Decorating with Quentin Blake

As a child, my primary passion was drawing; in fact, I spent the first ten to twelve years of my life convinced I was going to be a children's book illustrator or Disney animator. Little wonder then that two of my leading role models were Walt Disney and Quentin Blake, an English illustrator and author who is probably most famous for illustrating the works of Roald Dahl. Dahl's fantastical, decidedly English and just a little bit dark tales were perfectly suited to Blake's quirky cartoon drawings. And oh how I loved both the stories and the drawings as a child.

As a soon-to-be mom, I appreciate Blake's illustrations (and Dahl's stories, actually) as both child-appropriate and adult-friendly. There's nothing saccharin sweet about these drawings, nothing overtly childish and their appeal (at least in my opinion) is cross-generational. In fact, I've been knocking around the idea of doing large-scale color copies of several of my favorite Dahl book covers and using them as inexpensive art in my son's nursery.

Blake's new collection of fabrics and wallpapers for Osborne & Little, dubbed Zagazoo, are unmistakably Blake and exhibit his trademark whimsy and wit as his illustrations have for decades. And now that I've seen these, I just know I'll have to incorporate at least one of these charming patterns into my nursery design. While I'm still debating which, I'm thinking of having the crib bedding made out of Alphabet Tales, which includes miniature illustrations for each letter of the alphabet. But there are plenty of other fantastic prints to choose from:

I love the typography of Quentin's ABCs wallpaper, which comes in a wide range of colorways that work with just about every fabric in the collection. My favorites though include a couple of very cool black backgrounds, which impart a fun chalkboard look without the mess of the real thing.

Darling for a girl's room and would pair beautifully with the Alphabet Tales print.

I like the larger scale of this print, and the wonderful color stories. This would be a great print to design a room around, pulling out specific colors in different accessories and other fabrics.

Animals are a classic motif in children's rooms, but what I love about this print is that it lacks the cutesy-pooness usually accompanying them. Another great thing about this print is how gender neutral it is.

 

Perfect for your little skateboarding dude or dudette!

Olivia, reclining

Today I wanted to share with you all a recent watercolor my mother did of my dachshund Olivia. I think she did a wonderful job of capturing Olivia's personality (and, let's face it, her voluptuous figure). To give you a point of reference, the watercolor is based on this photograph that I took of Olivia a few weeks back in my office:

Of course, since both the artist and the subject are near and dear to my heart, this piece will have pride of place in my home once it's framed.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and, to all you mothers out there, happy (belated) Mother's Day. And to my own artistic mother: Happy Mother's Day, Moomie!

Love is....

"Enter" by Irene Suchocki

"Politics"

How can I, that girl standing there,
My attention fix
On Roman or on Russian
Or on Spanish politics?
Yet here's a travelled man that knows
What he talks about,
And there's a politician
That has read and thought,
And maybe what they say is true
Of war and war's alarms,
But O that I were young again
And held her in my arms!

-William Butler Yeats

Artist Spotlight: Oh, kirby! {and Giveaway}

Elizabeth R ($70, original painting on wood panel)

I first became acquainted with oh, kirby! artwork via decor8 way back in 2008 and have been charmed by Sarah Kirby's original work every since. My attraction to her art is partially based on a shared fondness of similar historic periods and figures and partially because her style recalls the many, many paper dolls that I cut and played with as a girl. Knowing that anyone who regularly paints the likes of Anne Boleyn and Marie Antoinette is a girl after my own heart, I got in touch with Sarah after making a recent purchase on her website and asked her if she'd mind doing a little interview for Odi et Amo. Fortunately, Sarah was happy to indulge me and my amateur attempts at interviewing and I hope you enjoy her responses as much as I did.

By way of a brief introduction, Sarah is an artist, vintage clothing dealer, and freelance costume designer from Georgia. Although Sarah is a self-taught artist, she has an undergraduate degree in art history and master's in museum studies from St. Andrew's University, both with a special focus in historical clothing. Drawing upon her historical background, Sarah creates lovely, stylized portraits of both famous and ordinary historical figures that possess a certain undeniable charm. Any oh, kirby! print or original painting would be lovely additions to any space where you're looking to add a little bit of timeless whimsy. Be sure to check out Sarah's other Etsy shop oh, kirby! the vintage shoppe, which features vintange clothing, as well as her lovely blog.

