Color Scheme Tips

Color schemes are limitless. The permutations are endless. Color is exciting and fun. It is personal. Colors evoke feelings, memories, emotions and are key to a comfortable interior.

How often have you been asked or pondered on your own…”What is your favorite color?” Some people hesitate to answer, while others blurt-out readily with their fav.  But what color you choose to wear versus what you enjoy in your interior surroundings and how much might be quite different.

Several weeks ago, I launched a weekly post on our PATRICIAN DESIGN Facebook page called “Color Schemes.”  The idea is to inspire design ideas by pairing artwork with designer fabrics. When planning an interior there is always a focal point complimented and surrounded by supporting elements.  Whether a key painting will command the space or an expansive window with a view will direct the focus to a scene of outside colors and textures – that key element will greatly influence a successful interior color scheme.

Annette Donald creates colorful cubes in her creative take on our beloved chile ristras. A serrano chile oil painting, on canvas, by Federico Leon de la Vega is quite representational. Paired here with Romo and Ralph Lauren fabrics, Sherwin Williams paints…fresh and festive!

Here is the example of a November Scheme and you can scroll back each Monday for the past few months to enjoy a variety of the Color Schemes! https://www.facebook.com/PatricianDesignABQ/photos/a.243005986618/10157154423221619/

We embrace the The Nature of November with its unique colors and textures. As the air becomes chilly and the leaves fade…warm, soft colors bring us indoors. Featured here an elegant fused glass ribbon wall piece by Lisa Checnoff.

There are four primary considerations that I discuss with my clients when determining which colors to choose, emphasize, avoid, use as accents and where. To establish these selections, we evaluate personal preferences, contextual implications, seasonal influences and even trends. 

PERSONAL:  In planning an interior, I always want to know what colors make our clients happy, comfortable, stimulated, vexed or relaxed. These personal insights reveal important information for selecting types of materials too.

By examining what might be one’s favorite color, the discussion will navigate the distinctions, if any, regarding preferences for clothes versus interior furnishings. Interestingly, they are not always the same – although, by mere comfort and familiarity, they often are.  Simply asking about a favorite color is not enough.

Brilliant golden yellows and blues – splash color! Featured here are fabulous photo-realistic acrylic paintings by Sheri Mays paired with amazing fabrics of the same exciting palette.

CONTEXT:  The context of the interior might dictate or at least steer the direction of the design. The luxury of having multiple personal environments offers the opportunity to have different color pleasures exercised in different places. The ski condo might be woodsy and textural with browns, greys, stone and wood punctuated with a pop of color versus the seaside retreat with its crisp whites and cool blues and greens punctuated with pastels or bold contrasts. Therefore, the location of an interior might direct the desired color palette.

Inspired by this spa-aqua pottery bowl by Penny Roberts and the custom glass tile mosaic we recently combined to face a newly remodeled kitchen wall – the cool seaside/spa feel balanced with ambers and warm dots of color – pink, fuchsia, orange and golden yellow. Durable brushed cotton solids come in myriad colors and are perfect for pillows or upholstery.

SEASONAL:  This one is tricky because it plays on the perceived climate outside – even if the interior is maintained at a constant temperature. It takes a concerted effort to plan a color scheme – including textures and finishes in anticipation of changing seasons and relative temperatures. I previously mentioned that a window with a view might be the focal point of a room…imagine the effect the changing seasons might have on the selection of interior colors and textures versus a consistent tropical scene, for example?  

Perhaps you love purple – ever pair it with golden yellow? Here, functional, fantasy pottery designed and crafted with the most precise attention to detail by Jen DePaolo inspires our boldly brilliant scheme.

TRENDS:  Inasmuch as I avoid being steered by trends, it is impossible and not advisable – in design – to avoid them. Clients are influenced by them and bring that would-be preference to the table.  It is essential to continue to have “colors-of-the-year” and other market-driven colors change to stimulate the economy with buying and selling, replacement and updating.  It’s our socio/economic norm.  It also serves as an encouragement to re-fresh. But to limit that influence, in favor of long-term personal pleasures, is best.  The pressure of this marketing color influence contributes to our being a disposable culture. Not time here for a lecture on such things – but rather to instill an appreciation for and confidence in personal selections an decisions – in this case,  color.

Patinaed pearls and stunning glasswork by Margaret Hidalgo Vanderheyden inspire the soft, greyed lavenders and blues of this cool scheme.

An interesting and on-going test for evaluating a successful interior is when designing in one season – it has to work in all others. For example, when I meet with clients in the heat of July with lush foliage and color, warm temperatures and long days, that same interior has to succeed when it is frigid outside, barren, and with darker, shorter days. What might the challenges be in creating a successful scheme and what might be the solutions to make it work?

Having noted all of this and knowing the different reactions people have to color, isn’t it interesting when an interior is so successful that it appeals to many, if not the majority, of those who experience it?  This is more applicable to commercial or public spaces – from doctors’ offices to hotels.  However, the challenge and success is in knowing the many things to be considered and implementing a balance of them throughout all aspects of the interior.

Anne Marie Werner-Smith’s brilliantly glazed pottery here with Margaret Hidalgo-Vanderheyden’s lovely fused glass crosses along with coral and dyed stone necklace and woven table runner from Chiapas reflect the changing colors of fall leaves…

Appreciating color is a gift to designers. It truly is an imperative to appreciate all colors and have the sensitivity to discern the nuances between various values and the effects of selections and combinations from the infinite choices.

