When I was studying photography, my interest was in creating photographs that were painterly. Painting has a language all its own which is not easily referenced strictly through the unflinchingly straightforward lense of a camera. So clearly I’m obsessed, in love and green with envy over this guy’s work:
Photographer Nick Knight developed this body of work over a 10 year period by taking large scale photographs, inspired by 16th century still life paintings, and exposing the prints to heat and water during the printing process. The results leave me both in love and in envy.
One of the best parts of having flowers on a photo shoot is getting to bring the extras home! Here is a corner of my room, fully in bloom, on this cold and grey January weekend. Stay warm!
Please check out this story I styled on DIY Menorahs for Martha Stewart Living, December 2012. The amazing Jodi Levine of Martha Stewart Crafts Department developed the Menorah ideas and did all of the crafting. I styled the shoot (and ate one of those delish Creme Brulee donuts in the opener from Doughnut Plant!). Linda Pugliese was the photographer. Happy Hanukkah!
…and I’m back! I do apologize for the hiatus– summer and all of its virtues are to blame. More to come in the next week or so. For now, I will leave you with a visual recap of my very lovely summer!
My birthday morning- painting books, coffee, mama's Easter bread
It’s been so long since my last post. I apologize. April is my birthday month and between work and birthday fun, things were really busy. In the true spirit of an Aries, I like to bask in the warm light of my own birthday… the cards, emails, phone calls, hugs, dinners, drinks, parties, presents, endless fun… I love it all! I’m shamelessly Aries about it. And with the warm weather this year here in New York, it was all the more fun!
Here is an image from my birthday morning spent with some of my favorite things– painting books, coffee, and my grandma’s Easter bread.
Lilly, one of my best friends since my teenage years, sent me the painting books as a birthday gift from the library of her great aunt and uncle who have an amazing and well respected collection of contemporary art. Their old apartment in Washington, DC was filled with pieces by all the big names in the art world and was pretty much a survey of 20th century art. It was really an incredible place to be able to stay at when I’d visit with Lilly. The books she sent me were Joan Mitchell, Richard Diebenkorn, and Alice Neel– three painters whose work I really love. I was so excited to find this gift in my mailbox because there are few things that I love more than books, especially art books! The gift was also really special for me because the books will always make me think of Lilly’s great aunt and uncle and the times I spent with their family both at the beach in Delaware and in DC. I’m glad to have a memento from Florence and Marvin.
The Easter bread is a bread my grandma makes every year. I think she must make about 2 dozen because everyone goes home with their own loaf after Easter dinner. The bread is dense, it has raisins in it and there’s nothing better than a piece toasted and buttered in the morning with coffee. When I taste it, I know that spring is here… and my birthday is too!
I was flipping through the new Spring 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings today and I happened upon this Kate Spade by Lenox advertisement that I styled back in December. I’ve seen it before but I have to say, every time I set eyes on it my heart swells just a little. It is one of my very favorite photos that I’ve worked on. I love it so much!
Reasons I love it:
• The bold pattern coupled with the layering of pattern on pattern. The Japanese floral print was designed by Florence Broadhurst whose library is currently collaborating with Kate Spade during their Year of Pattern. Do you know about Florence? If you don’t, you should read about her here. She led a very interesting life to say the least!
• The colors. Black, white, coral, hot pink… LOVE!
AND…
• That could be me. I mean, it could be me in the way that it reflects my own irreverent sense of humor and appreciation for the absurd. You might (definitely) catch my friends and I with spoons on our noses or any number of other silly and inappropriate variations on that theme. What can I say? Working on something that you identify with makes it a little closer to your heart!
It’s truly exciting to work with my friends over at Kate Spade. They are such a fun and talented bunch and I’m always anxious to see what magic they are cooking up. I feel lucky every time I’m able to collaborate with them. I also love just browsing around their website and their fun blog, Behind the Curtain.
I did the prop styling for this ad but, as is always the case with a photo shoot, it takes a village and my contribution was a small part of a much larger picture (so to speak!). Aaron Dyer was the photographer. His work is amazing. Yael Eisele and Meghan Eplett masterminded and art directed this shoot. It was produced by the constantly calm, cool, and collected Janice Cervera who is a joy to work with. Lovely Sarah Conroy styled the clothing. And I was lucky to have my friend Whitney Crutchfield assist me on the shoot– she’s the best!
Yesterday was an unbelievably beautiful day for the end of February here in New York. A day like yesterday promises that spring is just around the corner! I have lived here in the Northeast for all of my years except one. I always say that one of the things I love most about living here is the change of season; just when you’re sick of one season, the next one starts to reveal itself. Unexpected days like this, when the next season makes a brief surprise appearance, get you excited for the change that is just barely on the horizon. It’s an opportunity to plan for all the things you’ll do when it is finally here for good, and cast out the old so you can make room for what’s ahead. For me that meant spring cleaning.
“Spring cleaning”, for anyone who knows me, is out of character. Very out of character. “Messy” is a badge I wear without minding much. Yesterday however, I cleaned– tossed what I won’t need anymore and reorganized what I will need for the season ahead. I live in a small space, as most spaces are here in New York, and so keeping it neat and tidy is important…but impossible. Especially when your job requires you to be an “amasser of stuff” like mine does. I thought I’d share some vignettes of my space at its tidiest. There’s no doubt that life will take over and the space will take on a life of its own again. But for the moment, with Spring just on the horizon, my space and I are starting out fresh.
