I’ve been researching wallpapers for inspiration for an upcoming shoot and I just can’t go past Deborah Bowness’ incredible collection. The two featured above have captivated me so. They are from her wallpaper kits range. I adore birdcages in any interior setting don’t you? But I don’t like real birds inside them unless they get to fly freely around the house, like this gorgeous macauw! Click here for stockists.
xx
PS I have something fabulous lined up for you this afternoon. Shall I give you a little hint? Okay, its a house. A rather glorious house. That features one of Deborah’s wallpapers.
…yes, I have lots of them. And I am busy busy trying to get them completed. It’s at times like this that I forget to eat. When my mind is alight with creativity. When I start one thing and then another, and another, and another and keep going in this strange manner led by some innate direction. I can’t create a routine or prioritise my work, no matter how hard I try. I just fly in what appears to be some crazy, chaotic pattern for an undetermined period of time.
I take photos when I should be writing. I write when I should be recording. I record when I should be taking photos. I pick up a pair of scissors when I thought I was going to pick up a pen. I start cutting something that I thought I was going to stitch.
And at some point I suddenly feel it is the right time to stand back. And observe. And sign my name.
But I’m not there yet. I’m still flying about the place going from one project to the next, forgetting to eat. I look forward to the time when I feel it’s right to stand back and say “I’m finished”.
PS The fabric is by Maramiki – it is hand drawn then screenprinted onto cotton. I bought one of Maramiki’s remnant stashes a couple of months back and have been using them endlessly in my shoots. I will show + tell soon!
This is one of my all-time favourite Van Gogh paintings. Do you know the story behind it? Well, on January 31, 1890, Theo (Vincent’s brother) wrote to Vincent to tell him about the birth of his son whom they named Vincent Willem. In response to this wonderful news, Vincent, who was very close to his brother, got out his paint brushes and painted these blossoming branches – his favourite subject to paint. He sent it to his brother and sister-in-law, and they put it in pride of place above the piano.
On January 31, 2009, I finally bought myself the Dutch museum pass so that I can visit this painting anytime I want for the whole year to come. It is one of the best birthday presents I’ve bought myself to date.
xx
PS There is a fabulous exhibition starting at the Van Gogh museum this Friday February 13 to June 7, in collaboration with the MoMA in New York. It’s called Van Gogh and the colours of the night. It will be the first exhibition to be devoted to Van Gogh’s representations of the evening and night. I can’t wait to check it out!
PPS And yes of course I am also excited to visit all the museums with my new pass! And I promise to report back here after each exploration.
Posted in artists, film February 11th, 2009 by piablog
The one bonus about being sick with this nasty flu for the last few weeks is that I’ve had more time to explore the big wide web world. And I’ve made many a cool discovery that I am keen to show + tell right here in the (blog)house over coming weeks.
One of the coolest things I have discovered that I simply must share with you, is a rather special something I found on Australian Edge. This special something is called InFrame TV which is a video channel for the arts, design & culture lovers of the world (yay that’s us!!). It is a documentary based vodcast produced in Melbourne, Australia that profiles “original and arresting Australian and international talent working in arts, design and culture.” The InFrame aim is to provide unprecedented access to the thoughts, insights, and inspirations of people who create.
In their current line up of artists you will find Shaun Tan – the multi-award winning artist and author who has created such books as The Red Tree and Tales from Outer Suburbia; Patrick Blanc – French botanist and inventor of le mur vegetal (vegetal wall/vertical garden); and the very intriguing Julia Deville – jeweler and taxidermist. The videos are beautifully put together – excellent footage, excellent editing – simply put they are perfect productions of some of our favourite designers and artists.
To give you a little sample of their vodcast collection I’ve picked out one about vintage collector Lyn Gardner – most lovers of vintage homewares will already know Lyn as an iconic collector of all things pretty. I met Lyn years (and years!) ago when i had just opened my store in Sydney. My partner and I flew down to Melbourne for a weekend for inspiration (yes, it’s very very common to find inspiration at every corner in Melbourne ) and we came across Lyn in her gorgeous little store then called Empire 111 in Albert Park. Being such an open and chatty gal, the 3 of us chatted for quite a while, she was full of advice and guidance, and I remember walking out of her tiny, chock-a-block filled boutique, with arms full of goodies and a mind full of ideas and inspiration…
10 years later she has created quite a name for herself and her gorgeous sense of style flourishes. This InFrame TV vodcast is a fabulous introduction to Lyn for those who don’t already know of her, and for those who do, it’s a great look into her life and how she finds the things she does.
So now is the time to make yourself a cup of tea. With thanks to InFrame TV, please enjoy the following 4 minutes of inspiration…
