An Artful Weekend: Alexandra Valenti

Alexandra Valenti is one of those artists that continues to produce work that emanates her signature wanderlust style while at the same time innovating and creating something fresh and new with each project she takes on. Her bohemian brilliance is completely unique, mixing stunningly raw photography and fashion with watercolor and patterning in a way that makes each image feel like a little portal into a purely artistic world...

 

images via Alexandra Valenti

 

Wanting to spend the weekend soaking up new inspiration, Alexandra Valenti was on one of the first places I turned...Enjoy!

 

Love it / Live it: Wanderlust

Happy Monday everyone! I've caught quite the travel bug lately, having an urge to get outta town and see the world a bit more. Thus, I've been incredibly inspired by maps and all things related. I'm especially loving artist Jessica Durant's take on a world map in dripping sea toned watercolors....

art via JessicaIllustration, pillows via MyBeardedPigeon

And aren't these vintage map pillows beautiful? I love the idea of collecting one for every country or city you travel to. So I'll need that Thailand pillow pronto, and then I'll have to book a ticket to somewhere like Singapore, Australia or just about anywhere in South America so I can fill out my collection of favorites don't you think? Being in a foreign country and immersed in a new culture is one of the best ways to shift things back into perspective, rejuvenate, and get inspired. I'll leave you with a few snippets of what inspired me the most about my own Thai travels...Enjoy!

Art + Interiors: Dripping Nostalgia [Stina Persson]

I've long since been a fan of artist Stina Persson. She has quite a range of work but I'm most inspired by her dripping watercolors that reference the 70's while feeling incredibly fresh. She uses the negative space in each composition with just as much intent as her sultry and ethereal hues...

I love the idea of getting this same effect in a sitting room. Subtle tonal changes with an overall wash of blue-green color with a few pieces whose silhouette creates as intriguing a shape in the negative space than in the piece itself.. 

pillow via furbish studio, pendants via velocity art and design, rug via abc carpet, end table via clayton gray home, chair via 1st dibs

As you can see, I'm still coveting Abc Carpet's Color Reform rugs like mad. I just love anything that is unusually saturated and bold in colors you might never expect. Hope you're week is humming along beautifully, I think I'll sneak some breaks from the work I'm currently buried in to take in some serious Vitamin D...enjoy!

Art + Interiors: Welcoming Fall [Jan Groenhart]

I'm spending the weekend in Seattle and it finally feels like fall. The leaves are starting to change in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow, the air is brisk and wet, and every coffee shop is full with people huddled over hot cups of joe. I love fall, I've loved all the warm conversations with my closest friends over lots of coffee surrounded by so much love, and I absolutely love these paintings by artist Jan Groenhart...

www.jangroenhart.com

I love the faintest hint of a landscape amidst the rich colors and textures, the way they seem to embody fall without the depiction of leaves at all. I can't take my eyes off the glowing persimmon foreground in the second piece, and again I'm inspired to conceptualize an interior with these same qualities...

Live in it...

lamp via http://www.woodbamboodecor.blogspot.com/. garden stool via http://www.target.com/. end table http://www.arteriorshome.com/. pillows via www.etsy.com/shop/ginette1223. end table via West Elm . coffee table via Four Hands. pillow via cb2. chair and pouf via ikea. End table West Elm.

Get the feeling of fall by mixing reclaimed, unfinished wood pieces with painterly fall brights. I also love mixing an arrangement of end tables that reference each other in shape while remaining organic and light hearted. The grey chair reminds me of a cozy fall coat while the bamboo pendant would bring in loads of warmth on an otherwise gloomy day. I would snuggle up with a hot cup of tea and a good book for an afternoon of rejuvenation in this fall inspired space. Enjoy!

Art + Interiors: An oldie but a goodie [Van Gogh + Kelly Wearstler]

It is hard to deny the influence that Van Gogh has had on the art world. He was not afraid of color, he was not afraid to paint what he saw rather than what he knew to be accurate, and most importantly for artists for years and years to come, he developed a style that was all his own.

I love the energy in his work. The fiercely bright colors in constant motion create an atmosphere that is both vibrant and alive.

Live in it...

There is one Interior Designer that for me possesses many of the same qualities as Van Gogh's work, the one and only, Kelly Wearstler. Much like Van Gogh, she has boldly developed a style that is all her own. She has paved the way for designers to use vivid colors, play with scale and contrast, and let their personality be expressed through a space. She also happens to decorate with as many shades of turquoise as Van Gogh painted with...

photos via http://www.kwid.com/

Greens, blues and yellows tend to be the palette of colors I live in so I would post up in these spaces any day. Though I've never been lucky enough to be in one, Wearstler's spaces seem to just envelope you in a work of art, and for me, that is what its all about. Enjoy!

Art + Interiors: The emergence of beauty...

"Old as I am I continue to be amazed at the sudden emergence of daffodils and stories."

- Ernest Hemmingway

I stumbled upon this gorgeous photography by artist Maleah Matthews and I just had to do a post on it. I love the slightly blurred images drenched in sunshine and stillness. They remind me to take a moment to just breath and notice the world around me. As much tragedy and heartbreak there is in the world things continue to bloom, dreams continue to come true, and people continue to love. Check out Maleah's website for more gorgeous works of art. http://www.maleahmatthews.com/ 

Live in it...

from top left..wallpapers via http://www.wallpapercollective.com/. bed via http://www.anthropologie.com/. sideboard via http://www.fourhands.com/. paint via Benjamin Moore. rug via http://www.ochrestore.com/. end table and chandelier via http://www.arteriorshome.com/.

I love the subtle, delicate hues from Maleah's work, these pieces prove there is a way to bring pastels to a space without referencing the baby's room. This well-traveled look with a floral touch is sure to make you feel light and airy the moment you step into the room, enjoy!

Art + Interiors: Into the blue...

There is something about the color blue that is incredibly reflective. Being the color of the sea and the sky it can remind me of the clearest day or deepest pain. It definitely has a calming effect and in a world full of chaos and constant motion it can be a relief for the eyes and the soul.

edtajchman.wordpress.com 

This piece, Blue #2 by artist Ed Tajchman invokes all of that and more. The watercolor creates endless depth in all the varying hues of blue and while there is a lot of motion the soft edges and lighter blues seem to smooth everything over into a quiet rhythm.

Live in it...

Living Etc. Magazine

This dramatic room done by designer Paola Navone uses every blue in the spectrum and more. While it is a lot of one color, the varying shades and textures balance each other out in a beautiful way. Haven't we all dreamed of having one room to retire to where we can be alone with our thoughts? Whether it be for meditation, reading, napping or reflecting, this room would be the perfect getaway. And if there is one color that speaks to you, why not treat yourself and envelope yourself in it?

flickr image by zocalo2010