A couple of weeks ago, I attended Fashion District, hosted by ReadysetDC at  Longview Gallery. While I know, I was supposed to be checking out the DC fashion elite,  I was highly distracted by the art on the walls. You can’t take me anywhere! Anyhoo,  the exhibit at Longview has since come down, but I haven’t been able to get the art of  Michelle Peterson-Albandoz out of my head. I love what she does with found  pieces of wood.

{untitled black construction, wood & mixed media, image via longview gallery}

{blue starburst construction, image via longview gallery}

I love these details of her gorgeous reclaimed wood artwork. I took these during Fashion: District and seeing their textural quality up close was stunning.

As much as I love fashion only one thing could totally distract me from it. That thing would be art. Who knew wood could  look so good?

One of the most challenging yet pleasurable parts of my job is  looking for art for clients.  It’s how I live out my former incarnation as a gallerina.  In this life,  as  a designer, I find art is so personal, and often emotional that people often say yes to furniture before the art. Even if the furniture makes a bigger statement and is just as personal.

Because I think of design and decor as a curatorial, aesthetic  and functional exercise, lately, I’ve been looking at the way strong art makes big statements  to begin or complete the story of  a room.

Artist Mark Mulroney‘s mural enlivens a nursery in this Ghislaine Vinas designed townhouse. What a fun room to grow up in, as it will certainly transition from baby to young child’s room easily.

A lovely tapestry by Marc Saint-Saens lends  a playful musical energy to this Albert Hadley designed room. Perfect in a room made for entertaining and it highlights the rhythmic details of the furnishings.

A little bit of voyeurism takes place in the bathroom of Vincente Wolf‘s Montauk  home. The photo above the copper tub is kinda fun and kinda creepy but I kinda don’t mind the combination. Most of all I love that the art in this bathroom reflects Wolf’s sense of humor.

Can you imagine Dame Liz gracing your walls as a little girl? Glamour starts young in this home. This iconic image is a part of artist Russell Young‘s Fame + Shame series, an exploration of grit and glamour through screen-prints of his pop culture heroes and heroines.

{all images via pinterest}

While I have yet to have a client request something as edgy as the work of art above, I have to admit, I kind of love what the punky piece and graffiti art does for this Ryan Korban designed room. So, no, if someone wanted the finger (in the form of an art piece), I would had have no problem giving it to them (giggles).

I like art to influence and inspire the design process whether or not it is what is  finally selected.  Having  it inform the process helps make great selections in the end. As you can see from the pieces above,  art punctuates a room, making the room’s statement complete.

I’m absolutely in love with the the film and  images that make up Rachel Roy’s Spring 2011 RRR lookbook. The beautiful tension between pretty and soft and hard and gritty has left me kinda awestruck.

{images via rachel roy}

Dance is the one art that I wish I studied so I was mystified. I realize that it’s a lookbook but it’s  so beautiful  I could watch the film and look at the images all day.

Since Fashion week is upon us in full force, I thought I’d talk about what I have been doing in my free time. For the last couple  of weeks I’ve been spending my Saturday afternoons taking an art class, a fashion illustration class. It has been so much fun learning all aspects of illustration from croquis  to flats and learning to render everything from leather to organza. Last week we got to work with a live model as well. I’ve taken lots of art classes in my day, mostly design drawing, but somehow missed the figure drawing classes. I’m adding that to the list too.

In class, each of us been encouraged to have fun finding our own style.  I’m still exploring as you can see, but it’s been amazing to see the development of our drawings over the last few weeks. I want to work on simplifying the line work and moving past marker work to explore watercolors and gouache.

Of course, I’m still learning and as a class  we are only using shades of gray at the moment but like photography, Illustration allows me to discover new ways of looking at the world.   There is one more session coming up, the advanced class, that I’m really looking forward to attending.

Hello Friends! It’s been such a crazy start to the 2011, but  I’ve decided it’s a good thing. I’ll be sharing some of this good stuff with you next week. I’m also taking a new class about which I’m quite excited but will reserve the right to share until I see how it goes. I’m a little shy about this one, but by now you know that I eventually spill the beans.

Anyhoo, This week, I became obsessed with Vogue.com Interiors section and with Lauren Santo Domingo’s Manhattan apartment.