The Lady Who Had Her Cake and Ate it Too ($18, 8 x 10" print)

Odi et Amo: How did you first become interested in historical clothing? When and how did your interest in painting historical figures and costumes begin?

Sarah Kirby: I've always been fascinated by history and the clothing of the past. I've been sewing historical costumes since I was a young teenager, but even when I was little, when we would visit museums I would find myself gravitating towards displays that featured historical clothing. Now that I’m older, I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to work with historical clothing in museums, and being able to lovingly prepare them for storage and learn the stories about the people who wore them has only increased my love for it. Likewise, I've been making art all my life. I've done everything - landscapes, portraits, abstracts, etc - but if you looked inside my sketchpad, all my doodles were always of costume illustrations and historical characters. A few years ago, I decided to do a few pieces inspired by my sketchpad doodlings, and haven’t stopped since!

Blackbird, Victorian Mourning Lady ($85, original canvas painting)

OetA: What historical periods and types of fashion are you most interested in? Why?

SK: There are so many that pique my visual interest. I don't think I could pin down one, or even a few, periods in fashion history! But if I had to choose, I have always been very drawn to the Rococo period and the Renaissance period. It's quite funny, too, because they are so different from each other. One is the epitome of decadence, frilly and pastel, and the other is very rigid, with more earthy, realistic colours. I also love the Victorians, because their frills had a strange, pinned-up, gothic quality, and I find this inspiring both for my art as well as my own personal style.

Marie Antoinette necklace ($18)

OetA: What do you think future historians will have to say about early 21st century fashion?

SK: I think they will write that fashions in the early 21st century were very much influenced by the 20th century, but that there were a few rebels, such as Alexander McQueen, who broke away by creating designs that were completely ground breaking and truly modern. With that said, I like that the 20th century still plays such an important role in fashion, because it means that vintage continues to be relevant! I think there is room for both ground breaking and old-fashioned, and that is what is so great about 21st century fashion. Anything goes.

Miss Austen ($18, 5x7" print)

OetA: What's your favorite piece currently available in your store?

SK: I would probably say Miss Austen. I just love the simplicity of the portrait, and the colours -- and of course, the Jane Austen reference. When I painted her, I knew I couldn't sell the original, and it is now in my bedroom!

OetA: Your store mentions that you're making room for lots of new pieces -- can you give us a preview of what's to come? Do they represent a departure from what you've been offering?

SK: I am working on a few projects that will be appearing in the next few months. In November I will be introducing my holiday themed card and original art collection. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this, and I’m very excited! As far as whether or not my upcoming projects will be a departure, I don’t know. I just paint as the inspiration comes to me! Sometimes a piece will seem wildly different from what I usually do, but then sometimes it will be cozy and familiar.

Sarah, modeling some of her own vintage finds

OetA: What attracts you to vintage clothing as opposed to modern, "of the moment" fashion?

SK: There are so many reasons, yet somehow I find this question hard to put into words! Simply put, I’ve always found that vintage fashion just suited my shape and my look better than modern styles. There isn’t a single item of clothing that I feel more comfortable in than a full-skirted cotton 1950s dress. I also love how unique each piece can be. When you wear vintage, the chances of meeting someone else who owns the same dress is very slim!

OetA: Tell me a little bit about your vintage clothing Etsy shop. Where do you find most of the pieces? Do you have any helpful hints on vintage clothing shopping in general?

SK: My vintage items come from thrift stores, estate sales, antique malls, and personal friends. For example, I recently acquired all the clothing items from the estate of a friend’s mother, who was an antique dealer, so I suspect those will be keeping me busy for quite a long time.When looking for vintage clothing, I try to go with an open mind and persistence. You’re looking for a one-of-a-kind piece, after all! Sometimes I go to five different shops and find nothing, and other times I go to one shop and find thirty items. Also, certain vintage items may not look fabulous on the rack, but keeping an open mind can bring about so many more fashion possibilities – sometimes a simple hem is all you need to completely change the look of an item!

