The CREATIVE PROCESS of Interior Design

At the outset of a design project, certain first steps are common. It is after those initial steps that things can take two very different directions. First you have the desire or need to make some changes/improvements. You decide with whom you want to work to design and implement.

If you take the time to plan every aspect of a project, make all the selections, get all the details down on paper—well notated and drawn so as to convey every intent, you may begin and proceed without hesitation. The project can be scheduled and run accordingly. Easy peasy—with that prior proper planning.

Whoa—is that real life? Well it works for many. It works for those too busy to delve into the many possibilities, to be open to the evolution of the process, to enjoy the adventure of creativity. I’m talking about the projects not requiring permits – fabrics, finishes and furniture. New cabinets in a kitchen, switch out the counter-tops, get new updated back-splash…rearrange, replace, recover furniture…paint walls, hang art, mostly cosmetic enhancements in this case. Clearly some just want it done—and have no interest in the creative process. However, do you ever have a second thought? Does one decision affect the next? As you experience the design and implementation process, might you change you mind…have another idea? It happens all the time. It is more realistic, fun and feels like a true artistic endeavor.

But is your intent to create an art piece? Is it to experience an artistic endeavor? Or do you just want some new pieces, finishes, an update? These are two very different situations that require different processes.

True design is centered around the unique requirements and desires of the client. It is responsive and reactive. It is also proactive and filled with anticipation. The design process is one of balance and equation. If…then…

This process is intuitive and educated. It is based upon expectation and perception. Like tipping back in a chair…back…back…until you might fall and then—you catch yourself and all is right with the world—exciting but measured.

Why do you hire an interior designer? With all the information available at your fingertips, why do you need to pay someone to do what you like? If you know what you like, you have the time and you have gathered a folder of ideas, why do you need a designer? Might it be to sort through options? Or to decide between choices of fabrics, groupings, arrangement, scale, style? Merely to hold your hand while you make those decisions? Do you have 5 photos of sofas? Do you have a million pictures of materials? Have you picked up or ordered clippings of fabrics? How do you decide among these many options? How do you know you are making the right/best decision given your options? What is timeless? What is trendy? What will last? What is practical? Which direction should it go? What goes with what? Ha—its funny if you start looking at your options and asking those questions…and there are a gazillion more during the process.

The idea behind hiring the right professional, is that they will help make the best decisions that will narrow your search and selections resulting in a distilled version of the gazillion ideas your have pinned, clipped, saved, collected and visualized. Not to mention they might and should bring other new ideas to the mix. The end result of responsible design consultation should provide a design you would not have had, that you like better than your efforts alone and eliminate costly mistakes saving both time and money.

The most difficult part is to recognize that not everyone receives information and processes it the same. One person’s mental image of a design concept might not be the same as another’s. Conveying ideas is an abstraction that can only be somewhat helped with illustrations and models. From quick sketches to well rendered illustrations, dimensional drawings to actual models, nothing will ever exactly convey what will be the finished product.

A sketch like this TV cabinet suggests a possible solution to an a/v issue…

Finished similarly to this piece of finely crafted knotty alder.

And this tired, yet fabulous contemporary sofa – can you visualize it in an elegant, classic navy stripe with new wooden feet? Watch for this transformation in a coming blog!!

It’s all conceptual. It’s not real—until its real. How’s that for a profound observation? Both designers and clients need to be very clear on this prior to committing to a design process. Visualization can be tricky. It effects expectations.

Communication is key. Choosing good, descriptive words…tangible samples of materials… illustrations…models…not all projects warrant the latter examples. The cost of the communication tools must be weighed against the value to the project.

So the creative process is fun and adventurous. The permutations are endless. So many choices, so little time. But if you make one decision, you narrow your steps. With each decision you build toward the finished product. And the beauty of giving yourself permission to “create” means that you can change your mind at any time, massaging the process as you proceed.

It takes patience and resilience. Art is creativity—opening the mind to possibilities.

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396) What is creativity? – California State University, Northridge https://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm

The entertainment factor (above) is an interesting point—because it relates to the previously mentioned—fun! This creative process can be and should be FUN!!!

Being prepared to make alterations, fine-tune, add details and work toward that place that determines completion. Like a painter in front of a canvas…knowing when to stop. It can be over-worked. It can be compromised by going too far beyond that which is good. This does not merely refer to clutter or busy design…each is applicable and depending upon the definition and eye of the beholder (again perception) it can all constitute good design. One man’s clutter is another man’s complex design. But who makes those decisions? The critics for one—if the work is out there to be critiqued by the professionals, but the bottom line is the end user. If it solves the issues, serves the purpose, satisfies the desires—that is success. YOU (the end user) determine the success or failure of your design project.

