimately though, the last stage of picking a color is to put up samples. This is the only way to really experience the color in its proposed setting and allows you to see it as it changes during different times of day.