Inspiration by way of Instagram

Being inspired is very important to me.  Inspiration is what motivates me to accomplish any and every thing.  Inspiration helps me operate this blog.  It helps me develop new design ideas.  It is why my notebooks are filled with doodles of ideas for furniture and fabric.  Frequently, I look at something that was designed for one purpose and it inspires me to incorporate something from it into a design for something with an altogether different purpose.  I once heard that to be inspired was to be “in spirit” with God.  I can believe it. When I am inspired, my heart feels full and expansive; I feel capable and imaginative.  For me inspiration shows up in many forms. I am as inspired learning about and being surrounded by people who have achieved great things and those who press on with joy and hope in the face of overwhelming odds as I am by architecture, nature, poetry, literature and art.  I love to visit places that inspire me, as well as be in the company of those who inspire me but when I am not able to do that, there is one tool that is my go-to for inspiration and that tool is Instagram.

Instagram is my favorite social media app.  It is a place I look to discover new fashion trends, interior designer projects, artist exhibitions and so forth.  It has allowed me to discover many new to me designers, artists, creatives and makers.  My network is ever growing and expanding because as I follow new creatives, I learn of other creatives and the circle grows and grows.  My favorite Instagram accounts are the artists.  I have discovered the work of so many talented artists while using the app and have even had the opportunity to experience some of their work in real life.  If you are looking for inspiration, check out a few of the accounts below!

Sculpture by Daniel Arsham
Photo via @danielarsham Instagram account

#thebeachDC art installation by Daniel Arsham
Photo via @danielarsham Instagram account

Art by Kwangho Shin
Photo via @shinkwangho329 Instagram account

Art by James Verbicky
Photo via @dtrmodern Instagram account

Shattered glass human sculpture by Daniel Arsham
Photo via @danielarsham Instagram account

Shattered glass human sculpture by Daniel Arsham
Photo via @danielarsham Instagram account

Art installation by Daniel Arsham
Photo via @danielarsham Instagram account

Art by Kwangho Shin
Photo via @shinkwangho329 Instagram account

Art by Cesar Biojo
Photo via @cesarbiojo Instagram account

Art by Cesar Biojo
Photo via @cesarbiojo Instagram account

Art by James Verbicky (@jamesverbicky)
Photo via @dtrmodern Instagram account

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Art At Home

Last week, I spent a few hours at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.  I love going to museums! I find so much inspiration!  It is a reminder that we all can make contributions to this world; positive contributions that will leave the world better than we found it. 

Art is a very personal thing and people respond to it in different ways.  I typically prefer abstract and modern art, while others prefer portraiture or landscapes.  Some clients don’t mind when I select the art, while others prefer to select their art themselves so each piece has a story.  There is no right or wrong way to go about acquiring or decorating with art.  On many occasions I’ve been hired to help clients that own a lot of art and not a lot of wall space, determine which pieces to hang.  Below are a few of my tips…

1.  Hang art that is deeply personal to you.  Art that invokes a special childhood or adulthood memory, a photo from a family barbecue or a wedding day portrait or a landscape from a vacation can help to inspire happiness and create more of the same energy that was captured at the moment the photo was taken. 

Photo via HousetoHome.co.uk

2.  Select art that ties a room together.  This type of art should give the space a theme.  The theme can be around content or color. 

Photo via ChelleAlbert.com

3.  If you are creating a gallery wall and the space already has a lot to catch the eye, stick with frames that are similar in size and finish.  If the space is relatively neutral, play it up a bit with frames of different finishes and size.  

Photo via mandarinastudio.net

4.  Don’t be afraid to create and display your own art.  The fun is in the doing but it is equally as satisfying to display your own work amongst those of real artists. 

Photo via TameraMagel.com 

5.  There are many different art forms.  Don’t be afraid to explore and mix and match multiple forms and styles.  

Photo via KristenBuckingham.com

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HENSE the name

A little vision will take you a long way...

     Before. 

     Photo Credit: @hensethename via 

     Instagram

    After.  Photo my own. 

I'd seen pictures of this church floating around Instagram for months and seen the church steeple from the highway many times before finally witnessing it in person earlier this week. I was going about my daily work errands when I realized I was in the neighborhood and decided to take a moment and marvel at this wonderful work of art by Alex Brewer, aka HENSE. It really is a lovely sight to see! I love HENSE's large scale exterior works and the whimsy they bring to otherwise, familiar and mundane architectural spaces.

