Meeting Patrick Gracewood....

This is the first piece I ever saw by sculptor Patrick Gracewood of Gracewood Studios......his combining of rescued, found and sculpted objects drew me in immediately!

Traveling to Portland,Oregon for an art convention recently, I was able to meet Patrick at his studio!

Detail.....Patrick sees everything! His studio is surrounded with peaceful gardens created as backdrops for his sculpture.

There is a harmony of nature and art that feeds the soul and gives one a place to "just be".....

Patrick combines layers of texture that plays against the filtered light coming into his garden...

Winding pathways and clever use of scale allows the  visitor to enjoy intimate vignettes  throughout the garden...

Patrick sculpts in wood, stone and other found objects....

He explained that when you want to display something small in scale, you have to use a large base to make it work. This allows the piece to not get lost with it's surroundings.

I loved this triptych and series of panels featuring that watery blue that I am always seeking.....

In this chaotic life, we all need a place to "just be"....Gracewood studios is dedicated to just that....making us stop and enjoy the little moments in life....thank you Patrick for letting me share one with you!

Ornamentation......

Alison Woolley photo

Artists have been decorating the world for centuries.....

Alison Woolley photo

Taking mundane objects and transforming them into something greater.....

Alison Woolley photo

Alison Woolley of Florence, Italy carries on the tradition of decorative painting and re-creates designs and color palettes from medieval artists forward.

Lynne Rutter photo

Lynne Rutter, a San Franciscan muralist is another artist that seeks to elevate the world around us....our rooms...our homes...our lives....

Lynne Rutter photo

...spending hours researching a restoration project to be executed accurately, preserving the ornamentation for another generation to appreciate.....

Tania Seabock photo

Another San Francisco artist , Tania Seabock specializes in ceiling adornment.  She designs and creates intricate projects involving paint, skill and many times, gilding.

Tania Seabock photo

...a lover of math, Tania is drawn to elaborate mosaic deigns and Arabic geometric patterns....

Helen Morris photo

Stencil art is just as old a tradition.....

Helen Morris photo

Helen Morris of England is owner of one of the world's largest and most accurate historical stencil companies...

Helen Morris photo

She has taken stenciling to a new level... preserving the craft and taking it back to an art form....

Nicola Vigini photo

Nicola Vigini of Vigini Studios grew up in Italy and studied in Rome and Paris....

Nicola Vigini photo

...taking one dimensional walls and transforming them into images of beauty....

Each generation hands down techniques, recipes and mentoring to the upcoming artists....

Pierre Finkelstein photo

Pierre Finkelstein does not have to teach his skills to make a living.....

Pierre Finkelstein photo

...but he continues to do so...along with every artist listed in this post.

Jean-Luc Sable photo

Jean-Luc Sable will travel from France next week to teach along with many other decorative artists in Portland, Oregon.

Jean-Luc Sable photo

He will explain how marbles are created, just as they have been in France for centuries...

Jean-Luc Sable photo

He will also teach a class on this panel design...I will sit and listen, and try to execute it in the same manner that has been handed down, generation after generation...


The International Decorative Artisans League meets once a year to ensure these techniques do not get lost....that art may continue to enrich and elevate our lives....

What elevates your world....art, music....theatre? Continue to support it, it is what keeps our souls alive!

Don't Lick The Walls.....

I have always been fascinated with salt domes....

These photos are from the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine just outside Krakow, Poland

This mine has been  in operation over 900 years and features many art related objects all carved from salt!

The acoustics are perfect for music and concerts have been held in the largest chamber.

The incredible chandeliers lining the largest chamber are all made of rock salt!

Their glow inside the chamber is incredible as the light reflects from the salt walls....

With all that salt around you, it might be tempting....but, please observe the "Don't Lick the Walls" signs!

To Market..To Market....Trends 2010

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I made a quick trip to Dallas Monday to see what trends were emerging for the next year.....as you can see vintage linens with european influenced graphic logos are still very strong. This display was just inside the World Trade Center by the registration desk.

This was the home and gift show for summer 2010...

There are 13 floors open to the trade with offices on the top floors above them.....

Did I mention vintage and stenciling? Peacock Park Design featured antique washes  on wicker and wood combined with French influenced labels and insignia....

Lots of linen with aged, european logos and graphics...

Look at these fabulous floor mats! Font styles cover this one while others had French wine labels and motifs...

Cool blues and watery greens are still strong!

Decorative panels mimicking the patina of vintage screens and backdrops.....

Richard Urban of Exclusive Treasures has been a friend for years...I usually stop and buy iconographic art done in Peru that he represents....

He has giclees and original oil paintings along with other iconography...

Graphic Indian prints are still strong as well! I love this purse made from strips of batik and hand blocked fabrics....

Owner Emmanuel Boichut  of Provence Marketplace shows me the new "wine cellar" cotton  print fabric along with French jacquards and linens from Spain....

Bright colors update jacquards to a more contemporary look....this french one is appropriately named Cezanne.

and the "West Elm" look is still a staple for groupings and bookshelves....lots of sculptural pieces with a "curiosities" mix of shells, obelisks and corals.....

The day ended with the ritual of salted caramel gelato at Paciugo!  I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek and please help me spot other trends for 2010!