Lively Lovely Letterform

I can't seem to get enough of Maricor/Maricar. Twin sisters from Australia that make letterforms especially cozy. Thanks Grace, nice posting.

Sweater Babies

While editing some piles for the new year, I came across a basket of old sweaters. I got inspired to repurpose them and I've made a little gang of squishy, soft, cashmere, marino wool toys. With a new grand child on the way, it's been a nice sit by the fire project. So much fun, I can't stop. And yes, I went a little nuts with the embroidery.

A Place for Everything

And everything in its place. It's true. If there isn't a good storage spot for my things they don't get put away. And this time of year the piles are high. It's time to visit Saver's curbside, drop off and make a fast getaway. I have spotted some fun ways to make storage work in a better, more beautiful way and may reward myself with one or two, but only after I make the drop off. I promise. 


www.klauserandcarpenter.com

www.j1studio.com

via ikea blog, binder clips with storage boxes. 

using wooden palettes by josh premuda

Helen Frankenthaler 1928-2011

Helen Frankenthaler, beauty, grace, courage, tenacity.

Linen Lovelies from South St.Linen

I recently discovered the Portland based South Street Linen and instantly fell for their bold and playful scarves. I'm a sucker for anything linen and never thought of it as material for a scarf, but it makes sense. It feels nice against your skin, softens with age and any color sings on it.  These three mid career artists, painters and print makers Mary Ruth Hedstrom, Jane Ryan and Lynn Krauss find their inspiration from some of my favorites- all things Japanese and Scandinavian. And you know how I feel about anything from Maine.

A Gift for the Gourmand and Gardener

I've posted about my friend Roanne's magic in the garden before. If you're looking for a beautiful, inspiring and informative book on seasonal container gardens, her book Continuous Container Gardens, is the one to pick up. The book is full of projects that are manageable for the weekend gardener, using and reusing your favorite vessels through each season.
But this winter Roanne has focussed her impeccable eye and palette on her kitchen. Using the organic harvest from her newly established HoneyField Flowers based in Harvard Mass, she's put together a gift box of treats that will make you very popular with both your gardening and gourmand friends.
She dropped off a little sample box for me and well, it was very hard to share.  But I am now and this is the gift a few of my lucky friends are finding under their tree. You can purchase the HoneyField Box of garden/kitchen treats on etsy, here. Continuous Container Gardens here. Be warned, I may have to start a support group just to stay away from her lavender brittle.

Finding comfort in making OCD Art

As you can guess with all the directions I go in, arranging my stuff in a linear fashion isn't a high priority for me. Especially when I'm finishing up a long term project like the catalogue I send to the printer Monday. But I love with a virgo's passion when I stop to do it. Why is there so much comfort in looking around at everything in it's place? Haven't I discovered that to make art we must make a mess? I was recently raving about the neat and tidy home envy I have for an artist I admire. My friend Jim responded with "Have you seen the blog Things Organized Neatly?" Looking at it confirms for me how obsessed we are with repetition, grids, patterns... we see it emerging in art constantly. I'm drawn to it in my own work too. All the little water color bubbles I can paint for hours?
Here's my theory. As artists we have to be a little OCD to make art right? And we can all admit there is way too much information at our fingertips. Exhausting. So how do we deal and react as artists? Grouping, collecting, making colors in rainbow order, repeating dots, zentangles, charts and graphs, making patterns. I'm attracted to it but it can wear me down. Tired. The answer for me? Making art and designing in a no-tech zone, free of seductive information portals. Walking, smelling, listening, tasting, turning pages in a book, far from all the devices helps a lot. I'm walking away from this computer now to go do some cleaning then I'll make a mess in my studio, which I won't clean up. But do check out the blog below. A lot of fun. Just maybe you shouldn't let it influence your art too much?
To see some of my own obsession with repeat in nature you can go here.
To check out Things Organized Neatly go here.

Guggenheim Perfect Paints

Ever wish you could get your hands on some of those beautiful shades you see on museum walls? Or just borrow that lovely palette Modigliani used for his nudes?  The Guggenheim figured you did and now offers a selection of interior paints they've used for exhibit walls and colors found in their modern masterpiece collection. Offered by Fine Paints of Europe, you can order the fandecks here. Wouldn't it be great when someone falls in love with your living room wall hue to say that Frank Lloyd Wright picked it out for you?

Nigel Peake In The Wilds

As the leaves fall away I've been seeing more and more of the skeleton of the earth. I love the relief we finally get from masses of green. Tiny details are emerging. Blades of broken dried grass, twigs, the feathers around the coop. Nigel Peake the Irish illustrator and maker finds the same joy in nature's details and paints about it. More of his work can be found at Needles and Pins Gallery in San Francisco, here. He also has a blog which is nigel-peake.blogspot.com

New Pretties from Beehive Kitchenware

My friends at Beehive Kitchenware have been creating some lovely new things just in time for the holidays. I'm lucky to have Sandy and Jim as clients and friend/neighbors. My painting studio is just down the hall from their sweet little kitchen gadget factory. Gadget Factory is said with a smile because there isn't anything factory made about their heirloom kitchenware. All thoughtfully designed for aesthetics and function, these metal, wooden and now ceramic objects look beautiful on your table and feel great in your hands. If you're unfamiliar with the treasures they create or want to see the latest stop by their site here. 

I recently asked Sandy the questions I like to ask artists and here are her responses- 
Can you tell me about your latest body of work? For me, I designed a lot of work this season! I made a few little things that were just side projects, but seemed like good ideas, so we just made them instead of leaving them on the drawing board. The main collection were pieces in metal, ceramic, and wood, Not only was it very exciting to branch out into working with wood, I also love the warmth in brings to the collection as a whole. I designed and sculpted cheese knives and spreaders, coordinating cheese boards and coasters, as well as a honey pot and occasional plate. There is a lot of folk/nature imagery, as well as a serious nod to Charlie Harper. And for the first time, I included bee motifs into our line. I ended up falling in love with this bee pattern and had to hold myself back from using it everywhere.

What inspires you the most lately? Well, I guess I continue to be inspired by the idea of mixing traditional functional objects with contemporary design motifs. Also, I have always found it interesting that so many traditional patterns from all over the world, have so much in common. I like to reference folk motifs and try to have them look like they could be from both India and Sweden at the same time, for example. I usually gravitate towards nature imagery – birds, leaves, and trees just make me feel happy. It’s like as long as we have those things, the world can’t be that bad a place.

What was your first memory?  Walking with my mother and her telling me not to run, so I did of course and fell on the sidewalk. We went home to clean the gravel out of my hands, but my skin healed up so fast that I still have a tiny pebble in my palm.

Can you describe the best thing you saw on your last walk? The sun sparkling on the water. Think it’s the best thing every time.

What are five things that would happen in the perfect day of work for you? 1) Have a design break-through  2) See one of my a newly developed products for the first time and love it 3) Get a big check 4) Get a big order 5) Enjoy the community of artists in my work space.

Can you describe the best pair of shoes you've ever owned? Yes, I can. I would have to choose a pair of black Maraolo wing tips I bought in Florence, Italy in 1990. I bought a lot of shoes that year in Florence, but those were the best!

What are you doing this weekend? Teaching my Jewelry and Metals class at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and learning how to silk screen at the AS220 print shop!