Sep 24

Fantasy Centerpieces in a Magical Setting

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, ambiance, artistic expression, artistic imagery, artistic talent, artists, Centerpieces, color of light, Color schemes, creative process, creativity, custom lighting, decorative accessories, design, design and marketing, design scenes, design solutions, Design Team, design tips, destination weddings, drama of color, entertaining, exterior - outdoor design, fanciful design, floral arrangement, floral arrangements, floral designs, flowers in design, Food and art, hearts and design, hiring an interior designer, holiday decor, indirect lighting, inspiration, interior design, Interior design pro tips, LED, lighted fabrics, lighting, lobster, luminaries, marketing the story, night clubs, organization, party themes, patio, patio design, personal expression, public art, public design, public spaces, Set design, silk flowers, Subscribers, table dressings, table top, tableware, temperature of light, theatrical design, trends, umbrellas, urban art, white color schemes, winter design trends / 1

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

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

Someone gave a nod to the city of origin!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 20

The Accidental Art of Beet Paint

By pattisays In cochineal, colors, Discovering Art, drama of color, food and interior design, hearts and design, joy, love, patterns, personal expression, red /

This week is a bit spontaneous as it has been a busy one. Lots in the mill so upcoming blogs will have some good fodder. But our anniversary punctuated the center of this last week, on Wednesday night, and I couldn’t resist sharing this delicious coincidence. These splendid short ribs drizzled with a roasted beet root reduction made a sensational presentation. The fresh greens and artful placement of whipped potato dollops with a handsome chunk of juicy, perfection – tender boneless beef atop – all laced with the fabulous fuchsia tumble of tender baby beets and their sassy sauce was an aromatic and visual treat for the senses.

I cut away at the magnificent morsels scraping the gooey beet paint as I went along…

Good ’til the last drop, I hated to be finished. As I ran the edge of my fork over the hot pink cochineal-like residue of all that was left of my delectable dish, the waiter came by to clear and exclaimed- “a heart!” And so it was. An artfully noteworthy finale, to a wonderful evening. Happy Anniversary!

Feb 11

Valentine Expressions

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

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

Jan 29

Hearts Are At The Heart Of It All

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 /

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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

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Jan 17

Would A Love Letter Be The Same Without Handwriting?

By pattisays In art and interior design, artistic expression, artists, calligraphy, Contemporary Art, cursive, Discovering Art, education, expressionism, Gershwin, graphic arts, handwriting, hearts and design, inspiration, Leon de la Vega, love, Mexico, Mind Your Handwriting by Leon de la Vega, Modern Art, music scores, neurology, painters, personal expression, signature, teaching, Valentine's, writing / 1 2 Comments

After having seen Federico Leon de la Vega’s presentation at TEDX Talks in September and after having seen some of the work in progress over the past couple of years, it was a treat last week to be in his studio to see the collection exhibited up close and in person!

Presented on fabulously enormous canvases and a few smaller studies, these bold graphic statements compile a contemporary collection that is quite astounding. The premise is quite provocative.

The idea that handwriting is a basic human means of communication having evolved into the very personal flowing script of cursive that each individual can call their own – in their own style – it’s almost as personal as a fingerprint. It is an extraordinary human function that should be protected, revered and certainly not lost to the fast-paced technology of the digital age!

Making one’s mark on a surface…a piece of paper…to convey a thought, idea, instruction, story, a doodle on a paper towel – a love letter.

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With Valentine’s Day approaching, it brings to mind the idea of love letters. We read them throughout literature and listen to them in songs. We hear of them being saved over time by recipients in treasured boxes tied with ribbon to be read over and over or merely saved for others to find long after…

These magnificent oil paintings convey the art of handwriting. They celebrate the simplest marks of hand to canvas with brush and paint looping in circles and jutting in spikes – the primary strokes of handwriting. These primary strokes are the foundation of mastering the control needed to make the continuous flow of letters that become each person’s personal interpretation of the alphabet in cursive style and an exclusive means of communication.

Style – handwriting conveys personal style. Look at yours. Is it always the same or do you mix it up? Do you stay consistent or do you express different styles of your own handwriting for different purposes? Look at your friend’s handwriting – would you recognize it anywhere?

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It is thrilling to walk among these great canvases with their color and bold strokes. It is arresting to realize that they are so simple yet so complex in what they are saying. We must recognize the value of handwriting. We must not let it be dropped from our schools’ curriculum. We must continue to see the importance of the pure, mind to hand, raw emotion.

Powerful spikes require starting and stopping – control.

Loose loops also require control to maintain uniformity.

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After control is learned, expression can take over resulting in that personal style that becomes each individual’s identifying handwriting.

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Federico reminds us in his talk, about how we might have attempted to write a love letter for the first time and how many times it was crumpled because it wasn’t quite right. The failed attempts of recording our feelings as we strive to say the right thing, to express our deepest emotions. Yet once accomplished, those words hand-written mean so much more than the same words conveyed by type or digital communications.

“From my heart 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 to your heart. No delete!”

