Monday, February 22, 2010

"looking up" to Budapest

Last Wednesday I showed you the graffiti of Budapest with a promise to "look up" and show you the rest of Budapest. One of the big reasons I love this city....look at this architecture!












So, what do you think?

I was at a party this weekend and was asked where I get my inspiration...architecture is definitely one place!

Friday, February 19, 2010

folk life

If you like folk art, textiles or are interested in folk culture, this blog is for you! Check it out!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

take a moment....sigh

While I was in bed sick yesterday I came across this video. I could watch artists paint all day. Maybe this stems from being a child and watching my mom paint in her studio...the smell of turpentine takes me back to when I was a child.


Enjoy the video and check out the French artist Nathalie Lete.




Nathalie Lete plates

budapest graffiti

Good morning. Sorry for missing my Monday post. I was feeling a bit icky and needed to rest. Tuesday I felt great and then this morning...woke up with a cold. Can spring get here already! I am starting to get spring fever in a bad way and I am tired of these winter colds!

Today we are going to take a look at Budapest's street graffiti. This is one thing Budapest has an excess of...unfortunately. I think graffiti can be cool and inspiring - look at Andy Warhol. but when old beautiful buildings are covered in tags and paint...it saddens me. These photos were taken when we moved here in Sept of 2008. We lived in the center of the city at the time. We went for daily walks around town and always came across some interesting art. So with mixed feeling...I share with you some of the cool art I saw on beautiful old buildings.

I realize that many of these buildings don't look so beautiful. Most of the time you have to look up and you see statues and art nouveau windows. I will post some of those on Friday.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Alexander McQueen

A master of clothing and dressing the cool and outrageous, his designs inspired many. How can I be upset over the death of someone I never meet or knew?
Alexander McQueen: Sp2010 collection
Enjoy the videos below. Lady Gaga and Bjork wear his designs better than anyone.





Alexander McQueen RIP.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

stamps and cappuccinos

Don't laugh...today I talked my friend Nora into visiting the Stamp Museum (in Hungarian it is called Bélyegmúzeum). My husband laughed when I told him this is where I suggested we go. Then he went to the website and said maybe it would be interesting.
Well, it was interesting and inspiring. I was really hoping to have photos to post...but no photos were allowed. So I have to share what I found online and two stamps that my husband gave me months ago (he thought I would find the designs inspiring-and they are!) Enjoy!

My favorite (and one from Steve)! I love the line work and the design in her dress.
For Christmas

After the museum we headed over the the new Alexandra Bookshop and cafe. Alexandra recently opened a new shop in the newly renovated Paris Department Store, an Art Nouveau monument on Budapest's exclusive Andrássy Avenue. We enjoyed cappuccino's and good conversation in a beautiful atmosphere! What a great way to start the day!
How do you get inspiration for designs? Any weird places like stamp museums?

Monday, February 8, 2010

blog spotlight: an indian summer

Happy Monday! I am back with a spotlight on a blog I recently came across called An Indian Summer.
This blog showcases Bhavna Bhatnagar's selection of "the good, the better and the best from the world of interior designing –covering styles, trends, furniture, accessories, products, designs, architecture, and related good stuff...with special focus on Asia and India"

I have always been drawn to India and its textiles, colors, interiors, and patterns....and now I can get all the inspiration and eye candy from one blog...check it out here!

I hope you have a good week! My Monday is already starting out a little crazy..how about yours?

PS. Remember last week I told you about Josephine Kimberling? Well she had a photo shoot this past weekend and posted a glimpse of what's to come. Become a fan on Facebook and see her photo....Josephine, you always amaze me with your creativity and vision! WOW!

Friday, February 5, 2010

rododendron art & design shop, color inspiration board and more...

February is here! And, so far so good! Usually this weather (cold and dark) starts to get to me. Not this year. Maybe the snow is helping-it brightens everything up. Maybe its the tulips and gerber daisies I keep buying to brighten up my home and studio. Or maybe it is all the exciting projects I have been working on. Either way, I feel good about 2010.

I do have some exciting news to share if you live in Budapest. You can now find my cards and notebooks at a cool store called Rododendron Art & Design Shop. The owner of the shop found me during the holidays while I was at WAMP. We meet on Tuesday and had a good meeting. She selected my spring card collection and my notebooks for the store. If the month goes well, I will be a permanent artist in the shop! So, go buy some cards and notebooks-they are great for Valentines day!

The shop is located on Madách Imre út 3. (district 7). Click on the photo below and it will take you to their website where you can find store hours and other info about the shop.

Below are photos of the items you can find in the shop.
notebooks
cards
Back in August on worked on a color & inspiration board. Sort of ironic that we were heading into fall and the colors looked very springy-lots of pale blue and pinks. Now we are heading into spring (some day soon I hope) and my new color board looks more like fall with oranges, warm soft reds and bits of apple green. I really like the way the board turned out. What do you think?
Well, the drawing board is calling me. I started a new project this week that I am very excited about. It is taking allot of my time at the moment. You'll have to wait a bit for the details...stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

tattoo design...

...not my tattoo but my design:)

When I was home at Christmas I meet my brother in law's girlfriend, Renee. She is totally great and hilarious! We had a conversation something like this...

Renee: "You know that bird design you did? Can I get a copy of it?"
Me: "Why?", I curiously replied.
Renee: "I want to get it tattooed on my body for my birthday."
Me: "Seriously?"
Renee: "Yes, I love it."

So, we sat down and I made a few changes for her and colored it the way she wanted it and a week later....

my original artwork recolored to Renee's liking
black line work finished
finished and healed!
I had already left Ohio when she had it done so I haven't been able to see it in real life. Can't wait til we meet again so I can see the real thing!

Monday, February 1, 2010

artist spotlight: josephine kimberling

Today I am excited to share with you a very talented textile designer and one of my very best friends, Josephine Kimberling. Josephine's designs are clean and fun with colors that make me feel like a kid in a candy store! She is a master of color and arranging them in a way that is fresh and unique. Her second collection with Robert Kaufman was just released!

I really want a bed quilt made from her "Glam Garden" collection. I love the oranges and pinks mixed with the blues and greens!

Her new collection "Glam Garden"
Josephine's 1st Robert Kaufman Collection "Hot Blossom" in blue's"Hot Blossom" in pink's
Josephine and I meet many years ago working for the same company. After a few years of working with each other, we realized we had more in common than we thought. She is the one person I call when I am creatively stumped or needing some creative encouragement. Her sincerity and good energy are reflected in her wonderful designs.

See more of Josephine's work at the below links:
www.josephinekimberling.com
www.josephinekimberling.blogspot.com

I was so excited to be able to meet up with Josephine
while in New York last month. What a nice treat for me!