WEST – West Austin Studio Tour

Oliver was selected to participate in the first-ever West Austin Studio Tour (aka WEST). There has been a celebrated East Austin Studio tour for ten years (tons of artists have studios on Austin's east side), so it was exciting to find out artists working on the west side would get a little shine this year. Oliver was in the process of converting our garage into a studio when he learned about the tour, so the timing was perfect. He applied, he was accepted, he got to work to make some new art!

The "tours" are free and self-guided; the Friends of WEST published a beautiful catalog with all artists listed and created a handy website to make figuring out which studios to visit easy-peasy.

So, on May 19th and 20th, Oliver opened our recently converted garage-studio to the public! We had cold drinks on hand to entice visitors and keep them thirst-free:

We created seating for visitors, complete with maps: 

And let's not neglect the art!

Since there were lulls between visitors at times, Oliver left some works in progress out, so he could work on them during the slow times: 

A full-studio shot with visitor/friend/awesome musician, John:

And there you have it! I'll keep you posted on next year's art adventure! xoxo

Red, White and Quilted All Over

I know I moved to Austin and all, but that doesn't mean I've stopped caring about happenings in New York, I just don't report on them as much – there are gobs of stellar New York-based bloggers, afterall. Well, this exhibit is one I felt deserved a little attention because it's not one you might not stop into on your usual museum rounds. The American Folk Art Museum is sponsoring a satellite exhibit,  Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts, featuring 651 red and white quilts, on display at the Park Avenue Armory. Running from March 25 -30, the exhibit is short-lived, but free and open to the public. I'm sad I'm missing this one. Quilting has been catapulted from a crafty "women's work" kind of reputation to treatment as a fine art. The designs in this exhibition, assisted by the outstanding presentation, proves that quilting is, indeed, high art.

Photo courtesy American Folk Art Museum

Aside from the fact that this is the largest exhibition of quilts ever presented in New York City, the most interesting part is that the collection belongs to (and is on loan from) a single person. Joanna S. Rose actually owns more than 1,300 quilts amassed since the 1950s, but selected only the red and white ones for the show. The limited color palette surely allows for a much more in-depth exploration of the varieties and complexities of the textile designs.

Designed by Thinc Design, the exhibit consists of six 30-foot high cylinders, created from quilts, that surround a 50-foot quilt spiral. The curator requested that the quilts not be displayed by pattern, time period or geographic region, but rather in a manner that is visually exciting. I'v been to quilt exhibits before, and they always look the same: quilts hung on walls. This, however, looks phenomenal.


In an interview with the NY Times, Ms. Rose, who was heavily involved in the curation of the show, said she found inspiration in a line from Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" when searching for an exhibition title:

Age cannot wither her, not custom stale
Her infinite variety…

As stated in the Times, the quilts have retained their "infinite variety" and have not turned "stale" with age.

For Ms. Rose, this show is a dream come true, and a birthday gift from her husband, both for her and for New York.

Exhibit images courtesy Thinc Design

My mom, who happens to be taking a quilting class right now (go mom!) went to the show and said it was spectacular, therefore, you should go see it. Still not convinced? Check out this video by Mary Kay Davis shpwing photos by the American Folk Art Museum. It's set to Chopin's Three Nocturnes, Op. 9, No. 3 in B Major (aka it's lovely), but if you're at the office and classical music streaming out of your computer will blow your cover, turn down the volume.


The Park Avenue Armory is located at 643 Park Avenue, between 66th and 67th streets). Remember: free and open to the public through Wednesday (tomorrow)! The museum is open until 7pm on Tuesdays, and 5pm on Wednesdays.

Caution: Men at Work

Arcylic and gouache painting on paper by OVELO Fine Arts

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to point out/apologize for the in-progress appearance of The Studiolo. We're working on the layout a bit (turning it into a three-column, cleaning it up, making it look much prettier), so please bear with us as we make these changes.


Isn't this cupcake topper the cutest? Find more at Designer Favors. In this case, my "party" is my "blog," but the message remains: thank you for coming.

Feel like reading more? Check out a couple of doodads I wrote on Different Reception Centerpieces and Formal Dresses in the 1940s.

Weekend Loving: New Austin Finds!

I know its Thursday, closer to this weekend than last, but I've been busy this week (yay for work!) and I didn't have a chance to write about what I did last weekend, but let me tell you, it was truly awesome. On Saturday (2/26), Oliver and I went to We Heart Hand Made Art – A Pop-Up Event featuring thirteen local artisens from Etsy, sponsored by West Elm.
It. Was. Fantastic. Everyone had great work to show (and sell).  I wanted to share with you my personal favorites. By the way, get a load of the kid doing a backbend on the sofa in the background of the photo above. I didn't notice him until I was uploading these photos–hilarious!

