Oct 07

Urban “Pieced Work” – an artistic narrative

We are excited to have the opportunity to bring a design installation(s) into a new project that will serve to support the brand with a twist. A nearly completed new smokehouse is coming to Albuquerque. This home-grown eatery blends family history and southern roots with southwestern barbecue flavors including indigenous wood and iconic chile blends. But this is not about their cooking profile. It is about how we have arrived at a design theme that will define and further the identity in this new, specialized smokehouse department of this larger local brand.

To accomplish this task, we examined the concept the owner had to remodel an existing facility that had been a popular gathering post serving this community for decades. The fringe barrio location was of a demographic primarily comprised of Mexican/Americans. Decades past it was home to a heavily black community. The fabric of these cultural combinations suggested a mosaic of color and vibrant heritages.

The spark of cultural references lead to discussion of the popular artistic expression of urban mural painting.

When we began the dialogue, the decision to have a mural painted by local neighborhood kids, with a mentor to design and supervise the work, seemed to be the direction we were headed. After subject matter debate and development, I veered off on another tangent that might take a less subjective approach, be weather-proof and more durable for a patio location – mosaic.

This new more impervious and durable medium still offered the opportunity to engage the community, but with less focus on a specific subject and more about geometric color and texture. We discussed the details of installation so as to keep it simple for kids to participate using whole tiles – minimize cutting, if any, for starters.

Inspiration came from several other installations such as the Albuquerque Convention Center’s on-going mosaic mural project wrapping many sections of the buildings with intricate scenes of New Mexican lifestyle and cultural diversity. The colorful mosaic is an elegant and sophisticated contribution to our city’s cultural aesthetic.

Helen Atkins, manager of consignment art at PATRICIAN DESIGN’s downtown boutique gallery and the lead on their current restaurant mural project, has worked on several phases of the Convention Center’s mural project.

We have incorporated mosaic into several of our own design projects such as last week’s blog https://patriciandesign.com/trust-and-custom-designs/about a residential kitchen installation.

Here, in another installation, a fireplace surround of mosaic adds movement, color and textural interest to the room.

Ultimately, one of Helen Atkin’s personal photographs cemented the approach. It was decided that a geometry of different sizes and disparate glazes and designs of tiles pieced together in a colorful, textural panel would be our design theme.

Helen Atkins, a recognized artist in many media, captured this in passing while visiting New Zealand. It’s crisp, yet irregular composition was intriguing and pleasing. It became the springboard for the concept for a geometric mosaic panel to anchor the theme of this new New Mexico eating establishment.

The idea became more exciting as we began gathering material from local tile distributors and our own personal inventories of favorite treasures saved for a special project. Here it was. It seemed such a strong design element and therefore offered a new direction for the actual brand of this establishment. We embraced the idea and brought it into the interior and distributed murals throughout the space.

Still under construction, we will not divulge the identity or locations of this project just yet. But suffice it to say, the murals are an exciting part of this interior design scheme.

As we further discussed the plans to implement this project, school started and the ease of coordinating the assistance of neighborhood kids became more difficult. Helen lead the project as primary installer, coordinator and supervisor. She enlisted the assistance of a couple of people – one experienced and the other not at all.

We have named this series, Urban Pieced Work – an artistic narrative. Here we are interpreting generations old sewing patchwork using ceramic, glass and pottery pieces rather than the traditional fabric patches. The original folk art needlework has been in the American vernacular for ages. In these installations, this up-cycled use of discarded or discontinued tiles is similar to patchwork fabrics, re-purposed to make clothing, wall decor, window treatments and bed dressing when times were tough – often referred to as “pieced work.”

My paternal grandmother in New Mexico made this twin quilt for my bed when I was a child in Virginia.

My same grandmother made this and was given to me by my cousin, her only other granddaughter.

Mosaic is often, like fabric patchwork, a practical art form that puts scrap, shards and fragments to good use in an artistic fashion. Note though that more sophisticated mosaics have been designed more intentionally for centuries not merely as salvaged material. These masterpieces both in contemporary work and antiquities represent many periods in history and movements in artistic expression.

This mosaic version connects with the history of the restaurant’s roots and southern heritage. The panels’ mural nature speaks to the urban murals found throughout the community.

Located strategically throughout the interior, these murals have become a strong design element and anchor for this facet of the brand.

Another shot of the spectacular cultural story murals at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

We have woven a meaningful artistic statement throughout the interior and also on the exterior of the building. In addition, we will be inserting a graphic version into the signage and logo design.

Urban Pieced Work – an artistic narrative, of a New Mexican Smokehouse, will provide pleasing design visuals throughout this new interior, provoke conversation and interaction, weave an element of history and context with the southern roots of this exciting new eatery!

Join the conversation and watch for the first succulent flavors to come out of the smokers later this year.

Sep 14

Paper Airplanes – Happy Joy

By pattisays In airports, art and interior design, artistic talent, artists, calligraphy, commercial interior design, Contemporary Art, context of interior design, decorative arts, Denver International Airport Art, design, design competition, design solutions, DIY design, education, fanciful design, Gershwin, handcraft, handmade, handwriting, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior enhancements, Japanese design, joy, kids' art, Leon de la Vega, love, Modern Art, music scores, nostalgia and design, origami, paper airplanes, Patty Ortiz, public design, public spaces, sculpture, site sculpture, Subscribers, travel and design, urban art / 1

This week, upon arrival at the Denver airport, as I navigate this architecturally dramatic facility, I’m funneled with the masses making our way, from the gate area, to the trains, to the terminal. When suddenly, gracefully overhead as we ascend the escalator, large versions of paper airplanes hover above. Probably steel, but with the familiar fold and form of the simple paper origami originals, they were a whimsical attention divergence.

