Colors from Sayulita

I just got back from a few days in Sayulita, Jalisco in Mexico. All the colors were so vibrant and the little town very alive. Here are some pictures of scenes I passed by. The weather was absolutely perfect and I was so happy to have spent some time with my parents, my sister,Brenda and her boyfriend,Taisuke and my nephew, Nayou and Taisuke's two wonderful sisters, Aya & Hana! I miss them all so much already and am only sorry I couldn't stay longer. I also was very sad that my sister Julie and other nephew, Paul who were planning on coming were stranded on the east coast due to the big blizzard. I really missed having them there. I will be posting more pictures later this evening. But for now, Merry Christmas everyone! (PS-the colors really are this bright!!)

Happy Holidays!

Anu Tuominen

I love these art works created from found objects by Finnish artist, Anu Tuominen. I first heard of her through Aesthetic Outburst. Here are a few images to enjoy, the third one is titled, Clean A4, and it is my favorite!

All images are courtesy of the Anu Tuominen website.

Window Shopping in SF

Here are some more pictures of shop windows that I loved. The first few are from Nest a gorgeous shop on Fillmore in San Francisco. And the last set is of The Perish Trust, a shop I have yet to enter. It is fairly newish but sadly was closed when I tried to stop by to explore.

Tail of the Yak

I was just at one of my favorite little shops in Berkeley, Tail of the Yak, a few weeks ago. The store is a bit of a curiosity shop filled with all kinds of interesting little findings, jewelry, housewares, and paper things. They told me they would be decorating the shop for the holidays coming up so I had to go back to get a peak at their decor. They allowed me to take pictures but somehow I still felt a bit guilty taking them because everything is so precious and perfect I almost felt I was stealing the scenes. So I took a few quick ones, since they had allowed me but some are a bit blurry. You definitely feel as if you have traveled back in time when you enter. Everything from the cute little doorbell sign right outside asking you to please ring in french, to the very friendly people that work there, to the items that seem to have come from an era long ago. You kinda get the feeling that you want to stay and explore a while. They have a beautiful book from the Victorian times behind the counter that has about 20-40 pages of pressed sea flora framed in tiny vignettes. You really have to see it to appreciate it. I always find a little postcard or something fun when I'm in, somehow the most ordinary item seems so special. I also happened to pick up a little surprise for my 6 year old niece that I think she will love!

Out and About

I love the super smooth arch on this doorway and the creamy vanilla color with the rust contrast. Also, seems like Fall is just hitting its peak here in the Bay Area. It's no wonder I always get confused as to what time of year it is....The leaves are definitely in their most brilliant stages right now. The second set of pictures is of two beautiful wintery trees. The one on the left I call the Menorah tree (for obvious reasons!) and the second one is a persimmon tree, ripe with fruit!

Blue to Brown

Remember this? I painted this room probably around the beginning of the year. After I painted the room I thought I just needed some time for it to grow on me. Turns out it never grew on me. I have recently repainted the room to a soft brown color and what a difference it has made. The room feels so much warmer and welcoming. As much as I love blue for rooms I just did not get the right shade and I think I'll be needing a break from the color for a bit. Here is a shot of the newly painted room taken this morning. It's hard to capture the true shade on camera but you can get an idea. Note: Sadie in the exact same spot, what a Sadie! I also finally got around to framing some photos I had taken in Italy many years back during Angel and Heidi's wedding!

Out and About

Last week I was running around the city and came across a Candyshop Collective pop up shop! The space was beautiful albeit temporary and they also had these trees on display (and for sale) on the upper loft level, very clever!

Henri Matisse

I adore Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and am especially fond of the work he created in the latter part of his life. When Matisse was no longer able to physically paint due to illness and arthritis he turned to creating collages from gouache painted paper. He would cut the forms out pin them to the wall until he was satisfied with the composition then he would glue them to paper. The following are some pieces that I have come upon recently that I had not seen before. The simple one with the heart is called Verve no. 23 and I have had a hard time finding information on this one so I am not quite sure if it is a cutout or not but I love it just the same. The photograph taken by the incredibly talented Cecil Beaton in the 1940's (he will require a separate post) is a photograph taken for Vogue magazine with the background created by Matisse. I would love to see the rest of that editorial!! Lastly, some images from one of his crowning achievements: The Chapel of Vence, also referred to as The Chapel of the Rosary or the Matisse Chapel. Matisse designed the entire chapel himself, from the glowing stain glass windows, to the altar and the paintings on the wall. The chapel is located in Nice,France. It has such a humble and understated elegance that I find truly beautiful...enjoy!

I Heart Walton Ford

I first heard of Walton Ford when I was flipping through Elle Decor (May 2008 issue). I was immediately drawn to this photo of a Walton Ford watercolor hanging above the couch in the apartment of actor Hank Azaria.

I started trying to find out any information about the artist that I could. He had been featured in Men's Vogue Fall 2005. Here is a beautiful photograph taken for the article by Martin Schoeller.

Walton Ford also has a book titled Pancha Tantra. The name being a reference to the ancient Indian animal mythology believed to be a precursor to Aesop's Fables. Walton Ford's work is steeped in layers of history. His work is very obviously and intentionally influenced by great masters of the past such as John James Audubon, whom he regularly features as a figure in his paintings to George Catlin. He follows in their traditions in the style of painting as well as in the method and lifestyle, by using the great outdoors as his source of inspiration. As noted in the Vogue article he regularly makes the 80 mile walk from his home in the Berkshires to Vermont to meet with his printer!! The printer he meets with makes prints of his original pieces so that they can be more affordable when one cannot shell out the 30,000 plus dollars for an original! His work is visually and meaningfully complex and the watercolors are meticulously painted. I love how at first glance the watercolors appear to be old and classic biological paintings but upon closer inspection they are often twisted and dark. Here are a few to feast your eyes on:

And here is an image from the Paul Kasmin Gallery that shows the works in person so you can really get a sense of the scale, incredible!

My only regret is not being able to see the works in person. His new works are currently on exhibit at the Paul Kasmin Gallery until December 23rd. If anyone is New York between now and then and gets to check it out let me know how it was!

Sibella Court

How much do I love Sibella Court? I loved her before I even knew it! I first got a glimpse into Sibella's world when her NYC apartment (in Chinatown) was featured in Living Etc. (UK Edition) back in September 2008. I was smitten by the loft and the eclectic collection of treasures scattered through out. I held onto the magazine (the images you see below) for inspiration. It was beautifully photographed by James Merrell. What an amazing job to be an interiors photographer, by the way! I love how Sibella has used so many natural elements in her apartment and you can really feel the influence of her peripatetic ways. (She is Australian living in New York).

Next, from Sibella came this GORGEOUS book filled with her inspirations! This just came out a month or two ago and I have been pining for it until finally I was able to pick it up! The book is filled from cover to cover with unique spaces, paint colors and styling! Below, you will see some images from the book titled, etc.

Now, Sibella has also opened a shop in Sydney called The Society inc. Along with the shop she has also created a beautiful website that gives you a glimpse into Sibella's world. Many images are from the book and also from her shop. Definitely take a peak at her website, it is worth the time.