Vertallee Letterpress

Vertallee's reputation precedes them; we'd heard of them before moving to Austin, but a new pal/fellow designer, Daphne, reminded us about them when she recommended that Oliver check them out in his search for local letterpress studios (Daphne also told us about the Etsy event–she's quite the lady about town!). A husband-and-wife team, Vertallee is a company to watch.

Check out Vertallee's etsy store and their blog.

Kimball Prints

Kimball Prints creates dreamy watercolors and pieces of art by printmaking. We were drawn in by the beautiful paintings.

Check out Kimball Print's etsy store.

Leah Duncan

Leah Duncan is an illustrator, designer and textile designer. At the etsy event, she was selling beautiful tea towels with her own custom designs printed on them. She also sells prints, cards, scarves, calendars and pillow covers.

Check out her etsy shop and blog.

Spruce

A furniture redesign studio, Spruce is one of the very few places in Austin carrying the latest (and jazziest) textiles on the market. They sell refurbished and reupholstered finds, but will also repurpose your furniture. Want to learn to upholster? Take a class!

Spruce has a brick and mortar store, so if you're in the area, stop in. Non-Austinites can find Spruce on etsy and keep up to date via their blog.

Make ATX

Comprised of two former architects/lovers of all forms of design, Make ATX is creates laser-cut, hand-assembed note and art cards. The company is also putting together a member-based design and fabrication workshop where creatives across all fields can pursue their interests and produce their work.

To purchase Make ATX's cards, visit their etsy shop. To learn more about the workshop, check out their website.

Letterpress Delicacies

Another husband-and-wife duo, Letterpress Delicacies creates lovely (and funny) cards and prints, including business cards and ephemera. Their work has made its way around the blogosphere, and with good reason.

Visit their etsy store to browse or purchase.

But the fun didn't stop at Saturday! On Sunday afternoon I met the most wonderful person: Brooke, a fellow blogger and outstanding Austin floral designer (you MUST check out her company, Pollen Floral Art) reached out to me, welcoming me to Austin and asking if I wanted to have coffee (people in Austin are unbelievably nice). I am so excited to introduce you to her her amazing company. I can't wait to learn more about her myself. Here's a sampling of Brooke's work.



Be sure to view more on her website and check out her lovely blog.

Here's to hoping for another great weekend ahead! xoxo

Harlem HOUZZ Tour

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I couldn't resist publishing this right away because I'm so excited! I recently wrote a quickie post on houzz.com, the site that allows you to find ideas from designers and DIY-ers all over the country. I'm so honored to share with you the wonderful story about our New York apartment (prior to our Austin move), Houzz Tour: Killy and Oliver's Hip Harlem Apartment: Color, Clever Storage and Editing Turns a Tiny Apartment Into a Gem, written beautifully by Houzz contributor Lily Gahagan.

This is by far the most in-depth look at our (beloved) former apartment, complete with small-space decorating tips and explanations of the driving forces behind our design decisions. Sending out a huge thank you to Lily and the Houzz team!

All photos by Frisson

Guest Blogger: Denise Fasanello

For a while now I have wanted to bring in some guest bloggers – designers, artists, artisans, crafters, and all-around creative people (whether their passion is a full-time job or a hobby) to write about what makes them tick. How did they get started? Was it a straight path to doing the work they do, or was it meandering and something that came along on the second round of careers (like mine)? Have they sacrificed to stay on the creative path, or did it come easy? I am especially interested in those who started out practicing one craft, kept exploring and wound up taking on a whole new medium or added new interest(s) to the roster of old ones.

I am elated to introduce my very first guest blogger today, the unbelievably talented Denise Fasanello, a Brooklyn-based floral designer. We hired Denise to create the flowers for our 2008 wedding and she truly brought an artist's eye and perspective to floral designs, which really set the tone for the whole affair. Not surprisingly, it turned out she began her creative career as a fine artist. Her floral designs are full of graphic elements and some of the most interesting, complex combinations of plant life I have ever seen. I figured her fine art background must inform her floral work somehow, and I wanted to know how. I also wanted to know more about the path she took from fine artist to working at an architectural design firm and finally to taking on flowers full-time, since so many of us start out doing one thing, but later realize our passions lie elsewhere. It's a tough decision to stop, re-evaluate, maybe go back to school, change your life and start over again, so I love hearing about successful people who made gutsy career changes. 