When I arrived at the top of the escalator, I realized that they were also above the escalator across the way so I walked over there (to the surprise of the masses with whom I had been funneling along). A couple in the crowd even called out “hey” or “ma’am” …I turned to see some were concerned that I had lost my way and expressed concern that I follow the pack. I waved to these helpful strangers indicating with my phone in hand that I was stopping to take a photo of these wonderful suspended planes.

This ignited a curiosity that led me to investigate a bit more. I have since learned that they are part of the Denver International Airport’s Arts & Venues Denver: Public Art Program 1994. There are 140 of these suspended would-be-paper (steel alloy) planes and they are the work of artist Patty Ortiz titled Experimental Aviation. A well-recognized artist and curator of contemporary art with decades of art management experience she “believes that art intrinsically is a social object and when placed as an action in relationship with the viewer ad participant that art carries a profound interconnectedness within real experience.” And there I was experiencing the simple loveliness and joy that these airplane sculptures conveyed, in context with the often monotonous air travel experience.

Kids who love paper airplanes never seem to grow up. I’ve written about this before, in the blog about Federico Leon de la Vega’s TEDx Talks a couple of years ago. Watch his Talk and see the final scene as the planes fly through the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9j_pLgCr1U

Paper airplanes are timeless tools of communication set flying from one person to another often with a secret note inside. Unfold and discover the message. Like passenger pigeons of days gone by…but unlike their obsolete and ultimately extinct message-delivering cousins, paper airplanes are timeless.

Would A Love Letter Be The Same Without Handwriting?

Never taking up the art, it has fascinated me forever. Origami seems to be originated from the Japanese word for folding – ori – and paper – kami = Orikami. Japanese art is so fine in all of its forms. And back to the paper airplanes, San Francisco hosted a competition Origami-Palooza complete with education and presentation of many facets of origami work including the Paper Airplane Challenge. Last month “The Paper Airplane Guy,” John Collins, the world record holder for paper airplane distance was there to assist in honing your paper airplane folding skills to insure greater success with your paper airplane flying! https://japancentersf.com/events/origami-palooza-great-paper-airplane-contest/

My happy observation of this past week and my advice with it – grab a piece of paper and try your hand at folding and flying a paper airplane!!!!!

Aug 27

Da Vinci, The Genius

By pattisays In architect, architecture, art and interior design, artistic talent, artists, civilization, context of interior design, design, designs in nature, education, fabrics, fashion and design, Fiber art, Golden Mean, Graphic art, graphic designs in interiors, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior design, Leonardo da Vinci, mirrors, multi-media design, Museums, natural designs, naturalist, nature, nostalgia and design, organic design, painters, patterns, proportion in design, Subscribers, teaching, textiles / 1

When you hear the name da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci, its undeniably familiar. You might instantly call-up a synonym – genius. But what do you really, other than the Mona Lisa, recognize? And what do you even know about her and the painting itself? For the past several months now nearing the end of its run, the exhibition Da Vinci, The Genius, at the Albuquerque Natural History Museum, presented by Grande Exhibitions of Victoria, Australia in collaboration with the Museo Leonardo da Vinci , Rome and the French Scientific engineer Pascal Cotte is an amazing consolidation of information on this singularly remarkable man.

An artist or even designer are such understated titles for this man of extraordinary inventions, concepts, engineering, art and science, because he was the true Renaissance Man! He touched so many things to advance countless trades and disciplines many of which are the basis of machinery and equipment in use today. But as brilliant as the universal exploits of this amazing polymath are, this would be a tedious blog if I focused on the many pulley systems, gadgets, mirrors, SCUBA suits and even flying machines that he created in his lifetime.

Rather, I would like to use this fascinating field trip that I just experienced to examine how I as a designer have been influenced by da Vinci – specifically, the spectacular rendition of the Golden Mean – nature’s perfect ratio that occurs in nearly everything around us. This common mathematical ratio is used to create subliminal perfection and pleasing compositions that mimic the perfect ratio found in nature and specifically, for my purposes, in design.

If you remove this square from the rectangle, you’ll be left with another, smaller Golden Rectangle. This could continue infinitely.

I have written about this previously in greater depth. It is a subject that has no limits as the application of this ratio helps assure good compositions whether you realize it or not. For graphic designers it is a must. For interior designers and architects it the formula for so many aspects of their work. People in art and design have employed the use of this perfect ratio for thousands of years. If you apply it – it is foolproof.

But back to the exhibit…there he was – the iconic man rendered in gold on black. You’ve seen it. But to know him is to see the perfection in the proportions that da Vinci used to create this perfect figure.

Right there in a commanding focal point was da Vinci’s drawing of Vitruvian Man. The accompanying video explained the relationship of all the dimensions as they related to the perfection of the Golden Ratio. Time and time again it is evident in the sections of this perfect anatomy.

Da Vinci correlated that the perfection of the proportions should be applied to represent the perfect human anatomical body and that it was an analogy for the entire workings of the universe.

His magnificent study of knots became sought-after for luxury fabrics used in 15th century fashion – many of which costumes and finery he designed. Interpretations as lover’s knots – the bond between them was a popular notion of his time and afterward.