But that determination of success or failure is a shared responsibility. It is a team effort of communication, contribution and patience with the process. The creative process has few limitations. Budget for one is important and physical restrictions—but other than those—designing is as though a living organism’s path. Designing is the abstract – to tangible way of navigating the fluidity, growth and development of the creative process.

So be free to explore and enjoy the possibilities. They are endless. Seeing the design materialize with the additions, and deletions, changes and modifications is part of the exhilaration of it all. It wants to be exciting and feed that thrill of anticipation and fulfillment of desire.

Create—and enjoy—it is good for your life.

Posted On April 29, 2017 By pattisays In before and after, breweries, clutter, creative process, creativity, design, design process, Design Team, design tips, design trends, DIY design, education, furniture finds, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior design trends, personal expression, practical design, re-purpose, re-upholstery, Refresh, trends, updating / 1

Refresh Renew Replace – Custom Design Details

We LOVE custom challenges. When you have the right team, with the right talent – anything is possible. Part is luck the other is cultivation, but in my case – most was luck!!! They/we didn’t need cultivation – it was a perfect fit from the start! Thank you!

Your team is your strength – whatever your profession. Think about it. From aerobatics to orchestra conductor – those who count on others to make them look good – with or despite their efforts – the end result is what counts. – right?

I, and most people, LOVE before and after photos – it’s fun, it’s instantly comparative, it satisfies our desire to achieve that which we can’t have…except in a facsimile thereof. It’s proof and validation that we can have it – a version of “it.”

We often miss opportunities of taking the before shot – rearranging a room is a prime example – because it happens on the spur of the moment and happens within minutes – the results are startling and instantly proving of “better” design.

We often replace existing with new. New something…whether re-upholstery or new cabinets, no job too small – the results change lives. Of course, entire remodels are the bomb!

Respect any existing thing. Evaluate it for its merits. Consider its history and construction. Fragile or invincible – the history is of value. AND its replacement cost.

Then go about making it a better versions of its original self. Paint it, refinish it, cut it, re-cover it…NOTE – anything with genuine historic value must NOT be changed – must not be modified in any way in order to preserve its original condition and relative value. Here, we are talking about tired pieces that do not have any other historic value. Just time to refresh. Know the difference.

Photos to follow are from one project that is currently underway. Re-upholstery – who said you have to do it all with the same fabric? From blah to brilliant, the before versus after is awesome!

Other times it is about replacing for a better piece. Better for changing aesthetics, better or different function. Here we had existing dressers that served their purpose for several years. They did not go with the other furniture that the owners had collected over the years and the style of the home in a broader sense. It was time to replace them, and finding the right pieces was a challenge. Size and style were the two specific features and therefore a custom design/build was in order. The plain espresso stained veneer pieces were replaced with hand-crafted pieces using hardwood solids and fine veneers of character-filled knotty alder, custom trim details and hand rubbed glazing over many layers of stain and finish resulted in two exquisite pieces to complement their interior. Handsome, heavy solid pulls added to the rich, warm and substantial feel of these exceptional pieces. Note – this was built by one person in a small one-room shop. It is not a multi-employee assembly-line woodworking company. Thank you Enrique, for once again making my dreams come true!!

This was delivery day – media and wire management are still underway – but this was the instant removal of one and replacement with the new! I love the “happy dancer knot!” Like other designs in nature, granite geology, wood…so much beauty in the hidden details – wonderful! Take notice!

As designers, we solve problems, make improvements and assist with the ideas and the means by which to accomplish the mission. Custom fabrication is a unique way to create your signature design. The permutations are endless and an effective designer will make recommendations exclusively for you.

Posted On April 22, 2017 By pattisays In beauty behold it, before and after, custom furniture, design, Design Team, design trends, furniture finds, handcraft, handmade, inspiration from nature, interior design, interior design trends, natural integrity of the materials, re-upholstery, Refresh, signature, updating, upholstery /

Design Dreams Come True – Custom Collection

Designing is great fun. But the key to completing the circle that starts with an idea in response to a need (or not) is having that design come to fruition. I am grateful for having a great team of detailed design fabricators who make my dreams come true. And they spoil me. I think many designers will say the same thing. What starts on a cocktail napkin, torn piece of flimsy trace off a roll, a sheet of graph paper or more formally, working drawings, takes shape with the collaboration of designer and fabricators who are not just fabricators, but invaluable contributors to the finished products’ construction and design details. These are the seamstresses, upholsterers, carpenters, iron-workers and all manner of construction trades who bring these creations to fruition!

