Posted in art, Design, inspiration, tagged architectural vault, Biltmore Estate, contemporary, Design, inspiration, interior design, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, Rafael Guastavino, youtube on February 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »
On a recent trip to the Biltmore Estate, I noticed the amazing tile work of Rafael Guastavino. Little did I realize his work covers some of the most iconic public spaces in the United States. “The Guastavino family’s soaring tile vaults grace many of the nation’s most iconic structures including Grand Central Terminal, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Boston Public Library, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Nebraska State Capitol.”
Posted in art, color, Design, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, color, contemporary, Design, diamonds, fashion, inspiration, interior design, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, rings, rug, solange azagury-partridge, wall street journal, youtube on December 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Solange Azagury-Partridge has a rather eclectic mix of inspirations…Berbers, Rubies, the Moon, Gargoyles etc….but first on the list “LIONS”. “I feel a huge love and affinity with Lions. My star sign is leo, my hair is big and frizzy like a lion’s mane, I’m a carnivore, I’m from Africa, I’m sociable and lazy”
Like the inspirations, her work encompasses a wide variety of styles and several categories. Rings, in the jewelry category, move from refined to playful and then into edgy. I was attracted to the stairway in her London showroom. Each step is carpeted in a different pattern, creating a riot of color. HMMM!!! I wonder if I can talk my husband into that for the stairway to his loft office!!!
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal featured Solange and highlights of her work over the past 28 years. The 1999 ‘Nature Ring’ for a mere $24,500 caught my eye…but the 1996 ‘Hotlips’ ring is still a best seller…$9,600.
Posted in art, color, Design, fabric, fashion, tagged art, color, Design, earrings, fabric, fashion, inspiration, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, valentino, youtube on December 1, 2014| 2 Comments »
I found myself at a loss for words to describe the fashion world of Valentino. Although he retired from the day to day operations of the Valentino brand, the jaw dropping designs continue to walk the runway. I will let the images of the chevron design that caught my eye in the latest Elle and the Spring/Summer 2015 runway show do the talking. (Love the lucite Minaudiere…be sure to scroll down the home page to see the ‘camubutterfly’)
Posted in art, bracelet, Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, Bangle, bracelet, contemporary, Design, emily miranda, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, youtube on November 2, 2014| 2 Comments »
After receiving a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in sculpture from Hunter College, Emily Miranda’s career took an interesting turn...“through an unlikely hobby- sculpting edible natural history dioramas out of sugar. These ‘cakes’ led her to fall in love with the interactivity of design. Today, jewelry and curiosity mingle and merge within the Emily Miranda universe. Her creations are imagined as treasured specimens- fantastical objects or creatures washed up on a beach or hidden in a forest, waiting to be discovered by the discerning and inquisitive collector.”
The featured photos highlight the sculptural quality of her work and the video gives us a ‘peek’ into the source of many of her designs.
My apologies for the loooooooooong delay between posts…no excuses…just life interfering!
Posted in art, Design, inspiration, tagged aluminum, art, charles lewton-brain, contemporary, Design, foldforming, inspiration, laurie prophater, noah deledda, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, youtube on October 6, 2014| 1 Comment »
In the mid 80’s Charles Lewton-Brain introduced a new ‘wrinkle’ to metalsmithing…foldforming…the manipulation of metal into three dimensional shapes and textures. Self-taught artist, Noah Deledda, has taken a ‘throw away’ item from daily life and created a masterpiece of foldformed aluminum…the Red Bull Can. “The inner beauty of the can’s polished aluminum surface is revealed. By hand, I apply dents to sculpt patterns of shapes onto the can’s surface. The designs are made possible by the properties of the cylinder and the malleability of the aluminum. Thus presenting the familiar object and method in an unfamiliar way. The sculptures suggest the art of possibility, overlooked beauty and the irony of unexpected simplicity.”
Posted in color, fabric, fashion, inspiration, tagged alice stroppel, chanel, color, Design, fabric, fashion, inspiration, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, rainbow collection, youtube on April 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The Chanel Rainbow collection pops from the pages of all of the Spring fashion magazines. The Daily Beast called it a “painterly print featuring every possible colour on the colour wheel. The final dresses, which were fashioned in this print, were a particular standout and were pieced together using fabric strips, lace, ruffles, and pleating.”
Do you think Karl Lagerfeld was inspired by the Stroppel Cane, when he designed the center top and pants?
Posted in art, Design, inspiration, tagged art, contemporary, Design, interior design, laurie prophater, monica rudquist, ornamental elements, polymer clay, porcelain, white, youtube on March 25, 2014| 1 Comment »
Monica Rudquist works primarily in porcelain and is know for her distinctive spiral design. “I love forming a piece of clay on the wheel while it is in a fluid state and I am compelled to create forms which retain this fluidity and gesture,” the Minneapolis artist explains. “I am curious about how far I can push the clay. I test these limits by cutting and recombining thrown forms. This begins a dialogue with the clay that spurs more questionsand responses to the developing form. I choose to work with traditionally functional objects because it introduces the possibility of creating sculptural forms that relate to people on a personal level.”
Posted in art, color, Design, fashion, inspiration, tagged art, black & white, color, contemporary, Design, fabric, fashion, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, philip treacy, polymer, polymer clay, youtube on March 25, 2013| 1 Comment »
Philip Treacy is know for his whimsical hats…or fascinators. There were several floral images from google images that fit the ‘Spring’ floral theme, but none better than the floral helmet.
Posted in art, color, Design, fashion, inspiration, jewelry, tagged art, brooklyn museum, contemporary, Design, el anatsui, inspiration, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, polymer, polymer clay, youtube on March 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »
African master artist, El Anatsui has a nice problem…a waiting list of over 500 for one of his smaller works. Early in his career, El Anatsui worked on a smaller scale. Today, he doesn’t let the demand dictate the direction or size of his pieces…following only how the spirit moves him. You can see more of his works on google images or at the Brooklyn Museum.
Posted in color, Design, fashion, inspiration, tagged color, contemporary, Design, fabric, fashion, ikat, inspiration, laurie prophater, ornamental elements, peter pilotto, polymer, polymer clay, youtube on February 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Peter Pilotto is one of the featured designers in the latest WSJ Magazine. My initial search was for a dress that was influenced by ‘oceanic blues and opalescent airiness’. On the way, I discovered muted tonal ikats and screaming pops of color. The video is a little over 8 minutes and worth…’every minute’!!!
Ornamental Elements 