The Two Feathers

Where'd all the time go?

2011-02-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yikes! It's been awhile! I apologize, oh lovely lovely blog. Well, I'll let Dr. Dog apologize...bc ya know- they have awesome harmonies...and I, alas, do not.

Where'd All The Time Go

Dr. Dog, Shame Shame

The Avett Brothers- The Ballad of Love and Hate

2010-06-05T19:35:00.001-07:00

Josh Ritter's The Curse

2010-06-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Josh Ritter didn't have to look far when he was looking for video treatments for his new single, The Curse. In fact, he didn't have to look at all. The director, creator, and puppeteer for his latest video turned out to be good friend and band mate Liam Hurley who, prior to becoming Josh's drummer, had a career in puppetry.

The Curse, from Ritter's new album So Runs the World Away, is a vivid tale about an archaeologist who falls in love with her mummy. Now, it may seem like a strange musical concept for some, but fans of Ritter know that he has a talent of concocting complex and quirky story lines and grounding them in very basic lessons, in this case love and loss (*Sidenote- Take a listen to a song called The Temptation of Adam which is about a couple trapped in an underground bunker as the world above them is being destroyed. Very deep....).

For those out there who are wondering what it takes to put together a 5 minute music video with puppets, check out Hurley's response when NPR asked him to explain the construction and video process:

The puppets themselves stand roughly 16" high, and are comprised of wooden bodies and limbs, foam abdomens, Sculpee heads and hands, and umbrella struts for joints. Inspired by working with puppet designers such as Addis Williams, Matt Acheson, and Erik Sanko, as well as the miniature work of Nick Park, Wes Anderson, and the Quay Brothers, the construction was arduous but very focused.

The design aspect was simplified by the clarity of Josh Ritter's imagery, but the amount of work involved in actually building an entire miniature world was staggering. After scouring Home Depot, Joann's Fabrics, and the creepier corners of "Doll Furniture" on Ebay, set construction was completed in mid April, just as filming began (in true theater fashion, some of the paint was still drying while on camera!). Aided and abetted by my good friend and great videographer Marie Le Claire, as well as my earliest mentor in all things puppet related, Kevin White, we shot nearly 5 hours of hi-def footage over 3 days at my Brooklyn apartment, and another 3 days were spent editing.

Like a lot of artwork I have been involved in, I wish I could have spent 3 years tinkering with the final product, but the album release and subsequent touring beckoned, and deadlines are a very necessary evil. I'm very proud of what we accomplished in a such a relatively short time, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it!"

A Love Letter To Philly

2010-05-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie- being a Philadelphian is hard work. You constantly have to justify why your city is YOUR city and why, despite the bad press, high crime rates, and trash, this city still has a piece of your heart. I love Philadelphia. I love the arts, the culture, the music, the Phanatic. I even love Rocky despite the fact that I have a serious problem with Stallone and haven't actually seen any of the films. I put up with the trash-talking sports announcers who love to talk about how terrible our sports fans are. I put up with Comcast and the PPA and the fact that they are, indeed, doing the work of the Devil. And I put up with the fact that the world has yet to fully appreciate Hall & Oates for the musical pop geniuses that they are. And why do I do this? Because I'm a Philadelphian and as a Philadelphian you have to just realize that it's impossible for non-Philadelphians to see the beauty in this city.

Hence why Stephen Powers and the A Love Letter For You Project are my new best friends. Partnering with Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program and supported by Septa and the Brownstein Group, A Love Letter For You is exactly what it sounds like it is- literally 50 love letter murals painted on the walls of buildings that run up and down Market Street which boldly and beautifully express their love for the City of Brotherly Love.

Besides murals, the project also encompasses a documentary film, a sign school and shop that will provide training for area youth and free signage for businesses on the market street corridor, and 2 books (one small paperback and one larger hardback) that will document the project.

After taking nearly 20 artists 1200 cans of spray paint, 800 gallons of bucket paint, and 20 city blocks to complete one of the biggest public displays of affection this city has ever seen, I've gotta say- PDA never looked so good.

