Susan Pepler

30 12 2009

I`m a fan of montone paintings. I love colour but I also feel that there`s so much more one can do with things that are monotone. With a bright painting, your limited to what else you can place in a room.

I like the monotone colour palette used in the above painting, Blue Vase, by Montreal-based artist Susan Pepler.

It’s only been recently that I’ve taken an interest in floral still-lifes and it’s because I`ve recently found some artists (Carmelo Blandino, Madeleine Lamont, Rundi Phelan) who create wonderful florals. Looks like I can add Pepler to the list and hope more artists create more great florals. Read the rest of this entry »





Weekly Gem: Water

28 12 2009

What’s with the summer-infused water shot? I’m in Mexico!

I might not be posting as much as usual. Sorry! Happy New Year!

Water by Moongirllynn





Madeleine Weinrib

27 12 2009

I learnt of painter and designer Madeline Weinrib after learning that she’s the the genius behind the two fabulous carpets in my previous posts Design Love: Pretty Living Room and Design Love: Sumptuous Living Room.

Weinrib designs and creates artisan crafted carpets and textiles. According to her website, her designs “draw on a wealth of sources gleaned from her travels and reflect her interest in reinterpreting and reframing traditional forms.” Read the rest of this entry »





Design Love: Pretty Living Room

26 12 2009

What do you do with a fireplace that no longer works and has been covered up? You fill it with antique books! I love antique-looking hard cover books!

I love the pops of colour from the flowers and the elcetric blue carpet and pillow that spice up the relatively black, gray, and white room.

Not a fan of the totally different tables flanking the fireplace (and the exquisite mantel).

The carpet is by painter and designer turned carpet designer extraordinaire Madeline Weinrib.

Design by Barb Purdy & Gordon Runge and photo by Michael Graydon for Canadian House & Home





Weekly Gem: Wintercurve

21 12 2009

It’s Winter! It’s the Holidays! Imagine if each tree, or every other, had white christmas lights. It would  be the road to a celestial palace.

Happy Holidays!

Wintercurve by LarsVanDeGoor





Angie Lewin

20 12 2009

A year ago or so I bought a birthday card for a friend with an Angie Lewin print on the cover. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the artist, I just liked the card. Since then I bought a few more. I always meant to look the artist up but kept forgetting. It was only recently that I stumbled upon Lewin’s website and learnt more about her.

Her techniques include lithography, silkscreen, etching, linocut, woodcut, and wood engraving. I’ve included the technique used in the title of each work in the gallery below.

I really like her choice of colour pairings. Her modern floral landscape/still-lifes make for great cards or wall art in the right kind of space. Read the rest of this entry »





Design Love: Sumptuous Living Room

18 12 2009

I think purple and champagne gold are by far one of the best colour combinations in this world. There’s something so cozy and romantic yet majestic at the same time about the combination. Although I love the room above and would love nothing more to make it my own, I would probably eliminate some of the decorative pieces. I get that for the photo they work, but in real life, cleaning would be a nightmare. Plus, I want to put my feet up without knocking various knick-knacks out of the way. Actually, that table might not hold feet well, its legs are looking rather hungry.

The carpet is by painter and designer turned carpet designer extraordinaire Madeline Weinrib.

Room design by Stacey Smithers and photo by Tracy Shumate for Canadian House and Home





Latest Favourite Album: Miike Snow by Miike Snow

17 12 2009

I’ve been listening to Miike Snow’s self-titled (released June 2009) over and over again. Every track is awesome. In fact, it’s so awesome, I would say it’s one of the best of 2009. This is the first time I’m posting a favourite album, mostly because I’ve never been compelled enough to do so. But this time I am!

Snow isn’t a one man band, despite the deceiving title. The band is made up of Swedes Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, and Andrew Wyatt. Yes, another amazing Swedish band. There must be something in the water they drink or bread they eat. Seriously Sweden, share your secrets.

Karlsson and Winnberg, before taking on Miike Snow, wrote and produced hits for Britney Spears, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez, and a bunch of other musicians. Fear not, you won’t think of any of the latter stars when listening to the album.

The album is electro-indie-pop-…soul. Serisouly, lead singer Wyatt’s voice has this soulful twinge to it. Each track is made up of different genre layers, fused together to create this incredible sound that will drive you into euphoria. Read the rest of this entry »





Jen Renninger

16 12 2009

 

 

Jen Renninger is an illustrator/artist who creates these wonderful modern vintage prints.

I love the one I’ve featured above. It’s the kind of thing we should all spend five seconds looking at before we start our days. People get caught up in routines and mediocrity because it’s comfortable to do so. It’s one thing to do so because you have to, but at the end of the day you’re working towards a greater goal. It’s another to get caught up in routine out of comfort. We all become lazy/comfortable at some point in our lives but it’s important to realize that the only person who will help us realize our potential and make us happy is ourselves. Read the rest of this entry »





Kate Endle

14 12 2009

Suprisingly, I didn’t find Kate Endle’s work on Etsy, although she does sell her collages there.

I love owls. Not sure why, but they’re one of my favourite animals. Luckily for me, owls have been the subject of choice for many artists in the last year.

I’m assuming that Endle’s inspiration comes from nature, how could it not? Most of her subjects are of birds and other animals! On Endle’s Etsy page you can see the details of her works very clearly. The details in each work make them all the more precious. Look at Love Bird (the black owl below) and Owlette Learns To Hoo (the second owl below with one “hoo”) to see what I mean by details adding so much more to the simple animal shapes. Read the rest of this entry »