Feel the Felt, Feel the LOVE and Wonders of Woven Wool.

This season we’re all about felt! From jewelry to handbags—and we have had a blast finding the coolest examples out there of this wonderful wearable art medium!

Traditionally, felt has had many practical applications – nomadic people in eastern cultures found this non-woven method of making cloth easy and serviceable. From clothing items to construction material its strength, texture and insulating properties have many uses. The colors are limitless as the wool can be dyed and the brilliant combinations can be dazzling.

We have discovered many wonderful applications for felt-work in home fashion and personal accessorizing! Right here in Albuquerque, fiber artist Louise Lucero stitches artful combinations for home décor. Her pillows and table top dressings are delightful. Her medallions for round tables and runners for squares and rectangles warmly accent the surface whether as everyday pieces or as a special party statement for a festive occasion. She also makes unique bookmarks—great for book club party favors or as gifts for the avid readers in your life. Her larger scale wall pieces and bed quilts make spectacular one-of-a-kind interior design accents. We’re currently talking with her about a new collection of hats and handbags too!

Lucero’s felt pillow on handpainted Peabody chair

Another pair of local talents here in the high desert of New Mexico is making felt hair ornaments. The very creative Ms. Ella and her sister Ms. Sara explain that their floral, felt hair clips are made from recycled plastic bottles—that makes them especially eco-friendly and the two sisters create this whimsical wearable art in a smoke-free, child-friendly home! What a special arrangement—resulting in charming handmade adornments!

Recycled bottles = felt! Artists Ms Ella and Ms Sara

Soft balls of felt beads from Nepal for necklaces and bracelets. The bright multi-colored strands go with many colors—dress up an outfit of jeans and a t-shirt or wear them with strings of sterling beads for a dressier look.

Fabulous felt balls – colorful soft jewelry!

When we were in Turkey last Spring I was enchanted by the fabulous color combinations and designs of these smashing, snuggly wearable Ottoman wool art pieces! Walking through the cool drizzly rain glistening off the beautiful stone streets of Istanbul, the lights started coming on and the vendors and shoppers began gathering to barter. Spicy fragrances, brilliant colors and amazing artwork come to life! Knowing that I would buy at that moment with summer coming and save them until fall, I have been chomping at the bit all this time waiting anxiously to present them to our clients! Get ready to wrap-up in these exquisitely artful scarves.

Ottoman wool scarves from Istanbul!

Pair it up with one of artist Rene Rector’s handwoven chenille and mixed media hats – very creative – wearable art style!

Rene Rector’s handwoven hats!

WOOL – WONDERFUL WOOL and FELT—FABULOUS FELT!

Posted On October 28, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, design, design trends, travel and design /

Screaming With Quiet Talent, Susan Geissler Makes Her Mark

Geissler’s studio is front row seat on Main Street for Fireman’s Field Day parade Youngstown, NY

