To Market, To Market....2011

Re-purpose, Re-use and Re-cycle was definitely the green theme of the June 2011 market held at the World Trade Center in Dallas, Texas.

I attended the home and gift show to see the trends influencing the next year.

Natural materials re-cycled and re-used in organic designs were the themes of many showrooms.

Etched mirrors  mimicking salvaged materials were strong last year and the techniques are even better this time! Stenciled designs are etched in and antiqued.

Graphics are still strong, antique prints are scanned and used in trays, lampshades and other re-purposed ways.

The designs give the feel of heritage and antiquity.

 Salvaged canvas  with stenciled graphics is even stronger this year. Seen in pillows, satchels and bedding, this once commercial look is now interpreted for home use.

The influence of a lean economy has taught us all to re-use, re-purpose and re-think our purchasing practices. Finding a new way to use an old item in our environment is now the chic thing to do!

Stuckmarmor...

Stuckmarmor is the German version of what many know as scagliola. Stuckmarmor is a mixture of plaster, pigment and ingenuity.

Look familiar? This starts just like scagliola, a very hands on procedure mixing in the pigments with the plaster.

Colors are blended and then shaped into loaves or  balls and can be mixed to make the imitation of veins in marbles. This photo shows a restoration of a profile at the base of a column. The stuckmarmor is applied to the damaged area, filling in and giving the illusion of marble.

What starts out as this....

Turns into this when different clumps of color are mixed, sliced thin and polished to perfection.



My friend Gina of Art and Alfalfa did a wonderful blog post on stuckmarmor.
She shows the complete process and some wonderfully detailed columns.

Photo from Art and Alfalfa

So, whatever, you call it, Stuckmarmor or scagliola, many cultures have embraced the art of plasterwork and elevated it to the wonderful art form.

Malachite!...I'm green with envy!

Hermitage  St. Petersburg

How much more classic can you get than malachite in decorating?

  Tony Duquette Inc., makes this fabulously decadent malachite fabric printed on cotton(and offers other precious mineral interpretations) ....

 Tony Duquette collection Malachite chair

... this is also the fabric used for the malachite chair.

Cole-and-Son offers this malachite wallpaper for interiors.

Dawnridge-Duquette photo

Tony Duquette understood the power of malachite in interior settings mixing with other classic elements.

Brimfield/Brimfield 

This decorative piece by Brimfield and Brimfield adds  just a touch of malachite to give any room richness.

Dawnridge-Duquette photo

The deep green mineral has been mimicked in design for decades. This was photographed at Dawnridge and also features a screen with Duquette fabrics through Jim Thompson. As you can see, it packs a large punch!

The Grand Canal

This photo is from a private residence on the grand canal in Venice...Zuber wallpaper combined with faux malachite pilasters and trim....perfection!

From Soup to Nuts.....

Scott Marr photo

"Chameleon"
Pyrography, eucalypt bark wash, ochres, liquid chlorophyll, coriopsis flower and plane tree charcoal wash.
23 by 33cm


Scott Marr is a nature based artist that combines pyrography with washes of natural pigments gathered from the Australian bush.

"Scott boils barks, leaves and mosses to leach organic dyes. He crushes native berries to produce an array of watery washes and grinds and boils sap to form thick syrups and diluted tints. In the kitchen he makes beetroot juice and coffee washes for his works on paper. He does it all from soup to nuts...*"

"There is no me"  Self Portrait
Pyrography eucalypt bark wash, liquid chlorophyll, eucalypt sap, ochres, charcoal, mineral pigments and coriopsis flower wash.
65 by 101cm

Born in 1976 in St Leonards, Sydney, Australia, Scott Marr uses natural pigments collected from the bush and farmlands including ochres, bark, charcoal, sap, flowers, berries, and the medium of fire to burn drawings (pyrography) onto paper and wood.  Based on a love for drawing, Marr’s artwork looks into the world of what he calls “bio metamorphics” symbiosis, energy, or the “alchemy of nature".

Worker Ant  Scott Marr Photo

This video shows the fascinating process of his work and the actual size of each piece.  Check out his website for further amazing work!

(all photos are property of Scott Marr)

Fornasetti....

Fornasetti

Piero Fornasetti was a renaissance man of the 20th century. Sculptor, painter, interior decorator and engraver, Fornasetti's signature designs are reminiscent of fine lined engravings using  repeatedly the face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri.

Antiquariato photo

Piero's son, Barnaba, now runs the business and keeps the family home in Milan going.

Antiquariato photo

The April issue of Antiquariato magazine featured the interiors of the Milan home of the Fornasetti family.

Antiquariato photo

Fornasetti used his home as a canvas for his creativity. Here, he worked out the designs and style of his decorative items. Geometric lines combined with black and white engraved faces became synonymous with Fornasetti.

Antiquariato photo

The Fornasetti products are still recreated by hand using patterns created by Piero.

Antiquariato photo

He was a master at using found objects combined with a pop of color.

Antiquariato photo

Don't you love the applique look of the chair and desk?

Antiquariato photo

How about the dizzying combination of mosaic floor and patterned walls?

Fornasetti

This is essential Fornasetti.  The faux three dimensional rug paired with found objects and a fanciful chest. Do you own any Fornasetti?

Stripes!

Stripes! Although not new, I seem to see a trend emerging of big, bold stripes in many types of products.

Paul Smith is synonymous with stripes. Getting his inspiration from maps of metro and subway lines, he uses them in his signature pieces. I took this photo while in London visiting one of the Paul Smith Globe shops.

I had to purchase the leather striped sandals while there of course!

Built is another brand that is synonymous with rows of graphic stripes. I own the neoprene lunch bag and a couple of camera cases.

I just got these cute little speakers today. They are made by Eco Nation in a wonderful brown and blue stripe!  Even my purse linings are striped! Are you attracted to striped accessories? If so, what products do you use in your daily life?

Collaboration...

Helen Morris is one of the most creative women I know. She not only runs possibly the largest stencil company in the world, she manages to maintain a blog...and help me with personal advice when I am stuck on an art issue! Recently, Helen helped me with a fashion dilemma I had. I was attending an international art conference and needed something creative to wear. I found a great artist smock in London, but they did not have a way to buy them on line. I contacted Helen to possibly run by and pick it up for me. The store was able to ship to me and Helen did not have to go out of her way. I received the smock and sent pictures to Helen as I started the process of making it a little more custom. Helen thought it was interesting enough to make it a post on her blog-Design Inspiration.  I hope you enjoy the story behind my artist smock! Thanks Helen!