Several years ago we had a client who was daring in her desire to have a super modern loft. Her history of traditional furnishings and up-bringing was well in place in Washington state, but this opportunity to have a second home, an urban loft, made way for her exercising the juices that offered a new alternative lifestyle and a new “look.”

One of the many key pieces in this fabulous space turned out to be the cornerstone of a new custom collection that we fondly call PATRICIAN DESIGN’S “Hammered Home.”

As I planned the pieces for this fun and hip urban interior, I designed painted pieces, modern tonsus, a Nelson inspired coffee table, red and raw steel glass-topped dining table base, a new take on a drop-leaf desk and colorful mixed media end-table/chests all custom fabricated by my team, but I wanted something more, something that gave rich, detail and dimension, interest and art and this new line of custom furniture was born. The first piece, a nightstand/end table for a dual-purposed guest room/study combined clean-lined wood with steel. So with a quick sketch of the dimensions and form, my desire to have metal legs suspending it off the floor, metal accents but not severe – I thought, hammered?

The wood tone was to be a more milk chocolate than mahogany but tight-grained and true medium brown. The floors were an existing light engineered material and this brown contrasted nicely.

The next opportunity to introduce this combo theme of our “Hammered Home” design came with a young family’s need for a media armoire in the “family” room. Several years ago when “espresso” hit the design scene for the new trend for modern furniture, everyone from Target to Pottery Barn to Robb & Stuckey filled their inventory with the dark coffee bean wood finish. As a designer, I recognized the value of the trend and wanted to accept it, but take it a step further for these very smart and successful, yuppy clients.

In previous blogs, I have clearly stated that all trends are not created equal. some are passing fancies of color combinations that soon become dated or design elements that don’t leave a significant mark to pass the test of time. But the dark chocolate/coffee color enriched that which had so often been blond, light woods and cherry/cinnamon tones of recent popularity and contributed a valid alternate stain theme for wood furniture. The media armoire for a young family’s “family” room, was clean-lined and new. The bling was industrial enough not to be glitzy, but just enough silver-grey metallic to contrast against the dark wood.

The next version of this “Hammered Home” collection came in front of a stacked sandstone wall of bone white, creamy cream, a hint of gold and a tinge of iron rust. We picked the darker rust tone to contrast against the otherwise soft light stone wall colors – the rusty hue suggested a cinnamon colored alder – stain magic! This pair of low profile media cabinets housed all the components and an incredible bundle of wires streaming into the back of the cabinet from all points of the house – and it’s called wi-fi? Really? Due to the color scheme, we decided that a copper metal panel would really meld with the cinnamon-stain of the alder. So we took it a step further to enhance the copper, knock it down a bit and highlight the texture with a blackened rub that nestles into the hollows and allows the bas relief to shine. It is a warm, rich, dimensional textural wonderfulness.

So when a very fun client called last fall wanting a surprise for his wife – nightstands perhaps? I laughed because my husband often says that he’s getting me storm windows for a Valentine’s Day gift…funny – every girl’s dream!! But nightstands are at least in the realm of dreamland!!! So knowing the room and its existing color scheme, I decided upon a satin black with the same hammered blackened copper panels. The combination of the black and blackened copper was sensational. The style was more transitional than the previous clean-lined pieces – but it goes to show that this hammered metal design theme can transcend the styles…

We LOVE working with this client as he knows that he either has an idea (a new nightstand) that we can create or he calls and asks – what can we create for the next event? Whether birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day – we have provided locally hand-loomed textiles wraps, wild embroidery throws, magnificent oil paintings, locally hand-crafted jewelry and more! How fun for him to know that each present is custom and unique, supports local artists and will be a treasure forever. Plus he doesn’t have to shop!!!!!

So we delivered our surprise cabinet last week on Valentine’s Tuesday, I stopped at a quickie store and bought some simple heart stickers – not much larger than a postage stamp, I stuck one in the drawer and one on the shelf of the lower cabinet and thought that whenever she opened this cabinet she will remember that it was her Valentine’s surprise!!! We had a key, took the cabinet to their bedroom, removed the old nightstand, replaced it with the new one…Voila! She came home to a really neat surprise!!! And might there be a matching one in the works?? We can’t say.

Custom fun – support local artists and make your dreams come true!!!!!