I hope this has given you ideas and inspiration to move forward with YOUR color schemes! Sign-up for our weekly email of Color Schemes with classic blue and white and stunning neutral greys coming!! And follow the posts on Facebook every Monday.

Creativity Ignited

These are amazing times that are truly testing our creativity and ingenuity. We are challenged to alter our work-modes to operate remotely, utilize time very differently to balance work and family, find new ways to communicate and share and even radically re-direct manufacturing for purposes far different from their original intent…these are all very stimulating, creative challenges.

Isabel works from “home” in Denver managing the daily business of PATRICIAN DESIGN.

Where do the masses flock now that they are confined? Craft stores, home-improvement warehouses and on-line instant gratification pick-me-ups.  

Don – in his Home Depot orange shorts was a joke that we enjoyed for several years coining the phrase “Everywhere we go – we got o Home Depot!” From China to Albuquerque we took photos of Home Depot, often in his orange shorts! Couldn’t keep us away!

While most people are home-bound and businesses are fallow – wondering how they will survive this down-time and loss of income and the means to play catch-up with their debts – there are those who have been able to re-invent their talents to manufacture items very different from their norm that are in high demand at this time.  Re-purposing has taken on a whole new meaning. Where we were re-purposing an old door into a headboard or bicycle parts into wall art, we are now transforming entire production facilities that made widgets of all manner into plants of workers learning how to manufacture masks and ventilators… gowns and gloves.

The creativity is so broad-reaching it will change the way each of us behaves moving forward. It will change policy and priorities in government. It will alter thinking and spawn new ideas and procedures everywhere. It will have global impact and consequences unlike anything we have known. It will prove uniting and divisive, for differing reasons.

Less public displays of affection between casual connections with more formal respect for personal space are certain outcomes. Perhaps a combination of suspicion and respect at the start…but how long will it take to wear-off? When will the guard be dropped and behavior relax? What will be the definition of our new normal? Circumstances – certainly do – alter cases…

Interior design is tactile. It is comprised of textures and colors difficult to replicate over the computer screen. Before off of this we recognized that viewing fabric collections over the on-line portals was a way to get possible candidates for consideration – but more often than not, there were greater numbers of rejects once the actual samples arrived.

There is much we can do remotely. We can send drawings, send photos of fabrics (providing we have felt them and know them, in order to honestly recommend them), do video walk-throughs to view a space and make recommendations remotely. We can place orders and arranging shipping and receiving, coordinate sub-contractors and make things happen.

Many tradespeople such as upholsterers, seamstresses cabinet-makers can continue to work in the privacy of their own workrooms providing the have the material. Many fabric sources are still shipping orders. We have two sofas and two benches currently being upholstered – the fabric having been ordered, shipped and delivered all last week. With several other fabrics on their way, our seamstress will be very busy creating custom throw pillow, bed dressings and draperies. We can keep many of our talented, local people busy.

Artists in their studios are eager to express their thoughts and feelings and even bring YOUR interests to life in paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture…self-quarantined by their own habits – now is the time to commission a custom piece – pottery centerpiece, focal painting, personal jewelry piece, pet and people portraits by sending photographs!

The dynamics and demographics of our communities will be radically changed as a result of this crisis. Remember how upset many were over Walmart coming into towns displacing, if not eradicating small local businesses? Well, watch what’s happening with large national businesses today and their smaller, local counterparts. We will lose so many and replaced by whom? What? How? How will this change the look and feel of Mainstreet?

The interior design profession is so intimate and personal. It is about hands-on…to be there to move furniture, adjust groupings, share the experience of balancing textures, temperatures of color, size and scale… it’s hard to do  from your laptop on a remote beach.

So while the ads on TV promote the home decor sites for instant furnishings and decorative accessories – remember that they don’t always look as you expected once they arrive.  Many offer returns, but often with freight and re-stocking charges.

During this unusually  unprecedented time when anxiety instigates spontaneous purchases, designers can still consult to advise and direct, offer ideas, consult about choices and decisions. They can help make decisions and assist in finding the right pieces and making the best purchases.

So call them. Show them your finds. Discuss your choices and ideas. Get their opinions and make better decisions due to their experienced advice.  It might and should save you money and headaches in the long-run.

The current normal…snafu?

Hidden Talent Exposed

Hidden talent – that remarkable artwork that appears (seemingly) out of nowhere, on a par with great masters of the medium. I considered this element of surprise – looking back several decades to a local painter, Wilson Hurley, who had more than one very different, distinguished career and diverse life experiences before he delved deeply into his passion for painting in his 40s. Once exposed, his paintings revealed his extraordinary talents and he become a nationally recognized treasure for his sweeping landscapes and a variety of other subjects.  

On that note, I have just gotten off the phone with a very good friend, in Florida, Houston Evans. I have recently learned that he is a passionate weekend photographer! An amazing photo appeared in a Facebook post and I was astonished by the enchanting image, color and composition. I was instantly captivated – and curious. Upon closer inspection, his stylish swashbuckling  signature made me realize that this hobby was subtly becoming more than that – yes, he had his mark digitally mastered and is probably THE perfect brand for his diverse and stunning work.