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The Pantone Project

There's an adage which touts that inspiration exists all around us. I've always believed it is possible to find beauty and inspiration in everything. In order to realize it, I think it requires capitalizing on the moment, immersing yourself and being fully present. I am a little late finding out about The Pantone Project (about 3 months) but I love the idea of it. Dreamed up by artist, Paul Octavious, The Pantone Project seeks to match all the colors of Pantone with everyday objects. The beauty of this project lies in the correlation between being in a moment or place and witnessing how that moment/place inspired one of the Pantone colors or vice versa, was inspired by a Pantone color. Here a few of my favorite matches...

     Photo credit: @pauloctavious via

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      Photo credit: @annamal via       

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     Photo credit: @annamal via Instagram

     Photo credit: @simm_b via Instagram

     Photo credit: @bentcoleman via 

     Instagram

     Photo credit: @thepantoneproject via

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     Photo credit: @fuckyeahjohnny via

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     Photo credit: @pauloctavious via 

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     Photo credit: @thepantoneproject via

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Rowan Newton

Over the past year, I have been following the work of Rowan Newton, a painter/illustrator from South London. I could tell you how inspired I have been by the use of color, texture, or even the presumed confidence of the women Mr. Newton uses as the subject of his works or I could just say, Mr. Newton seems to use a multitude of colors and textures and mediums to bring forth the provocative, vibrant and beautiful nature of each of his subjects and then let you see for yourself.

    Photo credit: @rowan_newton via      

    Instagram

    Photo credit: @Rowan_Newton via  

    Instagram

    Photo credit: @Rowan_Newton via 

    Instagram

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Richard Diebenkorn

So I guess it's pretty obvious that art is really important to me.  After quite a few museum trips, I've found that the art that moves me most, is usually abstract expressionism. The more abstract and filled with vivid color the piece, the more I love it.  That said, a recent trip to the Corcoran Gallery exposed me to yet another abstract expressionist painter whom I now love, Richard Diebenkorn.  I've included a few of his works below. 

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Jae Ko

Over the weekend, I took a trip to the Phillips Collection for their 90th Birthday celebration.  As part of the promo for the event the gallery was free to the public, *read* it was extremely crowded.  Not one to shy away from a crowd, I stood in line (gasp) and waited my turn for entry to the museum.  Once I was finally inside (20 min later), I was pleasantly surprised by the Jae Ko exhibit.  I'm still not able to decide if the exhibit reminds me of a bunch of amoebas squished together or some kind of striated muscle tissue but nevertheless I was thoroughly impressed by the creativity/ingenuity behind the exhibit since it's composed completely of craft paper.  Here are a few other works by Jae Ko, as well as a video on how the exhibit was installed.  Enjoy!

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Runaway

I love art. I love how it makes me feel. I love the people who create it.  I love the people who appreciate it.  I love that art can make you feel something outside yourself, something unexpected but relished nonetheless.  And whether those feelings be good, bad, or indifferent, art inspires us.  This video inspired me on so many levels.  The music, sad but enchanting.  The colors, vivid yet drab.  The ballerinas with their graceful but powerful movements.  And my favorite tortured artist, Mr. Kanye West, arrogant and humble, performing in a work that can only be described as a veritable mosh of contradictions seeking to entertain and inspire and make you feel something, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. 

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Yves Klein

If it's not apparent from the blog, I'll go ahead and reveal to you that I love color.  I have over 50 shades of nail polish just because all the little pots of paint being right at the stretch of my hand make me ridiculously happy.  I decided to view the Yves Klein exhibit earlier this year strictly for this reason.  When I learned of Klein's use of monochromatic color in much of his work, I had to see it for myself.  His most famous works RE 46, RE 1, and MG 9 sold for $4,720,000, $6,716,000, and $21,000,000, respectively, at Christie's.  The photos don't do the works justice, so if you have the opportunity I highly recommend you visit the next or nearest exhibit of his work. 

MG 9

RE 46

Yves Klein, French artist, 1928- 1962

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Georgia O'Keeffe

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of viewing the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at The Phillips Collection.  I left the exhibit feeling so inspired.  Here are a few of my favorites.

                                                          Georgia O'Keeffe

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Mark Rothko

Today I am in an "artsy" mood, so I thought I would share a few works from one of my favorite artists, Mark Rothko.  It seems when it comes to Rothko's work, most either hate it or love it.  Maybe it's my love of color, but I'm of the latter group.  Check out the pics and decide for yourself. 

Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
born Marcus Rothkowitz
Latvian born American painter

classified as Abstract Expressionist although he rejected the label

his most famous works are considered to belong to a genre known as color field painting

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