my painting arrived

So thrilled! My painting arrived from Susan Dory and my bestie Leslie at Guthrie Contemporary. They conspired together to give me a painting for Christmas and I adore it! Susan has invented a new way of painting that looks like melted candy poured out. Some of the shapes are sheer and some are opaque. Photos do not do it justice. Also it is strong enough to be in a bathroom, which I love, because it makes the whole room!
Thank you so much Leslie and Susan - you have made my whole year!
E

silhouettes

Speaking of art, another super easy thing you can do in your own home is a silhouette of your child, pet, or whoever! Jonathan Adler sells small ones for a few hundred dollars and you can do this yourself - just google the how-to online... My brother, sister, and I sat for silhouette portraits when we were young and they are still hanging in my mom's house. I really love this idea as it is so graphic and can really be a spot of color. I had my niece and nephew sit for me a few weekends ago and here are the results! Can't wait to hang these in the kitchen at my sis' house...
E

the post about art

I'm off to Birmingham tomorrow to accessorize and style my sis' entry, living room, and master bath. Those three spots will be completely finished! (We still have another year or so to go...)

Here is the painting I did for my sis and her fam after about ten layers of color and gold leaf: I used a ton of old paint I already had, a canvas that was half off from Michael's, a plastic spoon, water bottle, and piece of sand paper. Even with the gold leaf I spent less than $100 bucks on this piece, and I sell paintings in my store that are the same size and look for $2k.

At this point it was definitely too bright and I knew that I was going to tone down the entire thing with more white and then sand it to let the gold leaf and drips come through:

So I ended up here. I love it so much that I stopped messing with it until I can see it in the space. It is very pale and feminine right now so if I get it in place and find that it is too soft and girly, I will add another layer of gray over it. But sometimes you have to stop picking at it or you will regret it!

I also got my copy of Nate Berkus' book, The Things That Matter, yesterday and I read it in one night. I have to admit that I cried reading Nate's life story. I was not blown away by very many of the homes profiled in the book - maybe two projects including Nate's own reno, but the personal stories of why people have what they have and the emotions behind the "stuff" we keep makes this book a must-read. *Special props to Dr. Ruth and an amazing life story! Definitely different than any other design book on the market.

 So happy weekend, friends! I will be working on the house of the people who mean the most to me in the world - hopefully my art will be one of their treasured things and make them happy every time they see it. Will reveal photos next week!
E

Saving my pennies - Paule Marrot

As we have discussed all this week, some things are just worth saving your pennies for. Art, I believe, is one of these. Because you can have a striking, huge piece of artwork, and even if everything else in the room costs $10 at a local yard sale, it just elevates it. People subconsciously think that someone with great art has great taste and would only have amazing furniture, too. I know, it's classist and silly, but true.

I have done all my own art for my spaces and have done some for my clients as well. But I am saving my pennies for amazing, permanent collectibles. Paule Marrot's giclee prints for Natural Curiosities are at the top of my list. The French painter did these works on fabric originally, and NC is releasing them as huge prints. Yes, the black and white (my fave) is something I could easily do on canvas, but the framing in lucite boxes is gorgeous, the detail is mesmerizing (layered like a watercolor) and in the great scheme of things in the art world, they are quite well priced.
What do you think?
E
Update: The pink one (below) is on the cover of House Beautiful September 2011!)

Turned horiz. looks like Hermes' logo

House Beautiful

Neon Brights

I am so inspired by graphic, neon bright art right now. How cool would it be to have an all white room with one of these fresh paintings from Matt Moore, Malene Landgreen, Kate Long Stevenson, or my all-time fave, Susan Dory? I have tried in vain to replicate Susan's process and can't even come close, but I'm gonna keep saving my pennies so I can own one someday! Go be inspired by Susan's work at Guthrie Contemporary on Magazine Street if you are in New Orleans - it's the kind of art that makes you happy!
E