Hanging Around

2010-05-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about summer is lounging around in a hammock with a glass of wine and a good book. So it's not a shocker that when I caught a glimpse of these little gems from Anthropoligie, I completely flipped-(which is only a bad thing when a person is actually in a hammock). So cute, comfortable, and colorful. Just the way I like it!

Byrdie is the word...

2010-03-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Check out these awesome stencils from Byrdie Graphics! Whether it be for baby, bedroom, bathroom, a hallway in the house, or even your laptop, these colorful graphics add a little whimsy wherever you put 'em!

The Festival of Colors

2010-03-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Today is Holi- aka The Festival of Colors- aka one of the coolest holidays ever. Don't know about Holi? Well it's a Hindu festival marking the beginning of spring and celebrates "good" over "bad". The best part? Holi revelers celebrate the holiday by coming together and throwing these bright, beautiful colored powders and dyes on one another. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renews sweet relationships, and looks like such a great time! Just another thing to add to the "bucket list"...Happy Holi!!!!!!

Think Warm Thoughts....

2010-02-25T18:20:00.001-08:00

(Photos courtesy of Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder)

Love Naturally

2010-02-25T17:30:00.001-08:00

Even though the northeast is currently being bombarded with snow, spring is still just around the corner. Soon, the trees will be blooming, the birds will be singing, and as is the tradition, weddings will be wed-ing.

Now, I've never been the type of girl to plan her wedding. I don't know about cakes, I don't know about dresses, and frankly, I'm not really interested in learning any time soon. So image my shock when I came across these rings from Beth Cyr Weddings and Ben Doolaege Jewelery the other day, fell in love with them, and then found out that they were actually wedding rings! So cute- and the best part is that they don't look like wedding rings at all! Now that's what I'm talking about!

(Photos courtesy of Beth Cyr Weddings)

(Photos courtesy of BDjewerly)

Take Me Out To The Ballgame....

2010-02-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Spring has almost sprung and that means BASEBALL! And since March 8th is International Women's Day, I figured I would pay homage to the Women of Summer with a few photos from some of the games' leading ladies. I tip my Phillies hat to you...

First Young Ladies Baseball Club 1890

Dorothy "Dottie" Wiltse- Pitcher- Fort Wayne Daisies

Toni Stone- Second Base- Indianapolis Clowns/Kansas City Monarchs

Urban Crevasse

2010-02-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

3D Street artist extraordinaire Edgar Mueller doesn't need an easel for his artwork. He creates visually stunning installations on everyday sidewalks and streets- allowing passersby to become a part of the unexpected canvas. Check out the Crevasse he created while in Dun Laoghaire for the "Festival of World Culture" in August 2008.

Water Colors

2010-02-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has ever been to a major city knows that they aren't in the cleanest of places. Ok, ok- so this may be an understatement for a place that people (affectionately?) call "Filthadelphia". But regardless of whether or not your city has a cute nickname for its' grossness, the truth of the matter is that when you live in an urban environment and see trash, dirt, and grime on a daily basis, it's easy to forget just how dirty we humans really are.

Well, let British artist Paul Curtis remind us with his own kind of "reverse graffiti". Ya see, Curtis (or "Moose" as he likes to be called) doesn't graffiti with spray paint. Shucks- he doesn't even use paint. He uses soap. And water. And a shoe brush.

That's right- he scrubs clean designs in city walls- rubbing away years of dirt and city nastiness. Unfortunately, his pieces of "art" only last a few weeks before they are once again covered in city debris, but isn't that a loud and clear message unto itself?

So Naive...

2010-02-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

I just purchased one of the coolest books ever called "Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design" and am totally hooked.