Freedom Crossing, Lewiston, New York

Susan Geissler with miniatures in her studio Youngstown, NY

To come upon a screamingly talented yet humble artist in a quiet storefront studio on Main Street in the sleepy western frontier village of Youngstown, New York is a contextual experience that dazzles the senses. The town has one flashing stop light. The emerald green Niagara river flows parallel to the Main Street and spills powerfully, yet quietly into the blue expanse of the great Lake Ontario . Surrounding farms offer fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the season while fishermen venture forth and sailors race across the waters between Canada and the United States sharing this joy of the fresh water sports. Steeped in history, this area marks significant battles between British, French and American troops trading occupancy over the land for ages.
Susan Geissler is a local artist and her outstanding larger than life sculptures have entertained, provoked and educated her public all across America far from this quiet rural pocket of western New York. Proud, loud can can dancers that have been commissioned to travel aboard cruise ships to teachers reading patiently to students atop colorful alphabet blocks, Geissler captivates her audience.
She’s funny and self-effacing – brilliantly talented and sensitive. She sees amazingly intimate detail in anything that she selects to depict. Water turtles balancing on logs, carp swimming with nymphs, cheetahs lanky and elegant bodies stalking, butlers at your service, sunbathers reclining in camaraderie, her subjects are as real and varied as her imagination and real life can provide.
We strolled along the waterfront park in Lewiston just up the road to the very compelling Freedom Crossing Monument Installation. The intention was to “honor and pay tribute to the enslaved, who against all odds, sought a new life of freedom, and to the local volunteers who protected and helped them on their journey.” A bit larger than life, this action scene filled with desperate emotion captures the plight of escaping slaves on their way to freedom via the underground.
In addition to honor and pay tribute, this important sculpture is intended to “highlight and celebrate the historical importance of the Niagara River as a gateway to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Once fugitive slaves crossed the river, they were free forever.” This multi figure passionate study of a scene depicting “ the moment in time when fugitive slaves saw Canada for the first time after traveling hundreds of treacherous miles, avoiding slave catchers who were paid to capture and return them to the South.”
The Historical Society of Lewiston, New York continues to describe “handing the baby to the fugitive mother is Josiah Tryon (1798-1886), Lewiston’s volunteer “station master” for the Underground Railroad. A man of simple means, Tryon was quiet, humble and religious. By secretly escorting the slaves to freedom in his rowboat under the cover of darkness, he gave them hope and became a champion of justice and equality. He truly had a rainbow heart, embracing people of all colors and creeds.”
“With her outstretched arm pointing to Canada, Laura Eastman is the iconic heroine in the historical fiction book, “Freedom Crossing”. Laura has become the symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression.”
From that historic and incredibly important portrayal of a time in history to the sculpture of long-haired, muscular Friesian (also Frisian) horses quietly grazing in a pasture just minutes from her studio, Geissler loves her subjects. She knows her subjects and she feels what they might be feeling to the best of her ability to do so.
Never been to Niagara Falls? Take a trip and make your way another 25 minutes along the river to Youngstown and the Old Fort Niagara. On your way, stop along the short stretch of Main Street and have a latte, maybe a grilled cheese sandwich, a beer and an ice cream cone on the corner and see the art in the window at Susan Geissler’s magical studio and if you’re fortunate and she’s there – you’ll meet an extraordinary individual who will welcome you with modest enthusiasm and quietly express her limitless talents and present fascinatingly animated subjects to dazzle your senses!

Posted On September 29, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, environmental, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design /

Whacky WATER PARTY BALL fun at the NM State Fair!!!

This ingenious creation – so much fun to watch – must be crazy to participate! Although the weight limit is 200lbs, we did not see any adults partake while we watched the kids go wild!! Splashing water from the shallow pool scattered with clear plastic orbs inside of each are kids of all ages rolling and running like hamsters on a wheel! Some will lunge at the walls inside of these giant bubbles thrusting themselves against the side and instantly rolling down to the bottom…while others relax and float amidst the insanity around them. It’s like running on water! Standing is a trick, challenging the most balanced of ballerinas. You can hear the squeals and laughter coming from both the kids and the on-lookers! It was incredible entertainment for all. And the time allotted is quite generous – great value for your Fair dollar!
Aside from the energized activity of it all, it reminded me of Chihuly’s colorful glass orbs floating gracefully in the reflecting pool at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens during a magnificent site exhibit a couple of years ago. So to the designers of this refreshingly fabulous feature at the Fair – touché! It should be the best backyard birthday party favorite for adults and kids alike!

Posted On September 20, 2011 By pattisays In design, design trends, exterior - outdoor design /

Fine Art and Fun Art at the New Mexico State Fair

Graphic inflated animation at the NM State Fair

Take your own fun art shots at the Fair!

Its Fair time and it’s a sensory extravaganza! See the sights, the colors and lights! The sounds of kids screaming with squeals of delight! From corn dogs to turkey drums and pizza galore it’s a feeding frenzy for all ages – check your diet at the door!
It’s really so exciting and with the weather cooperating – it’s a must! A combination of New Mexico’s finest, mixed with funky products and crazy food stuffs! The colors and products presented by the vendors create a tapestry of form and fun. There are fine art exhibits and walls of balloon cartoon characters for sale, Rastafarian bananas and white tigers to win. Signs, lights, graphics, music, barkers, animals, vegetables, minerals and more – the festivities are magical. The slogan tells us, “It’s like all the holidays rolled into one!”
The season’s end of summer’s bounty brings feelings of home and hearth as the air takes a turn toward the fall. Harvest time, Indian summer, its flowers and sky, pumpkins and cider. Cinnamon from the German nut roaster wafts through the air. International shows like the incredible flying Chinese acrobats and our own macho cowboys of the rodeo all present fine skill and athletic prowess – defying gravity and displaying artful dance. Big cats and little dogs the lions pace and perform and the dogs dash and leap for joy. It’s a wild time in the old town tonight and for the next few…you have through the 25th!
So get out there and eat a turkey leg and bite off some cotton candy, swig a brew and pop fists full of kettle corn then take some photos and blow them up! Wall art – here’s my example. Dora meets Sponge Bob and Spider man creating an animated, inflated collage – this colorful pattern of camp cartoon design! Suitable for framing!