“Star Power” is the luminous celebration of a pineapple.

As I quizzed him about his interest in photography, I learned that he attributes his eye for art, color and design to his mother who’s side of the family has spawned other talented artists, in his generation. He has been posting on Instagram for quite some time – hundreds of images. I didn’t know. I didn’t “follow.” He is modest about his photos and does it for his own amusement, pure pleasure and personal enjoyment – that he likes to share. “I don’t do it to imagine it on someone’s wall.” Yet this observer believes that there is where it absolutely should be! Many walls…many places! #houstonevansphotography

He plays with the medium and all the tools and tricks of the trade. He enjoys the freedom of experimentation. The results are controlled, yet spontaneous. From high resolution to fuzzy pixels that require distance to assimilate. Up close for precise detail and soft smears for imagination to take hold, the variety of clarity or lack thereof are a part of the experience and expression.  

“Makin’ Hay” has an enhanced pointillist treatment – a Van Gogh-esque subject with a twist.

From my interior designer’s perspective, his bold images would be key focal points in the drama of architectural spaces – interiors from Miami to Honolulu and on around the world!!! I can see the towering orchids in hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants and swanky condos everywhere!!! I am eager to find a project, for which his work would be the key to the scheme, unveiling a spontaneous design resulting from the inspiration of the image.

“Oblique Orchid” screams floral superiority as a commanding focal image.
“Shooting the Bird” speaks to paradise revisited!!!

In the beginning, the photos stood on their own merits. Evans keeps his originals – some of which remain just that – in their original form, while others are tweaked or more radically manipulated to create stunning subjects and compositions.

This brilliant, fresh simplicity of “Aqua Eye” observes the droplet’s reflection in the center of the cheery chartreuse petal.
Coming upon a cool caddie “Daddy Long Legs.”

I can see his limitless fantasies contributing to the imaginative narrative of Meow Wolf, gracing hotel lobbies with larger-than-life orchid explosions and commanding condo walls with magical statements of tropical color, subject and form. Translucent installations of LED illumination could result in magnificent walls of design influence.

“No Flies on Me” is a fantasy of oozing colors and form melting and melding around the psychedelic dragon fly.

The digital age is advancing with such a pace that we are all caught-up in photos of food, whacky selfies and sunsets on fire…but having an artist’s eye, to truly see the potential and master the tools that are now available – using them to create valid and valued masterpieces of art, is extraordinary.

“Copy Cat” reflections mirror a chorus of color from sky to watery impressionistic likeness.
This “Roadside Attraction” must have been a startling scene to distract dazzled drivers.

I truly believe that his work is exceptional – full of heart and soul – and spectacular fun!!!!!!!! I’m thrilled to learn of these images and now enjoy the continued progress of his discoveries and creations. Let’s see where this goes!!!!! He just might be coming out of hiding!!

Yes, his selfie – “Prickled!”

A Designer’s Eye

Hidden genius can be found amidst seemingly redundant arts and crafts.  Walking by you might not notice. Passing by many beach stands, they begin to look alike – very repetitive. The colorful wares and handcraft are striking and eye-catching and full of fiesta, yet if you pay attention you will notice the nuances. Discovering the true designer/artist.

An escape to the tropics and especially to another country offer a reprieve from the cold and add an exotic element to getting out-of-town. Discovering the many indigenous art forms that come from all over Mexico is fun and exciting. Getting to know the makers and the distinctions in their work is another exciting level of appreciation.

As is true with so many things, detail and design matter. I buy a smattering of things for my gallery/gift boutique. I like to support the local vendors and makers that produce these fantasy-filled folk-art pieces.  From fabrics to stuffed animals, painted pottery to murals and mosaics, the art is abundant and deserves to be examined.

As an example, I am focusing on Victor Rivera. Victor is an artist and more so, an incredibly gifted designer.  His sense of pattern and imagery is exquisite. It reminds me of my mother’s love of Marimekko and Lily Pulitzer in the 60s and 70s. Her appreciation was a tremendous influence on me. The joy of color and pattern was a exhilarating celebration to wear and accessorize your home. Victor seems to possess a like-kind of innate sensibility and talent for devising and executing sensational color, pattern, motif and resulting design. He is currently creating, from a modest beach stand, what I believe is clearly different from others doing what might be thought to be similar work.

Like Maija Isola – a peer of my mother’s, having been born in the 20s her designs transcend the many decades in which she influenced color, pattern and bold imagery. Her work continues to live and influence the evolution of Scandinavian artistic direction and its impact on the world of design.  https://www.marimekko.com/com_en/world-of marimekko/design/designers/maija-isola

Similarily, architect Josef Frank contributed greatly to the design world through his architectural work and also his love of his limitless artistic expression through color and pattern. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/josef-frank-fabrics-london-exhibition

Watching Victor select his brushes, for the various applications and control on his designs, is fascinating and amazing.

The sense of pattern and design is a different category of artistic talent, in my observation and estimation. A master, of pattern, form, design detail and art, is an artist. However, the focus on the repetition and integral connection of patterns – for this purpose in a one-dimensional application – is an intensely different pocket of an artistic brain.