Just because it's Tuesday, I thought I'd give away one 5 x 7 print of Kirby's original artwork. To enter:

1. Head on over to Oh, kirby!'s Etsy shop and select your favorite 5 x 7 print.

2. Come back here and leave me a comment, letting me know which print you'd select if you won.

3. If you'd like a second entry, become a follower of Odi et Amo (and be sure to let me know you have by leaving a second comment).

I'll be taking entries until midnight CST, Sunday, October 25, and the winner will be announced Monday, October 26, 2009.

500 colors...infinite possibilities.

I've always enjoyed coloring -- and no, I don't mean drawing. Unlike drawing, coloring is free form and pressure free. You're not trying to create something, you're just...coloring. It's pleasant, mindless, and I've always found it to be incredibly relaxing. As someone with a fairly high level of energy, it also gives me something to occupy my hands with while sitting in front of the TV. If I were going to take my coloring to the next level though, this gorgeous set of 500 colored pencils from Social Designer would rocket me from color-enthusiast to color-freak. The 500 Color Pencils project is a font of inspiration for artists -- and even the casual colorist -- and it reminds me that it's been far too long since I've busted out my colored pencils and a coloring book.

With names as inspiring as the colors themselves, these pencils are available by subscription only. For $33 a month, subscribers will receive a different set of 25 colored pencils. After 20 months, you'll have the full pantheon of colors, and the infinite possibilities which they invite. The pencils can also be displayed in a variety of creative ways. In my {nonexistent} fantasy craft room I would have a full set of these mounted on the wall. They're truly a piece of art in themselves.

Preening like a Peacock

John Derian

Recently I've been loving peacock motifs, both in home decor and in fashion. And while it's undeniable that peacocks (especially their feathers) have been having "a moment" in the world of design for the past few years, the peacock has been popular as a symbol of royalty, beauty, paradise (and even immortality!) throughout human history.

In India, the peacock has long been associated with the Hindu god Lord Krishna and has been used in Indian art and architecture for centuries. I love the abstract use of peacock feathers above the door on the City Palace inside Jaipur, Rajastan (shown above).

Among the Romans, the peacock was commonly associated with paradise, renewal and spring and many wealthy Romans kept peacocks in their gardens. Early Christians later adopted the peacock as a symbol of immortality because of long-held myth that peacock flesh did not decay. Examples of peacocks in surviving Roman mosaics (both Christian and non-Christian) are numerous.

The Peacock Skirt, Aubrey Beardsley (1894)

More recently, highly stylized peacocks and peacock feathers became a popular motif in the Art Nouveau and later in the Art Deco design movements. Today, the peacock has reemerged as a design element in both fashion and home decor and there's a "peacock style" for just about every taste: from ethnic to bohemian, flapper to rock 'n roll.

Preening like a Peacock by averillh1

In fashion, I can't get enough of peacock feathers-cum-jewelry or in art deco-style print dresses that reference the classic motif. Flapper-style headbands and head pieces covered in peacock feathers are a great way to perk up an ordinary cocktail dress. For the less daring, peacock feather earrings or a single feather on a necklace are a lovely and more subtle accessory choice.

Birds of a Feather by averillh1 on Polyvore.com

In truth, I am perhaps most drawn to the intense colors of a peacock -- the shimmery blues and greens are some of the boldest and brightest that nature has on offer -- and I think these jewel tones translate beautifully to your home. You can go big and bold with wallpaper from Ferm Living or Osborne & Little or you can just add a few small pops of color with a pillow or even some fun new dinnerware.

This Peacock Armchair by Cappelliani is my new obsession. If only $3,622 were within my budget!

Housewarming

As a housewarming gift to my parents, I commissioned Anne Harwell over at Annechovie to paint my parents' new home. Custom art is always a great personal gift, but this time it felt particularly appropriate given that my mother has a painting of each one of her previous homes (several of which were painted by my maternal grandmother, an amateur artist herself who was highly skilled at watercolors). A few weeks ago, I sent over to Anne this photograph of my parents' home:

On Friday the finished product arrived at my house. In truth, my feeble attempt at reproducing the painting (this is a photograph of the painting...scanning was a disaster) really doesn't capture its lovely detail and colors, but it will give you an idea of how great a job Anne did. On Sunday, I presented the piece to my parents and they were absolutely thrilled. Thanks so much, Anne, for helping me come up with the perfect housewarming gift! When our new house gets finished, I'm definitely going to get you to paint it for me.

