More Colour Therapy?

Oh yeah, the light is bleak and it rains and it rains.

So more Colour   anyone?
Here is To Your Health!

This is Todd Sanders from Austin .
This goodnes comes from one of my favs: The Jealour Curator blog.

Baneberry - deadly fruit

Baneberry contains cardiogenic toxins than can have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle.

Actaea, commonly called baneberry

The roots of Actaea were used medicinally by Native Americans for menstrual cramping and menopausal discomfort.

Area 8. Operation Emery

  18 December 1970. 
The Baneberry 10-kilotonne-of-TNT (42 TJ) nuclear bomb was detonated 900 feet below the surface. It's energy blew the soil off, causing a fissure near ground zero. A plume of fire and dust was released, raining deadly radioactive fallout on workers in different locations.  6.7 million Curies of radioactive material, including 80 kCi of ¹³¹I was released.

Map of radioactive fallout, effect of nuclear testing
in the 50-70-ies.  

One hell of a way to boil water...

 

It is all a very sad Colour Therapy.

Shabby chic - the Course Syllabus

Somethng ROSY*
trouvais.com

This passion is almost as deep as the one that bound Frost with Nixon.
I am about to make a serious personal disclosure:
I know - it's women's porn - but it is irresistible.
Especially when the radio propaganda and the grimy grayness outside is trying to convince us that  world is in shambles and we head for the poorhouse because of what Greece and now Cyprus is doing to the world of international finance.

For about a year I visit those gorgeous, fun, nostalgic, entertaining blogs devoted to staging, photography, home decorating, vintage and antique decorating, textiles, patterns, silly but sometimes seriously marketable stuff.

It is a Colour Therapy of sort in white, rosy, and rustic.

The blogs are mostly edited by women, many sell their products at Etsy, some own Antique dealership operations, some are professional photographers and others just enthusiasts of Fine Living in a certain vintage/rustic style.
There's got to be a fair load of nostalgia. In reality the danger of kitsch that nostalgia tends to evoke or demand is there. That very danger and the balance make styling sooo much fun...

While scouting over German, Polish, UK and above all - the Scandinavian blogs, I did some detective work to sort out what gets on IN. There are certain characteristic of the style, including:

• combing and mixing vintage or rustic looking objects with art in modern or older architecture
• using textiles that suggest artfulness or craft
• creating atmospheric scenarios within populated space
• promoting found objects, originality, art and style

Here are the "obligatory" accessories that are must-have among blog-loving hive.
See if you have it, if you really speak the lingo, if you belong.
Judging by my research some of the essential props of the Shabby Chic, Rustic, Vintage etc are:

http://theoldpaintedcottage.blogspot.ca

Tureen - une soupière, a soup vase, preferably white.
I don't know why, this is an absolute pre-requisite,
they ALL have it and broadcast it very adamantly;
During my times it was used only during great occasions and it was always present at organized vacations - in resort, when several people dined at the same time.

Manneqins
http://miss-elvin.blogspot.ca/

Mannequin - this too, you do not belong if you don't have one, I was a bit nervous because the item did not strike me as a common item, but probably, like a secret masonic sign - you either have it, or you just don't make it. 
 like here  

 Other MUST-Haves follow:

Old Armoires
http://lantlif.blogspot.ca/

Old books with gilded spines
http://theswenglishhome.blogspot.ca/

Rustic wood
http://madeinpersbo.blogspot.ca/

White dinnerware
http://g-style-g-style.blogspot.ca/

Cafe au lait bowl
http://lillablanka.blogspot.ca/

Reclaimed chandelier
http://lillablanka.blogspot.ca/

Angels, folk art
http://storaochsmadrommar.blogspot.ca/

Old cupboards with white dinnerware
http://madamepetite.blogspot.se

Strategically positioned B&W photography
http://franciskasvakreverden.blogspot.ca/

Oh, in Swedish interior decor lore, there is one more item that is distinctly and firmly required:
Antique, painted Portrait of the Ancestor, 
an important proof of noble protoplast tissue...

