art i love: Madeleine Longstreet

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words yesterday. I have so much fun decorating each apartment I live in and it was cool to do this one twice! I have an obsession with Ebay, so almost every stick of furniture I had came from there. I also run a design store, so the Augousti pieces and fine art comes from my own store, Interior Designs, Inc.
Jenn asked about the branch triptych in my bedroom. It is one of the few things that I did not sell when I finished this design (as most of you know, I sell everything as soon I am "done" so I can move on to the next look). However, art is forever. I have been lusting after these branches for six years, and I was finally able to get them.
They are by Madeleine and Robert Longstreet, a mother/son photography team. The photographs are printed on French watercolor paper using the Van Dyke process, so they look like ink. They are signed and numbered limited edition prints. There are small pieces that are much lower in cost, but the Dogwood Branch triptych sells for 14k, Jen. I know - :( bummer! But it's an investment - every single home I ever have will be designed around those branches.
The Longstreets are highly collectible; people like Ralph Lauren have several of their pieces. Here are some images of their work in interiors....Happy hump day!
E

My bedroom before with Birds in Branches

My bedroom closeup on Dogwood Branch

My store with White Feathers over sofa

Art I love: David Hawkins

Hey guys - sorry I was MIA yesterday but I had a great weekend! You know there are only three things that will get this hermit out of the house: looking at art or design, a gorgeous man, and ice cream - well Friday night I was able to combine all three!

David Hawkins is a wonderful artist and he is about to leave New Orleans to go get his MFA in Philadelphia. He had a studio sale this past weekend and I had to get over there to buy up some early work so I can say I collected him from the beginning. His Reveries series is carried at Guthrie Contemporary (and I got a piece from this collection), but what he is really interested in right now is plein air work. That is where he will sit outside and complete an entire painting in one sitting, of whatever he is looking at. He also does a series of Pin-ups, which are gorgeous paintings of girls on wood, where the wood grain is exposed as the girl's skin - hard to explain but check out the photos! The pieces are really well priced, and easy to add in to any collection of art.

I guess all of you are wondering how I even concentrated on the work when David is so damn good-looking! He happens to be just as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. If you would like to know more about this young painter, or to see his work, please contact Leslie or Katie at Guthrie Contemporary in New Orleans, or check out his new website : www.davidwilsonhawkins.com

We wish David good luck on all of his adventures and hope he comes back to NOLA soon!

E