Sunday, January 25, 2009

Artist of the Week: Georges Seurat

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884-1886)

Georges-Pierre Seurat is widely considered the father of Neo-impressionism. The Parisian was the founder of the Société des Artistes Indépendants a guild for independent artists in the city. His innovative approach to pointillism makes his work easily identifiable.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Artist of the Week: Ernie Barnes

Ninety Nine, A Hunered

Olympic Gymnast

Ernie Barnes, a native of North Carolina, became an artist after a stint playing in the AFL. His love of sports shined through his artwork. Most of the subjects of his paintings are in motion and displaying their elongated limbs. This unique style helped earn him the honor of being the commissioned artist for the 1984 Olympic Games. Barnes is now one of the most collected American painters.




Sunday, January 11, 2009

Artist of the Week: Romare Bearden


Midtown Sunset (1981)

Quilting Time (1987)

Originally hailing from North Carolina, Romare Bearden went on to graduate from NYU and lived a very storied life including stints as a professional baseball player, studying art in Germany, and social work. However, images that played out in the lives of African Americans in the South were major cornerstones of his work. Among his major influences is last week's featured artist, Diego Rivera. Mastering collage technique is Bearden's signature.

Barefoot Contessa: My Love of Ina Garten



I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. So like many, whenever I'm in the need of culinary inspiration I turn to the Food Network. Among the myriad of cooks and chefs who appear on the network, Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa is by far my favorite. She just makes her food seem so delectable. You can imagine how excited I was when I heard she was coming out with a new cookbook called Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, which offers up great recipes using simple ingredients. I was lucky enough to get Back to Basics and her previous book Barefoot Contessa at Home for Christmas (Thanks to a wonderful fiance and family!). If you're a foodie or just want to try out a fresh new recipe or two, I definitely recommend these practical yet innovative cookbooks.

A Poem For My Great Great Grandmother

Red Tomatoes in a Blue-rimmed White Basin

Gravel driveway
Two lane highway
Over the levee
Bridge across the Mississippi
Country roads
Into the cotton cove
Up the wood plank steps
Through the dilapidated doors
Ancient dress patterns on the walls
Red tomatoes in a blue-rimmed white basin
Love in its most simple, natural form

We miss you Mama

Sunday, January 4, 2009

2009 Color of the Year: Mimosa

Just in case you were wondering, Pantone has announced the color of the year for  2009. And the winner is... Mimosa! It's a beautifully bold shade of yellow. I have some ideas of how I'll bring Mimosa into my designs this year. How do you feel about Pantone's color choice?

Artist of The Week: Diego Rivera

The Flower Vendor


So we took a break in December, but now we're back with the newest artist of the week, Diego Rivera. I've always been drawn to his work because of its unique style and depictions of the Mexican countryside. You can easily spot a Diego Rivera painting by his use of simplistic forms and vivid color. Rivera was a controversial figure and known communist. He was also married to another one of my favorite artists Frida Kahlo.

2009 is mine!

The new year is here, and I'm planning to enter it with a new sense of hopefulness and positivity. It's really easy sometimes to fall into feeling sorry for yourself and your circumstances. This year I plan to make a concerted effort to put a positive spin on everything -- yes, everything -- even the parts of my life I don't really adore at the moment. A few years ago Tim McGraw came out with a song inspired by his ailing father called "Live Life Like You're Dying." And, that's exactly what I plan to do this year. I want to bask in every second of life. Take new risks. Get out of my comfort zone.

What are your goals or resolutions for the new year?

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...