It is an exhibition worth seeing. Even if you have stood in front of the real Mona Lisa and have visited sites exhibiting his vast creations and noted observations, this exhibition is worth a visit!

Aug 19

Decorative Wallcovering – Fun with Tile

By pattisays In Abstract Art, Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bathroom remodel, before and after, blue and white, breakfast rooms, commercial interior design, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative mirrors, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, DIY design, eclectic design, exterior - outdoor design, fireplaces, functional art, good design, graphic designs in interiors, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, home improvements, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, kitchen, kitchen design, kitchen remodeling, lifestyle, master bathrooms, mirrors, mosaic, mosaic tile, murals, natural stone, personal expression, personal taste, planning a remodel, powder rooms, public restrooms, recycle, recycle design, remodeling, residential restrooms, restaurant restrooms, stone, stone countertops, Subscribers, Talavera Tile, tile, update design, updating, urban art, wall texture, wall treatments, wallcovering / 2 Comments

When you think about finishing a wall, you probably think about paint colors…you might think about a wallcovering – wallpaper, or even a mirror – I’ve previously noted how mirroring an entire wall can exponentially expand a room – a dimensional effect/illusion that suggests the room extends well beyond its actual size. But another wall treatment, with which I LOVE to play, is tile!

All over the world, the art of designing and creating decorative finishes with tile has been evolving for centuries. All cultures have utilized mud and clay, glazes and fire to bake beautiful patterns and colors onto geometric slabs. Shapes of rectangular, square, octagonal, dots or diamonds – the geometric shapes are many and the designs are limitless.

As is true with other wall treatments, I prefer not to stop on an outside corner. I believe that the color or material should suggest a built mass – part of the architecture. To stop on an outside corner suggests a veneer. It proves that the finish on the element is not a structural/integral part of a built mass. When you paint into an inside corner and stop, it allows the mass the read as though solid and not merely superficially treated. The same is true with tile. Don’t stop it until you get to an inside corner – if possible. There are situations that force a finished edge on the flat plain of a wall – but avoid outside corners at all cost!!

This entire shower is tiled floor to ceiling, around the pony wall, bench…no door…it reads like a built environment of stone tile.

Think of the surface as an architectural element. Tile from floor to ceiling, inside corner to inside corner – wrapping corners, if needed, along the way.

Take a backsplash…customarily used to do just that – catch splashes at the back wall of a wet area (sink) countertop…bathrooms and kitchens, behind sinks and between upper and lower cabinets – but why stop there?

The entire back wall of this kitchen is mosaic marble tiles in a herringbone pattern.

Think of it as a true wallcovering – wallpaper. Commit to the entire surface. Here are more effective examples…

The backsplash and entire adjacent wall were covered in glass mosaic tiles. It “reads” like wallpaper.

here again, the classic blue and white Talavera tile backsplash is continued along the entire wall from floor to ceiling.

We are currently working on a couple of kitchen projects that will soon be completed. They both use tile liberally. Each quite different from the other. Stay tuned for the finished products!

In bathrooms, the area around a mirror can be more than merely the backsplash. Embed the mirror into the tile surround or tile the entire wall and hang a mirror on top of the tile surface.

This mirror is flush with the surrounding tile, suggesting that it is embedded into a tile wall.

Planning this transformation, the mosaic vase was the inspiration. Then loose tiles were scattered on the countertop and the concept began. Note, the existing mirror was attached to wall with light fixture mounted above it and a medicine cabinet off to the side.

The transformation involved removing the medicine cabinet, taking the floor tile up the wall and wrapping it floor to ceiling. It was also cut into smaller squares to use behind the sink as a “full-wall backsplash.” Then punctuated with glass and glazed tiles to create an updated design. Relocating electrical to flanking the mirror for a pair of new sconces and a new countertop, faucet and sink with existing cabinets painted resulted in a cost-effective design.

Here a mirror is mounted on top of the fully tiled wall. Inside and outside of the shower enclosure the tile is a true wall treatment.

I recently received this advertisement in my email. It was such a spectacular collection that it caught my eye and I share here one of the patterns and context shots as the backdrop to a range.

Mosaic assemblages can be fun! Here is a fireplace surround.

The addition of three-dimensional pieces adds interest.

This exterior fireplace surround tolerates the elements – an all-season installation.

Here is a mosaic mural of a dynamic geometric abstraction discovered in New Zealand. We are using this inspiration to establish a theme in a current restaurant project. An interpretation of this in the form of geometric tiles of various sizes, colors and patterns will be used to create a cohesive repeated design element through various areas of the restaurant – both inside and out. Watch for this completed project in coming months.

Commercial restrooms can benefit from full-wall tile treatments too. Not only does it look complete, but it is an ease of maintenance consideration.

Three dimensional tiles add interest to this cactus motif!

Fun with color and texture, tile are also easy too keep clean – terrific for public restrooms.

Murals are also terrific ways to use tile as art in your interior/exterior designs!

This is embedded into the stucco for an integral installation.

When using outside though, remember to consider the range of temperature and moisture to which it will be exposed. Porcelain is the most durable in areas where the temperatures get to and below freezing. Freezing and thawing can destroy tile. Many murals are made from clay that is not suitable in cold climates!

Inset into the tile wall treatment is this stunning glass mosaic abstract mural.

Tile – it’s a nearly limitless medium. So consider the possibilities for your next project! As a piece of art, an accent wall or an entire installation – full-wall treatments make a statement! Have fun with tile!

