Portugal does it best.......

J E Berger Foundation photo

Portuguese tile....what better source to document the tug of Moorish influence and the seduction of all things Italian....

J E Berger Foundation photo

Lisbon documents the unique blend of tile and architecture....

J E Berger Foundation photo

Smooth, thick blue and white scenic tiles set into arched walkways....

Telling stories through paint and glaze...

J E Berger Foundation photo

Portugal's ornamentation through tile was influenced equally by Africa and Italy.

J E Berger Foundation photo

Portugal used tile as architectural ornamentation in exterior and interior applications.

These tin-glazed ceramic azulejos have been produced uninterrupted for five centuries....

Potters from Flanders, Spain and Italy came to Portugal in the 16th c and brought with them the maiolica technique of painting directly onto tile.

The capital city Lisbon became a maritime center attracting influences from Venice, Spain, Italy,Asia and Africa.


Check out this link for even more fabulous tile work!!!

Those influences were documented through the azulejos, or tiles, applied to walls and ceilings throughout Portugal.

I love the morphing of delft, Islamic and Spanish techniques unique to portuguese tiles...

The Portuguese word azulejo comes from the Arabic "al zulaycha" meaning polished stone.

Houses and Gardens of Portugal by Patrick Bowe is a wonderful source for photos from the height of production in the 17th century.

The Spanish influence was seen early in the 16th c using a variety of colors but was simplified to the blue and white designs that are synonymous with Portugal in the 17th c.

Houses and Gardens of Portugal photo

Wealthy merchants wanted elaborate homes and gardens and the tile workshops were eager to oblige.

Houses and Gardens of Portugal photo

Their combination of sculpture, tile and architecture is unique to Portugal.

Houses and Gardens of Portugal photo

The mild climate allowed elaborate gardens to be built.

Houses and Gardens of Portugal photo

Public walkways and city buildings were covered in azulejos.

 This panel is a nod to the wine making industry in Portugal with its beginnings dating back to the Roman Empire.

National Tile Museum of Lisbon photo

The National Tile Museum of Lisbon documents the history of azulejos from the 16th to 18th c.

Portugal....where else is there such a perfect marriage of gilded ornamentation, faux marble and elaborate tile murals? Perfection..!

Extra, Extra...!

theuglyblog.wordpress.com

Newspaper.....even a mundane object, in the hands of an artist can become a work of art.

yovia.com

Aren't these fashions amazing? Who wouldn't want to live this fantasy?

Newspaper can be a great wall treatment...shellacked , lime washed or tea stained....

Stock market sections or foreign prints are nice against antiques....

Ok, these are technically not newspaper, but I love these coy made from US dollar bills....still trying to find a source for them...

Holly Anne Mitchell is the creator of this unusual jewelry...

She makes everything from bracelets to cufflinks.....

Origami stars make up this bracelet...

tigcrafts etsy

Need to wrap a gift?  How about grabbing the newspaper! Aren't these fleur de lis clever?

myntgreen.com

I would love to open this package....great way to go green ....

Danish artist Gugger Petter has taken newsprint to a higher level. She creates large textile pieces for corporate venues and public collectors.

Gugger Petter photo

For over twenty years Gugger has worked with newspaper depicting observations of daily life.

Gugger Petter photo

Through a weaving process, she is able to create the textured surface trapping the news of the day into a unique time capsule.

Gugger Petter photo

This is what artists do...see an object not as it is...but what it can be...try to look at your world through different eyes today!

Mood Boards....

Knit,Purl and Stitch photo

If you are attracted to this blog, you are probably a creative person. Mood boards are one tool used in the creative process to provide a solution.

photo from The Style Files

They can be general, featuring pictures that inspire us and keep our minds jumping or they can be specific for an upcoming client project.

Architectural Digest July 1976

Albert Hadley was way ahead of the curve. He had a mood wall ! This would feature current projects and inspirational photos to keep his creative energy peaked.

Mood boards offer insight into the creative mind.

This mood board designed by UK's Andy Clarke of Malarky shows how the board should evoke an overall feeling  The pop colors and bold graphics put us in that late 60's, early 70's frame of mind just by glancing at it.

Stacystyle's Blog

With creative exuberance, this mood board spills over onto the table top!

Inreda.com photo

Located next to the drafting table, all one has to do is glance to the right to get energy and direction for where a  project should be going.

Well, now that we have a cool wall, we need a funky, creative chair!

Or two!

With this furniture, how can you not be creative!

(Teojasmin will also use your own graphics!)

Who knows what you can create when your mind is given free reign? I love the concept of the lace fence by Demakersvan.  They define it as "hostility versus kindness"..."industrial versus craft"....and that is where we come in....artists...creative people ...trying to add a little kindness to the planet! Happy Earth Day!!

 

Killing Time.....

What do you do with your idle time? 

Deface money?

You can even track your money!

Now you can impress your friends by folding a used metro ticket into a fighter plane.

Artist Diem Chau carved the twelve zodiac signs on skinny little crayolas...

are you into paper crafts?

Reminiscent of origami papers, these crafts are made with security envelopes!

courtesy of I Do It Yourself blog, you will start looking at your junkmail in a whole new way!

I paint...

I paint when I have idle time....

I paint for a living...

I paint to paint!

What do you do when you are killing time??