And this brings me back to Victor. I want someone in a position to embrace and promote him, in the world  of fabric design and influence, to catapult him to the level to which he can and should aspire. Shout-out to Alegreea and the fabulous designers at Pineda Colavin!!!!!!!

His hummingbirds begin with a pencil drawing and basic “fill” colors at the start.
Working on both clay and wood prefabricated bowls by other artisans, his many layers of colors and details take shape.

With myriad, mostly monotonous, Mexican street/beach artists, Victor is a beacon of light that stands out among the throngs. Once you stop to notice – the work he is creating is astonishingly  unique and beautiful. His designs are laced with meticulous detail, outstanding color combinations captivating and beautiful.

He will paint expeditiously simple works to satisfy the tourists and keep an inventory at the ready for spontaneous purchase – but when he has quiet time and is caught-up on his table of offerings, he creates amazing pieces that are truly remarkable. It is important to note though, that his more expeditious pieces still have a color combination with strokes of accents that still are above and well beyond the common.

He will paint commissions all day long – but left to  his own devices, his creativity is boundless. And, referencing back to the Scandinavian designers, his floral designs are outstanding!

Taking time to examine the world around you and the beauty of detail that awaits, is a joyful experience of great discovery and satisfaction! Not to mention great fun!!!

Fun with Victor, art and design!!!!!

Taking Time to Observe Intimate Details – Observations from Nature

Had I planned this blog, I assure the readers that it would have been more thoughtfully compiled. However, as it is a pure reaction to recent exciting experiences, I am without much fodder that, although was before me, I neglected to document. Such as card racks full of Georgia O’Keefe greeting cards featuring prints of her magnificent work and exact pairings of the amazing landscapes we witnessed with her paintings and her magnified flowers too. Dashing in and out of her distinctive museum just off the Santa Fe Plaza bearing her name and thoughtful work (a MUST see when visiting Santa Fe), to stepping up the steps at the Ghost Ranch Abiquiu property, I didn’t document as I was too busy looking at and absorbing – so much.  Yet without prior planning, I seem to have assembled enough that surprises me and therefore has become the body of this blog, about taking time to look

The striations of color are as though painted – nature and its creator – amazing art and artist.

On this recent road trip and surrounding days in our immediate environs, I experienced inspiring images and pairings, beauty and detail, color and form…that evolved into this blog featuring the landscape and expressive paintings of Georgia O’Keefe. Captivated by the remarkable light and surreal landscape as have been so many artists, O’Keefe settled into the colorful backdrop of Abiquiu where the formations of color, sand, rock, and sky were interwoven with sparse, but all the more beautiful vegetation and flowing water carving its way through the enchanting scenery.  

Georgia O’Keeffe. My Front Yard, Summer, 1941. Oil on canvas, 20 1/16 x 30 1/8 inches. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. [2006.5.173] Although we did not photo this exact scene, the landscape was just as magical all around us.

Those of you who enjoy taking photos, capturing moments, items and scenes will appreciate the exhilaration and awestruck sense of this humble presentation.

An iconic land form Abiqui, New Mexico

Art and nature. Design and nature. Nature inspires artists and designers with color and proportion. The natural world is a limitless collection of examples of perfection, majesty, detail and form. Living in New Mexico presents amazing opportunities for studying so many offerings from the natural world – verdant valleys and lush bosques to towering mountains, contoured mesas, golden plains, glistening rivers and rainbows of geology rising up from the earth. The sculptural land formations are  what seem other-worldly.  And yet there they are – majestic sculptures against the sky. 

O’Keefe was keenly aware of the extraordinary world she encountered and she captured it through her eyes and expressed through her strokes with fluid sensitivity and sense of color.

Georgia O’Keefe loved and appreciated around the world for her sensitivity and ability, to capture and convey her enchanting surroundings.

Very real and hauntingly beautiful landscape of Ghost Ranch – Abiquiu, New Mexico translated into the sharp, crisp, colors and forms of O’Keefe’s paintings.

Years ago a very dear friend gave me an exceptional gift, of a book. The farther along I progress in this world and enjoy the vast opportunities to appreciate the beauty of nature, limitless boundaries of design, art and all that is produced by talented, creative, observers, treasures such as this have increasingly greater meaning. One Hundred Flowers a 1987 masterpiece collaboration of photographer, publisher, editor and scholars presents an outstanding collection representing this significant subject matter – flowers – that she took time to observe.

Up close and personal…in intimate detail she saw and rendered sensational studies of flowers. Expanded to enormous scale well beyond their reality, these explosions of color and contrast, fluid form and detail are amazing to encounter. Even in the pages of this stunning book her work is startling. In person it is awe-inspiring.

Upon returning from the Abiquiu visit, I retrieved  my beautiful book. I took great joy in the dust cover – suitable for framing. A brilliant white squash blossom captivates, before even opening the cover. As I leafed through these large format pages in this lovely, exquisitely bound tome, I realized that, within a week prior to this O’Keefe familiarization trip, I have taken photos of flowers for a similar reason as she  – stopping to look and observe their singular beauty amidst all else in the surrounds. 

Unknowingly, a couple of days earlier I captured this spectaculalr squash blossom that had survived our first frost.

