I LOVE YOU

This painting (I Love You) just sold at the Park City Paisley Pomegranate. I painted a series of hearts earlier this year and made cards of the second image (Heart on a String). The third image is titled Don't Me Out. A lady recently bought all the heart cards in the SLC Paisley Pomegranate location. I find this amusing, as an unrelated shop owner told me this year that "items with hearts on them just don't sell!"

Architectural Boxes

 My inspiration for the design direction for the box re-do is the work of artist/architect/designer Pietro Fornasetti and his full-size furniture pieces from the 1950's and 1960's, as shown in the secretary and cabinet in the top two photos. My hat is off to him for his stunningly detailed and executed pieces and the oft presence of whimsy in his work. More examples of his work in furnishings can be seen here: Fornasetti Furniture . Though generally I'm not a wallpaper fan, I love many of his wallpaper designs, which can be seen here: Cole & Son Fornasetti Collection . I particularly like Mediterranea, Malichite and Riflesso.

A biographical reference to the artist can be found at: Piero Fornasetti Story.

The photo above shows recently completed boxes I have found and up-cycled into a second life. They continue to be useful as containers for jewelry, stamps, pencils, pocket change, i-pods or other precious or small items. In their new life, they display etchings of ancient and historic architecture. Clockwise from left to right: Tall glass-fronted cabinet with drawings of the arch of Septimuius Severus, oblong box with drawings from the facade of the Sgraffito building in Florence, flat box with the interior of the Pantheon in Rome, curved top box with the horses from the facade of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, small window box with the St. Mark's horses, a small armoire with elevations of the cathedral in Murano Italy (the island near Venice and home of the famous glass-making atelier). Click on the photo for close-up details. In some instances, I've taken bits and pieces from various boxes and used them to create a different box.

Windows in and beginning to look like a room.

The first photo shows the windows facing south and east. God's free sunshine will help make the space toasty in winter and built-in awnings will cut out some of that unwanted radiant heat in the summer. The door, which is partially obscured by OSB (board) on the right of the picutre, leads into the small south bedroom, currently ocupied by Kathleen, first-year pharmacy student at the U. of U. She is looking forward to stepping out into the new space to enjoy her morning cup of coffee. The second photo shows the single north-facing window which provides heavenly breezes in conjunction with the south windows when they are slightly open. A bit of the brick wall of the original house is visible on the left of this photo. As hoped, a test strip of brick cleaning that I did a few weeks ago indicates that an overall cleaning will make it a feature worth saving. The rest of the exterior of the house has been painted a cream color, but this area within the old addition had not. The closed-in window on the brick wall "looks" into the small bathroom shower! The open door leads into the kitchen.

Progress...between rain storms!

Design: Settee in waiting...

The rose-colored sofa in the first photo is a recent FIND, purchase price=$0. I'm researching and considering options for rehabbing this piece. The inserts in the seat cushions are due for replacement. The overall stuffing is quite good, but the outer fabric is a bit worn and soiled from normal use. A close cousin of this settee is pictured in the second photo. This piece is more typical of a Regency period sofa with its single seat cushion, its higher, lighter and more slender structure than my "Rosie's". The third photo is of Washington D.C. designer, Daryl Carter's Embassy Row townhouse living room with another version of this classic sofa. The fourth photo shows an example approved by the ACN (Association of Canine Nappers) with Victorian era clawfeet. The fifth photo shows our President reading on the red and gold bedecked settee in the White House Red Room.

This post is linked to Woo Hoo! Wednesday at Always Nesting. See more things to celebrate there by clicking on the button below...

Artwork: Not without precision

Five encaustic paintings  - 9"x12" on masonite panels.

Above: Not Without Precision - SOLD

Above: Excavating Former Landscapes

Above: Rusted Sunshine - SOLD

Above: Red Desert Bloom

Above: Autumn Sky

Artwork: UWS Fall 2009 Show

The Utah Watercolor Society presents the 2009 Fall Member Juried Exhibition October 8 - November 7, 2009 at Patrick Moore Gallery, 2233 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah. This year's theme: "Inspired by a Book". My submission, which was accepted into the show, is pictured above. It is titled "Untangling Thoughts" and was inspired by local Utah author Jana Richman's novel The Last Cowgirl . Patrick Moore Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. -6 p.m.