Pages

Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

London: The National Gallery


I was in town today for a very interesting presentation by Centrum about vitamins.....more about that soon.

The meeting finished early and instead of rushing home and doing a quick dash to the supermarket before picking up my children from school, I suddenly thought I would drop in to The National Gallery since I was just minutes away.

We moved to London when I was young and one thing my Dad was great at was taking us "into town" to see everything.
I haven't been there for years - ridiculous I know -  but I have to tell you today was wonderful.
They have added the new Sainsbury Wing since I last visited but I knew just where I wanted to go in the hour that I had to spend.

Halfway through my visit, I realised that the paintings that I was looking at were exactly those my Dad loves - and probably the ones he used to show us.
We do have very similar tastes but it felt quite strange, I had such a strong sense of deja-vu as I looked at Constable's "The Haywain", Seurat's "Bathers at Asnieres", "Whistlejacket" by George Stubbs, Renoir's "At The Theatre" and Turner's beautiful landscapes and seas.


I first discovered the Impressionists at school and have always loved them....
today I sat in front of Monet's "Water Lily Pond" and truly felt transfixed by it, it is such an incredible painting.

Being there gave me a burst of energy and also made me realise that even if you only have an hour, just do it, it will always be worth it.
There is something incredibly therapeutic about looking at these vast paintings.

The National Gallery is free to visit and has such an amazing collection of paintings....
see here for more details....


{artist: carly waito, oil on masonite}

carly-waito-hed
carly1

carly3

. . . if you found coe & waito's delicately lovely pine cones utterly inspiring, toronto-based designer & ceramicist carly waito's stunning oil on masonite paintings of minerals will have you searching for your long-lost easel and forgotten box of paints and get caught up in creating beautiful things . . .

{images: carly waito via all the mountains}

{photography + illustration: doo.ri under.ligne}

. . . the Doo.Ri’s SS10 Under.Ligne collection lookbook is all soft focus and nostalgia with sketches and pretty watercolours . . .




{p.s.}
* more from the lookbook
* more photography + illustration + here

{images: doo.ri via fashionista + love made visible}

{happy weekend!}


. . . this weekend is windswept hair and toes in the sand, picnics on the beach and the city behind us . . . ahead: the last golden days of summer . . .

Have a beautiful, beautiful weekend, everyone!
xo

{p.s.} a few lovely links:
* fun, fun, fun {via here}
* seeing hearts
* rock 'n roll chic fall collection
* back to school
* video: friends forever

{interviews + guestposts:}
* summer musings at automatism
* question & answer with sesame magazine

{images: 1 -
Chloè Spring Summer 2007; model: Trish Goff; photographer: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin; 2 - Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris duplex on the Rue de Babylone; YSL original logo hand-lettered by graphic artist Cassandre, 1961; photography by Pascal Chevallier, Vanity Fair}

{two lovely things: entryways}

two lovely things

{two lovely things}: whether elegant yet striking with a 1960′s abstract expressionist painting by al held hung above a louis xiv gilded settee luxuriously upholstered in belgian linen, or beautifully ornate with a stunning 2oth century gilded console perfectly paired with a bronze and crystal chandelier and orchids, there is nothing quite like crisp white with a touch of black, intermingled with the warmth of wood, and, most certainly, a touch of gold . . .

{p.s.} more two lovely things

{images: top - photography by roger davies for western interiors april ’09,
design by c. renea abbott of shabby slips houston; both via trouvais, also seen in a previous post}

{artist: alison watt}


. . . stunningly beautiful works by scottish painter alison watt, described as "one of the leading lights of the scottish contemporary art world" and a graduate of the glasgow school of art; while still a student, watt won the john player portrait award and was commissioned to paint a portrait of the late queen mother

in 2000, watt became the youngest artist to be offered a solo exhibition at the scottish national gallery of modern art with shift,
an exhibition of 12 paintings featuring fabric alone; inspired by the work of french neo-classical artist jean-auguste-dominique ingres, the paintings are large, close-up studies of white draperies:



{images: colline via [design] relevant and national galleries of scotland}

Guilt Free Gilty Pleasure

Nothing delights the girls (wow, that sounds very Mad Men of me) in our office more than the mid-morning adrenaline rush that comes with the daily arrival of the rue la la, one kings lane and gilt group sales in our in boxes. It usually involves a flurry of interoffice phone calls and emails seeking advice on whether to "pull the trigger." If you are not a working stiff, you will think that statement is sad/pitiful/depressing. Well, you're right. I agree, it is. That being said, don't be judgy and let the drones have their materialistic fun!