Posted On February 19, 2017 By pattisays In artists, custom furniture, decorative arts, furniture finds, hammered metal, handcraft, handmade, metal and wood furniture design, modern cabinets, painted furniture, Uncategorized /

Valentine Expressions

You know…we designers design for our clients and ourselves around themes, we design around events, we design around seasons and of course we design around the trends…it all keeps the commerce of products and materials in motion. And at this time of year, we see focus on wine clubs, pajama grams, stuffed teddy bears in enormous sizes, hearts, hearts, hearts…and roses natural red or gilded, it’s Valentine’s Day!!!

But it’s fair to note that all seasons have valid design consideration. Setting the scene, enhancing the moment – either for you, your family or a romantic encounter, the holidays and especially this one, evoke a desire to create a scene that conveys love and romance.

To that end , my blog is brief. Enjoy that which brings you joy. Revel in the happiness that presents itself. Create beauty where you can. And as we are want to say….art and good design can almost always bring a better scene to anyone’s place on this precious planet.

So be it a candy heart with a common message of joy, a product acquired to create a scene, a piece of jewelry to promise, a token to send love, a greeting of friendship, a message to offer support, it is all about connecting.

I decided to paint a bowl for my sweetheart. Yes, I had passed this guy’s booth, encouraged others to partake, had appreciated his talent, but never ventured forth. This year, I enjoyed sitting alongside Victor in the shade, with the waves lapping the beach, and soft music wafting through the air…allowing a moment of focus on an artistic expression, a blank canvas (my bowl) to say Happy Valentine’s Day to MY Valentine.

Here is the finished result.

Connecting. We at PATRICIAN DESIGN support local artists and hope that the next time that you need a gift, want to send a message, or desire a creative addition to your personal space, that you will consider local talent to fulfill that need. OR do it yourself DIY!!!

Wear ART – Shop Local – Support LOCAL artists – Need we say more?

Ok…we provide the greatest FREE gift wrap to get you on your way!!!

XXX000 Happy Valentine’s Day – (it’s Tuesday – better get prepared!!!)

PATRICIAN DESIGN

Posted On February 11, 2017 By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, artistic expression, beauty behold it, colors, decorative arts, design, design tips, DIY design, handcraft, handmade, hearts and design, inspiration, joy, love, red, Valentine's / 5 Comments

Hearts Are At The Heart Of It All

Su mundo es corazones. Artist Paola Alonso Rangel is at the heart of Vallarta and literally that is the name of her shop, Corazon Vallarta, where she thrives amidst the bustling activity in the old town, on a busy street corner, with much traffic flowing by both in vehicles and on foot.

A man carrying a frightening large pane of glass about 6 feet long by 3 feet wide effortlessly and without intimidation marches down the street with taxis and buses bouncing by him. I cringe at the site and the young shop attendant, Nidia, shrugs with a smile and says “It’s Mexico.”

With Valentine’s Day nearing, this exciting little shop offers a wealth of opportunities to find just the right gift to say “be mine!”

Paola’s little Chihuahua, Pecas (Freckles), suns on the front step seemingly oblivious to all the activity swirling by. She is front and center of all that is happening in Corazon Vallarta.

A designer and hands-on artist of nearly everything she sells in her shop, Alonso Rangel is a model of organization and time utilization. She has her machine fine-tuned and knows just what it takes to create, prepare, produce and market her work.

In the well-lit back room of her little tienda, she has all of her art supplies neatly organized on sturdy shelving sparing not one square inch of available space. Her computer plays soft Spanish songs that, with the fan blowing gently, creates a pleasing atmosphere where she designs and paints with a couple of assistants to assemble and package her work to sell.

As is true of most urban storefronts, the fine grit that is continuously accumulating from the dusty streets and vehicles in passing contributes to the concerns of successful retail presentation. Hers and others in this type of scene perhaps suffer more due to the cobblestones which collect and distribute ongoing layers of the sooty, dusty, fines. So everything is kept painstakingly clean and wrapped in cellophane – just another stage of the process that makes her conscientious practices so impressive.

From colorful wooden puzzles, picture frames, key hangers, boxes and magnets, the expansive home decor and gift collection, on which she collaborates with her brother in Guadalajara, is a treasure of her designs and creativity. All manner of colorful animals with whimsical expressions are the subjects of her puzzles with a bit of flowers and fruit in the mix for a generous variety of choices. Alonso Rangel designs all of the pieces while her brother and his crew with a manufacturing studio in Guadalajara do all the mill-work, brilliantly colorful painting and glossy lacquer finish.

Other of her work is comprised of original one-of-a-kind creations on canvas and wood, heart-themed all in keeping with her heart-felt passion for corazones.