Just a few days prior to the Abiqui visit, while walking among the petroglyphs at the base of the dramatic black volcanic rock rubble of our west mesa, we came upon a singular, stellar squash blossom. Having survived recent frosts, this one was luminous and brilliant among so many other spent blossoms dried and shriveled away for the season. It was irresistible.

Little did I know, at the time we encountered this beauty of a squash blossom, that I would soon revisit O’Keefe’s studies of this wild and magnificent bloom.

Here more studies from the One Hundred Flowers book featuring this dazzling white squash blossom.

In the design world, we often quote architect and furniture designer Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe (1886-1969), one of the founders of modern architecture and an advocate for the simplicity of style with his popular phrase “less is more.”  I felt that O’Keefe’s interpretations distilled the forms of her subjects to the essential elements that best conveyed them in a manner of simplicity. Her flowers are bold and clear sweeps and contours, of the design of each. Distilling to these essential elements is the practice of “less is more.”

Her bell-flower trumpets of petunias and hollyhocks in purples, pinks and even arresting blacks reminded me of a photo that I took less than two weeks prior to enjoying my book for this study.

However, she was not sparing with color nor scale. Fabulously daring color combinations and contrasts are signatures of her interpretations along with her magnificent sense of magnification – presenting bold gifts to we, her viewers.  

The opening of the book quotes O’Keefe about her profound appreciation for a flower.

“A flower is relatively small. Everyone has many associations with a flower – the idea of flowers. You put out your hand to touch the flower – lean forward to smell it – maybe touch it with your lips almost without thinking – or give it to someone to please them. Still – in a way – nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small – we haven’t time – and to see takes time like to have a friend takes time. If I could paint the flower exactly as I see it no one would see what I see because I would paint it small like the flower is small. So I said to my self – I’ll paint what I see – what the flower is to me but I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it – “   Georgia O’Keefe “About Myself,”  1939

Be surprised. Be inspired. Be aware of your surroundings, for all the beauty of nature and its influence.  Embrace color and contrast, punctuations and accents. Take time. How might your next design project reflect observations from nature?

Fantasy Centerpieces in a Magical Setting

Inspiration for centerpieces – here – a neutral color scheme – white on white on white…Often limited to weddings, take a tip from a social phenomenon – Diner en Blanc for dramatic centerpieces! Any of which could be ablaze with seasonal color – depending upon your desired theme. And with the advancements in LED lighting, the colors are limitless and instantly changeable.

The Diner en Blanc is an international event that began in Paris, 1988. An amazing concept that began with an invitation among friends to an elegant al fresco affair. This unique gathering was prestigious and decadent.

Someone gave a nod to the city of origin!

Everyone wore white so that they could find each other amidst other crowds who were gathered at the venue. ( Which becomes rather humorous amidst 2,000 people ALL wearing white!!) https://www.google.com/search?q=origin+diner+en+blanc&oq=origin+diner+en+blanc&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.5779j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The remarkable event spread around the world and Albuquerque has celebrated this creative event for several years. This is my second experience with this white fantasy. Every year the venue is kept secret only to be revealed at the last moment when attendees are assembled and usually transported on buses to the destination. This surprise location was right across from the designated gathering places downtown. And instead of boarding a bus each group, expecting just that, cued up as though to go aboard – only to be led single file across the street to the expansive Civic Plaza!

One big patio party!

This year with the Hyatt Regency team screaming with creativity from the table dressings…to the phenomenal food…to the fabulous frivolity – it was magic!

Would you believe luscious, chunky lobster salad served in a half tail, sliced beef filet and many artfully decadent extras…

Asked to wear white, bring your own tables, chairs, table dressings, centerpieces – all in white – the evening unfolds with exciting flurries of fabric, flowers, statuary, lights – all intended to make a spectacular statement for each group’s table.

Imagine all of this theatrical staging with 2,000 performers (we) in one enormous space – outside in the perfection of a last ditch of summer evening. It is a remarkable event.

Pretty parasols…
mysterious masks…

As I strolled through the tables capturing photos of the various “tablescapes”, I realized that the creativity was applicable to so many possibilities of table dressings – with color added!

LED lighting set the scene aglow with myriad magical colors! It changes the perceived temperature of a scene.

So enjoy seeing these creations and imagine them in seasonal splendor – fall now…winter coming…spring bursting forth and summer ablaze with color – for your upcoming parties throughout the year!

The scene changed and darkness fell..

With magnificent mariachis to flowing flamenco dancers the entertainment was dazzling and morphed into an enthusiastic DJ who rocked the stage for dancing into the night… It was an exterior nightclub – an excellent setting for a many faceted affair! https://www.facebook.com/DinerEnBlanc.Albuquerque/

An elegant table for Dion’s Pizza and water bottles!!!

Cheers to elegant parties! Who needs an excuse???

Cool Rides Hot Design!

Racing through the Albuquerque Sunport several times this summer, I had seen in swift passing the blindingly brilliant bling of the Low Rider exhibit that had been set-up at the end of June. Last week I had an opportunity, while waiting in the arrival area, to peruse the many amazing rides that commanded the concourse.

This powerful art exhibit of the unique Latino culture of Low Riders represents great personal pride and emotional attachment on behalf of the owners and artists (often one and the same).

These finished products are almost like songs…from memorials to love interests, family and friendships – they express heartfelt emotions to present and share with the world.

