Soiree....

Tonight there was a party at the home of one of my best client's.

The weather was great as the caterer's set up outside....

The flowers began to arrive and were placed in each room...

As well as outside...

Three rooms of my work were featured....the dining room ceiling...

The living room ceiling....

and the fresco on the patio.....

Everyone had a great time...lots of friends came and the music and food were perfect. The function was a fundraiser for an organization and my work was featured to help with the efforts....I hope you all take time to enjoy moments with your friends and have many soirees to attend this spring!

Child's Play.......

Chalkboard paint amazes me! Do you remember the first time you were called to the front of the room and got to write something on the chalkboard for the teacher? What magic that was!

Robbie Caponetto photo

Chalkboards are still magical to me...the predecessor of the Etch-a-sketch and the more modern Magna Doodle.

The magic of creating and then destroying by erasing, is addictive to me.

You can create and then erase all evidence with the swipe of a hand.

Domicidal Maniac blog photo

Chalkboards can now be almost anything you can put paint on.

Chiasso.com

You can write messages or create designs on the painted  object.

I am still a little "old-school" and would be more comfortable reaching for a piece of chalk instead of a blackberry!

You could have a new car everyday!  Can't you see chalk flames and pin striping?

artwork copyright 2010 by Mark Cameron Boyd

Some artists recognize this ephemeral media as art.

Artwork copyright 2010 by artist Mark Cameron Boyd

I love the graphic designs with the word placement.

Rowland Emmerich home  London

Now this is a room I need! A true think tank! I could work out designs and then erase them to move on to new ideas. Every day could be a completely different look.

I love this piece by artist Lauren Tennenbaum.   Inspired by 16th c.grotesques,she painted the griffins on canvas and then applied them to the drawers.....they look chalk- like to me.   I think I am going to do a series of furniture with chalk paint and feature ephemeral art on them. What a concept! You could change your furniture as often as you change your clothes! Thanks Lauren for the idea.  ;)

Embellishments....

Daniel Cruz photo

What is civility? What is the difference in eating something from the vending machine and this...

Maison et Objet

How did we go from a cord and a socket hanging from the ceiling to carved ostrich eggs with brass ormolu fittings?

Musee des Artes Decoratifs

Is this what your office chair looks like?

Does your public restroom have these fittings?

Chicago Art Institute

What caused society to feel the need to create ornate items where simple utilitarian ones worked just fine.

Ave. Rapp Paris

What makes a door...a door?

Pont Alexandre Paris

And when did we decide to gild carved elements on a bridge exposed to the weather?
A society's advancement can be measured by its'  support (or, lack of support) of the arts. Primitive societies start with basic needs to be filled-food, shelter and clothing. Once these needs are met, it can advance or evolve to supporting the nonessentials of life-entertainment and the arts.

covered sidewalks in Bologna, Italy

As a society evolves, so does the desire for embellishment....we have seen a wane in support for the arts with the current economic conditions.  Many major interior magazines have gone under this past year  along with countless artisan businesses. I ask that you keep this in mind as a consumer....will you support the arts?  Do you feel the need for hand made decoration in your life? Will you contribute to the civility of our society?

Extreme Time.....

photo from ABC station KLTV

This week I participated in an Extreme Home Makeover project-the Carr family of Mineola, Texas.

photo from ABC affiliate KLTV

The tv show doesn't begin to prepare you for what the staff calls "extreme time".....I drove the three hour round trip drive and worked on the site for nine and a half hours with hundreds of other "blue shirts"(as we were fondly referred to!)..and was the first one to leave on my crew!

This was the crew I was on....great, hardworking professional people, two from Dallas and the rest of us from Tyler.

KLTV photo

Ty keeps up morale with his energy!

This is a photo of me and the friend who emerged me into "extreme time"... just on the day I was there (day three), the yard was leveled, a fence put up, driveway staked and poured, exterior walls rocked and I can't even begin to list what was accomplished on the inside.

The day was filled with hard work interspaced with production shots for the show.

I can't give anything away before the May 9 air date. Let's just say there was a lot of red venetian plaster involved!