Posted On September 18, 2011 By pattisays In design, food and interior design, seasonal interior design /

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure – Refinishing

My cousin loves this tedious, but very gratifying work. For years we have seen the results of his patient attention to detail as he peels away and rubs clean the layers of film that obscure once fine pieces of wood furniture. From family pieces passed down to antique finds brought back from Scotland after a memorable Navy tour and even yard sales in the neighborhood, he has labored over these pieces resulting in exquisite finished products.
Recently while visiting our historical family village of Youngstown, New York we were invited to dinner at the home of friends who excitedly exclaimed how they had restored their antique family dining room furniture to a luster that was quite amazing. We were impressed with the soft eggshell finish – not shiny with inappropriate application – still retaining the soft patina of age but clean and very much refreshed from years of life’s layers.
Wabi Sabi, the Japanese word for things of beauty that have been worn with use…a softness that shows the age and years of employment and often enjoyment is a compliment to old things. The same could be said of this fine furniture. These hand crafted pieces purchased by my friend’s grandmother during the depression (“a lot of money for that time – she earned the money by selling live chickens to hotels and restaurants in Niagara Falls and up at the market”) – two pieces, a buffet and a china cabinet, had been used for ages through generations of a large family’s gatherings and maintained well through the years. But despite the good care, age had taken its toll on the finish obscuring the fine wood and leaving a film that was not necessarily an asset to the character.

There is a fine line between refinishing beyond recognition and restoring with historical reverence. Practicing the many options in-between is where most people find themselves. Knowing what you have is an important first step. Sites like this Refinish Wizard at http://www.refinishwizard.com offer helpful information for getting started. For example, it would be unfortunate to irrevocably alter the finish of a piece that has priceless value if properly addressed.
My friends’ method was very simple and with a little care and concentration using steel wool with a cloth (and good ventilation), the results were fantastic! Visit http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm for details of the process.

I’m a saver – not a hoarder, thank you – but I value old things, family things, and I believe that there is much to be said, felt, and shared by knowing that certain items have been passed down through the generations by one’s very own family. And if not YOUR family, to find something that has endured through the generations in varying forms of survival causes pause to wonder about where it started and where it has been. When consulting with clients, I am the one to retrieve the piece they left out on the curb for pick-up, the one who pulls something from a closet or storage shed to be re-purposed in a more prominent place in the home. I thoroughly enjoy showing people the potential of forgotten pieces, rearranging to emphasize different things and alter the perception of interesting older pieces.
In another direction, it might seem a sacrilege to some to paint a piece. Even in the most contemporary settings, if the original finish isn’t desirable, painting an old piece can be a creative solution. Whether a glossy bold finish that allows the form to speak through from the past into the design world of the most progressive interiors or a layered, sanded paint process that leaves the piece rendered in a shabby chic-type mode, the options are many.
I hesitate to relate these decisions to an economic reality, however, the practical aspects of saving cost by protecting rather than destroying, refurbishing versus neglecting, renewing instead of replacing, saving rather than tossing…are popular mantras when things get tough. Yes, there are real cost-saving economic reasons to practice these salvaging solutions. But beyond that – I see the value regardless of one’s economic situation. Please take away from this the value, charm, history and sensibility of caring for old pieces.
The design space between the old and the new is where you’ll find the art of successful eclecticism – a place where everything can work based upon the proper balance and context. Watch for that in an up-coming rant!

Posted On September 11, 2011 By pattisays In DIY design, furniture finds, recycle, recycle design /

A “Spirited” Response to Steve Perry’s “What Makes a Good Teacher” piece in Southwest’s Spirit In-Flight Magazine, September 2011