She efficiently sets-up her own assembly line of stages of production, with Pecas supervising closely, so that her by-hand (hecho a mano) originals are always filling the walls and shelves and being lovingly selected by customers to take home.

Steel heart sculptures, wooden cut-outs, carvings, and more are the multi-media of her continually, seemingly endless creative concepts and body of work!

Thank you Paola for all of your inspiration – by design!

Posted On January 29, 2017 By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, artistic expression, artists, children, decorative arts, design, design tips, handcraft, handmade, hearts and design, inspiration, interior design, lifestyle, love, Mexico, painters, personal expression, Uncategorized, Valentine's /

Nature’s Valentine’s Greeting!!!

So when you least expect it…nature speaks. On a silent coastline on a great lake in the wilds of Wisconsin the stones on the beach offered a hidden alphabet of opportunity. Upon making this discovery, I searched for and collected just the right pieces and sent a love note to my sweetheart. Wishing he were there to share in the wonderful adventure that was hiking through the enchanted woods to this lakeside hideaway, I did the next best thing and found an expression of LOVE , took a photo and messaged off to him…technology and instant gratification – well, across the miles…

The lovely white stones were amazing…I don’t know the geology…could probably Google it, but suffice it to say they were white and soft, angular but smooth, bleached and clean – massed in a thick bed for miles along the shoreline. I wish I could have taken buckets of them to do something…fill a large snifter, layer in the sink for the water to spill over and remind me of this scene, touch and fondle – they were so special, so uniform in size – such a natural phenomenon of raw beauty.

Paired with the rough, elegant, weathered, driftwood that was scattered along the rubble and upon which I carefully placed the stones, the composition was truly a work of art – inspired by nature and assembled by my eager fascination with the media.

Take away…love is all around – OH! has that been said before? Well…love IS all around us and to find an actual, natural formation of alphabet letters that allowed the simplest expression of literal words, to be transported across the miles, was magic.

Art…design…nature…find it!!! Happy almost Valentine’s Day!!!!

Posted On January 21, 2017 By pattisays In Abstract Art, artistic expression, beach, beauty behold it, calligraphy, coastal, design, designs in nature, handcraft, handmade, inspiration, inspiration from nature, joy, love, mosaic, natural designs, natural integrity of the materials, naturalist, nature, personal expression, practical design, primitive design, re-purpose, stone, Valentine's / 3 Comments

The Art & Architecture of Gingerbread Houses

Art and architecture meet all the time. Sculptural forms, building models, buildings themselves, sketches…but at this time of year, the fanciful world of gingerbread houses takes the spotlight and, in this recent scene we encountered, offered a beautiful fund-raiser while at it!!!

As we pulled away in the pre-dawn hours of the morning…we felt the chill in the air and the glow over the mountain sending us on our way.

We traversed across the terminal and before cutting over left to the escalator, we spied—at the same time—a wondrously tall Christmas tree adorned with airplanes and ribbon…and surrounded by an amazing collection of ginger bread houses on display in some sort of fund-raiser fashion.

Upon closer inspection, the fantasy became tangible. The individual structures took on a form of expressive life in their individual attention-getting style. Each one was quite unique incorporating rivers and ponds, vehicles and foliage of all manner.

It is a Christmas tradition to create a gingerbread house full of fantasy and fear, hope and salvation. From the simple joy of baking traditions for Christmas, to the many versions of fairy tales that save children from the wicked ones in the woods creating and story-telling surrounding these magical edifices makes gingerbread houses a staple of the winter holidays – all the while offering architectural design and construction projects for all ages. Below, see the Hanukkah version of this adorable house.

I just read a great piece by Tori Avey in which she summarized the history of gingerbread. http://toriavey.com/?s=gingerbread

She references architectural design with the fact that: Elaborately decorated gingerbread became synonymous with all things fancy and elegant in England. The gold leaf that was often used to decorate gingerbread cookies led to the popular expression ‘to take the gilt off of gingerbread.’ The carved, white architectural details found on many colonial American seaside homes is sometimes referred to as ‘gingerbread work’.

Having been raised on the east coast, describing houses with ornate “gingerbread” detailing was part of our vocabulary. I now see it in Rocky Mountain Victorians and California seaside cottages. It always conveys a quaint, welcoming feeling.

Avey further states: Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century. The elaborate cookie-walled houses, decorated with foil in addition to gold leaf, became associated with Christmas tradition. Their popularity rose when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel, in which the main characters stumble upon a house made entirely of treats deep in the forest. It is unclear whether or not gingerbread houses were a result of the popular fairy tale, or vice versa.

