one of a kind

{trent gudmundsen}

I got on Facebook this morning to tell my friend and bunk mate from the USNS Comfort a happy birthday and found this painting posted on her wall.  Isn't it beautiful?  Just like the real girl.  Sweet, genuine and uses words like 'hot dog' and 'abomination' in every day conversation, Rachel is one of a kind.

Ang, me, Sloane and Rachel at the LDS Temple in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 

Harvest Paintings

The Gleaners - Jean Francois Millet

Growing up this was one of my favorite paintings hanging in the halls of the school I went to.  I loved the colors and imagining what life might be like if I were one of The Gleaners.  It was positioned in the hallway near the music room and if I sat in the right chair I could see it while we sang.  A client mentioned it today and how she has always loved it too.  She thought it'd work perfectly in her new living room since her walls are a warm golden hue.  I couldn't agree more.

I was very excited for her and hopes she purchases it.  I came back to work and looked up just to enjoy the feeling I get when I look at it. 

While I was at it, I looked for other harvest inspired paintings.

Robert Zund

 

John Stoa

Norman Lloyd

Happy harvest time dear friends.

advice from Andy Warhol

{JMR 2011} 

"Don't think about making art, just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it.  While they are deciding, make even more art."

A fitting quote to come across today.  I collected some paints and brushes this morning on the way out of the door with the intent of doing something whimsical and soft with an elephant for someone in my life who just so happens to love elephants.  I didn't mean for it to turn out so... nursery art.  Oh well, she can hold onto it for future use if she likes, or use it for a coaster now... I don't much care about the outcome, I just had fun creating something for my friend to let her know she's cool in my book.

{etsy elephant search while I waited for inspiration to strike.}

More great advice:

It's not who you are that holds you back.  It's who you think you're not.

Be a fruit loop in a world full of cheerios.

inspired by: yarn bombers

 Around town I've been noticing normal inanimate objects with a little extra flair.  

I thought it must be a Utah thing, maybe even part of the art festival last weekend?  But after reading an article in the Times {my favorite source for weird facts} I found out it is a world wide movement called yarn bombing, or gorilla knitting.   I did an image search and was instantly wishing I knew how to knit so I could go attack something with some yarn.

Knitters - grab your gear and let me know when you have done some public work!

 {images from here, here, here, here...do an image search, that's what I did.}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DILLON!!  NINE YRS OLD TODAY!!

on my walk this morning

I walked over to my neighbors house this morning and found another little graffiti tag on the sidewalk.  Call me a bad person, but I actually kind of like the little tags that don't end up messing up walls or personal property.  Sure, it's illegal, and may be ugly to some, but it made me smile this morning.

Found this one earlier this week a few blocks away.  Same artist? 

isn't this pretty? I snapped a quick little shot of her living room while we were chatting.

art market this weekend

I love this market going on at the Sugarhouse Garden Center.  Definitely put it on your schedule if you are local.

MOA at the Y

 I went to the MOA last night to see the Carl Bloch exhibit and while I was touched by the way he captured the life of Christ in his beautiful paintings and enjoyed seeing the familiar paintings in person, I wish I would have gone at a less crowded time. 

I prefer being able to take it all in without feeling squished in with so many others, but I'm glad it is drawing crowds because his work is really exceptional.

I spent the majority of my time wandering the other exhibits and took forbidden photos of this giant block of books. 
{such a rebel, I'm waiting for someone to contact me and tell me to take it down.}

 A war poster exhibit was also going on downstairs that I would have loved spending more time enjoying.  As you know, I'm a big fan of WWII history and the vintage posters are so pretty.

My favorite poster in the exhibit.

{link for war posters}

fresh entry way

Earlier today I was talking with a client about art options to go above a console she is considering for her entry way.   I love the console for the shape, and the fun french phrases scrawled all over it so I thought something light and colorful would compliment it well.  

She has lots of red in her home and while her taste leans more towards the traditional, I couldn't help pulling a few fun options I liked for the space knowing her personality and love of color.  

 So the ones I chose to pair with it would be a little too bold for her, but she did love the floral that I did show her.  Pair it with a great lamp and a few accessories and she will be on her way to having a great entry way.

Market Monday: Deco MOD Walls

 I don't believe at all in coincidences so when I met Ann last week I knew it was the perfect time to launch my idea for a series called Market Monday featuring talented people and their wares.

I was at a very dear friend's home last Thursday evening about two bites into my delicious Cafe Rio salad and ready to start a movie when the door bell rang.  It was some family stopping in with birthday wishes for her and when she unwrapped her lovely home made gift  I really hoped this girl had some kind of shop set up to sell her goods because I wanted one too!