Aug 13

Southwest Style – What is it?

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, art and food, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bathroom remodel, beauty behold it, blue and white, civilization, color forecasting, Color schemes, color trends, colors, context of interior design, cowhides, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative arts, decorative mirrors, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, designs in nature, dining and design, drama of color, eclectic design, eclecticism, functional art, hammered metal, handcraft, handmade tableware, hiring an interior designer, historic properties, historical interior design, home improvements, houses, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, joy, kitchen, kitchen design, Leon de la Vega, lifestyle, Mexico, natural designs, nature, nostalgia and design, organic design, paint colors, personal expression, personal taste, powder rooms, Pueblo pottery, quilting, Regional design, residential restrooms, Santa Fe, New Mexico, selecting colors, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Spanish Colonial, stone countertops, Subscribers, table dressings, table top, tableware, Talavera Tile, terracotta, textiles, tile, timeless colors, travel and design, trends, value of good design, weavings / 1 2 Comments

Arriving for the first time in our American Southwest, one might feel like they have entered a different country, if not a different world!! To fly from anywhere else where there are rolling green hills, or green fields or dense green wooded landscapes, not to mention tropical environs and cruise over America’s Southwest, it looks like the moon – or some barren planet. Everyone remembers their first impression. Whether exotic or scary, lonely or seemingly uninhabitable, once you get on the ground and explore the beauty and variety of what’s here, you’re bitten – even smitten.

In all fairness, this is a completely defoliated winter shot!! Many now know how lush this magnificent Sandia Mountain can be at the top, in the summer. Yes, I said lush.

No other region has the distinct architecture and tri-cultural identity of what has become the elemental design style and flavor of this magical place. From “sea to shining sea” New England to Southern California you will find nuances of regional distinction – but not to the degree that the American southwest is set apart. Architectural influences from colonization have been the standard guiding style nationwide. Yet the ancient, practical elements, of civilization that long preceded the Europeans discovering the New World, is at the roots of this enchanting design style.

Tri-cultural architecture and interior design results from the remarkable history combining Native Americans carving out of stone walls, building with mud (adobe) bricks, devising simple, practical designs to capture heat and insulate in cold while minimizing solar gain in the warm weather months, with the conquering Spaniards and their colonial influences, and finally the pioneers from the east with their colonial English influences. Now more often replicated, with frame construction and stucco facades, this unique melding is the core of Southwestern architectural design.

When one hears the term “earth tones” setting a design trend in the 70s, it suggests the brown, tan, orange palette that was terribly limiting. Certainly to label it earth tones, it became a curse of a color scheme. Sadly to link it to a representation of southwestern design was misplaced and unfortunate. And how sad to think that it was so broadly accepted – like lemmings following blindly – everyone adopted this as a truism. So often the case with trends. The 70’s also spawned a diametrically opposite color scheme of blues and greens to refresh that which had been so mired in the “earth-tone” movement.

However, real earth tones are limitless. Earth tones are all colors…look down…look around. Even if you confine your interpretation to the dirt beneath your feet – the colors are vastly more than the brown, tan, rust, orange that became the rage. Soft pinks and grays, pale blue and whites…look at dirt. It might be more clay, might be more peat – from soft terracotta to dark espresso – dirt is earth and the colors and tones are limitless.

Tom Glover captured the beauty of the natural landscape through his artistic photographic medium that Georgia O’Keeffe and others have depicted through their artistic media.

Georgia O’Keeffe saw it and captured it in her own enduring style.

Nature offers color. Natural dyes have riddled that art world through time. Synthetic dyes took it a level further. But nature is at the core of all we have in this world.

http://www.quilthistory.com/dye.htm

Turquoise being a natural mineral in the American Southwest became a signature accent color punctuating the soft earthen tones of the adobe design palette.

Artist Victoria Martinez Rodgers paints a valley apple orchard and the turquoise wall is the perfect backdrop.

Color was always there for those who cared to notice. The great painters of this region presented it well. Their recordings of everything from the many colors of the rugged windswept landscapes to lush green mountain forests with shimmering golden aspen groves – and bosque cottonwoods screaming with yellow brilliance capture and convey so much more.

In autumn, bosque cottonwoods explode with color sending a streak of brilliant yellow all along the Rio Grande. Federico Leon de la Vega create this commissioned oil painting from a photo provided by his clients.

There are the natural and also synthetic dyes that were woven through the magnificent textiles of the Native Americans – blankets and articles of clothing were not limited to buckskin animal hides.

Ernest Blumenschein was the founder of the Taos Society of Artists capturing the color and textures of the realities that he encountered in this Land of Enchantment.

Sunsets everywhere play a part in the imagery of the landscape – here we see vast landscapes with brilliant fiery skies and those exciting corals and lavenders, soft pink and blue wisps provide inspiration for wall colors and backdrops to our richly embellished interior designs.

Yet spare, understated neutral interpretations also offer elegant representations of southwestern style.

So what do you visualize when you think of Southwestern Design? Please don’t say a turquoise wooden cutout of a howling coyote! Death by Southwestern Style – the overdose resulting from overdone clichés and trends that have spoiled the real art and beauty.

It doesn’t have to be all about cow skulls and pelts…but these cow hide butterfly chairs are pretty cool!!!

Perhaps you see a Mexican influence which is also part of the melding of the regional style – like food, we have a fine line sometimes with certain traditional dishes that when adopted and adapted by American Southwest kitchens took on a unique identity all its own – differing between Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We all enjoy bringing art and craft from our southern neighbors into our designs.

