I’ve got a few pots on the go right now, and next week, I’d like to make some porcelain beads for a necklace. Picasso made a great ceramic necklace for his wife, Jacqueline Roque that has inspired me. I also love the work of Katy Krantz. Her collaborations with Mociun are a lovely, textured mix of turquoise, terracotta and brass beads strung on long pieces of leather and suede. Oh where, oh where did we find inspiration before Pinterest…..
The clothes of eco-friendly designer, Olya Glagoleva are wearable works of art. Made in collaboration with artist Lisa Smirnova, her intricately embroidered tops and dresses would be as at home on a wall as they would be on a woman’s body. Some pieces, made from recycled denim, organic cotton and cashmere, take up to 100-hours of to make. This smock is part of her Artist at Home collection and with its lightweight cotton, and quirky hand-embroidered creatures, it’s just the sort of thing I would live in. As for the jeans, my kids need to get to work on mine.
Blue and white is a beloved combination of mine –– azure shutters on sugar cube houses, lapis rims on bone white china, and a bright blue sea that meets white sand. This mural by LA artist RETNA was a commission by the Pasadena Museum of California Art and is just the sort of art I love to see. The colours, the scale, the hieroglyphs, I love it all. I want massive plates or bolts of fabric covered in Retna’s paleography.
Just because it’s a nursery, doesn’t mean the art needs to be babyish. Becca Stadtlander’s charming illustrations would look wonderful in a child’s bedroom. Think painted teapots, goldfish, and a plate filled with strawberries and cream. Of course, my personal favourite is this mermaid gathering, and what baby wouldn’t want to see kites flying above hear head when she wakes up from a siesta?
I can’t remember the last time I wore a pair of earrings, so long in fact, that the piercings have closed up. If I were ever to brave the gun again, it would be for something spectacular, like Taffin diamonds or a pair of JAR oriental pearl pendants. More realistic, are Rebecca de Ravenel’s bonbons, hand-embroidered in India and covered in iridescent, metallic and multi-coloured beads. My choices would be raspberry, tutti or mint to wear out of sight of toddlers who grab at all things pretty and dangly.
If you’ve seen our front porch (or my coat) lately, you’ll know we’ve been painting. It’s covered in splatters and splodges of yellow, blue, red and lime green acrylic paint. I’m waiting for a warm day so the kids, and their best friend Sophie, can go wild on a giant white canvas again. This evening, I showed them the paintings of Portland-based artist, Heather Chontos for inspiration. With their bold shapes, and fierce colours, Chontos’ paintings fill me with energy and delight. As do all these weird, wacky and wonderful children.
The 90s was my decade for embellished denim. My friends and I stuck rhinestones on everything. Patches were cool, and so was embroidery. Our jeans were covered in rips and holes held together by chunky safety pins. I’ve seen some gorgeous vintage jackets, that combine beads and fringe and ethnic textiles, that I would have died for then. Marie Sophie Lockhart of Good For Nothing Embroidery is another designer we would have lusted after. Her light wash denims are adorned with sunbeams, ice creams, skulls and spliff smoking Tweeties. And I like these vintage 501s embroidered with flowers and cacti from Bliss and Mischief. My younger self would definitely approve.
We received a special package from my friend Zelmira today filled with gifts from Lucky Wang in NYC; a kimono for Luma, a starry, superhero t-shirt for Antimo and a dress covered in cherry blossoms for Iole. Each present was beautifully wrapped in bright tissue and floral washi tape. I’m a sucker for pretty packaging, and if I had a little more time, I might even make my own wrapping paper. These watercolour papers are quite lovely, too. Of course, I’m happy with newsprint and neon gaffer tape, and one can never go wrong with brown paper and navy grosgrain, especially if you can pull of a ‘Smythson’ bow.
I came across the work of Brian Kershisnik this morning –– naive depictions of embracing couples, dancing families and mothers nursing their babies. There’s something dream-like, surreal and strangely familiar about his paintings. The colours are rich, the themes universal. He paints motherhood with an empathic brush. Here is a dance on a very small island.
Trust me to go to St. Pete, land of neon visors, flipflops and printed shirts, and find the only Rachel Comey dress in town. Twig is singular in St. Pete in that it journeys beyond beach wear and boho baubles, with Antipast socks, Ace and Jig tops and Album di Famiglia cashmeres. The Rachel Comey, deco inspired with an elegant crescent moon print, whispered to me from the rack. “Buy me, buy me –– I’ll look so good with responsible underpants.” I couldn’t resist. I won’t wear it with flipflops, but barefoot on the beach would be divine.
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