In addition to running her highly sought after business and being a wife and a mom, Denise also writes her own wonderful blog, Little Pheasant, full of whimsical commentary, spot-on observations and amazing images of her work. Without further ado, Denise's guest post. Thank you, Denise! xoxo

First, I need to start out by thanking Killy for inviting me as a guest blogger. I am so very honored to be asked! I've been a fan of The Studiolo from the beginning.

Floral design by Denise Fasanello

Here's a little background on me and how I got into floral design. It may seem like long convoluted story but then that's how life works sometimes, no? Many moons ago I needed a day job to support my art making habit.

Guinnea Hen, collage by Denise Fasanello

I found one at a little flower shop in the West Village. I had no experience working with flowers nor did I have a background in horticulture. But New York being New York I knew someone who got me the gig and I was a quick learn.

Web Bouquet, collage by Denise Fasanello

At the same time I was working part time for a famous female artist I greatly admired. Both jobs offered me more hours and I found myself at a real crossroads. At the time I was pretty keen on pursuing my fine art career so I chose to work as an artist assistant. 

Years pass and I am working diligently on my artwork but in truth I am feeling fatigued by the art world. By now I'm also running the daily operations of a successful architecture/art studio.

Web Bird Green, collage on paper by Denise Fasanello

After about six years of honing my fine art and eight years managing the architectural office, I start to think about that little flower shop. I dream about starting my own business. I start to design friend's wedding flowers.

Bouquet by Denise Fasanello

I slowly build a portfolio of images. I talk A LOT about it to anyone who will listen. I read how-to books on small businesses. I seek any and all stories of people, particularly woman who change careers. I even quit the firm to work for a fancy flower shop to gain experience. I get lured back to the firm. I make money and pay off all my debt. I continue to dream. I have a baby. I build a website. I design my business cards. I take the leap. That was 3 years ago and here I am. The hardest part of forging a new path is taking the first step. So true.

How has my art training influenced my flower work? Well, in very real ways. The use of scale, shape and color all come into play when making an arrangement. For me, working with flowers is the most liberating art expression. You do not have to wait for the paint to dry, the film to develop, the glue to set. It is instant gratification. I see it as a form of ephemeral sculpture.

Bouquet by Denise Fasanello

More interestingly how has floral design influenced my art making? How beauty is represented, manipulated and defined has always been at the root of my artistic creation. But it was not until I started working with natural materials that I truly understood our obsession with beauty. I begin to manipulate flowers and photograph them.

Orchid Sleeve by Denise Fasanello



Thorned by Denise Fasanello

Beauty is a fleeting experience. This is the conflict we all share. Beauty fades. Flowers wilt. To me it’s a very natural and human conflict - the desire to preserve beauty and the recognition that it is a futile pursuit. We make art to preserve the fading experience of beauty. Even the conscience decision to look at the ugly in life is a reaction to the beauty that exists. I am constantly reminded of this when I work with flowers. This is my attempt when being creative regardless of material or medium.

Bouquets by Denise Fasanello

Now what will the next step will be? Sky’s the limit!

Floral design by Denise Fasanello

To view more of Denise's work, click on her website. And don't forget to check out her blog! 

Interior Artistry: Jeremiah Goodman

In school I took a few classes in "rendering," which for non-designers essentially means "coloring." We learned to draw perspectives (3D images of spaces we were designing) both by hand (markers, colored pencils), then using Adobe Photoshop, and finally, we were forced to learn a heinous program called 3D Studio Max (this is my opinion; some people love that program. I wanted to cry every time I opened it up. In fact, I did cry every time I opened in up). By the end of my time in school, I had come a long way in terms of being able to effectively communicate my design ideas on paper. I feel my skills work well for what I need them to do, but nothing I have ever drawn (or will ever draw) comes close to the masterpieces created by Jeremiah Goodman.










Clearly, Mr. Goodman is a master of creating vivid interior paintings (gouache and mixed media on illustration board). At a vivacious 88, he still works, showing no sign of slowing down. His clients have included the likes of Carolina Herrera, Bill Blass, Greta Garbo, Diana Vreeland, among many other notable people, and for fifteen years he was the exclusive cover artist for Interior Design Magazine.

Thirty eight pieces of Mr. Goodman's work are currently on view at an exclusive exhibit, Inspired Impressions: Interior Paintings By Jeremiah Goodman, through December 20th at the New York School of Interior Design. I will be jealous of those of you who get to see it. I did not have time to check it out before skipping town.

The exhibition is free and open to the public at New York School of Interior Design, 170 East 70th Street. Gallery hours are 10am-5pm Monday-Friday.