Tag Archives: patterns

Inspiration: Diane von Furstenberg

November 12, 2014

The theme of the exhibition.Slideshow

While in LA last week I indulged in a little nostalgia.  I went to see the newly opened Diane von Furstenberg exhibition at LACMA. Her iconic wrap dress has been memorialized at 40 with the exhibit, THE JOURNEY of a DRESS. While it is indeed a celebration of the evolution of a dress, it is also a tribute to the designer herself, with paintings and photographs of her distinctive beauty and glamorous life.

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Trade Show Report

November 8, 2014

Porcelain patchwork tiles were everywhere in both two colors and multi-colors. They look great but may be very 2013!Slideshow

It has been several years since I attended the Cersaie Ceramic Trade Fair in Bologna, Italy held each September. I find it refreshing to return after an absence as new trends become more readily obvious. This year was no exception.

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Italian Mosaics

November 5, 2014

Imagine this pattern in larger format. It feels fresh and current today even though it was created and installed hundreds of years ago.Slideshow

I simply love mosaics–from the earliest ones I’ve seen at Ephesus, Herculaneum, St. Mark’s and other Venetian churches, to the charming creations in the foyer of early 20th century Paris apartment buildings as well as modern interpretations of any of these designs. I always look for elegant cuts, artful arrangements and placement of the tesserae, the tonal value of the palette and the skill of the artisans. The beauty of mosaics is in the detail. Whether simple black and white or multi colored, mosaics use thousands upon thousands of small and precious tiles to tell their stories, assessing the effect of light and shade or exploiting complementary colors.

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Inspiration: Metropolitan Museum of Art Islamic Wing

November 9, 2013

Slideshow

I recently went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to revisit the Islamic Wing now called Art of the Arab Lands. I am always inspired by color, texture and pattern and what better place to find it than in the magnificent woven textiles, painted pottery, wood carvings and hammered metal from the various Islamic dynasties and empires. The collections range in chronology from the 7th century Damascus and Baghdad to Moorish Spain, the Ottoman Empire and 16th century South Asia. It could easily take days or weeks to study the collections and my few pictures are merely meant to whet your appetite to have a look for yourself.

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