Recently the record for world’s largest gingerbread house was broken. The previous record was set by the Mall of America in 2006. The new winning gingerbread house, spanning nearly 40,000 cubic feet, was erected at Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas.

Everything is bigger in Texas!!!

The house required a building permit and was built much like a traditional house. 4,000 gingerbread bricks were used during its construction. To put that in perspective, a recipe for a house this size would include 1,800 pounds of butter and 1,080 ounces of ground ginger. Sounds more like a gingerbread resort!

So as we walked around this wonderful display at the ABQ Sunport and marveled at the colorful creativity, I knew this was the story for today.

The cartoon in the paper that morning also found humor in the subject.

And to further galvanize that thought, we arrived in San Diego to find Keira proudly presenting their half-eaten, already picked apart gingerbread project in the center of the kitchen table. T’was the joy of gingerbread houses—post construction, eating them!!!

Posted On December 24, 2016 By pattisays In architecture, artistic expression, children, decorative arts, design, design competition, DIY design, fanciful design, food and interior design, fund raising ideas, Gingerbread houses, handcraft, handmade, history, inspiration, joy, nostalgia and design, party themes, personal expression, Uncategorized, winter / 2 Comments

Oh the Faces! Spanish Market

The sky was grey and the air had a decidedly seasonal still-cool yesterday which called for a cozy indoor activity – offered this weekend in the handsome Hotel Albuquerque, host of the Winter Spanish Market. Yes, the decades old traditional Spanish Market held in Santa Fe outside around the Plaza, on warm summer days in July, has begun a new tradition in Albuquerque in the opposite season indoors. http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/abq365/events/detail/28th-Annual-Winter-Spanish-Market/31793/

The collection of world class artists’ booths beneath the enormous hand-tooled tin chandeliers suspended from the spacious ballroom sparkled with festive illumination and colorful creations.

A variety of Mariachi bands played to the crowds as the curious and collectors wove in and out of the rows of talented exhibitors.

Fine tin-work, dyed and cut straw assemblies, weavings and jewelry presented an incredible variety of work. Fine crafted furniture and spectacular wall pieces were displayed by master carvers. It was a collection of world-class art and fine craft.

Crazy interpretations of his beloved traditional retablos are Charlie Carillos commically contemporary interpretations of vintage cars with saints at the wheel. Humor that is received with mixed reviews. But his talent is undisputed. Here he entertains at his booth with his colorful delivery.

By startling contrast, the rich warm colors and traditional reverence that Catherine Robles-Shaw displays in her incredible carvings and painting techniques, wonderful detail and soulfully expressive faces. Her rich hues are Old World in their sensitivity to tone on tone and dark earthen colors outlined and enhanced with ribbons of gold.

Daughter, Roxanne Shaw-Galindo, a respected santero in her own right has continued to carve her own niche in this exclusive world of bultos, retablos and other manner of fine carving and painting.

The mystic powders carefully sought and gathered from ancient land forms and mineral-rich geology diluted with water and even the precious red of the rare cochineal all contribute to the luminous, translucent colors that read so differently from other media.

And further contrast is Frank L. Garcia with his primary colors of electric blue, yellow and red shining off of his wood surfaces. Uplifting and extracting smiles from all who pass his booth.

Oh the faces!! Each santero has his or her own style. Like fingerprints, the santeros each have cultivated a unique “look” to their work and expressions of their subjects. The eyes say so much. Mournful, cheerful, pensive or stony stares, the characters are exclusively their own. Despite the similarities bound by tradition, each artist presents a specifically unique style which conveys incredible personality. These signature expressions, as individual as fingerprints, represent so distinctly each inimitable artist. Despite the similarities bound by tradition, the methods and materials, each shine with startling individuality!

Here santero Ruben Gallegos poses with Mary Anne Green an avid collector and fond owner of several of Gallegos’ work.

Lee Valdez hunches over his soon-to-be cross carefully carving the rope detail around the edges. Light pencil lines define the decoration that he follows with remarkable precision – and look – he is sporting two pair of glasses stacked atop one another – which he says works just fine.

Behind him displayed on the wall are several other crosses in all manner of carving and decorative woodwork. One piece in particular is a yellow pine cross that is riddled with dark cinnamon colored worm holes – splattered actually – creating a spectacularly natural design. And further marks of nature that Lee captures are a knot hole and adjacent burled wood that he places dead center in the intersection of the cross. The four end pieces are carved from a piece of butternut wood providing the perfect natural contrast to the yellow pine yet complimenting the dark flecks of the worm holes. Quite a find, in this amazing piece of wood he spied in a hardware store, and remarkable sensitivity to isolate and assemble the various pieces to create the whole.