One of the most exciting discovers I've made since stumbling into the blogosphere is the many wonderful artists that I've been able to connect with directly. The world wide web allows the average person an unprecedented amount of access to talent, be it local or international, and the opportunity to purchase unique and beautiful items and works of art at wholesale prices. This greater accessibility of both art and design is truly exciting and signals a democratization of style, which was long overdue in my book. While I would never suggest that interior designers and decorators are unnecessary (quite to the contrary, in fact), I don't believe you should have to hire one just to purchase a piece of furniture, a yard of fabric or a work of art.

{Climbing off my soapbox.} In any case, if you aren't familiar with Anne's work, I highly suggest checking out both her blog and her Etsy store, which features some of her non-custom work. I particularly love her Chair Silhouette Note cards ($16.50/set of 8), which are pretty enough to frame as art on their own:

In addition to houses and some majorly cool chairs, Anne will paint portraits (including dog portraits), landscapes and just about anything else.

Texas, Our Texas

Last night Dave and I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Chef Babs and her boyfriend P.W. (properly pronounced "Pee-Dubyah"). Attending the largest rodeo in the world has a way of making me feel very Texan -- albeit a Texan allergic to hay, horses and most of the other animals present at the event. In any case, a good time was had by all and even my husband, a native Floridian, admitted to enjoying the rodeo events. At the end of each rodeo, there's a featured performer (usually some of the biggest names in country music) and last night we got to hear Pat Green, a superstar in the Texas country music scene, and one of my personal favorites. For those of you unversed in "Texas Country", it's a sub-genre of country music which can best be described as "Texas is my girlfriend" music. True Texans can thus be distinguished from the rest of the world by their ability to not only tolerate this music (most non-Texans will find lyrics devoted to cruising I-35 and "letting Texas fill my soul" eye-roll inducing), but love it.

In any case, because I am feeling particularly Texan today and in honor of my Texas heritage (I am, on my mother's side, a fifth generation Texan after all), here are a few of my favorite Texas-themed pieces that I pulled off Etsy. Unlike most Texan paraphernalia, they avoid cheesy slogans and the over-use of our state flag.

The Duel by MagnusFoto (8' x 10', $55)

I can't get over how much I love this photograph, which was taken in Marfa, Texas, a small artist enclave south of El Paso (i.e., middle of nowhere). From what I've heard, Marfa is everything you don't expect to find in West Texas, and I would love the opportunity to visit it sometime. I suspect the landscape and subject matter here is "quintessential Texas" for most folks, but growing up in Houston, I tend to think of Texas as far more urban, and far wetter.

Houston Architecture III by Maritere Casillas Rice (8"x10" photograph, $25)

This is part of a series of shots taken here in downtown Houston and I love how the angles and play of light in this particular shot. This building is actually the old Rice Hotel (converted to lofts in the late '90s) and is one of the oldest buildings left here in downtown. Fun Fact: The Rice Hotel is situated on the site of the original Capitol of Texas, which was moved from Houston to Austin in 1839.

Come and Take It Note Cards by JessicaGM (set of 4, $8)

If you know your Texas history, you should know why I love these note cards by fellow Texan JessicaGM. For those not forced to take Texas history in 4th grade and again in 7th grade, the small bronze cannon pictured above the iconic Alamo memorializes the Battle of Gonzales (a small town located outside San Antonio), where a small Texan force resisted the Mexican army's attempts to seize their cannon (hence the cheeky "come and take it" slogan that became a rallying cry -- and a flag -- during Texas' fight for independence). I would argue that the slogan continues to be apropos for many Texans today. If you aren't familiar with the Battle of the Alamo, go watch John Wayne's The Alamo. Immediately.