Borrowing, sharing, combining so many design elements such as adobe architecture, colonial wood trim detailing, fired brick technology, Mexican Talavera tile and pottery,

Native American textiles and so many other handcrafts

The owners of this interior have an intimate relationship with each of the artists that they have collected down to this magnificent mount of a buffalo. They knew him and his name and why he was put down.

from punched and tooled tin, paintings and pottery – southwestern interior design is rich with color, texture, artistic detailing and true soul. The connection to the earth is undeniable and nature always plays a key role.

So how might you introduce southwestern influences into YOUR design scheme? You could tile the wall(s) of a powder room in Talavera Tile. Maybe just a mirror surround?

You might paint an accent wall – or all walls in a room or some other bold color inspired by a regional image

Mango watercolor by Susan Weeks splashes coral against the golden yellow wall with a lime green lighted cabinet showcasing old, traditional, low-fire Talavera tableware. classic Talavera blue and white tile frame the bar opening and on through out the kitchen.

and collect art pieces such a punched tin crosses, wood and straw,

landscape or still life painting, hang a blanket or drape a bed with a beautiful woven textile…introducing different styles speaks to last week’s story about eclecticism. Don’t be afraid to mix things that you like. What brings you joy?

Jul 29

HOME – An Artist’s Perspective

By pattisays In architect, architecture, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bars and restaurants, construction, context of interior design, creative process, creativity, design, design process, discovering artistic talent, Do Ho Suh, door hardware, embroidery, fabrics, handmade, hiring an interior designer, home, houses, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, lifestyle, Modern Art, multi-media design, Museums, nostalgia and design, personal expression, SAAM, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Subscribers, textiles, Washington D.C. /

It was quite by accident that we ran into SAAM! Truly, our destination and plan for the afternoon was to catch a bite at the hip and artsy Jaleo tapas restaurant and head to the Bible Museum to see some cool film of all of the buildings in downtown DC that feature biblical quotes on their facades – or something to that effect. But as we sat there in this trippy Spanish-themed interior, right next to the window, we

watched the staff bring in umbrellas from the sidewalk seating areas as the wind picked-up and the sky darkened. Our plans soon began to change. We dawdled at the table well past our tantalizing tapas feast and watched the rain come down in sheets.

As the time past, it became apparent that the Bible Museum was too daunting a task to embark on after the storm subsided. So we dashed between the drops to the nearby Smithsonian American Art Museum – SAAM!

Having never been there before and not having planned this outing, we entered without a clue as to what we might find – except perhaps the portraits of the Presidents – cool enough. Yet inasmuch as the exhibits were wonderful and many faceted, I want to focus on one inspired installation that pertains directly to architecture and design.

Considered to be perhaps the most compelling architectural artists around today, Do Ho Suh takes nostalgia for “home” to a whole new dimension. He figured out that he didn’t need to wait for enchanted ruby red slippers – no, he re-creates memories of “home” and makes them transportable all over the planet. And by whole new dimension, I mean we walked through fine translucent fabrics – taught and stitched – over concealed stainless steel frames creating hallways of houses where he had formerly lived around the world.

With great attention to detail, he stitched door hardware, radiators, and wood trim details. It was remarkable.

This interactive immersion was thought provoking. I think it is impossible to pass through this presentation without experiencing a few fleeting personal memories of the your own past homes. As Dorothy taught us,”There’s no place like home.”

It was as though the sheer polyester fabric was misty or ethereal as though not really there – a very effective medium to suggest a thought or memory. How fascinating to render a structure with such a diaphanous, fragile sense – tangible yet not. “Almost Home.” There, but not quite.

The time it must have taken to create this tedious textile architectural art-piece, of delicately painstaking work, surely proves his love for these past dwellings.

This presentation will be the most comprehensive of Do Ho Suh’s work ever shown on the East Coast. And wait – there’s more! After having navigated the Twilight Zone of Do Ho Suh’s recollections, I was even more strongly drawn to this large-scale piece of stitched textile work mounted on the wall! It was a colorful and beautifully complex collection of images of people and homes in various states of movement and fantasy.

Colorful threads intentionally strewn from the stitched images of human figures, some sporting houses on their heads, another running with memories flying behind his head…taking the home (s) through life’s stages – memories…home is where the heart is…taking their memories with them…

People parachuting with houses floating through the air…pitched roofs and domes – all manner of interpretations of “home.”

There is a stitched reference to Seoul and a house on a jetty suspended above a wild, choppy sea.

Live – dwell – reside – inhabit…Be quick – it’s only there until the 5th of August.

Jun 17

Have You Listened to Your Heart on a Quest to Create ART?

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, art and interior design, art as gift ideas, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, beginning artists, creative process, creativity, decorative arts, design process, design tips, Discovering Art, discovering artistic talent, George W. Bush, Glennon Doyle, handcraft, handmade, handwriting, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior enhancements, Kim Jackson, lifestyle, love, Mind Your Handwriting by Leon de la Vega, natural stone, Organic art, painted rocks, painters, personal expression, presidents of the United States, recognizing signs, stone, Subscribers, value of art, value of good design / 1

When do you know when to listen to a sign? What opportunity changes your life? From romance to career changes and all manner of life’s opportunities – what catches your attention? What switches on inside and makes you take notice? Having someone cross your path and not realize he/she is your soul-mate. We’ve seen many movies with this elusive thread woven through the plot. One of my favorite songs, about such would-be near-misses, is “If He’s Ever Near” in which Karla Bonoff pines…

They say just once in life
You find someone that’s right
But the world looks so confused
I can’t tell false from true

And love’s so hard to find
In this state of mind
Oh I hope I’ll know him
I hope I’ll know him
If he’s ever near

…her yearning hits a cord. What is a sign? How do you know? What action do you take? It’s not always particularly obvious.

