Inspiration: Color Me Happy!

Janis Nicolay is a marvelous talent and a dear blog friend.  

This breathtaking image can yours, check out her Etsy.

 

This marvelous image can be purchased on her Etsy .

Debi Treloar is originally from Zimbabwe, studied art then photography and she has lives and works in London.   She shot this fantastic photo for Emily Chalmers .

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Be

Courtesy Debi Treloar

Best selling author and stylist Selina Lake has always provided such inspiration for me.

Courtesy Selina Lake

Courtesy Selina Lake

Photos courtesy Selina Lake, Debi Treloar, Emily Chalmers , Janis Nicolay, Etsy, and Pinecone Camp

 

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Bohemian Rhapsody

I know in my head that the best things in life aren't things. The best things are supposed to be experiences and relationships and junk like that - Right?!  But BOY, in my heart I would love to have one of these things!  I would also sell my pancreas for half the talent and imagination that Jeanne Bayol and Jean-Marie Marécha possess.

Deep in the heart of Provence, along the foothills of the Chaine des Alpilles Mountains, there are some of the most beautiful gypsy caravans in the world being restored by these two.  During the restoration process, Jeanne and Jean-Marie try to make sure and honor the essence of these marvelous pieces by staying true to the history that the caravans hold.  I can't help but feel a sense of mystery and enchantment of times past when I look at these sacred gypsy spaces. It seems to me that the idea of traveling towards the unknown is what inspires and sparks my imagination.  After all, isn't that what the gypsy's spirit entails? Jeanne and Jean-Marie want to capture just that in their restorations, which is what they call "a subtle mix of temporary and eternal." 

Apparently, it has now become quite posh to accessorize one's gardens with these lovely caravans.  Others, I've discovered, use them for a tea room, a guest house, a playhouse, or just a nice escape to sit and read a book. All are options I find simply delightful! 

Jeanne Bayol, a native of Provence, is a woman of many talents.  She can transform any event with her Bohemian touch, whether it be professional like fairs, seminars, or festivals, she can decorate private interiors, as well.  Her sense of color and creative taste have led her to design clothes that are genuinely unique and bear witness to the liberty to dress oneself in an audacious fantasy.  You can find images and information on those here.  She is also a prolific writer and those titles can be found here.

Photos courtesy Gipsybazar, Les-Verdines, and Jeanne Bayol

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Blog It forward: Inspiration

Thanks to The Sweetest Occasion for passing the baton on to me during the Blog It Forward - made possible by Victoria from sfgirlbybay - Thanks so much!  And on Tuesday the blogger mash up  continues with The Wandering Writer.

I have many sources of inspiration that might give insight into the way I work. My passions are many and various: from art, music and books to flowers and gardening to family and friends. So here is what inspires me:

COLOR

PATTERN

Along with Vera,  Tricia Guild and Florence Broadhurst provide constant inspiration.

 PRINTED TEXTILES

STORIES 

Sites and podcasts like Selected Shorts, The Moth, and The New Yorker Fiction Podcasts

MY GENE POOL

FUNNY PEOPLE

As Erma Bombeck said, "If you can't make it better, you can laugh at it."

Photos courtesy Erma Bombeck, Haven Kimmel, Sloane Crosley, David Sedaris, Amy Sedaris, and  Simon Rich.  Logos courtesy Selected Shorts, The Moth, and The New Yorker Fiction Podcasts.

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Francoise Nielly: A Treat for the Senses

You know I live on the edge here in my little world. For example, sometimes I've been spotted wearing white well after Labor Day. Occasionally, I might even go swimming right after I've eaten. I've even been known to run with scissors and other sharp objects.

Simply scandalous, I know . . . I'm clearly in need of an intervention! But, I thought I'd pull myself away from the adrenaline pumped rave that is my life, and share an amazing treat for the senses.

I stand in awe of this woman and her abilities. French painter Francoise Nielly is no stranger to the grand scale, her works regularly spanning six feet in length. Her massive, colorful portraits are simply delicious and the size only intensifies the captivating quality.



As an illustrator and a painter myself, it is particularly humbling to those of us who take ages to choose subject matter and execute the actual painting, to watch her create them. You must watch this marvelous video, here. As you will see, she maneuvers her palette knife carving beautiful faces out of the canvas, like a highly paid plastic surgeon. Her interpretation of light, shadow, hue, and tone is masterful and seems to come as easy as breathing! Her paintings have a great sense of humor and an explosively sensual feel to them, it seems to me.

I aspire to have her sense of celebration and love of life! But, for the moment, I'll settle for the reckless abandon of opening an umbrella inside the house or sitting to close to the television.

I know, I'm a rebel like that!







Photos and artwork courtesy Francoise Nielly

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