Back. Better than Ever.

I was recently flipping through the August 2015 House & Leisure and came across these images... how can you not stop and stare (sorry about the shine on the page in the photo)? These arresting paintings are by South African painter and sculptor, Lionel Smit. These are just some screenshots from his website.

You should take a look at a pinterest search. Sheesh.

Anyway, so yes, I'm back. Maybe not better than ever but life with twins is finally settling down... last Saturday was would've been their due-date 2nd birthday. Being 2 months premature has made the past two years focused on them catching up, other medical stuff and then the usual logistics of getting two babies through infancy. It's been the toughest two years of my life! But that's another blog post, if you're up for it... I *might* even consider a birth story, coz all the cool kids are doing it, but we'll see. I also need to give you updates on the babies' nursery. I have noticed most people post their nursery pics and then you don't see the baby's room again. I think I have some helpful hints to add, now that we're two years in (a double level bookshelf? Um, BAD IDEA). And of course, tweaks around the house that are a result of two toddlers toddling around the house. And yes, those memes about toddlers being like drunk people is totally true (no, please don't eat that! Yes, I do love you, please don't cry! No, put your shirt back on! Etc).

I can't promise to be blogging regularly but I certainly want to. There's a lot of things that I can now do that I've had to put on the back burner, and heaven knows I've sent myself tons of links to show here. I also have some new fun things to share - hopefully not all child-driven but certainly some will be. Feel free to not read those posts if you don't want to, but most will be design related. Because that's who I am and I can't help myself!

See you soon! (in meantime, you can see what I'm up to on Instagram and Pinterest. Links on the right!)

Botanical Prints

Opening this weekend at the South African Print Gallery in Woodstock, Cape Town, is the 2013 Botanical Print Show. If you're in that neck of the woods, go! Here are some of my favourites

If you'd like to know the artist and artwork title, click on the image or go to the South African Print Gallery website.

Beautiful

Heath Nash art, via here

Jo'burg Artist: Nicola Taylor

If I was a painter, I would want to be Nicola Taylor.

She was born in Johannesburg, like me. Studied in Italy (can you imagine? How amazing) and had a residency in the Tower Bridge in London. She now paints at home in South Africa.

Her main medium is oil on canvas and paints the beauty in everyday life. I think I would want to do that if I painted as a job. And for her, "Above concept, the process and the act of creating artwork is her focus. She says that an artwork should not mean, it should be."

I like that.

"Taylor has an overarching interest in revealing what lies on the edge of visibility, that which is mere potential. Taylor paints the space between what can and can’t be seen- imagining the possibility of invisible things taking form.  Matter breaks down from solid matter to liquid matter, and eventually into gas- then it disappears altogether. The natural phenomena of mist, smoke and light reflections are examples of matter in the final stage before disappearing or reappearing and these are the elements that intrigue her most as a result. " (Words in quotation from her website)

 
I love everything she does, even her sketches...

You can watch her work, too, on this video. She was painting at Londolozi. I can't imagine how you could more inspired than that!

 Makes me miss painting! So inspiring...

Blossoming

This one falls under the label of inspiring but nothing to do with art, design or decorating in South Africa. And why not.

When the Massachusetts Mental Health Hospital was slated for demolition, an artist called Anna Shuleit was tasked to memorialize the place and all the life that had passed through its halls. I think the final result is remarkable and moving.

Inspired by ...

Lisa Congdon and her 365 Days of Hand Lettering.









And fellow South Africans, blazing trails; Louis Oosthuizen for his magnificent efforts at the Masters today (and I don't even like golf!)

Lienkie Marais, a South African living not far from me in North Attleborough, who will be on the 8th season of Food Network Star. Go Lienkie!

And the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra.

This week is going to be a good one!

Your Rhino

I love it when artists use their talents for the power of good.

South Africa is home to over 80% of the world's remaining wild rhino, and they are trouble. Five years ago only 13 rhinos were poached in the South African veld - last year saw 44 rhinos killed for their horn. They are poached because some believe that there are some medicinal qualities in their horn (which is untrue).




To raise awareness and funds for organizations involved in fighting for the rhinos' survival, South African ceramists Or-gari have created a project called My Rhino. Artists have designed beautiful, and anatomically correct rhinos that you can welcome into your home and proceeds go to these organizations.



If you're in South Africa, you can find out more info on the House & Leisure blog (also where I got these pics), including a telephone number where you can purchase the rhinos.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Let's start it off on the right foot with this beautiful work by Paul Emsley.









We're going to watch some rugby, catch up with an old friend, and maybe go picnic in Manchester-by-the-Sea if its warm enough on Sunday. I promise photos!

Via Handsome Things... that last pic is for Hayely.

Lauren Fowler

I've been enjoying and admiring the work of Lauren Fowler for a while now - illustrator, graphic designer and artist. Lovely.













Check out her website and her blog.

On Pitch

If you are lucky enough to be in New York in the next month, make sure you stop by RH Gallery to see Paul Edmunds' exhibition, Pitch.



If you're like me, and a bit slow when it comes to contemporary art you should watch this video. Why? Because Paul talks about how his work correlates to music (true! I can almost hear the sounds) and that made me "see" the work more easily.







Also because if you are a designer/artist/been in an art class you will laugh because he talks about erasing pencil with bread, and you will gasp because HE USES A MECHANICAL PENCIL (I strongly object, although I draw the line *cough*cough* at sharpening with a knife).

Tretchikoff on Remodelista

After writing about Vladimir Tretchikoff a while back, his work jumped out at me on the remodelista website.



A whole bunch of his prints are just perfect for that big wall.

The Crossroads

Have you seen the work of artist Gabrielle Raaff? I've seen her work here and there on South African blogs I read, and love it... and now that those in the southern hemisphere are anticipating spring and those in the northern are grasping onto our Indian summer days with all our might, it reminds me of those sleepy moments on the beach when you look up from your book, all out of sorts, the light making things seem surreal and oblique...











Ah, summer.

You can see more Gabrielle Raaff's website.