Portrait of an Ancestor
http://princessgreeneye.blogspot.ca/
(could be unframed but definitely better in some
gilded frame)

 

http://minlillaveranda.blogspot.ca/

Hmmm, when you look closely it almost appears that the two portraits below are of a same man, he just turned the other way for the second sitting...

That's the beauty of a trend, a fashion - it makes us look so much alike...

Butterfly collections
http://g-style-g-style.blogspot.ca/

This lady, who posted just a drawn facsimile of the "mandatory butterfly collection" must be congratulated for her sense of good taste.





Oh no, I almost forgot, most IMPORTANTLY:

• CATS - the more you have, the more seasoned your position...
• lots of things with French writing...
• Something French, like Eiffel Tower
• and something rosy...
  

* Note: The amount of rosiness in your styling is a variant that will determine whether you are an American stylist of Norther European. The Scandinavians dispense with the rosy, but the English don't. The Americans love it...



I have tried to see if I "measure up, my realization was powerful - I think that with age, before I knew it I have started to speak the lingo and I even do own a white Tureen!
I speak PROSE!

The Sweater - Merin Cadell

Girls, do you remember The Sweater?

This is the piece of authentic Canadian poetry, and music, and a video.
By now this precious sweather is a truly vintage, it smells musty but hasn't dated a bit, it will be good-as-new for another.... years.
The last piece changes around the recitative by the immortal Meryn Caddell.

Watch and enjoy this incredibly intrinsically cool music vid.
This is Colour Therapy AGAIN!


Ever since it went on the air eons ago, so long ago that we still had a TV and even watched it (mostly kids shows...) I knew - this piece of performance has to be saved and preferably placed in a bottle and sent to space as the incredible intrinsic piece of human expression.

Many eons later, the boys were already shaving and the tv was no more, it took me a while to restore this item. So now - it's here, immortalized with the rest of my bits of memorabilia. I will post the lyrics soon, got it saved on another machine.
M.Cadell went on to teach song lyrics and libretto writing at the University of British Columbia.
She continues to live as a man.
I stay in Ottawa and continue to live as a sweater.

Dying for Love

Yep, I do love Opera, the music, the voice, fantastic theatre that comes with it but by far I love the most the grand opera Divas.
For all my blog's accidental or intentional readers:
things improved sooo much since Joan Sutherland and Marily Horne performed it...


For those possums who have never heard the Flower Duet: do you remember the movie Shawshank Redemption?
Yes, this is the divine music played via the prison's loudspeakers 'til all "bad boys" stalled in the yard to a complete silence.

Elina Garanča, Latvian mezzosoprano and Anna Netrebko, soprano.

Colour therapy

It's so dark outside, really no signs of sprint any time soon..
We all need now: Colour 
Designed by graphic, interior and furniture designer, Kevin Boyd of Durban,
South Africa for the Colour Cafe in Durban.
Published by Elle Decor.
Found on Poppytalk.

Thanks, these people know how to kolor

Painted Furniture, Painted Rooms

During my more recent trips around the "blogs of the word" I have found this painted armoire preserved at the Folk Art Museum in Innsbruck. It's been posted by Elsbeth  She is a Dutch quilt-maker and a folk art aficionado. One admits quilting and painted furniture go together so beautifully well... ♥

source

Interestingly enough, earlier today I was speaking with a colleague of mine who is leaving for the Maritimes (Canadian East Cost..) and regional art stuff like this. I was telling him about the, Mr. and Mrs. William Croscup's Painted Room, c. 1846-1848
The naive painting style that adorned houses of the Atlantic coast in Both Canada and US. The Croscup's walls miraculously resisted the pressures of changing decor trends and battled wear and tear.

Restored parlour at the National Gallery of Canada

Script and décor

I am so glad that for a while now there is such an intense interest in feel and texture of old textiles or objects, often filigree in detail. I had watched young women wearing delicate blouses looking nearly Victorian, if not Marie-Antoine'sque...