Austin in the Morning by AWebsterTX (8"x10" photograph, $18)

I love Austin and this view of downtown Austin from Town Lake is particularly lovely. Some of my fondest memories of Austin are of Dave and I kayaking out on Town Lake in the spring and fall, when the weather was just perfect. If you've never been to Austin, I'd highly suggest making a visit. While there, be sure to hit up my favorite spots: (1) Lake Travis (and enjoy the beautiful drive over via 2222 and 620), (2) Barton Springs / Zilker Park, (3) the Capitol building and (4) South Congress (best strip of local shops and restaurants). For food, be sure to go to Trudy's (for the Texas martini), Kerbey Lane, Hula Hut (for the view of Lake Austin) and Amy's Ice Cream.

Miss Texas Original Collage by DadaDreams (4"x4", $20)

This collage was just too fun not to include in this list. The retro-styling also really reminds me of Austin. It'd be perfect hung up in a bar-area or game room.

Wind Farm by Marnic (5"x7" matted photograph, $8)

I actually have no idea of this photograph was taken in Texas or not, but it certainly could have been. Last time I drove through West Texas, I was amazed how many wind farms had sprung up along the high way. It's actually really beautiful. Just flat land, big sky, and wind turbines dotting the landscape, slowly spinning. For all the knocks Texas gets about its love of oil and gas, many may find it surprising that we're actually the leader in wind energy. I love the idea of the state that was at the forefront of the energy boom in the early 20th century should be the leader in developing the new energy in the early 21st.

Outside Over There

I find this photograph by Sarah Diaz (available for purchase at UGallery) completely mesmerizing. It reminds me so much of one of my favorite children's books, Outside Over There by Maurice Sendek. In the book, a little girl named Ida flies through the air in her mother's yellow raincoat in search of her baby sister who was stolen by goblins. Does anyone else remember this book?

...There are days -- like today -- that I want the sense of security that comes from being completely enveloped in your mother's coat. All wrapped up in it, you can go out and face the world head on, knowing its magical power will keep you safe from harm.

21c in Louisville

Cracking Art, Red Penguin (2005)

This weekend a friend and I went to Louisville, Kentucky, to visit a mutual friend of ours from high school. I'd never been to Louisville before (or Kentucky for that matter) and, to be quite honest, didn't have the best impression of the city going into the weekend. But perhaps the one thing that I love the most is dispelling my preconceived notions (which are probably sometimes more appropriately classified as prejudices) about a place.

If you had asked me prior to my visit what I thought of when I thought of Kentucky, I would've rattled off the Kentucky Derby, bourbon, KFC and -- I'll admit it -- rednecks. And sure, all those elements (yes, even rednecks) exist in the state, but there's a lot more there than I'm sure most of us outsiders give it credit for. Louisville struck me as a smaller version of Austin with its thriving art scene and abundance of college students. And (unlike Austin), Louisville has some amazing historic architecture with neighborhood after neighborhood of beautiful Victorian homes.

But, if I had to select my favorite thing about Louisville -- its "best of the best", so to speak -- I think would have to say it's 21c, a hotel/restaurant/modern art museum.

Abbas Kiarostami, Sleepers (2001)

Per 21c's website, 21c Museum Hotel is "the first of its kind-a 90-room hotel dedicated to world class luxuries, Southern-style hospitality and contemporary art from living artists". Featuring a 9,000 square foot contemporary art museum funded and managed by the International Contemporary Art Foundation in the hotel's lobby, 21c is a "can't miss" for any art lover. The hotel features a permanent collection which includes the Red Penguins that are featured (and constantly rotated) throughout the hotel, Sleepers, a DVD projection on the floor right in front of the reception desk, and -- my personal favorite -- Text Rain, an interactive video projection by the elevators.

Camille Utterback & Romy Achituv, Text Rain (1999)

While Lauren and I stayed at Kristin's house during our visit to Louisville, I certainly wouldn't mind spending the night at 21c. The guest rooms look just as modern and fun as the lobby. I also love how bright these rooms are, it's such a refreshing change from the dark, dark interiors found in many boutique hotels.