It is a timely coincidence that last night we were engaged in a lively conversation about education. Today as I fly from Buffalo to Tampa on a circuitous route to Albuquerque, I am captivated by the articles on education in this month’s Spirit magazine. In Perry’s article, he tells of how at his Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford Connecticut, judged highly successful by its achievements in sending 100% of its graduates to college, his mission is just that. And maybe it’s because it is a school designed to prepare its kids to go to college that I will acknowledge that distinction. However, as our conversation last night illuminated, what are we doing when we press so hard to impress kids about going to college when we might be over-zealous and over-look their aptitude better placed elsewhere?
For example, kids with great math brains…in the adjoining article, America’s Best Teachers compiled by the Spirit editors, there is a teacher cited in Alamagordo, NM who was being directed toward an engineering degree and the post college practice thereof who, during the continuing education process, called a halt to the stream through which the direction of her life had been channeled and said – paraphrased – “wait a minute, I’ve always loved to teach and want to teach it not practice math as an engineer.” As Perry says of teachers “This isn’t the life she chose, it’s the life that chose her.”
The same could and should be said on behalf of each student. The analysis of each student’s potential paired with their interest by educators during the process of the first 12 years should be pairing their aptitude with passion! Students should pursue that which chooses them – not the other way around – especially if it is chosen for them by others.
This brings me to my point that there are many who are NOT destined for college – a math whiz who would rather work with his hands – might be better suited for the trades. We are emphasizing college and negating the value of the trades. As an Interior Designer I work with these talented and very valuable people daily. A good trades person is worth their weight and beyond in the success of any project. We have diminished the value of the trades so severely that young people do not want to follow in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, mentors or benefactors who not only had the aptitude but set an example and practiced their trades with art and precision, pride and accomplishment. There are good and less so as in all fields – the better are rewarded with the better positions and the better contracts. It only takes examples of workmanship and finished products to see which are which. A well crafted piece or project done to specification or beyond, on time and within budget is valuable on up the ladder of the domino effect. The buyer, the investor, the bank, the end user all recognize the benefits of a job well done -and they should be rewarded accordingly. It’s not always apples to apples. Yet, the low bid might be perfectly well done. But the proof will bear out every time.
I now think of the popular series on the Discovery Channel, Dirty Jobs. Apprentice to these difficult, and unpleasant jobs, Mike Rowe participates in these less than popular but very critical positions to empathize with them and show appreciation for what they do. Turned down by many networks, this program was perhaps too down in the trenches for many of the executives to buy into…but Discovery saw a REAL drama. The drama of real people doing real jobs that most people would shun – the jobs and the people who do them -sad, but true fact. And, many are unseen and therefore go unrecognized. Without these people taking these jobs we would be in dire straits just like the scenarios about if all the illegal Mexicans were vanquished over-night – we would be stopped in our tracks! We are guilty of encouraging that which we rally against all the time – floods of workers from other countries taking our jobs. Are we becoming so elitist that we cannot encourage and support, praise, and recognize all the important work done by every individual to make our society run smoothly? And educators seem to be missing the concept to really encourage students to find their niche among the myriad necessary positions and support their pursuit accordingly.
It’s like University Professors – they and their institutions benefit from their being published, so they skip class, leaving the teaching to the students while they commune with peers and bury themselves in self-important writings…what’s wrong with this picture?
Our high school educators, councilors and administrators are so concerned with the percentage of students entering college from their institutions, classrooms, programs, etc, that they have completely left the many individuals – too many – lost in the stream. And while losing those individuals in the stream of college bound, we are losing the valuable trades that built this country and the civilized world. Many of these students are lost without a sense of direction, purpose and worse – means of gratifying self-support.
Previously, I have blogged about the role of the AGC (Association of General Contractors), that they invest in something like regionally placed summer camps to introduce and teach kids the trades. It would certainly be in their best interest to have well-trained and enthusiastic newcomers to the field. They could and should also participate in a nationwide emphasis on the revitalization of vocational classes in public schools.
In this time of economical desperation – and even if it were NOT, it is time to redirect some of this educational energy toward encouraging and strengthening all of our citizens’ aptitudes and get them to work!

Posted On September 10, 2011 By pattisays In construction, education, handcraft / 1

Oil Cloth and Lots of Color!

Table dressings priced right with plenty of color

Oil cloth – that vinylized – coated fabric with the brilliant colors – 50ish in nature, it is still available in running yardage! Yes – you can still buy it by the bolt, use it for upholstery, cut and hem the edges for placemats, use pinking shears for a no-sew solution to table toppers, etc…Here we have a festive table setting where the gerbera daisies pop with happy faces from their squat water vessels.
What once was a decidedly lower economic material – is now the fabric of choice for those folk-art, camp, tablescapes! Choose your favorite – will it be cherries or branches of apples, bouquets of flowers or spilled baskets of mixed fruit? Everyone of them will be bursting with fresh, crisp, bold color and opportunities for coordination with you flowers, plates, napkins and the entire scheme of the party!
So dash down to your local fabric store and inquire about these fabulous oilcloth treasures! Have your own fiesta!!!