Recognizing opportunities is what separates many successful people from the rest of the world. Taking chances, when those signs make their appearance, is the other factor. Risk-taking is a scary leap into the unknown, but so often results in great reward when it is a true calling and approached with dedication to seek and meet the challenges.

Seems from many with whom I’ve spoken, a true calling is pretty clear. It taps into a passion and ignites a level of excitement and enthusiasm that is hence to fore unmatched. It becomes an irreversible path forward. Like an involuntary propulsion. Thrilling for some – terrifying for others. Which type are YOU? Perhaps you find yourself in the middle – healthy respect for the trepidation, but curiosity for what’s in store!!!

Twice this week I have met with artists who are each taking an enormous leap into a new life direction. One who might not be ready for me to blog about her adventure has leaped from a 30+ year life in Mexico… to a year-long reunion in Arizona with family tapping into the vibrant art scene in Sedona…then a soul-searching move to New Mexico where she invested her savings to start a new independent life…and after exploring her options and searching introspectively for her personal needs, happiness and goals has decided, after yet another year, to sell her new home and return to Sedona to pursue what she firmly believes is her calling. She took leaps, explored options, followed leads and returned to what she initially thought was the right place for her, but which had contingencies that masked her true indicators. She did not want to have imagined constraints rule her decision. Now she realizes that it is her choice, her viewpoint, and ultimately her quest for joy. Her focus and grace have inspired me on many levels and I hope to share her story once she’s ready!

Yesterday I was visited by a Renaissance artist whose enthusiasm and self-effacing manner bring sunshine to every event! Kim Jackson has a new-found passion! Having mastered her profession in the arena of photography (http://www.kimjacksonphotography.com) she had an encounter that looks like will change her life path with new-found joy.

Sprinkled at my reception desk, I was presented with an array of amazing little jewels. Kim spread a collection of painted rocks and miniature paintings in a scattering like pebbles and fallen leaves. Only these jewels were painted with such detail and expression that I was arrested – awestruck.

Her own words about this turning point in her life is enchanting.

Last summer I was gifted a painted rock by a 4 year old girl about to lose both of her dogs – the rock read “Love”.

I was touched and photographed it to share with my instagram followers, which lead me down the #paintedrock hashtag. The first artist’s post I clicked on – she does amazing mandala dot art – shared what kind of paint she used and gave other general tips. By that afternoon I had a rainbow of colors and was painting my first rocks.

Kim was there to capture the family on the eve of having to put their two dogs down. The little girl presented her with a simple yet profound object and message that resonated so strongly with Kim that it sparked an idea that lead down a path…

My rock art (art rocks) style has evolved in the last 10 months, and at the beginning of May 2018 I painted my first 2D “little dessert” and bird paintings – supposed to be gifts for Mother’s Day. With encouragement from a fellow artist I have approached galleries and received warm reviews on both the stones and little paintings.

Although Kim’s photography still plays a significant and pleasurable career role in her life, this quest to explore other of her creative energies and talents is proving to be an exciting and potentially lucrative path.

Thanks to the support of my husband Billy, I feel extremely lucky to be given a chance with a second artistic medium – something I never dreamed I would be able to do. I’ve lived my entire life thinking that I could not paint well. While feeling blessed to make a career out of my photography, this is an exciting new direction, I am excited to see where it leads.

I see Kim as a precious stone, of many facets. Although she will still pursue her love of photography and capture people’s lives and many story chapters, Kim will make room for this blossoming career move into the exploration of creating art directly from her heart to her hand.

This sentiment has been so profoundly stated by Federico Leon de la Vega as he references a similar heartfelt expression regarding the (very personal and possibly evolutionary level) value of handwriting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9j_pLgCr1U

Federico prepares a prp for his TEDX Talk. “From my head to my mind, from my mind to my hand, from my hand to the paper, I place in your hand, so you may fold it and keep it near your heart.”

Some things cross your path unwanted and certainly change your life. For the undesirable things, I recently read this phrase by Glennon Doyle “Your wound probably is not your fault, but your healing is your responsibility.” Well, you might very well have caused your wound – but either way, taking charge of the healing is your responsibility. Which makes me realize that which we have all been told so many times – that your destiny is in YOUR hands.

As this relates to art – do not be afraid to explore your creative tendencies. Do not feel you are not worthy or good enough. Experiment. There are so many examples of late bloomers in life. A prime example are the magnificent Portraits of Courage by George W Bush. He dabbled and played with a wide variety of subjects before he hit on portraiture. His abstractly artistic interpretations of people too shape and he discovered that these seemingly primitive paintings had intriguing representation, expression, character, beauty and appeal. The path led him to a powerful platform for veterans, fund-raising opportunities, heightened awareness and acknowledgement of sacrifice.

https://www.bushcenter.org/exhibits-and-events/exhibits/2017/portraits-of-courage-exhibit.html

As stated on the website, this exercise has become significant:

A VIBRANT COLLECTION OF OIL PAINTINGS AND STORIES BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH HONORING THE SACRIFICE AND COURAGE OF AMERICA’S MILITARY VETERANS — AND HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF THE BUSH INSTITUTE’S MILITARY SERVICE INITIATIVE.