After perusing the lobby, we sat down to a wonderful dinner at 21c's restaurant Proof on Main. The modern art theme continues from the lobby into the restaurant and bar, where permanent installations and rotating exhibits by contemporary artists' works are featured prominently throughout around the restaurant. Some of my personal favorites:

Vee Speers, Untitled #16 (from Birthday Party series) (2007)

Bae Bien-U, Sonamu SNM1A-014V (2002)

Larry Shank, Randy, 2005

Johnson Foster, Zebra Trophy (2005)

We ended up eating dinner at a table right under the woven leather zebra pictured above. The menu is predominately Italian, but with a hearty sprinkling of Southern foods (think grits) thrown in for good measure. For dinner I had the yellow fin tuna crudo, a half order of the butternut risotto (which was absolutely delicious!) and we all split the vanilla pudding cake topped with bourbon-soaked cherries (again, amazing). The restaurant also has a great assortment of unique cocktails. But best of all? Because it's located in Kentucky and not New York, Proof is extremely well priced: my share of a three-course meal, a bottle of wine, and round of cocktails came out to only around $55.

After having such a great experience at 21c in Louisville, I was very excited to discover that 21c will be opening up a second 21c in downtown Austin, Texas, which will also feature residential units in addition to the hotel and museum. I think 21c will be a perfect addition to Austin's very hip art scene and can't wait to spend a long weekend there once the project is completed in 2011.

Easy as A-B-C

Letters/typeface have been having their moment in design for a while now. In small doses I think the effect can be very graphic and modern; however, when used in abundance, I think it can start to look like you've gone a bit nutty with a label-maker. That being said, I think the trend does work very well in a child's space as it merges nicely with a parent's impulse to plaster his or her offspring's name all over the nursery. [For an example of someone successfully pulling this off in a modern nursery, see domino's November 2008 spread on Jenna Lyons' home here.]

By embedding the child's name into a jumble of letters, MadebyGirl's ABC posters puts a fresh spin on the practice. What's particularly great about these posters is the level of personalization: you're not just limited to selecting your child's name, you have the option of selecting from several colorways or customizing your own, and the poster comes in three sizes to fit your space. Prices range from $50 to $65, depending on the size, which seems imminently reasonable for customized artwork of this size.

Here are two examples I threw together using her website for two of my favorite people under the age of 5:

I love how graphic and colorful these posters are and how they manage to tow the line successfully between cute but not cutesy. I think they would also have a lot more longevity than most children's art. There's nothing "nursery" about these prints and they could easily work in a tween room provided the color scheme isn't too sweet and is a lot more appealing to parents (I'd imagine) than a poster of Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers or whatever else that "kids these days" are into. Goodness, I feel so out of touch.

While writing this post this morning I found (via decor8) the new-to-me British design team of Bold & Noble and I absolutely love these two screenprints for children's spaces:

Birds A-Z (£30)

Alphabot (£30)

Love, love, love the hot pink. It'd be such a nice departure from pale pink in a little girl's room, don't you think? And I think the Alphabot (cute pun) is such a creative take on the lettering trend for a boy's room. In addition to the two shown above, I love their Ark (as in Noah's) print as well, which resembles German folk art.

And while I readily acknowledge that these last two prints have been around for a while (and featured in numerous magazines and blogs), I don't think a post on hip and modern alphabet nursery art would be complete without the posters made by Binth and Tara Hogan, each of which has a great retro vibe in colors that are a nice departure from the standard baby's room.

Binth Alphabet Poster ($85)

I remember seeing this poster in an old issue of Blueprint (RIP) and loving it then. I think this color scheme or orange and pale blue would be so lovely and unique in a boy's room. It would coordinate perfectly with Serena & Lily's Ben collection. [Side note: I swear that I'm not stalking nursery catalogues -- Serena & Lily's just happened to show up at my house a few months ago and all the furniture, bedding and accessories were so lovely and so well-designed that I couldn't help but bookmark them.] Binth also makes single letter 5"x5" prints available in this style and I think it would be really fun to spell out your child's name with them -- unless of course your child's name is Sebastian, in which it wouldn't very economical at $24 a letter.

Animal A-Z Poster ($45)

Tara Hogan's work (particularly her letterpress) is just so lovely and well designed and I think the soothing colors and style are particularly appropriate for a child's space. Love it.