Category Archives: Art

Handmade Gifts…

18 Wednesday Aug 2010

Posted by in Art, Crafts, Design, Fashion, Photography, Reflections

≈ Comments Off on Handmade Gifts…

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

© Joan Currie - Necklace by Lauren Currie

The only gift is a portion of thyself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knowing that I appreciate handcrafted gifts, my daughters love to make me jewelry and ceramics for special occasions. The very first offering from my eldest was a necklace fashioned from plaster of Paris cylinders painted red, blue and yellow and strung on a red shoelace. The necklace still graces my bureau and every time I look at it, I am transported back to that tender time.

Over the years, all my daughters have created unique presents for me. The jewelry has evolved in both materials and design from simple single strand beaded bracelets and necklaces to more complex ones with silver wraps and Murano beads or pearls and organza ribbons.

The first ceramic and pottery gifts were primitive tangerine pots and sky blue vases, but they, too, became more interesting featuring multiple colors, textures and new patterns. I continue to wear and use their gifts because they are beautiful, but also to show how much I value them and honor the artistic effort that went into their creation.

I am particularly delighted when the creations serve as touchstones for my daughters’ childhood memories. We have wonderful conversations about how their interests and preferences have stayed the same or changed over the years. They are astonished when they find clues in their early art that inform who they are today.

© Joan Currie - Plate by Caren Currie

A New Landscape…

16 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by in Art, Reflections

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

,

© Joan Currie

Now I really feel the landscape, I can be bold and include every tone of blue and pink: it’s enchanting, it’s delicious. Claude Monet

I recently attended the Birth of Impressionism exhibit at the de Young museum in San Francisco. Of all the works on display I found myself first drawn to Snow at Louveciennes by Alfred Sisley, one of the fifty snow-themed paintings that he completed during his lifetime. Because of my northern sensibility, in part from being raised in Canada, I favor winter landscapes with a limited color palette.

Alfred Sisley

My home decorating choices reflect my love of blues and whites with a touch of chamois. These colors, throughout my adult life, have made me feel as if I were in a cool, calming sanctuary, thus helping to form an atmosphere where my creativity could flourish.

Lately, however, I have wanted to shake things up a bit – make a few changes. As an experiment, I started injecting some new colors into my own landscape. I added sofa pillows, blankets, floral arrangements, and candles in richer more sumptuous colors: royal purple, fuchsia, chartreuse, and gold. With these little additions not only has there been a change in the mood of my living space, but there has been a change in my outlook as well.

Suddenly, I feel like having a dinner party, dancing the samba, and singing Brazilian love songs! I am composing poems in turquoise ink, painting my nails mauve, wearing new earrings, and embracing life in a whole new bold way.

It took such a small effort to begin tripping the light fantastic! Imagine the possibilities if I were to paint a dining room or bedroom wall a Corvette red…Watch out, the day is still young!