A great article on the accidental painter is here in The Artists’ Network

President George W. Bush’s Portrait Paintings of Veterans

“These portrait paintings aren’t great but they are gutsy, because it is gutsy to show your artwork period, but it is really gutsy when you know the work isn’t perfect and you do it anyway, because it matters to you.

We could all learn a little bit from this–to embrace our abilities as they are right now, and then to simply let the work go…”

It’s not about a perception of being great or even good enough – most artists never really believe that they are. It is about following your passion – in this case, artistic expression. You might be surprised at what happens next! Believe in the power of ART!!

May 07

Picking PINK!

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, art and interior design, artistic expression, artists, beauty behold it, Bruce Piel, Color schemes, color trends, colors, creativity, decorative arts, design, design tips, design trends, Discovering Art, drama of color, dried flowers, element of surprise in design, etchings, fanciful design, Garden, Gerard Lehner, handmade, hiring an interior designer, Impressionist painters, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design trends, interior enhancements, joy, lifestyle, Lilly Pulitzer, Lyndia Terre, Marilyn Yates, Mexico, Millenial, nostalgia and design, painters, Peggy Zuris, personal expression, pink, pinks and greens, selecting colors, Subscribers, timeless colors, trends, value of art, watercolors / 2 Comments

Prompted by pieces peppering a pastel presentation for an artist’s opening reception entitled Resilience we held here at PATRICIAN DESIGN last Friday evening, I was pondering this week’s topic when PINK peeked into my thoughts.

Pale pink is an unsung color – often considered to be insipid and lacking ooomph, it really is quite satisfactory. Pounced on by millennials, with their popular color trend “Millennial Pink” passion for all things in fashion and home style, pink has made a bit of a splash in recent years.

Last Friday, with the creation of the display window featuring pottery shards scattered along the floor, artist Helen Atkin’s peachy pastel pink and soft coral glazes melded together against the soft geometric woven textile resulting in a confection of comfortable color and texture.

Helen Atkins’ shards and little dishes sprinkled in the east gallery window at PATRICIAN DESIGN.

I awoke today with this color on my mind. Swirling thoughts, so often the case, as one thing leads to another and I thought – I wonder how much of that most satisfactory and pleasing color I have here in my immediate world. So, I set-forth to find out.

Gathered on the nightstand in the guest room, this cluster of dried flowers is a fragile collection of soft pink tones.

Walking around the house, I came upon so many examples that I really was quite pleased. The re-discovery of each made me feel content. I realize that although they are seemingly insignificant that they are really quite sentimental pieces gathered through the years and each so distinctly different from the next.

One of my first purchases when I moved across the country was this discarded, damaged Tamarind print of a large nearly psychedelic strawberry from the famed print-making institute where rejected failures spoke the language of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and it was mine to adorn my new, naked, New Mexican walls.

Generally referencing feminine imagery and romance, pink is delicate yet full of depth and variation – as with all colors – the range is limitless for value, tone, blending of shades…Contrasting warm yellows and cool blues frame pink so well.

Detail of one of several of my Gerhard Lehner lovlies, I Still Sail to the Virgin Islands. As the artists explains – “An original like-etching a la poupe arrived from drawn textural lines and painted effects which allows the poetic ink to transfer to the fine rag paper.”

Detail – Fine Craft and Dance by Gerard Lehner

Bold floral brush strokes sweep through the pinks and peach, coral and rose, accented with the contrasting vessel in a brilliant cobalt blue, Peggy Zuris was a master of color and style.

Memories of the warm glow of the pink roof-tiled, painted and plastered buildings along the Puerto Vallarta coastline absorb and reflect the rising and setting sun during all exposures of the day.

Detail – watercolor featuring iconic Our Lady of Guadalupe church by Victor Torres Tellas

Meandering from room to room I encounter so many pretty pink things. I obviously gravitate to this amidst my many other colors as a necessary element woven through my comfort zone.

Detail – Fantastically French floral oil on canvas by Anne Sandry

And I adore this finely detailed hand-colored etching showcasing a foreground field of pink lupines,bought decades ago in the artist’s studio at The Torpedo Factory.

Detail of etching by Lyndia Terre

Then I came upon these book bindings stacked unconsciously atop a mahogany dresser , resulting in a study in pinks presenting a pleasing palette.

I realize that I was exposed to the priority of pink at an early age as my mother’s interior design palette incorporated pinks and soft greens in the more formal areas as well as outside on our screened porch and patio beyond, to the gardens with magnificent mounds of screaming pink azaleas blooming and their explosions of color every spring. Surrounded by lush verdant foliage of the woods where we lived, pink contrasted well with the many shades of green into which we were intimately nestled. We were comfortably punctuated with pink. Therefore it was not a foreign color and complimented the transitions into other darker green tones and yellow accents throughout our house. The original scrolled wool wall-to-wall carpet was a medium pinky-clay color. Quite unusual, yet neutral, providing an earthy grounding. Mom also enjoyed the vibrant introduction of designer Lily Pulitzer onto the scene in the 60s and peppered her wardrobe with Pulitzer pinks from carnation to hot fuscia contrasting with chartreuse green. Today her classic iconic colors and patterns still make significant design statements. Mom has never been afraid of color! I inherited that fearless foray into colors of anything fun and fabulous

This handcrafted New Mexican church (birdhouse – having never been outside to host a bird) sports an eclectic array of enchanting elements using pinks to perk up the collection of colors. I realize as I tour these rooms of colorful artwork, that I love the combination of pinks with blues and yellows!!

and also the appreciation for the soft subtleties too. These two magnificent oil paintings depicting New Mexican scenes with the oh-so-pleasing pinks.