Once stereotypically  thought to be limited to the bad boys taunting law enforcement with their wild paint jobs, gleaming chrome, bold moves, wild suspension, blaring music in a defiant statement of cultural expression, these amazing art pieces have since been recognized by distinguished museums worldwide for their exquisite attention to detail and the stories they tell.

In this exhibit, these moving statements of artistic expression are all home-grown. Yes, each made here in New Mexico it makes it all the more relevant.

Visitors to the Sunport have this wonderful opportunity – up close and personal – to examine the seemingly flawless machines adorned with sensational color, pattern and design. “Kids” of all ages will appreciate this show!

Each as though a canvas for the artist…motorcycles, kid’s versions and cars adorned with glitter, shine, polish and paint colors all contributing to the each unique statement. From airbrush to tedious handwork and limitless patient detailing results in exciting assemblages.

There are also decades of photos featuring the evolution of the culture here.  

By highlighting these fine, local examples the City hopes to elevate the art form on its merits and dismiss some of the stigmas attached with the stereotypes.  

And we all will have a little fun imagining the thrill of taking a ride in/on one of these beauties!!!

The Wealth of Art That is Our Elegant Library of Congress

If the Basilica in my last blog didn’t get your juices flowing about incredible public art spaces, the Library of Congress was our next stop. Yes, it houses nearly everything having to do with writing, recording, documenting…but the building itself is amazing! It in itself is a wealth of artistic detailing. The interior has more gold leaf – not gold paint – but hammered metal gold leaf – than any other building in our Nation’s Capital. Inside and out, the craftsmanship of the stone carvings and architectural embellishments is magnificent. This inestimable landmark is so much more than the sober name suggests.

We parked in the garage of Union Station and walked the few blocks past the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building to our destination of the Library of Congress. The brilliant blue skies behind the bright white edifices belied what some regarded as the oppressive heat. I however am a heat freak – it’s summer – bring it on!

Columbus Fountain at Union Station also known as the Columbus Memorial is a public artwork by American sculptor  Lorado Taft, located serves as a tribute to the explorer Christopher Columbus.
The Supreme Court – cool, brilliant white against a striking blue sky – at 100 °
Crouching to get a shot of our Nation’s Capitol Building.

Symbolism is executed with every inch of the design details both inside and out of the imposing Library of Congress. Ascending the exterior stairs sets the stage for arriving at a monument of immeasurable wealth of human dissertation and history. Here I can only touch on the tip of the iceberg…

Picnic tables out front at our Library of Congress…relax, grab and bite and read a bit before going back to work!!!

From an inauspicious beginning of modest expectations to greater expanses with devastating fiery catastrophes in between, the Library of Congress has an amazing story. Thomas Jefferson played a significant role in re-building the foundation of what we now have today.

While waiting for the tour to begin in the magnificent Thomas Jefferson building, we were directed to two remarkably entertaining exhibits on the lower level – a Gershwin gathering and a Hope homage.

The George and Ira Gershwin Room is a tribute to the two brothers and their contribution to American music. This nostalgic and very familiar subject matter makes you hum and tap your toes. The exhibit presents George’s piano and custom-designed writing desk, Ira’s table and typewriter, self portraits and myriad documents that trace their lives and amazing careers.

The Hope for America Exhibit focuses on the varied careers of Bob Hope along with other recognizable entertainers. The exhibit offers the satirical humor – crossing party lines – both socially and politically for which Hope was so appreciated, admired and beloved. Hope received the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his commitment, in his nearly 50 year service, entertaining the men and women of the armed forces abroad.

As the actual tour began, we were introduced with a short film as an overview of what was to come. We were then guided up a staircase and gathered in what was a most astonishingly beautiful, expansive space full of piercing, daylight, sunbeams glancing off incredibly detailed architectural stone carving and sculpture. Vast murals, vaults and arches in the 360 degrees of beauty from floor to voluminous ceiling was staggering.

” Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark the imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions.” Thomas Jefferson stepped-in to save the Library of Congress after a few inauspicious starts.  Not enough time devoted here to a history lesson – learn more at https://www.loc.gov/  –   but this grand space into which we entered is the Thomas Jefferson Building.

The focus of this blog is to share a bit of the art and decorative embellishments of this stunning architectural environment – beginning with the Commemorative Arch by Olin L. Warner (1844-1896) featuring a young man to the left and a bearded elder man on the right signifying that the process of learning never ceases…

Grand staircases on opposing sides of the space are adorned with carvings of “putti” – Italian for little boys – as they are pictured representing various occupations from gardeners to astronomers – the depiction of each vocation is fascinating with what it means to have that respective knowledge to pursue one’s career path.

Beneath the string of putti are representations of the 4 corners of the globe depicting figures of each, Asia paired with Europe and American paired with Africa.

Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Learning and Wisdom is aptly featured in a series of statues and images.

Most fascinating to me, up in an adjacent domed ceiling area was the “Evolution of the Written Word,” a series of lunettes by John White Alexander (1856-11915). Having previously written about the importance of handwriting for a million reasons that go beyond, but are directly connected to, this depicted evolution, I found this to be simple, yet profound. It is a beautifully rendered and fascinatingly distilled artistic expression of a very significant timeline. Beginning with The Cairn – we see them stacked stones on beaches for fun and on paths in the wilderness as markers, but here Alexander renders primitive man communicating by stacking stones to possibly mark the dead, a passage or a place of significance. 