A striking woman caught my eye. Her thick curly black hair and handsome silver cross strung on a multi-strand necklace of turquoise made a big statement amidst all of the art and drama. Meet Vanessa Baca.

As we visited briefly I learned that she is a fellow blogger and I am sure it was fate that we met as her foodinbooks.com is a wealth of observations centered around great books and fabulous food within described. She writes with great depth of description and observation AND she breaks it down and teaches you how to prepare that about what you have just read!

Sean Wells painting as we watched, represents her art in her own striking appearance. Dark hair whipped and twisted with a stylish flair and topped with screaming orange flowers.

Wells’ images are equally colorful, happy and festive. If not her fine retablos, You might recognize her Fanciful Day of the Dead wine bottles and famous, collectible Lottery Scratchers! Find her on Etsy!

It was an inspiring day of extraordinary art in a genre that is so historically and regionally rooted with original methods and patient execution paired with the artistic imaginative people who practice and study this fine work. Thanks so much Mary Ann for a rare treat!

Today YOU can go see this final day of the 28th Annual Spanish Market 2016! Get over there!

Posted On November 27, 2016 By pattisays In A Red Like No Other, Albuquerque, New Mexico, art and interior design, artistic expression, artists, cochineal, colors, decorative arts, design, Discovering Art, expressionism, fanciful design, fashion and design, Fiber art, folkart, handcraft, handmade, inspiration from nature, interior design, Museum of International Folk Art, Organic art, painted furniture, personal expression, red, Santa Fe, New Mexico, travel and design / 1

Painting Party Pairs Art with Uninhibited Partiers

By total coincidence but perfectly timed for the segue from the last couple of week’s topics, we attended a couple’s cocktails and canvas painting party last week. Artistic expression and the fear of taking the leap has been facilitated by these social gatherings centered around painting and wine. You’ve heard of them, if not yet participated in one. This clever pairing has taken the country by storm. The model is to have an instructor teach a group of friends to copy a pre-selected subject and create their own interpretation on a canvas all the while losing inhibition by imbibing in a glass of wine or cocktail. Actually multiple glasses of wine and cocktails! The more the merrier!

And merry it is. It’s fun and freeing. It’s creativity within boundaries but with enough encouragement and pretty much lack of judgment to produce some very successful finished products. And this is where we found ourselves last Sunday afternoon. Operative word there, we.

Yes, I had attended several of these fun-filled events in the past – all women – always entertaining. But this was quite different as it was designed to be couples – husbands painting right alongside their more willing spouses were encouraged to let loose and copy the sunflowers.

Unlike other like-kinds of parties that I had attended, this gal started off each person’s canvas with a faint charcoal-transfer outline of the preliminary placement of the centers of the sunflowers. This was intended to get everyone started on the right track but also said loud and clear – this is what we are painting and deviating from the plan, changing the format or grouping was not encouraged.

That said, it was just fine that we all pursued the same clutch of gorgeously impressionistic floral explosions with bold brush strokes and colorful blotches of paint tying it all together for a happy theme. Most if not all of the men and perhaps a couple of the women had never tried their hand at painting. This might have been the first attempt at artistic expression that they had ever experienced. I know that was true for my husband!

The setting was fabulous in a private dining room of our local Greek restaurant with brilliant sunlight streaming in through the entire wall of west-facing windows illuminating large format photos of Grecian isles, ancient structures, classic white buildings with cascading brilliant pink bougainvillea set against the piercing blue sky and surrounding sea. A big screen TV mounted high in the far corner featured the very muddy Preakness followed by the Blues and San Jose dashing about on the ice.

But the attention soon turned to the canvases in front of each budding artist. Primed with cocktails, we donned aprons, selected our seats and set to work in front of our table-top easels. The paints are acrylic, water-based – easy to apply and also to clean-up during or after the session. . As the first splotches of color were applied, the comments began to fly around the room. From whining about how difficult it was to complaints about the blossoming results, the room became animated with commentary.

People began getting up and viewing others’ progress. Compliments and comparisons were a flurry as the instructor made her way around the room aiding those in duress and adding touches here and there. It was hysterical. Everyone was having a blast, creating their own interpretation of the offered subject and seeing it take shape before their very eyes by their very own hand and all the while amidst lively conversation and milling about the room. Seeing the finished products all so similar yet each very different is the marvel of this exercise.

One enthusiastic participant went out into the dining room and requested participation from restaurant patrons in the way of their leaving their tables and coming into the gallery of all of our redundant sunflowers and voting for their favorites – this added to the hysteria as they made their picks, voiced their critiques and the “artists” received their accolades.