I know that giltgroup.com is nothing new to those who read and use the interwebs, particularly those of you who are savvy shoppers. There have been countless bloggers who have volunteered to "invite" readers to be "members" of giltgroup and thank god for 'em! That being said, who knew they had a "home section!?" (My friend Jenny and I raising hands) Needless to say, clicking on that "secret" tab for me opened up yet a whole new world of mid-morning impulse internet shopping. I couldn't believe that this wonder had existed for so long without me knowing about it and, therefore, abusing it. Hi, Beau!

After a 2.2 second consult with Courtney "Opinions" S. (to allay any potential gilt), I promptly snatched up these fab and fine Thomas Paul beauts.




I like them placed horizontally instead of vertically. That could change.


Just an up close shot of my foo dogs. I have loved foos for a long time...I had a pair of bigger red ones that were Katrina-ed. These were the perfect tiny metallic replacement.

Don't the new snags look delightful paired with the orange West Elm finds? And, the greeny/turq perfectly mirrors the flecks of bluish/turq in our Amanda Talley painting located directly across from the pillows. AND, they really pick up the great minty green of the Bible Domino Book of Decorating.



If one of my 10 readers has any questions about sources, shoot me an email. I bet you can guess where most of the furni is from my best friend, Mr. Craig List. There is also a whole lot of Hable Construction going on.


Oh, and it must be noted that I purchased these two bad boys for under the regular price of one Thomas Paul pillow.

As an aside (sorry, these "asides" seem to be common place on this blog...with its whole four posts!)...Unfortunately, I was unable to use any gilt group credit towards the pillows. I stupidly thought that I wouldn't be able to find anything I loved, gilt-wise, and too-smart-for-my-own-britches thought that I could sell a Tory Burch tunic I bought from gilt on ebay instead of returning it for credit. Joke was on me. The tunic simply had to be returned or sold or burned because it was so fug it looked like a Mardi Gras float rider's costume (accurate observation, per Julie) AND it was so unflattering that it couldn't even be rehabilitated for my anticipated solid gold dancer Mardi Gras costume. I can email you a pic of it if you must see it, but I am actually too embarrassed to post a pic of it.

The long and short of this whole post is this....check out the home section on le giltgroup.com. It is "hidden" along the top bar on the left side. The sales seem to be posted weekly (from what I gather) and there are some deals and steals to be had. For example, right now Assouline is on there. If I had some mad money, I would want to buy this:







And this...



Gotta love a lil piece of Real Housewives NY literature...the author is Kelly Bensimmon.

If you need an invite to giltgroup, let me know, and I will send you one!

Cheers,

JSH

P.S. I saw Kate Hudson and Ryder at Earth Savers on Magazine Sunday. I chatted with Ryder, thinking the whole time, "Is this someone-that-I-know's kid?" I figured it out when I heard, "Ryder...come over here" and then a manicurist ran in to alert the spa area that Kate was RIGHT.OUTSIDE.THE.MANI.ROOM. I got up mid-mani to check her out, natch. She, of course, has a hot body and is beautiful....even in her enormous flannel shirt and ZERO makeup. Her hair was not did either. She also sounded super sweet...I heard her very very nicely thank the makeup counter lady who was helping her. xoxo, Gossip Girl

{work of art: paper flower wreaths}


. . . happened upon these beautiful and incredibly handmade paper flower wreaths that bring back memories of the intricate paper flower tiaras in the chanel spring 2008 couture show and are perfect for a frosty january morning . . .

{p.s.} blossoms in the bedroom


"a new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within"

{paper flower wreaths by dana barbieri}