From Where I Stand: Mile End, Montreal

There’s nothing like walking around with your sweetheart on a Fall day, all wrapped up in knitted layers, feeling a nip in the air, and taking in the intoxicating scent of smoked meat.  Oh Montreal, how I love you.  I passed this intriguing street art piece while walking to Eva B, one of the city’s most entertaining vintage boutiques (costumes, coffee, cookies, and clothes — yes please).  I love the colors and the subject matter.  Looks like the skeleton’s about to eat that car!

Street Art in Mile End, Montreal

Halloween Attacks!

This years Halloween Jack O’Lantern is dedicated to my Dad, who has collected Mars Attacks trading cards since he was a little boy.  What a giant brain!!

Mars Attacks Pumpkin by Joanna Lemle

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Abstract Expressionism… or Is It All in Your Head?

You won’t find the following pictures in an art gallery.  In fact, you may be more likely to find them in a science lab.  The images below are photographs of axons and dendrites.  They are stunning, and would you believe they are inside you?

“Dissected Neurons,” Life, October 1971 – Photo Courtesy of SVA Library

Yep, the cells in your brain; that’s what they look like.  Axons and dendrites are parts of neurons, “nerve cell[s] that [are] the basic building block[s] of the nervous system” (2).

Photo Courtesy of Jim Pryor

These images of actual neurons are magnificent.  Their abstract nature would be difficult to recreate.  How simple they are in their beauty, yet how complicated they are in their function, transferring information throughout our bodies both chemically and electrically.

Stained Pyramidal Neurons in Cerebral Cortex – Photo Courtesy of BrainMaps.org

Who knew we had such masterpieces inside of our heads?

Credits:

(1) SVA Library Pictures and Periodicals Collection. “Anatomy – Nervous System.” 7 April 2013. <http://svapicsandmags.com/2013/04/&gt;

(2) Cherry, Kendra. About.com Psychology. “What is a Neuron?” 23 August 2014. <http://psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/f/neuron01.htm&gt;

(3) Pryor, Jim. “UA. 1 Central Problems in Pholosophy.” 28 January 2007. <http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/intro/notes/causaltheory.html&gt;

(4) BrainMaps.org. “BrainMaps.org Screenshots.” 23 August 2014. <http://brainmaps.org/index.php?p=screenshots&gt;

Pattern + Color from Three Thousand Years Past

I’ve always been fascinated by early humans and what life on this planet might have been like thousands if not tens of thousands of years ago.  There is an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal today about the brief period of time early humans and neanderthals walked the earth together – click here to check it out.  After a little online research, I came across this eye-catching image:

Seti I Fresco by Minutoli (5)

This lovely drawing depicts a relief from the tomb of pharoah Seti I, also known as Tomb KV17.  The tomb itself is considered one of the most beautifully decorated tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, and was discovered by Giovanni Batista Belzoni in October, 1817 (1).  Though the exact dates of the reign of Seti I are unknown, 1294 to 1279 BC are the most commonly accepted by scholars today (2).

What is so interesting about this piece is not only its sheer beauty, but also the collection of different people.  The drawing, from 1820, is credited to Heinrich Menu von Minutoli (1772-1846), who apparently copied the piece from an unknown artist (3) — my suspicions are on Alessandro Ricci, who created a very similar drawing around this time and is known to have visited the tomb and the region between 1817-1820 (4).  Both images are often referenced in discussion of the demographics of Ancient Egypt during the reign of Seti I, which included Lybians, Nubians, Syrians, and Egyptians, as can be seen above.  Some say the artist took creative liberties, but both the drawing and the original cave reliefs are stunning, with alluring choices of color, pattern, clothing, and hair style.  I love the details in the outfits, along with the accessories and headpieces.

To think the original relief was painted well over three thousand years ago, it’s simply awe-inspiring.

Credits:

(1) Dunn, Jimmy. The Tomb of Seti I. August 21 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV17

(2)  Michael Rice (1999). Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seti_I#cite_note-4

(3) Wikimedia Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seti1a.jpg

(4) Salvoldi, Daniele. Early Explorers in Egypt and Nubia. May 31 2013. http://earlyexplorersegypt.blogspot.com/2013/05/pharaoh-reborn-exhibition-in-bristol.html

(5) African History. Les Egyptiens De L’Antiquite Etaient-Ils Noir? August 21 2014. http://africanhistory-histoireafricaine.com/blog/2013/08/20/les-egyptiens-de-lantiquite-etaient-ils-noirs/

Adore A Door: 10 Whitby Street, London

Just brilliant!  World, I am back from across the pond and after a month of traveling, some medical woes, and some major post-design job decompression, I have returned to you.