"There has recently been a renaissance of Classic Modernism, from the 1940s to 1960s, in contemporary graphic design. Inspired by twentieth century American legends such as Saul Bass, the undisputed master of film title design and iconic logos as well as modernist graphic artist Charley Harper and textile designer Alexander Girard, these burgeoning designers are creating new and striking imagery using palettes of earthy and pastel shades, reduced strokes, patterns and shapes with a strong folkloristic element.
This book is page after page of vivid and inspiring examples ranging from illustrations, poster art, editorials, book covers and record sleeves to stationery and textiles."

The pages are just drenched in color and simplistic folky imagery- I just want to frame every image and make a huge wall for my apartment!

The Apothecary Garden

2010-01-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places in Philly is a wonderful, marvelous, place in Chestnut Hill called The Apothecary Garden. Tucked away off a cobblestone road, the Apothecary Garden carries an impressive supply of herbs and holistic remedies for anything that may be ailing you. And the people that work at this delightful store only add to its' charm. They even have an herbologist on hand for appointments that can custom make blends and tinctures. Now you don't get that at CVS!

Dawes- Love is All I Am

2010-01-27T15:24:00.001-08:00

Painted Floors

2010-01-27T15:09:00.001-08:00

Another home project to add to the list of things that I want to do to my house is stencil the floor. I am absolutely in LOVE with how they come out- I just have a feeling mine are gonna take a few tries before they look like these...

(Photo courtesy of Decorpad.com)

(Photo courtesy of Karenokley.com)

(photo courtesy of Apartmenttherapy.com)

Last Minute Trips are the Best

2010-01-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

We decided to ring in 2010 with an unplanned trip to Cleveland, OH to check out The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I've gotta say, I'd love to make this a tradition. We had a blast and spent almost 7 hours going thru the 7 floors of rock and roll history, and still didn't see everything. Can't wait to see what else this year has in store!

(photos by Andrew Franklin)

Tattoo Painting

2009-07-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to get a tattoo for a few years now and in that time, I've become obsessed with tattoo artists and their craft. While what I want isn't too complicated, I wanted to make sure that whoever I used was really going to make it special. Ok, ok...I've also been putting it off because I hate pain and try to avoid it as much as I can. So between the freaking-out-about-pain reason and the gotta-find-a-kick-ass-tattoo-artist reason, it's been a slow process.

Well, the pain issue is still a work in progress, but I'm really excited to say that I think I found the artist. Her name is Amanda Wachob and she's, for lack of a better word, unbelievable. Amanda originally started her work on canvas, but since 1998, she's moved on to skin...although by taking a look at her abstract "paint stroke" tattoos, it's very hard to tell the difference. These brush stroke tats are what's causing all a buzz about Ms. Amanda and you can see why. Her use of color and detail is just breathtaking.

What I love the most about her work is that it really, truly, looks like art rather than a tattoo. The outlining is practically invisible and pieces have a sort of whimsical vintage feel to them. She currently works out of Daredevil Tattoo in New York, but she still manages to create beautiful artwork on canvas when she isn't creating it on people's bodies. Now all I gotta do is make an appointment...

(photos courtesy of trendhunter.com)

Heavy Reading

2009-06-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

How adorable are these "book" shelves by Little Fish Furniture?! Using real, hard-back books, LFF's shelves can hold roughly about 5lbs- perfect for picture frames, candles, and other little fun findings. I could totally see these in a kid's room...or better yet...my apartment! LOVE 'EM!

Hmmm....?

2009-06-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

So I can't tell if I think these "Personality Socks" from Chris&Ruby are adorable or just insanely ridiculous. I'm sort of leaning towards adorable, but then start laughing at myself. Seriously- socks for your chairs? But maybe if you painted the chairs a different color to go with the socks it might be kindof cool...or maybe they'd just be fancy dust collectors. Either way, the idea is making me wonder...

(photo courtesy of chris&ruby)

Summer Summer Everywhere...

2009-06-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite (summer) things.

(photos courtesy of Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder)

Twist, twist, turn, turn

2009-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'll never complain about Rubix's cubes being impossible to solve again...

