27 May 2009

now, last but certainly not least! my favorite new find this week!! The Selby! i'm in love with this site. photography and interiors!? they go hand in hand i know. photographer todd selby takes photos of people in their places. for anyone like me that is obsessed with design magazines, portraits, interiors, color, and photography you should definitely check this out. gorgeous bright photos and interesting unique interiors. i have only been able to look at a few of them but am loving everyhting thing about it. here is an image from jonathan and annie zawada's home in sydney.

image courtesy of the selby by todd selby.

Swallowtail

here's a pic of a beautiful store in san francisco's russian hill neighborhood, swallowtail is the name. i adore the way she has it set up. if i am ever in the area i always make it a point to try and stop in. unfortunately for me they were closed when i went by. too early me thinks. anyway, i got a picture of the window which i may not have been able to do otherwise. definitely stop in here if you get a chance. lots of found, one of a kind items, and curiosities! do i really need anything from here? no. do i totally covet it? YES!


on saturday michael, yoni, cynthia and i went to sonoma to visit this biodynamic winery that yoni and cynthia had found. it was freezing cold and foggy here but by the time we got out there the sun was in full force. it was a beautiful day and we had a nice bike ride to the vineyard. after a tasting we enjoyed some sauvignon blanc, cheese, and crackers. nice to get away from the house for a little bit....thanks yoni and cynthia for the idea!



i got these gorgeous calla's the other day! they were enormous! i couldn't resist getting a picture for perspective.


they have since died and i went out and got another big flower to take their place. it is taller than sadie!
this protea should last a while, at least 3 weeks.

09 May 2009

today michael and i saw this amazing exhibit at the SFMOMA. the artist is William Kentridge. He is a south african artist and is mostly known for his animated films. this artist is a brilliant genius! he (in a very simplistic explanation) makes a drawing, photographs it, then alters the drawing, then rephotographs it and on and on. basically like stop motion animation. the result is so beautifully organic as you can still see smudge marks and erasings, as michael said: like a trail of life. watching his films, of which there where numerous, is like watching magic. the inventiveness of the subject matter, the execution of the idea, and the final product is out of this world. he takes all pictures of his images on a 35mm camera. it takes close to 100 images to make 4 seconds of film. some of his films are 20+ minutes long! the films are all presented beautifully with accompanying music. my explanations do no justice. the exhibit also had some gorgeous drawings, some of which were actually stills from his movies. here is an image from the film stereoscope. this image is also very fitting for the mood of the day. my parents lost a dear friend this week and i wish i could be there with them, all my love is with them.



also as a member we had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the new rooftop garden. the space also housed an outdoor sculpture garden. i was very taken with this piece by italian artist, Mario Merz, titled: the lens of rotterdam. the piece was created in 1988, when the artist was 66. i loved the fragility of the glass juxtaposed with this heavy rugged rock and clamped together with these simple yet industrial looking clamps. the three materials the artist chose worked so well together and really created a stunning piece of work.
i was in awe at the architectural problem solving this must have taken in order to make this piece structurally sound, made even more complex with the use of the thin sheets of glass. loved it!



rip-diana

05 May 2009

happy cinco de mayo! here are some cool images i came across whilst surfing around. an artist in saskatchewan converted this abandoned farmhouse in to a life size dollhouse. She put plexiglass on the back of the house and staged the interior to look like a dollhouse circa the time the house was abandoned (1960's). very clever. i wish i lived closer to the border to check it out myself. i think the project actually happened a couple years back so i am curious if it is still there. i read about this first on the elle decoration south africa blog. in celebration of the first evening of my mini break i think it is time to have a toast with a frosty margarita on the rocks with salt, indeed!