dots of color make magic unfold

Perhaps no other painting has made such brilliant use of tiny dots of color, known as pointillism, than George Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jette". It's such a famous image and its full beauty and Seurat's artistic skill and can only be fully appreciated in person. It's housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's permanent collection, and every time I see it, I'm always amazed by its contrasting proportions - it's 10 feet wide - and is comprised of teeny, tiny dots of contrasting colors that make this image. It took Seurat two years to complete this pleasant piece, and looking closely as all of the figures, we can see people representing the various classes of the late 19th century. Seurat was born and lived in France (1859-1891), and is considered to be a Post-Impressionist painter who helped shape the direction of modern art with his style. 

the image in full - what a scene!

a close-up, class distinctions can be seen
in the figures' dress

a pet dog and a pet monkey
also get to enjoy the park



lovely, isn't it?



Want to learn more about George Seurat or this beautiful painting? Here's the Art Institute of Chicago's site devoted to this artist:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/seurat/seurat_themes.html 

springtime view from the kitchen

Just outside our kitchen window is a small garden that gives us a nice view of lots of greens and whites. I love using white flowers in this garden because at night, when everything else gets swallowed in darkness, the white flowers pop. In the summer, I also grow herbs in this garden, making it so convenient to cut them fresh and use in dinner.

view from the kitchen

hyacinth still in bloom

our crabapple almost ready to bloom 

to me, hostas are just perfect!

see the gnome in the background?

lots of textures and a white geranium

Everything has greened up so nicely!

classic color combinations #1

Blue and white is such a classic color combination. And, I think there's a reason why this duo has withstood the test of time - because they pair together so beautifully! No where is this pairing more apparent than on porcelain. Learning about the history behind these blue and white porcelain objects is fascinating. It's a history of art, but like all art history, it's so intertwined with historical events. International trade between Northern Europeans and the Far East greatly influenced this art form. The items below, except for my own, were all photographed at the Art Institute of Chicago.  They have a spectacular collection of porcelain. 

Arita-Ware Apothecary Bottle, 1670/80
Japan

Jar, 1437
Porcelain painted
in underglaze blue, China 

vase, 1723/25 - Germany
Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
hard paste porcelain
 with blue underglaze

bottle and earthenware, 1675
Delft, Netherlands 

vase, 1680
Delft, Netherlands
tin-glazed earthenware 

my own little collection of blue and white
porcelain items, mostly from Thailand

more of my blue and white collection

knitted tote

One of my recent knitting projects is complete, and I really love the finished project. You might remember a post from a few months ago, where I showed some new yarns I purchased. I used one of those yarns, Rowan's Cotton Glace in "Dijon" for a knitted bag; it's perfect for trips to the grocery or farmers' market. I followed a pattern I found on the Purl Bee, called Elisa's Nest Tote. If you'd like to check it out and give it a try, here's the pattern: http://www.purlbee.com/elisa-nest-tote/. I was cruising along with the mesh part of the bag, but just couldn't follow the pattern for the I cord. Thankfully, my mom was able to step in and help me with the cord portion of the bag. A big thanks to her for lending her hands to help complete the tote!

laying flat it doesn't look that big

the empty tote

the mesh stretches so that
the bag holds so much!

fully loaded!

a year of being home

We closed on our house just about 1 year ago, and we moved in shortly after we painted almost every room. Picking paint colors that we like helped us create our nest. As soon as we moved in, our house felt like home. I feel so lucky to have that feeling because I know not everyone feels that way about where they live. I've put together some before and after shots of some of our rooms. Our to-do list is still rather lengthy, but we take comfort in knowing we don't want to move anytime soon. We love our house - for it is truly home sweet home.

the living room: before

the living room: after
lots of punches of colors
all anchored by the most calming grey on the walls

the dining room: before

the dining room: after
the perfect neutrals so that
flowers and food always pop!

the half-bath: before



the half-bath: after
beautifully renovated
by my husband

my future office: before

my office: after
the most colorful room: green tea walls, purple art,
and accents of blue - reminds me of summer!

master bedroom: before

master bedroom: after
charcoal by day, deep blue at night
it is a wonderful sleeping color

guest bedroom: before

guest bedroom: after
pale powder blue walls with cream colors,
reminds me of the sky

light and reflections

A gilded star on a ceiling above, makes an eye-catching design.

Flowerful Friday

Thankfully spring is in full swing here in Madison, and much to my delight, the bulbs I planted last fall are blooming. And, I think they are all beautiful! 

a continual theme: still lifes of flowers

One continual theme that many artists thankfully gravitate towards, is the image of floral still lifes. Still lifes are works of art depicting the inanimate. I think by looking closely at this genre of painting and seeing how artists have portrayed it over the years is fascinating. You can see what's stayed the same and what has changed. Below are some photos I took of still lifes of flowers, all of these paintings are at the Art Institute of Chicago. I hope you enjoy these colorful canvases as much as I do!

Trompe l'Oeil Still Life with a
Flower Garland and Curtain
Adraein Van der Spelt, 1658  

The Vase of Tulips
by Paul Cezanne, 1890

Still Life with Flowers
by Odilon Redon, 1905

Flowers (Blumen)
artist unknown to me, 1993

Do you have a favorite?

tour of Charleston, part 3

Not surprisingly, part of the reason I liked Charleston so much is that no matter where I looked, I could see beautiful flowers. When I was there, the jasmine was in full bloom, and its scent perfumed the air. It was a wonderful experience - walking around and having your senses awakened by the sight and scent of these small yet powerful little flowers. Oftentimes I could smell the jasmine before I could see it. I wish I could share the heavenly scent with you, but these photos will have to do!

walking along side of a wall
covered in jasmine blooms

a close-up of 2 little jasmine flowers

it's not an uncommon sight to
see porches like this -
isn't it lovely?

jasmine en masse

foreground - jasmine
background - magnolia
100% Charleston

jasmine climbing and practically
covering this entire building!