Check out this new video created specifically for the upcoming solo INVADER exhibition later this month at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Top 10 is a solo exhibition of new works by the Parisian street artist known as Invader. The time-lapse footage in the video reveals the geometric complexity of the artist's incredible process in creating his trademark Rubickubism pieces featured in the show.

TOP 10
by extermitent

Cotton Rockin'

2009-05-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have loved Zooey Deschanel since I saw her in Elf. She has such a quirky personality and her sense of style is totally Mod- which translates into meaning I'm totally going to dig it. So it's not surprising that Cotton has picked Miss Dechanel as their new spokesperson. The video is so sweet and I totally want to raid the wardrobe department for this video shoot!!!!

What a Pair of Scissors Can Do...

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Helen Musselwhite is, in a nutshell, insane. Of course I mean this in a good way. But as someone who has a hard time cutting a piece of paper in a straight line, I can't believe that there are others out there who can take a pair of scissors and paper and make such beautiful pieces of art. Helen specializes in creating bright collages and sculptures that are very reminiscent of the 70s. Helen explains the process herself:

"Each piece combines the hand cutting, folding and scoring of a wide range of papers and card that are further worked on to create patterned and textured surfaces. They are then used to build scenes in box frames which are often complex and consist of many layers. This process means that each item of work is truly individual with no two pieces the same.Influenced by the natural world each piece is manipulated to become an intriguing place, a glimpse into another world of fiction and fairytale."

Seriously- I'm in constant awe every time I see artisans who use paper as their medium of choice. Amazing.

3hrees the Magic Number

2009-05-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm totally hooked on London-based jewelry designers All Those 3hrees, who use recycled metals to create custom made jewelry. Some of my faves are their rings, such as the "Sewn Ring", which is cast from actual stitches, as are the lace and zipper rings. So creative, unique, and subtle. I'm also tempted by this "It Doesn't Matter Baby" frame necklace. You can either buy the it as-is, or the 3hrees will customize your frame to say whatever you want. And being the hopeless romantic that I am, the "Love Story" necklace is a great gift for that special someone. Ah, amore.

Don't Stop Motion

2009-05-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely amazing. Director Takeuchi Taijin used 1,300 photos for this unreal stop motion video that he shot in his tiny apartment. I can't even imagine the work it took to get it to come out so well. Crazy!

Baby Wishes

2009-05-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

I dig babies but not so much of the typical "baby" things. So here's how the math would go:

pink/blue clothing + some sort of water fowl + bow = not my thing

Which is why I absolutely adore these wall stencils that can be found at Lewas Designs. If I ever had a baby(way way wayyyyy down the road), I would totally love to decorate their nursery like this...

Stuck In A Tree

2009-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Living in one of these houses has to be good for the soul.

(Photos courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Lost Buttons

2009-04-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

These pieces from Lauren Levy are simply charming. Her explanation as to how buttons became her medium of choice is even more charming:

When I was small and visiting my great grandmother, I was rewarded for good behavior by being allowed to play in the button box. Buttons are for me the perfect medium for personifying the notions of loss, joy, grief, tenderness and consequent insanity of these extremes.

She currently has an exhibit, called Beneath the Palm of My Hand, going on at the d berman gallery in Austin, TX, but I'm hoping that she'll make her way over to Philly soon. I would love to get a chance to see all of the details in the buttons up close!

(photos courtesy of Lauren Levy:Beneath the Palm of My Hand)

Luv to Luv ya

2009-04-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

I'm totally into these rings from Yayoi Forest. It's no surprise that "forest" is in the name- many of their pieces resembling items found in nature- twigs, snails, petals, you name it. But it's this calligraphy "LUV" ring that I, well, really luv! I'm totally a sucker for any jewelry with sayings or words that are put there to be little reminders of what really matters.

(photo courtesy of candystore collective)

Matte Stephenson

2009-04-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am totally digging these illustrations from Portland artist, Matte Stephenson. I love the retro colors that he uses and I find the characters that he creates to be so charming and sweet. I could easily see these illustrations in a children's book or room. Adorable!

