Florals! Tartans! Colors!

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We've fallen in love with the very modern florals of Charleston artist Lulie Wallace- her fresh, energetic renderings and very modern palettes wink at 60's modernism, but are very today. In the same sense, the tartans of E15 and the rooms of Das Kransbach by the brilliant Ilse Crawford satisfy both our passion for vintage and our love of color saturation. Together, they just bring a smile to our faces. See for yourself:

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Lulie Wallace- 1.4.6.8 & 11

Ilse Crawford rooms from Das Kranzbach- 3.5

E15- 2.7.9 & 10

The New Victorian

We probably wouldn't have started thinking about Victorian style and design if we didn't attend auctions. Prices for the style are sadly low, so it almost always makes us turn to each other and say "what a shame, that's actually a very pretty piece." The problem is, it's very hard to view Victorian style as relevant today...most is fussy and hyper-designed, but there is hope. Adjacencies are important (probably not a great idea to have a roomful) and palettes should be approached carefully, but here are a few chic examples of The New Victorian:

The gorgeous Claire Bigby house in San Francisco via Desire to Inspire

Kilims on Victorian stairs via The Marion House Book

Pretty Victorian portrait

Eastlake Setee project at Gypsymade

Ebonized Eastlake table at Kamelot Auctions

The Breslin at the Ace Hotel

Eastlake wall shelf sold at Skinner

Victorian portrait

Pier mirror cabinet at Factory 20

Lovely table via Liveauctioneers

It's a Jungle Out There

Union Square, NYC (from behind the brush)

Taos & New Hampshire, Part 2

Ernest L. Blumenschein, White Blanket and Blue Spruce

We had a magnificent weekend in New Hampshire & Vermont- the foliage is fantastic. Last year we had a Taos - New Hampshire blog that provoked a "WTF?" from a reader. It still puzzles us and makes us laugh, so we'll make it an annual event, so here's our New England meets New Mexico in Autumn blog...

The hills of Vermont

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From the US Department of State, Ernest L. Blumenschein's Taos Valley and Mountain

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Ernest L. Blumschein, Juniper and Cottonwood

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She's Back

We're thrilled to see Susan Rothenberg at Sperone Westwater this month (through October 29.) If you have not had the pleasure of seeing her work in person- do. Rothenberg's flurry of brushstrokes, layered in what seems like the thousands, creates a perpetual motion of disjointed figurations that are simply magical. Encountering a work of Ms. Rothenberg's in a Virginia museum in the 90's was, for one of us, life changing. The work of Tom Moglu is a recent discovery and a wonderful antidote to Rothenberg. His collaged papers create planes of color that obey the confines imposed by hard geometric shapes.

1- Susan Rothenberg, White Raven

2- Tom Moglu, Granite #3

3- Susan Rothenberg, White on White Head

4- Tom Moglu, untitled

5- Susan Rothenberg, Blue Flash

6- Tom Moglu, Herzog

7- Susan Rothenberg, Strangers in the Night

8- Tom Moglu, Hetre

9- Susan Rothenberg, Circus

10- Tom Moglu, Thirty Three

The Art of Mourning

Collection of Victorian mourning dolls with china heads, sold at auction for $2,600

Victorian mourning cameo, black glass and gold filled floral frame

Victorian mourning band with the inscription, "John Clayton esq died 17 mar 1803 aged 74"

Black lace and silk lined mourning parasol

Miniature oval silk on silk mourning needlework, sold at auction for $1,000

Abraham Lincoln mourning ribbon conveyed the wearer's pain to his neighbors following his death

Victorian mourning ring with briad hair center, inscribed "M Y" via Art of Mourning

Back-side of a 19th century mourning pendant showing locks of hair via Art of Mourning

16th century Memento Mori rosary, Germany via Art of Mourning

Mid 19th century woven hair mourning brooch inscribed, "My Sister and My Darling April"