Dinner followed taking this group of new-found friends to the dining room where everyone ordered from the menu and continued the convivial conversations into the evening. But I learned today that Don doesn’t care if he ever picks up a paintbrush again – he didn’t discover a hidden passion nor exceptional talent. He has no love for the process nor the results, but thoroughly enjoyed the party!!! Woo Hoo!!

Posted On May 28, 2016 By pattisays In art as gift ideas, art forgery, artistic expression, beginning artists, design trends, DIY design, expressionism, handcraft, handmade, inspiration from nature, joy, martini, painters, painting parties, party themes, personal expression, reproduction art, sunflowers, teaching, trends / 1 Comment

Whales Up Close and Observations on the Spirit of Joy Series

How can I say that I am too busy to write this week? As Saturday approaches, I realize that I have not stopped long enough to focus on any one thing, of the many that are bombarding me from all angles, about which I might formulate a theme for my story. I have to apologize, for once again, missing my Saturday deadline and hope that this was worth the wait!

Oh, to be so entertained by an onslaught of inspirational design elements as I have seen in the past few days only. And yet not only design – there was more. So I would like to start with an insert about Saturday as I (instead of writing my blog) took one last kayak cruise of the year.

A few people had gathered at the edge of the sand, pointing and remarking that they thought they had seen a whale. I looked in that direction and noticed that a few boats had gathered – often a sign that whales are spotted. I quickly pushed off in my single kayak through the gentle surf out onto the beautiful Banderas Bay and experienced for the first time whales from that most intimate vantage point. Up close and personal, it was thrilling to say the least. The beach was crowded with onlookers oohing and ahhing as they blew mists of water into the air and rose up from and back down, under the bay’s glistening surface. I paddled out and maintained a safe distance, but close enough to hear and feel the graceful power. Hump-backed and for which they are aptly named, the dark, sleek black bodies of the mother and calf were magnificent as they broke the surface and greeted the encircling boats full of eager spectators wanting to catch the show. And a show it was as the mama rolled onto her side and raised her unbelievably long, towering fin to slap the water sending spray high into the air. She slapped again and everyone thought that once was a rush and two was a treat and three and then four and I lost count at 30 times she slapped the water as though to say – “You want a show? I’ll give you a show!” She must have known that it was too dangerous to breach at that point, for a grand finale, as the close proximity of boats could have had deadly results. And I was right on the water with them. Unforgettable. The pity is that I was without camera and have only the memory of this life affirming event . An event that was awesome and outrageous and yet brought a surreal, serene sense of calm, peace and palpable, tingling joy. Friends on the beach greeted me upon my return in awe of what they had witnessed and welcoming me warmly, with enthusiasm, over my good fortune to have been out there for such an amazing display.

This photo taken a week earlier – a bit choppier seas, with Tricia in the single and I with Victoria in the double, sets the scene of the Bay surrounded by the Sierra Madre range.

Now, having shared that incredible experience, I have decided to focus on one of the many design inspirations that I have encountered this week, but I hope you will visit our PATRICIAN DESIGN facebook page to see the collage of colorful art and texture that I have compiled to represent the many images that I have seen and offer to further stimulate your imagination.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153225877316619.1073741934.232272436618&type=3

My focus at this seaside gallery of delights today, as we bring to a close a magical month, is a collection of precious little figures made from synthetic foam, wood and steel. These humble little animations represent three shared events, a group hug, the “wave” at a stadium event and a gathering for solemn prayer lead by a figure of distinction – the one in the red scarf.

The spirit of collective participation is conveyed. The spirit of humble expression is conveyed. They present a sense of simplicity of some of life’s joyful moments. These simple figures are happy and content. They are intriguing and relaxing to study from many angles.

Form and movement, color and texture the Spirits of Joy by Federico Leon de la Vega are a wonderful representation of life’s simplest and most basic moments of sharing joy. To see art in such a distillation, such a unpretentious media, execution of mechanics and form is true pleasure. It is not overwhelming or startling, it is not outrageous or provoking – it is moving and modest.

I hope that they bring a sense of joy to the start of your week and create an indelible memory to which you can return in your quiet thoughts to bring you peace and joy.

Posted On February 1, 2016 By pattisays In art and interior design, artists, beach, beauty behold it, coastal, colors, decorative arts, design, environment, handcraft, handmade, inspiration from nature, joy, Leon de la Vega, Mexico, nature, peace, primitive design, scupture, travel and design, tropical, Uncategorized, whales /

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