(images courtesy of mattart.etsy.com)

How to see life...

2009-04-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

These are a few of the brilliant commercials from T-Mobile. I loved them so much and haven't been able to stop smiling since. Happy Monday!

Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!

2009-04-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

1. I love Arcade Fire
2. I love "Wake Up"
3. I love Spike Jonze
4. I love the book, "Where the Wild Things Are"

I'm about to explode with love. Watch out now!

Beating Flowers in the Tree

2009-04-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

During a yearly festival in china on the countryside, there is a 500 year old tradition that the farmers keep alive every year. Protected only with a hat and a sheepskin hide, they melt old and broken iron to liquid iron and they throw the molten iron against walls, creating beautiful (and ok- dangerous, but whatever) "fireworks". You have to see it to believe it.

An Odd Egg

2009-04-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Easter can become a drag as you get older. You buy yourself some Mini-Eggs, blow up a Peep in the microwave, and call it a night. Now if you're religious, obviously this time of year means more to you than your non-religious/spiritual friends like moi.

However, I managed to come across these items over the past few days that have made me a re-believer that there is still hope for us- no matter how old or religiously involved- to enjoy Easter.

These awesome chalk eggs (yes- chalk) from designer Lisa Tilse of The Red Thread are made of real ostrich eggs that she blew the egg out of. Use them all-year round to doodle or send messages to special people, and when you're ready to change it up, simply wash them off and go to it again. And apparently ostrich eggs are thick and have a more ceramic durability than the average chicken egg so there's no worries about breaking them. The best part? They come on little handmade nests. Cute!

And for those Peep lovers out there, check this twist out. Make-at-Home Peeps! I know I know. Too good to be true! The Peeple (I couldn't resist!) at Twig & Thistle have come up with their own recipe for DIY Easter goodness available here. Have fun!

(Photos courtesy of poppytalk)

Recycled Papercuts

2009-04-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

These papercuts by Claire Brewster are amazing. I actually think the art of papercutting, in general, is amazing, but maybe that's because I have the patience of a 2 year-old toddler in a candy shop. I seriously don't know how people are able to create these pieces with such details. Claire is particularly special because she uses recycled maps, typography books, and whatever she can find in the trash as paper for her art. I think the colors really create an interesting canvas and really bring the papercuts to a new place.

(Photos courtesy of The Red Thread Blog)

Pencil Art

2009-04-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

How lovely are these? Australian artist team, Ghostpatrol, create beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, but it's these beautiful illustrations that are created on actual pencils that are really interesting. Brilliant!

(Photos courtesy of The Red Thread Blog)

Get Your Craft On.

2009-04-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Monica Ewing is my DIY Goddess. I swear, she may have one of the coolest jobs ever. Monica basically searches curbs, craigslist, or whathaveyou to find items that she recreates into totally kick-ass items. But she doesn't stop there! Her site (titled Crafty Nest- how cute?!) tells you how to do it! And for those who would rather shop, she has a store where she sells her awesome creations. I have been looking through her site all day and am picking up ideas left and right for my apartment. Love her!

(Photos courtesy of CraftyNest.com)

Dream A Little Dream of Me

2009-04-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel stressed out or need something to bring me back, I listen to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. I don't know what it is, but they just seem to relax me like a fine red wine...

And if you don't have it, pick up Ella and Louis. It does wonders for the soul.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2009-04-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Artist Samantha Hahn makes bright, beautiful, and fun prints on almost everything! From tea cups to wallpaper, you can find images of yo-yo playing kids, typewriters, and even pinwheels! I honestly could buy out her entire store! So much fun!

I WILL have one or more of these in my apartment...

2009-04-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

I almost fell out of my chair when I found these papercuts by artist Tina Tarnoff. Simply stunning. I am constantly amazed by how talented people are. I totally want a whole wall of these in my apartment.

