Something Old, Something New

For me, there are few things that are more satisfying than discovering something new.  New meaning something I’ve actually never seen before, or seen in a specific style.  Everyone’s perspective on “new” is different, which is part of what makes the creative world tick and move forward.  Salvador Dalí and the Surrealists are all “new” to me, in the sense that I’ve never really cared much for Surrealism until lately.  I feel like I get it now, or maybe my taste has just changed.  It’s probably a little of both.  Today I discovered someone new when I stumbled upon the work of Paule Marrot who was a French engraver, painter, and textile artist known for her use of pattern and color.  She first became a painter and then early in her career, the 1920s thru the 1950s to be specific, decided to focus on designing textiles.  Paule’s art is often linked to the Art Deco movement, which is apparent, but I also can’t help but see a slight hint of Asian influence in her textiles.  The birds perched on the trees remind me of a design you would see on a Chinese fan, and something about the seashells and the leaves reminds me of something that was in my grandparents house when I was little (their entire house was Asian-influenced) and I can’t help but love it.  To see more of Paule Marrot’s work, check out Natural Curiosities, another new discovery thanks to the lovely Karen and Sara behind Identical Eye.

Desert Days

I found these images in an old issue of Elle UK and I started to think about how much I crave the desert.  I haven’t been in a couple of years which is a total shame considering I’m not too far from it!  A couple of years ago, I had my bachelorette party in Palm Desert at this crazy sprawled out compound in the middle of nowhere. There were 18 wild women running around and it was one of the best weekends of my life.  I need that to happen again.  Who’s in?

So In Love

I can’t stop watching Vanessa Bruno’s new video with Lou Doillon, a charming follow up to her last video also starring the lovely Lou.  The beginning makes we want to do the cha cha cha and the end makes me want to take a road trip.  But what I really want to do is roll down a huge sand dune, probably in those Vanessa Bruno electric pink pants.

Just This Once

Being surrounded by nature is an absolute necessity for me.  Living in Los Angeles doesn’t allow me to fully experience the beauty of nature, but what it does offer is pretty great compared to living in a complete concrete jungle.  Hiking, going to the beach, or lying in the grass on a hillside for an afternoon of reading gives me my fix, and if I’m craving more outdoor activities I usually head to San Luis Obispo where it’s all about nature.  I love plants but I don’t have much of a green thumb.  I would like to learn more about them, most specifically how to keep them alive (!) but I’ll admit it’s kind of far down on the priority list at the moment. Every time I see a botanical print or a book dedicated to botanicals I think it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and I immediately want to start planting something.  I found these botanical collages made by artist Alexis MacKenzie and I got really excited about creating art with plants, or in this case creating words with flora and fauna. Makes me think differently about planting and about nature altogether.

All images via madrepadre

Happy Mondays

I figured this would be a good way to start a Monday.  These are definitely some wise words from Jim Jarmusch to follow for today, or for the week, even the month, and really, the rest of this life.  And what better to follow them up with than some classic Godard.  We should all really coordinate a dance sequence in a cafe’ at some point, no?

via Inspiration Resource

She Sells Seashells

I just came across these wondrous bracelets made by jewelry designer Emily Miranda.  They are some of the most utterly beautiful mixed media works of art I’ve seen, all created with elements of nature.  I’m guessing Emily was inspired by the sea and malacology, considering most of the pieces here and on her website are comprised of shells and pearls, or in the shape of an oyster, all of which is combined with leather, gold, alligator feet, and rhinestones to make statement making jewels that I’ve fallen completely in love with.  When I first saw these I immediately thought of my husband’s grandmother, Alice May, whom I sadly never had the chance to meet.  She was a lover of shells and at the age of 65 she learned to scuba dive and went on an expedition with the Cousteau Society.  Proof that it’s never too late to explore something new in life.