Tag: art
The client’s collectibles.
Linda Colletta
Linda Colletta is an abstract expressionist painter who lives and works in Bridgeport, CT.
Linda Colletta is an abstract expressionist painter who lives and works in Bridgeport, CT. She began her career in art as a scenic painter in the music television industry after studying the Parsons School of Design. Linda’s artistic approach is focused on creating paintings that add beauty to the world.
When I first met Linda, I instantly felt like I’d known her all my life. She seems truly connected with her work, a trait you quickly notice about her. Linda’s paintings offset either a traditional or modern setting so well. Her high impact work features bright, bold color with a lot of movement. Some of her paintings took serene to me, while others are definitely playful.
I love that Linda’s work can be curated. She can engage with clients to create custom, one of a kind pieces. If I select her work, for myself or for a client, I know she is completely vested to it.
You can see more of Linda’s work on her website. She is also on Facebook.
Design Dose
The spirit of blue.
Walter Arnold: The Art of Abandonment
Arnold’s series “The Art of Abandoment” has taken him to a host of dream-like places, from empty and decaying castles to haunted looking asylums.
I first became acquainted with Walter Arnold‘s photography after a friend saw his work at the iconic Woolworth Walk in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. A Florida native, Arnold eventually made his home in the mountains of North Carolina. The local natural beauty surrounding his new home inspired Arnold to pick up camera and learn photography. One day, he stumbled across an airplane graveyard and discovered a passion for abandonment photography — the art of photographing places and things that have been left behind.
Arnold’s series The Art of Abandoment has taken him to a host of dream-like places, from empty and decaying castles to haunted looking asylums. He has a gift for capturing the unusual light of these forgotten places. His photographs allow us to glimpse the beauty that used to exist in many places. They invoke a kind of stillness and leave viewers wanting to know more about why these places were abandoned.
What I love about these photos is that they show the complete opposite of what we design and curate. These are places that are no longer cared for. In spite of the decay and ruin, you can still see the architecture, what once was there, and find inspiration in the beauty of desolation.
Arnold’s photos are available as metal prints, meaning the images are actually infused into the surface of a sheet of aluminum before being treated with a high gloss finish. The resulting print is astonishingly vibrant, lending a light to the abandonment photos that must be seen to be fully appreciated.
You can see more of Walter Arnold’s photography on his website. You can also find him on Facebook.
Matt Story
I was first introduced to Matt Story’s paintings on a visit to Samuel Owen Gallery.
I was first introduced to Matt Story‘s paintings on a visit to Samuel Owen Gallery. He paints beautiful landscapes, but his water series is what really caught my eye.
To create these paintings, Story first captures dozens of images during a photoshoot in a pool with a model. He then goes through the photos to develop a concept for a painting. This process may involve cropping the image in the photo, determining a the width to height ratio, and carefully choosing references among thousands of photos of bubbles. After blocking the painting and transferring a scaled-up drawing to the canvas, he begins to add colors, tweaking the image and adding layer after layer of colors. The final touch involves a complicated glazing of each bubble to achieve a perfect reflective look.
I find these paintings so bold and graphic. They are both sensual and playful. In person, Matt Story’s paintings are just so energetic, I could stare at them forever.
To see more of Story’s paintings, visit his website. You can also find him on Facebook.
Petta Thompson
When browsing Donghia, I kept seeing this great art — I loved it. Later, when I visited ICFF, I came around a corner and saw all these gorgeous wall coverings by Petta Thompson. I realized we had samples of theirs around my studio but never made the connection between them and the artwork that had caught my eye.
Founded in 2007 by artists Rita Petta and Rebecca Thompson, the studio embodies the idea of a continual exploration of beautiful things. Each piece in their collection features incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail. They work with a team of artisans to create wall coverings, art, and truly stunning decorative objects.
I really dig the vibe of these creative women and am so happy they are right here in Connecticut. When I met them at ICFF, I found them so approachable and easy going. When you really love a product and the people behind it, it makes you want to use it even more. Petta Thompson’s work is beautiful, so raw and organic. The wood pieces coated with gold look very awe-inspiring.
To see more of Petta Thompson’s designs, visit their website. They are also on Facebook.
What Inspires Me: Feathers
I love the look of feathers, especially how intricate and saturated the colors can be.
I love the look of feathers, especially how intricate and saturated the colors can be. You get such a sultry, silky feel with feathers. When I think of feathers, I think layers, texture, and tonality.
Imagine how thrilled I was when a client who is building a home in Montana brought up the idea of incorporating feathers into her interior! Sometimes it’s funny the way things come full circle.
Feathers can be present in small doses as an accent, such as a lampshade. It would make a dynamite back wall for a bookcase, or in a piece of art.
Clifford Ross
When the latest copy of Architectural Digest arrived, the feature about photographer Clifford Ross immediately caught my eye.
When the latest copy of Architectural Digest arrived, the feature about photographer Clifford Ross immediately caught my eye. I am just fascinated with his photos of the ocean.
A New York native, Ross earned his BA in Art and Art History from Yale in 1974. He began his career with painting and sculpture, not turning to photography until the 1990s. His large scale black and white photos in the Hurricanes series from 1996 represent a milestone in his photography career. He captured these incredible shots during hurricanes by actually going into the water, keeping himself tethered to an assistant on land.
I have always been so drawn by the water and find Ross’s photos of rolling surfs and hurricane waves to be ridiculously beautiful. He really puts himself in harm’s way to capture these moments, creating work that is truly special.
Ross’s work has been exhibited widely in the United States, Europe, Brazil, and China. It can also be found in many public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. You can see more of his work on his website.
Amy Judd
Amy Judd is a London based artist whose work is just spectacular.
Amy Judd is a London based artist whose work is just spectacular. Her work is represented by Hicks Gallery, Wimbledon. Amy’s paintings, according to her website, “are a collection of sensitive silent moments; some full of whimsical intrigue, others more surreal and seductive. These paintings draw inspiration from the enchanting and imaginative relationship between women and nature found in traditional mythologies and folklores.”
At first glance, Amy’s work looks like photography. The level of detail in each piece is so refined, it’s hard to visually categorize them as oil paintings. They feel sultry and a little risque. I love her saturation of color and the amount of sheer depth, but at the same time there’s a quirkiness that makes her work so memorable. One of her pieces would be a confident addition to a striking interior.
To see more of Amy Judd’s work, visit her website or the Hicks Gallery site. You can also find her on Facebook.