Pattern Bakery

2009-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

One thing that can always catch my eye are pillows, dresses, wallets, or anything that's made up of really interesting textiles and fabrics. It doesn't matter whether they are monochromatic or outlandishly bright colors- as long as there is an interesting statement behind the fabric I totally dig it. I managed to find this great shop in Helsinki (of all places!) called Pattern Bakery who specialize in crazy fabrics (peacocks driving lawn mowers?!? Um...YES!) Check it out!

Good Graffiti

2009-03-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Taking the train into work every morning, I get a chance to see what most city-dwellers see- abandoned buildings baring the brunt of a dozen or so graffiti-ed autographs, all saying "I was here. Fuck you if you don't like it."

Over time, I have found a sort of strange combination of sadness and comfort blended in with an over-all sense of "why"-ness. What's the point in a name? What message are these people trying to send out?

There is one artist (and I use that term specifically) who has taken graffiti head on and uses it not to simply mark his territory, but rather to tell stories, make social commentaries, or simply make us laugh.

There are only a handful of things I know about Banksy- he's amazing, he's apparently from the UK, he's an artist who's known for his quirky graffiti stencils, he's amazing, and he has an online store where you can download his images for free. Did I mention he's amazing?

These next few are from New Orleans. They speak volumes.

Thrift Store Treasures

2009-03-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting all month for my local thrift store to throw it's Jewelry Sale Blow-Out where vintage and used jewelry goes for $1 a piece! They do this every month, but it's usually held on Tuesday mornings at 9am- when I'm starting my work day (wah wah). But the Thrift Store Gods felt sorry for my 9-5 butt and decided to throw a special Saturday jewelry sale. So at 8:55am I found myself, my fashionable jewelry guru friend Michele, and some 25-30 senior citizens waiting for the doors to open.

Here are some of my favorite findings!

Handy

2009-03-27T13:21:00.001-07:00

White Coco

2009-03-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, my invite to Chanel's 2009 Spring-Summer Haute Couture Runway Show got lost in the mail. Bummer. What isn't a bummer is the unbelievable handmade, paper display that surround the clothes that I will never be able to afford in my lifetime.

According to Chanel's site, the decor was made up of monochromatic arrangements of paper roses, daisies, leaves and petals that wound their way up and around the room's 32 columns and draped over the railings of the entryway staircase. There were 7000 handmade paper flowers made which took 4,800 hours to work and assemble. 4000 m2 of paper were used to create these.

Blitzen Trapper- Furr

2009-03-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Beginning to See the Light

2009-03-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

These light installations completely floored me, but when I learned what they were made of, I totally lost it!

KOIVU sculptural lighting products from newly formed 4D Designs are a glowing sensation to behold. Each of the lighting products are made using laser-cut birch plywood, giving them a glowing tree trunk aesthetic that recalls the appearance of the material from which they came. “Grouped together, these freestanding lights take on the appearance of a mystical forest,” says 4D Designs’ founder, Michael Radford. We love how the aesthetic links back to the material, giving the lights a sense of re-interpreted history.

Salvage pioneer Stuart Haygarth has created an eye-catching eyeglass masterpiece, turning discarded glasses into a gorgeously green glowing chandelier. Spectacle is an optical chandelier assembled from 1020 pairs of discarded prescription glasses, with a smaller size constructed from 620 pairs. The refracted light from the lenses makes fluid shadows that play across walls creating an aqueous lighting effect that shimmers as much as it delights.

In the chandelier below, Haygarth continues with using old eyeglasses, except this time he decides to just use the glass from the lenses. Simply. Stunning.

British based lighting designer Ali Siahvoshi is the designer behind Fabbian’s line of super-cool chandeliers made from knives and forks. Born and raised in Iran, Siahvoshi has a unique approach to contemporary lighting design. Using previous everyday objects, from table legs, coat hangers and cutlery Siahvoshi has designed a range of light fixtures that exemplify the beauty of recycling objects for new purposes.