Whitby Street, London

To make up for my absence, I thought I would post a double dose of Adore A Door – two doors in one!  I spotted these while wandering around my new favorite neighborhood in East London, Shoreditch.  The area is filled with beautiful street art and Whitby Street is no exception.

This entry caught my eye immediately.  What can I say, I’ve always been drawn to geometric graphics.  The lines and triangles are great on their own, but the combination of colors really stood out to me.  I love the use of primaries with pastels and the black and white striping mimicking the iron gate.

I am not sure who or what resides here, but I took the message to heart: “LAUGH MORE.”  That’s a prescription we could all use.

Obsession of the week: Glove Molds

As much as I love beautiful objects, I am not a fan of clutter or excess.  Having recently moved into my new apartment (finally!), I am trying to keep my space organized, yet simultaneously attractive and inviting.  I’ve found the best way to do this is to opt for multipurpose pieces.

A few years back, my mother gave me a mini glove mold from Fish’s Eddy (a fantastic kitchenware store near Union Square in New York City).  Not only does this little guy look adorable on my console, it also makes a great display for my many rings.

Now in my new digs, I need a place to keep my jewelry.  Since my space is limited and I want to add visual interest, I’ve decided to look for larger glove molds to sit next to my mini version.  I was thrilled to find this one on Etsy from Haven Vintage.

Glove molds, or even just simple ceramic hands, can hold plenty of stuff beyond your jewelry stash.  Try using with business cards, photographs, envelopes, or car keys.  This one is currently available at Second Shout Out, but a quick Google or Etsy search will garner plenty of results.

If you find yourself in need of a hand, a vintage glove mold should sure do the trick.

The Beauty of Solar Flares

With all of our modern technologies, hectic schedules, and never ending To Do lists, it is always humbling to remember how truly small we all are.  Let us never ignore how awesomely gorgeous nature can be.

“Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life…When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality.” – Henry David Thoreau

Watch and be inspired:

Dogon Masks of Mali

“Hidden in the mysterious Bandiagara Cliffs of southern Mali, West Africa, live a people who claim to be the conduit between heaven and Earth: the people of the Dogon.º” Their ornate masks reflect the devastating beauty that surrounds them.

Dogon Masks – Photo Courtesy of Anthony Pappone

Carved and colorful, these pieces are used for tribal ritual. Each has a name and a designated pattern that represent animals, mythical beings, or other natural forms.

Dogon Sirige Mask – Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

The masks are typically comprised of wood, fibers, and paint. Other materials, such as feathers, seeds, quills, and bone, are sometimes incorporated.

Dogon Mask – Photo Courtesy of Native Line

“Dogon masks rank among the most respected within the world of tribal art collections and have influenced such Western 20th-century artists as Picasso and Braque, even the Cubist movement.°” The masks are truly are something to marvel at, as is how the Dogon have managed to preserve their culture against the changing world that surrounds them.

ºRainier, Chris. “Unique Dogon Culture Survies in West Africa,” National Geographic News. 29 May 2003.

Obsession of the week: Native Line

Justine Ashbee explores “new forms in woven precious metals, golds, and silver” through her gorgeous woven textiles.

Woven Textiles by Justine Ashbee – Photo Courtesy of LittleGemBlog.blogspot.com

“Inspired by the timeless motifs of indigenous woven craft work, Justine combines geometric lines with shimmering metals, to create luminary pieces of woven art, whether for your wall, or to wear as every day statement pieces.”

Native Line Woven Textiles – Photo Courtesy of NativeLine.com

“Native Line consists of one off woven pieces, wearable jewelry, hanging light sculptures, & wall hangings, all of which stem from her early explorations in weaving metal sculptures.”

Check out her beautiful work at NativeLine.

Adore A Door: Krause Music Store

As one of America’s most respected Architects and mentor to the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright, there is much to be said about Louis Sullivan.  A single post simply could not do him justice.  This building is so gorgeous, however, perhaps it speaks for itself.

Louis Sullivan’s Krause Music Store – Photo Courtesy of GGC Inc.

Today’s Adore A Door features the exterior of the Krause Music store, Sullivan’s last commissioned work.  It was built in 1922, and is located in the Lincoln Square Business District of Chicago.  The elaborate design strays from Sullivan’s famous utilitarian concept “form follows function,” but the ornamental facade is truly one of beauty.  It is made of terra cotta and features a large key emblazoned with a K (for Krause, of course).  The building has two main entrances: one leading into the music store, the other leading to an upstairs apartment.

To read more about the award-winning restoration by Studio V Design, check out this post from GGC Inc.