Lucky for me, and for you, she has not one etsy shop, but two!

Deco MOD Walls was my first stop when I got home and jumped online to check her out and ideas immediately started forming of ways I could use this fun product.

{possibly the 'tween' room I've got in the mix? I could see these pretty flowers on her wall below her wall mounted flat screen.}

The second shop, Annzania, is dedicated to her folk art that I almost instantly fell in love with one of the prints she had called 'Nesting'.  I say she had a print because it is now on its way to my house and I can't wait!  If you're local and have ever gone to the Art Market in Sugarhouse you'll recognize her work.

Then I found her blog {I think I went a bit blog stalker}and she does family portraits too!  Her talent seems limitless.

And the good news for you?

She's offering my readers 20% off this week!!

Enter SPARROW20 at check out.

Happy shopping and be sure to become a follower to hear about upcoming market Mondays and other fun things going on here.

'tangled up in blue'

My draft of a painting of Bob Dylan that I've wanted to try for awhile now.  Watercolor is still a daunting medium for me because it is so unpredictable.  Though that is the appeal of playing with it I suppose.  The scanned image here seems washed out, but the painting propped up next to me looks more vibrant and has some depth to the shadows.  I'll try to play that up in the next try.

I've had Boots of Spanish Leather playing to get me in the mood as I've been blending ultramarine, cobalt and payne's gray to find the perfect mix.  Such a beautifully haunting song, it'll forever remind me of a night it came on my ipod while I was way out to sea somewhere off the coast of Nicaragua.  I love those chance happenings when life has a soundtrack. 

{lyrics can be found here and inspiration for my monochromatic water color here.}

Fun timing to try this painting since I was browsing the blogs as it dried and found this Paint Party going on over at Room Remix - the blog and decided to play along.  Go check it out here.

wish list: new pillows

 I've been playing with the idea of having some pillows made for my bed someday really soon.  The problem is I'm a bit of a wandering soul these days and maybe it isn't the smartest thing to have anything made when who knows where I'll be next and what I'll want then?   

Rational me says, "You're just fine with your mishmash of bedding and sad pathetic flat pillows that feel more like rocks than pillows." The Designer me says "But grey will always be your favorite color, and mixing it with that green you love can never be a bad thing, and you'll love having fluffy new pillows..."

Ladies, ladies!  Please.

So to help with the decision, I made this {above} last night to go above my bed using all those colors to see if I really do love them.

That was silly.  Of course I do.  And I love the geometric pattern with the velvet coral...

Sweet dreams.

gallery stroll recap

the gallery stroll last night was great.  I've done the stroll a few times and it is like any other gallery experience, if I can walk away being truly inspired by just one piece I consider it a success.  Not that I'm that hard to please, it just isn't something you can force.  Being truly moved by a piece of art, that is.  The night was off to a great start as we walked into the little Frame Shop on 6th Ave and the artist immediately started an enthusiastic and unpretentious conversation about his work with us.
I love a humble artist, especially when his work is really wonderful.

After a few more galleries and a few more than a few blocks walked we stopped at the park at the bottom of Capitol Hill so I could play around with my silly little camera.  My favorite image is the one at the top of the post for the color and movement.

As the hansom cabs drove past each other the driver heading into Memory Grove congratulated the other cab coming out of the park.  I can only assume something romantic was proposed and accepted.  Is it something the cabbies radio to each other?
"Roger that good buddy, she said yes!" 

salt lake city gallery stroll

Looking for something to do tonight in Salt Lake City?  I'll be roaming the streets downtown enjoying the fall evening and the Gallery Stroll put on every third Friday of the month.

Fall Art Market

My favorite Salt Lake City Art Market in Sugarhouse today and tomorrow.  Last time I fell in love with a great print and hope the artist is there again so I can make up for passing on it last time.

friendly cards

Making cards for friends n family is always fun to do. I can rarely just sit down and come up with one unless I have someone in mind.
I painted this little card for my Aunt Vicky for her birthday but she hasn't seen it until just now.  It promptly got buried on my desk only to find it way too late to send.  {Is it ever too late to send birthday wishes?}

for my mom

for my nice niece.

art: just a little thought

This week has been busy gearing up for the big Labor Day Weekend. In my little corner of the world Labor Day equates to lots and lots of work because at Noble House we have our biggest sale of the year.

So while I've been buzzing around I've been thinking a lot about art. These two images have been floating around in my 'love it' file so I thought I'd share.

I really love art that tells a story. The Sargent is a classic and takes me back to my early years of wearing a uniform to school. The more contemporary one is something I love because of the muted colors and the visual drama of the situation.