As the history progresses, Oral Tradition becomes the means of communication – but only/obviously in personal contact. Words are created. Then Egyptian Hieroglyphics enter the scene with images representing words depicted on surfaces.

Picture Writing on animal skin – and ultimately more refined to vellum – becomes a more mobile means of communication.

Theologians recording ancient stories of biblical history brought monks to the art of the written word in compilations of the Bible as the first manuscripts/books became recorded.

And then an exponential leap in communication came with the invention of John Gutenberg ca. 1400-1468 of the Printing Press! Asia had its versions of printing machines even before Gutenberg, but inspired by seeing grapes at harvests being “pressed,” he put that concept into the process of placing individual letters in place and pressing them onto paper. Western Europe then had a movable metal type process that increased productivity of printed material – printing the first ……in Western Europe. The tour guide sadly explained to us that Gutenberg died a pauper as his investors, not patient with economic fluctuations, excused him from his rightful place in the business and left him to live out his life only to receive proper recognition posthumously.

It is the first complete book extant in the West and is also the earliest to be printed from movable type. This rare version is printed on vellum.

Unfortunately, at this point in the tour, we had to excuse ourselves with a quick wave and thanks to our guide as we were departing later that afternoon. Before leaving the building though, we dashed upstairs to discover the main Reading Room – entering from a way upper tier, we had a bird’s-eye view of this grand space. The scale was daunting and the spectacular architectural detail was breath-taking. The WOW-factor was palpable!

The Reading Room.

Eight giant marble columns each support 10-foot-high allegorical female figures in plaster representing characteristic features of civilized life and thought: Religion, Commerce, History, Art, Philosophy, Poetry, Law and Science.

Layer upon layer of intricate, symbolic details.

The 16 bronze statues upon the balustrades of the galleries are a tribute to men whose lives symbolized the thought and activity represented by the plaster statues.

Shhhhhhhhh……it’s the Reading Room

And with that – we only had enough experience and education about this incredible resource and monument of artistic beauty to whet our appetite for more and surely lure us there again for more information about all that comprises this amazing public gift and resource.  

Ta Da!!! Seriously – standing there in awe…taken with my phone!

There are so many wonderful things to see and do – get out there and see it!!!

Enjoying Creativity – How Do You Exercise/Express Your Creative Juices?

Have you ever had a moment or period of time when you longed to create something just for fun? It might be to crochet a blanket or knit a scarf.  It might be to build a model plane or learn how to cast a bronze. What have you longed to create?

It seems that everyone needs a creative outlet even though they might not recognize it as creativity. When speaking to a guy  about his interest in working on cars, he didn’t consider his work “creative.” To work on a car for purposes of enhanced performance, restoration, maintenance or repair all takes a certain amount of creativity. The thought process of problem solving and taking action requires creative thinking.

Gardening, painting, sculpting, carving, pottery, collage…there are so many outlets for relaxing creativity. The idea is to not do it under pressure. Lest one defeat the purpose of the relaxing aspect – just for fun – pure joy.

Yesterday I spoke to an architect who said that her creative juices needed exercising. Despite the fact that her daily work required lots of creative thought, it was not pure pleasure. It was not all fun. She wanted/needed another outlet. So she set forth, to do some creative design time, purely for her leisure. She started creating desert floral collages, in a size that could be shared, as greeting cards. She brought them to show me, with a modest timidity, and was most surprised and thrilled when I received her work with great enthusiasm!

Rebecca has found the medium of paper to be quite satisfying, It is clean and precise, crisp and conveys her intent. She loves flowers, lives in the high desert and communes with cacti and appreciates all flowers – and with that her exciting, yet quiet, introspective, personally satisfying, creative expression has found an outlet.

With positive feedback from several people, she wants to launch a re-sale card line! Now the creative process goes another step. She needs to establish a brand – at least a name for her card line. Will she want a logo? What about her entire experience can she list in words and cull and distill to result in the perfect identity?

There are two parts to this situation and the first is to recognize the need for and find an outlet for the relaxing exercise of expressing creative juices and the second is receiving positive reinforcement for your efforts. Inasmuch as the second might seem  unnecessary, it is a great affirmation and valid “feel good” feeling to create for the fun of it and have your work appreciated!

It need not be commercial  – but “selling” your idea or creative project is even MORE flattering.  Although, it is usually not for compliment much less profit.

Creativity can be relaxing, if it is not in a demanding framework. It’s therapeutic. In pondering this subject, I wanted to know more. Seems that this is a complex topic that deserves more investigation. So,  I did a bit of reading…I found the Handbook of Creativity edited by Robert J. Sternberg from the Cambridge University Press 1999. In the first section – The Concept of Creativity: Prospects and Paradigms by Robert J. Sternberg and Todd I. Lubart it states “If one wanted to select the best novelist, artist, entrepreneur, or even chief executive officer, one would most likely want someone who is creative.”

It is true for those of us doing hiring – looking for that spirit that can see beyond…create…are desirable traits. Yet everyone has a certain creative element in their person. It is the degree to which they have it and in what capacity or direction which might be more applicable or desirable, for consideration  in a certain position over another.