Detail – oil painting Church at Golden by Marilyn Yates

Detail – oil painting Moonrise by Bruce Piel

This has been a fun and illuminating exercise. I’ve determined that pink is essential to me.

Why not a pink cabbage plate on the guest room duvet cover dotted with woven clay-pink slubs?

It occurs in so many things that bring me joy.

A heavy, luminous hand-blown glass vase.

Speckled vintage vase – a touch of fun!

As my dear friend Corinne aptly named her shop, it is The Color of Joy. Pick a color – any color – and go around your interior spaces and see what you discover – perhaps you will find your essential grounding color. It just might be a surprise. Find what brings you joy.

Apr 29

Cats, Patterns and Participation

By pattisays In art and interior design, artistic expression, artists, Buffalo, cats, Color schemes, contrasts for balance in design, cowhides, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative arts, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, fireplaces, graphic designs in interiors, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, illusions of space, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior enhancements, lifestyle, metal and wood furniture design, Native American Art, patterns, personal expression, pottery, practical design, Regional design, room arrangement, Subscribers, Taxidermy as ART, timeless colors, upholstery, value of art, wall sculpture, weavings, weavings /

During the course of this day’s consultation this precious and perky bob-tailed cat, Kachina, inserted herself into the entire process. She greeted me upon arrival, walked all manner of adjacent furniture as we discussed the scope of work. She tip-toed across tables, sofa and chair backs, and ultimately the hides we were considering for upholstery.

Initially we viewed the room and its present arrangement and realized that the l-shaped right angle position of the sofa, loveseat and recliner conflicted with the angles in the room. the sofa was perpendicular to the TV/display. The fireplace was at an angle in the corner. Neither one had the central focus – the attention was split from all angles. So the question was…Is it necessary to have the recliner as the primary TV viewing piece? Seemed like all the pieces were crammed together and the room was not being utilized to its full potential.

Kachina even has her eye on that bulky sofa as though to say – MOVE IT!

Kachina leaped onto the sofa to make her point- agreeing to the subject of our conversation!

It was determined that the recliner need not be positioned to directly view the TV. Once we turned the sofa to be parallel to the fireplace, it also opened the angle to the entire room and framed both the TV/display unit and fireplace. The recliner tucked into the far corner -not facing the TV – created a cozy nook for reading and next to the patio doors allowed a view of the backyard.

Needless to say, this fireplace crowned by this magnificent buffalo was an incredible focal point. Formerly from Wyoming, this couple knew this buffalo. They knew his name and knew that he became too aggressive and gored at least one female to death – who had to also be put down and who’s pelt was on the floor in another area of the home. The hunt and subsequent shoot has been preciously preserved and revered. These were not mere trophies.

This is the most extraordinary collection of very fine Native American Art I have ever seen in a private residence. From to carved stone, amazing weavings to paintings and pottery, the presentation is stunning.

To soften all the hard and cold materials of the floor tile, leather and iron detailing, we are now on the hunt for the perfect area rug. Probably a shag to carry the balance of the contrasting finishes. Design is all about contrast, balance and harmony. Unless the intent is to intentionally disrupt, in which case, the contrast takes center stage!!!!

These gorgeous brindle cow hides were so exotic and beautiful. The patterns and colors were wonderful and the couple who owned them had a great respect for the animals, and the celebration of their beautiful pelts.

Kachina was nearly camouflaged with her pretty pelt against theirs.

It’s fun when pets participate.

We will be making a pair of ottomans with these two hides. Great for pull-up at parties to gather around the cocktail table in the center of the room. Watch for the additional photos once the work is finished.

Apr 01

Easter Art Encounters

By pattisays In aluminum, art and interior design, art as gift ideas, artistic expression, artists, beauty behold it, colors, creativity, decorative arts, design, design tips, design trends, Easter decor, fanciful design, floral designs, folkart, handmade, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior design, joy, Modern Art, party themes, personal expression, pottery, sculpture, seasonal interior design, table top, value of art, value of good design, wall sculpture /

Toodling around Tucson today this Easter eve, we came upon some fun seasonal art!! From antique to modern masterpieces made today, it was quite a diverse array!

An antique Lalique French crystal bowl was an elegant vessel to present these hand-painted pastel wooden eggs. Mixing refined with folk-art is a wonderful contrast in style!

Potter Robin Chlad designs and builds these stunning three-dimensional crosses. Adorned with birds and flowers, no two are alike and the brilliant colors are fabulous!

We hopped past these adorable bunnies! So many colors of fine metal-craft each. What a whimsical collection by artist Jeffie Brewer!! And his subject matter is well beyond bunnies!!!!

Explosions of spring cactus are in bloom from nature’s statement in these vivid coral barrel cacti we encountered in a xeric garden,

to the artist Lucky Coleman’s fanciful interpretations using brilliant combinations of glazes on dazzling sculptures of clay! The beauty of nature to the fantasy of an artist’s creativity, we witnessed magnificent blooms! A time of rebirth and new life – spring is in the air!

Happy EASTER!!!! Happy SPRING!!!!!