The digital world is all around us. We cannot escape it, nor should we. However, the human evolution and the brain’s development that mastered the art of handwriting is a place that could be diminished and lost if we do not continue the art and practice of personal expression through this extraordinary medium.

All we need is love – sent via a personalized handwritten letter from the heart. Here’s to a Happy Valentine’s Day !!!

Feb 10

Valentine’s Dinner at HOME!

By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, DIY design, food and interior design, hearts and design, lighting, seasonal interior design, table dressings / 1 Comment

Creating a romantic and interesting table for a special Valentine’s dinner offers so many opportunities for presenting your heart-felt feelings. With a little effort to select some key pieces to dress the table and by selecting some simple yet scrumptious delights, you will have a wonderful memory to cherish. Here are some suggestions and a couple of easy menu ideas too!

We’ve heard the truism of “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” But the same can be said in reverse as there is something irresistible about a man in control of his kitchen. Pairing the two is the ultimate love cuisine when a couple cooks together sharing the tasks, sipping cocktails and enjoying the process.

The recipe for a romantically successful Valentine’s Dinner at home is so easy. Realize that you don’t have to drive – thereby eliminating that concern after enjoying your cocktail and bottle of wine over dinner. Not to mention the after dinner sip of brandy or bubbly.

Starting with cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres, go to your favorite online foodie place for recipes for things such as stuffed ripe red cherry tomatoes – luscious and sensuous. For the carnivores, a rich and savory pate with toast points is a delectable treat. Maybe shrimp cocktail – easy cooked shrimp with a spicy valentine red cocktail sauce. It’s fun to have your appetizer someplace other than at the dinner table. If you use different places to enjoy the different phases of the evening, it will create more interest. So perhaps around a coffee table or at a bar counter-top.

Consider taking a walk after the cocktail hour before you progress into dinner. Whether freezing or mild, as long as it is not terribly windy, the temperature shouldn’t matter. Strolling under the darkness of night – perhaps moonlight – is a great way to transition through the phases of the evening.

Candles are a must. There cannot be too many. They don’t have to match. They can be tall tapers, multi-height columns, squat votives or all of the above…Obviously, on the dinner table…but don’t forget other end tables and cocktail tables, fireplace mantles, window sills, bookshelves, counter-tops, bathroom counters or shelves. Watch what’s above – or use artificial candles to avoid burning an upper shelf or art above them. Any light fixtures should be on dimmers. Avoid over-head lighting as it is generally not flattering, casting unpleasant shadows that can ruin the mood. Lighting is like a paint color – it bathes the space with ambient light and also task specific spots – getting the right balance controls the mood.

WE LOVE New Mexico’s own Besito Caliente ! This spicy sauce of hot little kisses is great on grilled meats, drizzled over cheeses for hors d’oeuvres or a dash in a special cocktail concoction! You tell us how YOU enjoy this tasty condiment from the sunny southwest’s Land of Enchantment!

Main courses are easiest by minimizing time in the kitchen. Grilling is perhaps the least complicated. To make it special, select something that is a little different from your norm like lamb chops or bone-in rib-eye steaks. Potatoes are classic in many forms baked, twice baked, mashed with various herbs, but don’t forget something fast and festive like quinoa. It is a fabulous grain-like nutritional bead that cooks in less than 15 minutes! Vegetarians might grill a shish-kabob of goodies like zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sliced turnip…limitless possibilities – great with quinoa too! Salads fit the bill and can be varied according to your taste, sweet cranberry or strawberry laced greens or garlicky Caesars – the possibilities are endless. By putting the salad on the main dinner plate you eliminate the need for a veggie on the plate. If you prefer the more formal setting of a separate dinner salad, the veggie can also be an easy piece of the program with steamed Brussels sprouts or broccoli which take so few minutes, slathered with butter and voila!

Of course you can make the cooking more complex and complicated – but here the idea is to DO IT and not be intimidated or worried about making things too difficult to tackle! Focus evenly on a simple but romantically fun themed table dressings, menu items, and schedule for the evening and it will be easy and successful!!!

Find fun table dressings to create your Valentine’s dinner scene.

So pick up some red plates or smaller dishes or bowls for salad or dessert to layer on your existing white ones, find some fun cocktail glasses, wine stems, clever cocktail napkins, a great serving platter for hors d’oeuvres, heart-shaped confetti or rose petals to sprinkle on the table and dare I say, between the sheets?

Find a great vase in which you cluster fresh flowers for the dinner table and perhaps another primary surface like the cocktail table or bar. Buy or make a great card and/or a memorable gift.

An extra thought for this holiday…Can you think of someone with whom you would not usually exchange Valentines’ but who would be cheered by your gesture? Pick out a simple token to mark the day for someone you know.

Feb 14

Kissing in Public – Designed for Spring!