Green Tea

2009-03-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sipping on some ginger tea at the moment, and for some reason, I was inspired to check out teapots. I stumbled across the British designer Christine Misiak who recycles and re-creates beautiful and one-of-a-kind tea sets from from antique style tea sets. Through her ‘Original Recycled Tea Sets’, Christine rejuvenates old neglected tea sets, by recycling, restyling and resurfacing them, transforming them into elegant one-off pieces that are a celebration of the past and present.

Made from old recycled metal tea sets found at garage and stoop sales and flea markets, the tea sets are available in a range of colors and styles. Check them out!

Watching Wallpaper Dry

2009-03-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

I recently came across some of the most amazing wallpaper designs by William Morris, a designer, artist, and writer from the 1800s. While he crafted everything from furniture to stained glass, I really fell in love with the intricate details and bright colors of his wallpaper and textile designs. While it's hard to find original panels, there are companies around that focus only on re-creating Morris' prints if you look for them, but nothing beats the original.

Umbrellas umbrellas everywhere...

2009-03-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

So I was racing to the train station this rainy evening when I couldn't help but notice people's umbrellas. I usually notice people's umbrellas because I'm a person of shorter stature, and we wee people need to be weary of the pointy ends of taller, more oblivious pedestrians. But today I noticed the different colors, styles, and sizes and it made me think about umbrellas as a possible art form. So I started researching and was delighted at what I found.

There were pictures and more pictures of people's umbrella projects, such as the one below:

Then I found artists, such as Evgeny Kiselev, who used umbrellas as canvases...

But it was learning about the Umbrellas of Barga, Italy that was the most interesting to me.

The umbrellas started to appear in this area for the first time on a stretch of road leading to Castelnuovo Garfaganana (LU) in 1990. They were put up during the night as a visual surprise for the motorists waiting at the traffic lights for roadworks for the new bridge that had been dragging on for months.

They did not stay there for long as ANAS the department responsible for the roads tore them down within days. They were recovered, repainted and once again put back up during the hours of darkness. Once again the men from ANAS decided that this kind of art was not be allowed next to the road and this time they were destroyed.

A new set of umbrellas where prepared and this time put up on the side of the mountain where they could not be taken down so easily by the men from ANAS.These stayed in place for a couple of years until a landslide finally took them away. From then on other umbrellas started to turn up in the area in towns like Lucca, Castelnuovo and of course, Barga.

More than 500 were installed. Some were for particular moments, like Halloween. One by one these umbrellas succumbed to the ravages of time and climate and of course, the onslaught of visitors taking home a little "part of Barga" with them when they leave.

In the late 90's the umbrellas started to move further afield. 100 were exhibited in an installation in a rice field near Turin. These were then moved to the other side of Italy for an exhibition in Vercelli and then on to Cassis in France.

The last anybody saw of the original 100 umbrellas from the rice field installation was in Zug in Switzerland where they were joined together to form cells or spores. Rumours say that at the end of the exhibition, these umbrella balls were taken outside of the gallery and set free to roll away with the wind.

Where my tax return is going...

2009-03-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-03-26T08:21:00.001-07:00

It's hard to imagine that spring is here on this cold and rainy day, so here are some beautiful and warm, spring-like images that make me feel all good inside.

This is a window design by Gunner Kaj using Amarylis as a "flower curtain". So beautiful and surprisingly comforting.

These next few images are from a photographer named Andrea from Portland who's wonderful, bright photos can be found on Etsy. For more of her wonderful photos, check out her art blog here!

Her Morning Elegance

2009-03-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Oren Lavie's video for his latest single, "Her Morning Elegance" is beautiful! I'm totally digging this whole stop-motion trend that's making it's way back around.

Tim Walker is my hero

2009-03-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a photographer named Tim Walker. He's most notable a fashion photog for Vogue, which says something in and of itself. However, I found his more "artistic" pieces truly something to marvel at. One by one, each of his images blew me away again and again. Here are some of my favorites!