{images via vogue.com}

Her home reminds me of her beautiful scrapbooks that were recently featured in this NewYork Times, T Magazine article. Her Home has a similar quality to her journals. You get the feeling that you are a part of great eclectic collage, pieced together yet somehow working in tandem. Here’s a peak at her journals:

{images via t magazine}

They make me want to get off the laptop and get out the glue and old mags. Since I brought up the subject of scrapbooking and also, because I can’t get off the computer, I’m currently obsessed with  Pinterest, I’ve been pinning my heart away  to my virtual board every time I see something inspiring. I really can’t get enough of it.  My plan is to live a collaged, visual life. Now, where’s my journal?

Anyhoo, I must roll. Lots to do today and for the weekend!

Have a Happy Weekend!

xoxo,

Jessica

I have been getting up crazy early trying to source some  inspiration in my spare time.  Though some may argue that my ungodly waking hours are  actually for sleeping, somehow  in those wee hours I stumbled on this amazing collaboration between two of my favorite artists, Marilyn Minter and Wangechi Mutu. The images  are part of a series, appropriately entitled,  Wangechi Gold.

{wangechi gold 1, 2009 by marilyn minter}

{wangechi gold 6, 2009 by marilyn minter. images via artnet}

I have yet to see anything from Marilyn Minter or Wangechi Mutu in which  I wasn’t completely enthralled. Finding out about this collaboration has me over the moon.

I exist in this vicious love triangle. Actually it’s more like a tawdry love rectangle between art, fashion, design and me. Each vies for my attention and I am left unable to choose which one I love more. currently Art is winning and my confession brings me to reveal my latest obsession, Exhibition A.  Co-Founded by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley,  Bill Powers,  Laura Martin and Gabby Munoz, Exhibition  A is members only that site brings exclusive editions of artwork on a limited time-frame to those eager to start an art collection.

Here, members are afforded the opportunity to invest in and collect prominent names, without the woe of a big price tag.  It’s a wonderful introduction to collecting for those who are building their art knowledge or those wanting to pinpoint what they do or do not like. As a person, who believes art is for everyone,  this unique concept has captured my attention for the last month.

Currently on sale through February 7th, is this work, Beauty Free, from the artist Aleksandra Mir. Originally,  massive a pen and ink  drawing composed from massive amounts of sharpies,  it’s a wonderful piece, a cultural commentary, that also highlights the beauty and art of hand-lettering. (See  the original in these installation shots  from the Mary Boone gallery here.)

I also love poet/artist Rene Ricard’s piece, Boat, from his sale, closing January 17th. Boat is being sold as a limited edition of 100, all numbered and signed by the artist. I find the image both compelling and touching.

Often tasked with researching and selecting art options at work, Exhibition A is a wonderful addition to my list of sources. Offering insights and art world snippets, the  Collectors Q &A  and the blog, Art, Yo make Exhibition A worthy of a peruse.  I admit that I’m  addicted to the site.  Check it out.  You will soon understand why art has  such a tight grip on my affections right now.

Woohoo! It’s Friday! Please pardon my enthusiasm but I’m really glad it’s here.

Anyhoo, I always find myself falling in love with fashion illustration. The other day, I stumbled on the work of Sunny Gu. Her watercolor fashion portraits took my breath away. Her prints, which range in size  from 10″ x12″ to 13 x16″ and price between $25 to $35, would make lovely holiday gifts.

{black pearl}

{sakura}

{cethosia cyane}

See what I mean? They are very pretty and fanciful, a person can get lost in all the details. They would be amazing either given  framed individually or as series. Originally I put them in my holiday  gift wish list, until I realized they wanted to stand on their own. Sometimes you have to listen to the art.

Well, that’s it for me. I’m off to work then a fun girls’ night with the BFF. I hope you have an amazing and beautiful weekend!

xoxo,

Jessica

I’m in art mode right now. That mode is how I wound up on the Art Production Fund’s WOW shop, lusting after more than  a few things, but especially this Elmgreen and Dragset print:

If you watch Gossip Girl,  you will recognize several pieces from the show are from Art Production fund artists. But I think I like the Prada, Marfa print best and seriously think it I need it.

And because i can’t get enough of seeing it, I thought I’d show it again.

{image via flickr}

It’s also an Art Production Fund and Elmgreen and Dragset collaboration.

I recently found out about the work of  Elizabeth Lyons via an email from her BFF.  I’m so glad she wrote to me because I’m absolutely smitten by Lyons’s colorful work!  Using glass as her medium of choice, her work  spans the full range of art and object from chandeliers, decorative objects and sculpture.

{images via elizabeth lyons glass}

Seriously, I could look at the beauties all day. How gorgeous would these be in a curated grouping in a living or dining room?! With their energetic hues they would enliven any space.