Inspiration

Two of my favourite blogs bring images that create a delightful juxtaposition, spanning ca 200 yrs:

* see more on script below...

18th century script

from Trish @ trouvais.com

I love her blog very much, the colour and her choices for inspiration; we see to have shared the same read of décor mags in the past and demonstrably - the passion persists...

vs

 
Op-art like 

contemporary
textile design from
Habitat collection
(UK online store)

 

 

 from print & pattern

Texture

And for those who still favour texture over line:
This trendy and well designed piece is from Norway.     
Designed and produced by the Rebel Wallcoverings.
Posted by the super Norwegian blogger, Franciska


I am rather curious how the Rebel Wallcoverings will do marketing because their designs are great and the materials and technology I am very familiar with.



For a number of years I was directly involved in designing and producing wall-coverings.
Effectively engineered wall-covering materials from KoroGraphics and DreamScape made a lot of progress in this graphic niche.
However, all my orders were institutional, some in Canada, others in the U.S. The installation of those materials was easy, water-based roll-on adhesive works like a charm. The materials are very dimensionally stable so is was no worry about shrinkage etc.
The market that the Norwegian colleagues may a lot more receptive - judging by the sophistication and diversification of interior décor shown on European blogs and magazines they do have a good chance to succeed.
Their price tag is 295.00 Nor. Kroner,  that's about Can$ 52.00 per square Meter, which I would say is excellent and very comparable with what my pricing was.
Definitely, I love this stuff!

More on Script

I must return to the 18th century script, Trish from Trouvais.com has posted a YT vid on an artist who excelled in being inspired and transmitting the beauty and the visual intricacy of the old French calligraphic script into modern art, décor and textile design - Carolyn Quartermaine:
It MUST be seen.

Dame Edna

Wikipedia

Hello Possums.

Yes, as some of you know, I am all-time fan of Dame Edna, who is a bit ugly creature, the natural daughter of the Australian comedian Barry Humphries and the figment of his creative imagination.
She/he is a superb entertainer and a talk-show and the founder of the Prostate Olympics.
Yes, you've got it right: The World Prostate Olympics!
The photo shows her at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Yes, she is something, look darling - isn't she adorable?
This is what her website says about herself: http://www.dame-edna.com/

"Possibly Jewish, Dame Edna is a widow, with three grown children.  She spends her time visiting world leaders and jet-setting between her homes in Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Switzerland and Martha’s Vineyard.  She is the Founder and Governor of Friends of the Prostate and the creator of The World Prostate Olympics."

A tad more on the subject of Funerary Traditions:

When I die would love to have her notoriously stylish eye glasses put in my coffin, or shoe box - whatever it will be at the critical moment...
Of course, there is a whole list of items I would like to take with me to the afterlife, so I better prepare the box ahead of time or someone may do that not exactly to my liking....


But the plans for the internment of my precious earthly remains a subject of a whole separate blog post. There is still, statistically, a little bit time left for the preparations, because as most of you know I am still well in my thirties..... YES? or NO?

Monserrat Figueras - Divine voice

1. 
   

A year ago died this woman, god has given her the voice of divinity that will transcend anything and everything..
Thanks to the internet the beauty of her interpretation will live and inspire many.
http://www.alia-vox.com/

Koko Euro Spoko

The Polish viewers vote those Babcias's song Koko Euro Spoko as the official Polish 2012 Euro Soccer anthem. Grandma's average age - probably 70.  We LOVE KOKO!




ou may notice those flashy colourful graphics.
Those a back-projections on a special 3M rear-projection film, developed just a few years ago but in our area virtually unseen.



The principle of this display system is simple and really clever.
The YouTube video below explains rather clearly the mechanics of it.
In short - if you are thinking of creating a very effective storefront display, that may be the solution for you. You need a projector and - as the man says, many kinds of graphic format.