By pattisays In environment, hearts and design, seasonal interior design /

Valentine’s Day is behind us…but the love continues…chilly February days making way for warming trends bringing new growth and springtime romance…the birds and the bees…reproduction and the cycle of life…Designed to heal, strengthen and move forward. Spring into Spring!!!
With that, look to the new hot pink design trends and perk up your palette with accent colors, fabrics, pillow splashes, accents or painted walls.
Don’t be afraid – take the leap and try something new. Be bold and daring.
Today’s photo – “kissing in public.” Some call pigeons flying rats…I prefer to look at each with their singular personality, color scheme, iridescent feathers, unique identity and their togetherness – mates so apparent. Beautiful if taken individually…but I would like to know how to safely remove them from my office roof as they do tend to gather and splat on my windshield in balmy weather…hmmm…the bitter and the sweet.
Spring is in the air!!! Think design and how to punch-up your interiors!!!

Feb 11

The Fine Art of the Towel Sculpture

By pattisays In DIY design, hearts and design /

It might be too much for YOUR bathroom…but these towel art sculptures are amazing! Here, as we approach Valentine’s Day I have seen so many lovey dovey things lately and these smooching swans bedecked with floribunda were the bomb!

The art of folding bath towels, hand and face cloths into whimsical animals has been a tropical tradition for many years. The novelty of finding one of these remarkable creations on your bed when you return to your room or perched on the vanity counter always brings a smile.

Where do they give these classes? Can they even be found outside the housekeeping departments of fine hotels? I’m convinced that it’s a secret club that has mastered the art of the origami of terrycloth. We mere mortals can only dream of creating something so magnificent from something so mundane. Who was the first and what did they create? It is now a contest for who can fashion the most outstanding example of the art form.

I think that its best left to those professional hospitality towel manipulators rather than the rest of us attempting such feats and frustrating ourselves while wrestling with the bath linens to no avail.

Feb 09

Intimate Love Treasures Had Me Arrested in My Tracks

By pattisays In art as gift ideas, hearts and design /

I love the surprise and adventure of finding artistic treasures on my travels. Bringing a select few back to share is part of the fun!
I stood facing the marina surrounded by lush mangroves, soft jazz and bacon wafting through the air. The atmosphere was particularly fresh, the sky was oh so blue, and the water was like glass reflecting the boat hulls tethered at the slips and along the dock. It was a perfect temperature, not too hot – just right. The artists gathered in Front of Estudio Café in Nuevo Vallarta www.estudiocafe.net for their ritual Saturday morning art fair and breakfast gathering. Fresh slow food is prepared at a delightful exhibition kitchen where all the action is unfolding right before your eyes. The freshest ingredients, fresh squeezed orange juice, bountiful beverages with spinach, carrot and other fruits and veggies appear in tall spotless glasses of green refreshment and rejuvenation – the perfect antidote to the tequila of the previous night’s indulgences.
I met a charming and incredibly talented glass artist there. Estela Herrera creates architectural pieces – to incorporate into the structure, powerful free-standing sculptures and these fabulously whimsical, sentimental hearts. The manageable scale of these intimate love treasures had me arrested in my tracks. What looked raw and almost tribal adornments – became fun and refined upon closer inspection. The lovely leather with glass hearts – screamed celebration of love and joy!
Dangling from generous lengths of soft, pliable leather, these glass pendants speak volumes. Further adorned with crystal, brass and silver beads the stands of leather of Estela’s heart-throb necklaces have an elegantly bohemian quality that transition from the most formal to the easy jeans and cut-off beach garb. Whether relaxed or decked to the nines, these translucent gems will bring peace, love and joy to all who wear them and everyone who sees them passionately wrapped around the privileged neck of a select few.
Unveiled today – I only brought 10 back from this last escapade into tropics south of our border. I hope to select more in the future – but as Valentine’s Day approaches – these will be sure to make a singular statement – no two are alike – for your special Valentine. Call us at 505 242-7646 or email shop@patriciandesign.com for more information and individual photos of available pieces.

Feb 05

Peace, Love and Valentine’s Day – Comfort and a Smile

By pattisays In design trends, hearts and design, love /

It’s funny how a theme gets into your head and you seem to see it everywhere. This is what’s happening to me as Valentine’s Day approaches and I think about it from many different angles. Because of my shop, I focus on the merchandising standpoint as I see opportunities to spread the joy of marking the day with wonderful mementos in the form of art pieces and unique decorative accessories. But then again other things just happen spontaneously and through the window of a bus the other day while toodling about in Mexico I spotted this very animated VW bug adorned with curling graphics ala the 60s with the universal peace symbol and its bilingual version of love and amor.
Like Austin Powers’ spoof on psychedelia, what goes around comes around and if you wait… you’ll see the design trends repeated in the reactionary realm of art and fashion. With our world today getting smaller ,with the increased access of high-speed transportation and cyber communications, instant gratification and homogenizing of cultures, people tend to want to slow down, relax, return to an earlier time – it’s all relative. For some that might mean surrounding themselves with organic materials, and/or slow food, to others it might mean listening to music from a past era or immersing themselves in historical research. Some jump off the grid and really get back to basics. But regardless of the manner in which one reverts to the past or reminisces about the bygone days – one common denominator is true – comfort, wherever one finds it, is a human need. What’s funny is how different those definitions of comfort can be.
As simple as something that makes you smile like this whimsically artistic little love bug did for me the other day, I hope this coming Valentine’s Day brings a smile to your face and that you can, in turn, bring a smile to someone too!