Posted On August 16, 2011 By pattisays In DIY design, exterior - outdoor design, seasonal interior design, table dressings /

Soak in the Pure Pleasure of Nature’s Spa

When parts of the country are suffering record heat and staggering humidity, we out here in the desert southwest wonder what it would feel like to be washed with fresh rainwater rinsing everything everywhere and satiating all the parched plants and surfaces so badly in need of hydration.
Tonight we had a gully-washer by most standards…the thunder and lightning were an exhilarating sensory symphony while the rain pelted an acoustical beat against all that it hit from rooftop to skylights, car hoods to pavements. We drove upward – east toward the majestic Sandias like salmon upstream against the river’s current – in this case, rain rushing from the higher elevations down toward the mighty (we hope tonight) Rio Grande valley. Here is a shot at 2nd and Osuna as the lighting pierced the sky behind the traffic lights – quite the spectacular pyrotechnic scene – courtesy of man and Mother Nature. Looks like a color scheme of dark chocolate, amber and turquoise/greens with a purple punctuation…from where does interior design inspiration arise? Then know that the windows were cracked just enough to get that intoxicating smell of the elements and rain!
It was a beautiful natural saturation of the environment and tomorrow all will burst forth with renewed growth and promise as a result of this most welcome cleansing and thirst-quenching downpour. In fact…listen to the quiet night after the rain has passed and hear the tiny frogs that come forth from the moisture that permeates their hiding places and brings them to life with their chorus of happy chirping sounds.
Rather than hiding from it and skirting between the drops – why not stand smack dab in the middle of the rain and soak in the pure pleasure of nature’s spa?
The art and song of the desert during and after a good rain. Take a deep breath!

Posted On July 24, 2011 By pattisays In environmental design, exterior - outdoor design, green design, Uncategorized /

Don’t Be Afraid to Paint Wood!

Really gotta love red – it is passionate, fun, vibrant, warm and here are some cabinets to illustrate all of that! We recently completed an installation of custom cabinets that we designed for a busy family with two kids needing a work area for homework and craft projects. The upper cabinets were in place along with part of the lowers…but they were golden oak…So we designed the completed components and painted the whole thing a brilliant, semi-glossy red! The work-surface is a manufactured material – a durable engineered product, “Caesar Stone,” in a dark charcoal color. The cabinet “jewelry” is a handsome pewter pull with an Asian bent. They read as punctuations accenting the bold color.
Who wrote these rules? Painting wood is a sacrilege! Yet, I can appreciate the natural beauty and integrity of any organic material – oak is a richly grained wood – cut/sliced many ways – rift or quarter, the character changes completely. But to paint a course-grained wood, one gets the details reading through the painted finish and it is almost like a moiré fabric – water-marks dragged through the surface – but in this case reading through with a wonderfully dimensional quality.
Don’t be afraid to paint wood – it’s just another beautiful way to celebrate its magnificent character!

Posted On July 17, 2011 By pattisays In color and temperature re: interior design, design trends, DIY design, furniture finds, interior design /

Inventive Spirits Have No Boundaries as Lady Ga Ga Makes A Design Statement for Teen Girls!

Glitzy Teen Party Theme – We’re Ga Ga for a Good Party!

This weekend, my friend threw a birthday party for her 16 year-old daughter. The theme was Lady Ga Ga and she pulled out all the gaudy elements that would put it over the top! An enormous party tent, DJ, virgin cocktail bar, white draped yard furniture, bouquets of roses, candelabra, glitz and bling! Today’s Albuquerque Journal addresses encouraging your teen to participate in the design/décor of their room. Go to Pottery Barn and you will find an entire section devoted to this market niche. Those teen consumers are proving to be a very significant segment in today’s economic demographic. They discriminate, set trends, follow trends, and buy trends. You gotta know what’s hot.
So they’re all of sudden Ga Ga for Ga Ga!! From her live concerts to creating chandeliered dance tents and disco dance floors for the party scene – she’s hot and they buy into it!
We study trends and try to determine which will stick and which will fade away…which will stand out as bon a fide contributions to the stream of design movements and/or individuals that/who make historical impact versus those that/whom are passing fancies. Rock stars and movie legends make their mark. Some provide a greater design statement – influence design trends more than others. Lady Ga Ga is out there making statements to get the critics’ attention in a powerfully demonstrative, creative and artful manner. To emulate her would be foolish. Yet she herself has had a springboard to her design style from Madonna’s earlier influence marking the outrageous in her singular fashion – now furthered with Ga Ga’s ooh la la ga ga creativity.
Imagination – from hard science to art and design – imagination fuels the unique, the original, and the newest discoveries. Inventive spirits have no boundaries. Art cannot be described by limited frameworks. It is ever-evolving, ever stimulating and evoking – it is imagination, experimentation and expression set free. Yet even the tightest realism is an intense form of imaginative expression as the artist delves into their interpretation of the finest, accurate detail that they can perceive and project. It’s all about being aware of, and open to so many possibilities. Just imagine.

Posted On June 26, 2011 By pattisays In design trends, DIY design, table dressings /

Author: pattisays