A word of caution little possums: (yes, I adore Dame Edna - that will be totally DIFFERENT post...)
The City does restrict how you may project.
It mostly restricts your projecting patterns on the street level.
You will be fine with the static images or a slow slide-show with a certain image changing frequency and possibly no video.
Using above street level or indoors, or in a park so it doesn't visually interfere with the traffic - there will be a lot more freedom.
So essentially, the blinking Euro Koko graphics - yes in the park, no in the storefront.

 

Children's Festival

The very end (perhaps even the very beninning...) of a 20 ft long banner for the Ottawa Children's Festival - I produced it donating its design. Now it's being cleaned up for another season of kids fun.










Once again, the summer is coming, events starting.
Once again:

 CALLING ALL MILLIONERS

would donating a million to establish a stationary children's theatre in Ottawa is asking too much?
Please view all the irresistible benefits that come from such act of enlightened imagination. Irresistible reasons were listed in last year's post on this subject. 
I am sure there is many thousands of reasons more since last year - there is just so many more kids in Ottawa.
All of them need to be armed and empowered with the tools of fantasy and imaginations.
Those are perhaps the most unique qualities among Humans within the Animal Kingdom....
Fantasy and imagination leads to more creative thinking, innovative solutions, better negotiating skills. Gee, we can't have youth lingering in the shopping malls and kids sitting in front of a tube every day!

I know, there are roads to be paved, schools to be opened and discoveries to be discovered - but that's just the OTHER millions, lest  talk  One  million  at  a  Time...
Please. Maybe it's less than a mil - what do I know?

Mea Cuba - Vernissage

The event turned out to be very successful and really good fun.
In spite of almost a blizzard, the opening evening brought a good number of people.
Among guest we have met SPAO's (School of Photographic Arts Ottawa) instructors.
I was surprised to see that fellow students of Alexei did not show, except one.
Could this suggest that the students do not bond easily, something way back when I was still taking my photography classes - we have discussed once, the photographer's ego...

The Opening Night and the reception were great, the coming weekend wish featured Meet the Artist on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Once again, the turnout was surprisingly good on the weekend - largely following a brief morning CBC Radio interview with Alexei, broadcasted at 8:30 in the morning.
We were please to see so many people who came after listening to this interview at In Town and Out.

You may listen to the interview via Alexei's website:
http://www.alexeikintero.ca/apps/blog/show/11969522-cbc-radio-interview-with-michael-bhardwaj

Exhibition continued for the next almost 3 weeks, after which the buyers were called to pickup thei new acquisitions. I was glad to have met interesting people.
I am pleased to say that Alexei is a talented photographer but also an enthusiastic organizer and animator.
I am even more pleased once I  have received a signed copy of one of the works exhibited - Running in Circles.
 

Antony Romaszewski

Antoni Romaszewski died a little over a year ago.
Antek was a friend, a fellow artist and a compatriot, and a compadre with whom we had spent more time disagreeing than not, and it all suited  us and kept everyone nicely tensed.
Well-read, opinionated, prolific artist, and art elitist, consummate in everything.
Created intricate collages, staged objects playing the screenplay of his design.
I loved his home.
I love the homes where I do not feel afraid that if I am stranded there by some mysterious chance, I will shrivel from boredom. I wish to emerge after 3 days of emergency confinement filled with music I listened, movies I watched, books I had read, paintings I had seen, things I head heard and learned.....

Antony played a big one on all of us.

His heart gave out too soon, he was 56 years old and we were supposed to have fun now, when the children are grown up and gone, stresses of the mid-live race are subsiding and life is supposed to get easier, slower and more fun.
Well, death is a strict mistress, you cannot bargain.
Perhaps you can, but we couldn't, there was no chance.

We miss him very much, there are two small paintings of Antek in my Studio, I photographed them for everyone to enjoy.

Oil painting, Can$ 950.00

Oil painting, Can$ 850.00

http://www.saatchionline.com/art/Unknown-Florentian-Diary/86481/611840/view 

Plans for commemorative book and retrospective exhibition of his work are continuing.
I will keep everyone posted.