The Concept of Creativity  further states that “Creativity is the ability to produce work that is both novel (i.e., original, unexpected) and appropriate (i.e., useful, adaptive concerning task constraints) (Lubart, 1994: Ochse, 1990; Sternberg, 1988a; Sternberg & Lubart, 1991, 1995, 1996).

The aforementioned seems obvious.

So is creativity a divine gift?  One that makes it difficult to study much less quantify or discern from another? That is not the purpose of his blog…but to not mention that query would be leaving something that one might ask – out.

As a professional designer, creativity is part of the daily job description. Yet you will find most designer’s exercise creative outlets that are different from their work. This spring I too launched a greeting card line. It was spawned from hours on the road between San Diego and Albuquerque, with the practice of harnessing myriad ditties that continually race thorough my thoughts. A sudden lightning bolt on one of those trips suggested that I doodle to accompany my ditties. Hence, DATE NITE CARDS were born in March of this year.   Little ditties and doodles to bring a smile, start a conversation, set a date, make new friends, rekindle the spark, celebrate friends, love, anniversaries, romance…

When Extraordinary is an Understatement.

A few years ago, awesome crept into our vernacular and took over. It stole our ability to select options for descriptive excess or exception. Everything from accolades for a job well done, positive reinforcement for anything, to a spectacular sunset, a great new outfit or a startling meteor shower – everything from a tad past the norm…to something truly fantastic – became awesome.   Our language offers so many superlatives, yet we have gotten so lazy.

At the expense of sounding like an advertisement or otherwise paid spokesperson, I write today of a late-night confection experience that is truly like no other. An experience so artful that I could not take enough photos. Artistic delights at a bustling urban eatery where flowers and gold leaf adorn each piece of fanciful frosted awesomeness. Ha -there it is! Had to add more to the mere “awesome,” though!

Extra ordinary – extraordinary – beyond the norm – beyond ordinary, yes, that is an understatement for what I am about to reveal. Yet, that is the moniker of this extraordinary establishment – Extraordinary Desserts!

Several years ago we were treated to a late night surprise. Not knowing our intended destination, we were taken winding through the streets and came upon this little structure the read like an Asian garden. Twinkling lights peeking through wooden slats softened by lush tropical vegetation – the scene was magic. Once we realized the focus of this cozy pocket, we were enchanted. Patrons stood in line to pass along the “extraordinary” dessert cases displaying all manner of outrageously beautiful desserts. Once they decided and paid for their selection, they gathered in intimate twosomes or small groups to savor the delectable delights they had chosen.

Last night, we decided to rediscover this uniquely sweet spot and Googled our way into downtown San Diego. What we found, by happy accident, was a second location – an urban edifice presented on a crowded sidewalk packed with people waiting eagerly to be seated and begin their indulgences.

After leaving our name with the greeters at the podium, we squeezed through the throngs to get a peek at the cases full of magical wonders. Ok – you think I exaggerate…so now begins the photos…

When extraordinary is an UNDERSTATEMENT, you  know you are in the presence of something quite special.  Maybe that’s why people invent words like splendiferous or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

The rich velvety and textured frostings and layers of fabulous flavors awaited us as we scanned the displays.

Floribunda- yes, gilding the lilies (orchids as it were) – nothing was too over-the-top!   The rich velvety and textured frostings and layers of fabulous flavors awaited us as we scanned the displays.

Seeing so many astonishingly spectacular desserts in one place all for the spontaneous taking is almost too much to bear. You mean I can HAVE that right now??? I can have a piece of many of them – RIGHT NOW?????

Emulating fine Cerelene Limoges, the would-be doilies of parchment paper rimmed with gold detailing and lettered with Extraordinary the details were dazzling!  No stone left un-turned, they thought of everything to make this a tantalizing treat and patrician presentation!

The interior offers seating at the bar and tables organized throughout. Two tops or ganged together for a crowd, everyone was so focused on their prizes – beauty set before them – animated chatter wafted through the sugar-spun air!  Some chose to sample several knowing that they would take a goodly portion home. Others savored a single serving of a beautifully flavorful masterpiece.

And yes, there’s a book about the cakes – Karen Krasne – appears to be the brain behind this bounty.   I look forward to meeting her. She has an amazing machine with a well-oiled staff. Everyone was efficient and friendly and shared in the enthusiasm that was being expressed all around.

The shelves are filled with teas and other sweet temptations, interesting vessels and serving pieces.

The lighting is dim and the structure envelopes the interior with white-washed frosting of voluminous space punctuated with dark cylindrical pendant lights and pierced bubble-like panels back-lit for added interest, subtle luminosity and dimension.

Raw, polished concrete floors, steel tables and molded wood chairs give a nice balance of warm and cool, rigid and suave – while clean and almost hygge in feel.

Perhaps, in the world of custom confections and TV foodie competitions, these desserts might be within some semblance of a norm – but only from the finest of creatives, in circles of which we usually do not run.

But having cavorted last night through the cheerful melee of confection connoisseurs – albeit one doesn’t have to be clubbed over the head or knighted by the cooks of the kingdom to appreciate what we experienced –  we are sufficiently spoiled both visually and flavor-wise to be tough to ever satisfy again. Good design. Great design. Extraordinary design is often still an understatement!