On Point

I could barely sit still at work today when I saw that Mika Tajima now is on show at the SAM, which just happens to be right across the street from my firm (therefore no excuses to miss it)!

I have heard Mika Tajima's name around the design blogmosphere and have always been quite intrigued about her mixed media exhibits which explore a lot of architecture & interior elements. Supposedly some of Tajima's work has been inspired from the modular desking systems of Herman Miller which explains a lot of her strategic use of primary colors and wall-like panels.

Be sure to also check out her interactive exhibit, the New Humans.

Cheers to a Happy & Artistic Friday!

Noir + Blanc

These prints from Manjuzaka Gallery are the perfect proportion of 'moodiness' and would add the right amount of drama above a fireplace or for a more casual take, frame and stand on the floor of an office or living room. The price is right too.

Color Explosion

Cecily Brown has some serious talent & passion. Her colors are electrifying and brush strokes are fierce. If you ever get stumped on a color palette I'd recommend you grab one of her pieces and pick some hues directly from the canvas--you will have more options then you'll know what to do with.

Splash of Color

Works by artist, Cy Twombly. Absolutely stunning pieces with exaggerated brush strokes and an endless color palette. I am truly inspired right now especially due to the face that I have 2 blank canvases in my room calling my name.
I actually saw the last painting at the Tate Modern in London and currently have the post card size print hanging in my room so I am excited to see Twombly's other works. Now I really want to purchase the book "Fifty Years of Drawing on Paper" to add to my "library". 


Hope these cheerful and carefree pieces help brighten your holiday. Happy MLK!


Images Courtesy of Google Images

My New Favorite Artist {Helen Frankenthaler}

The other day I headed downtown Seattle with my mom to go enjoy some artwork at the SAM. I haven't been down to the Seattle Art Museum for quite sometime and I was excited to see what they had on display, (BTW: Every first Thursday of the month = free admission. I was pleased to see they had some of my favorite artists, Pollack and Rothko. However, a piece by Helen Frankenthaler totally caught my eye, with huge splashes of colour and organic forms. I have to admit any sign of bright colour and I am totally hooked!

When I got home and googled here and instantly fell in love with all the images that came up! I love her color choices within all her paintings and the overall "effortless" feel. The greatest thing about Frankenthaler's pieces are that they appear almost neutral because of how the colours flow so smoothly into one another.

Some fun facts:

• Frankenthaler does not prime any of her canvases and often uses wood cuts to paint upon (ie: Madame Butterfly).
• Another interseting fact is that she uses oil paints, even though at first glance her pieces easily come across as water colours.
• From 1958-1971 she was married to Robert Motherwell, another one of my favorite abstract painters.

I thought it'd be fun to pair some of my favorite pieces of Frankenthaler's with interiors to show how wonderfully versatile her paintings are in a variety of spaces. Most of her paintings are from the 1950's but come across oh so contemporary--I'd be more than happy to invest in any of her stunning pieces :)

Images Courtesy of: DecoIdeas, Domino, The Selby, Sfgirlbythebay,Helen Frankenthaler

An Afternoon with Warhol, Pollock & Refreshing Interiors

Images: Courtesy of Google

I am so happy I finally made it to the famous Tate Modern Art Museum right on the River Thames in downtown London. And best of all, it was free entry! The Tate is home to legendary artists Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollack, just to name a few ground breaking artists. The actual interior of the museum seems fairly new, an industrial building but balanced out with fresh graphic details and bright colors. After being in Interior Design for a full three years I appreciate abstraction and art on a whole new level. Here are some of my favorite pieces throughout the 5 story complex. (I realized I gravitate immediately to colour, texture & loose brush strokes, all of which are some of my favorite design elements--now I really sound nerdy analyzing art and my design principles!)

Robert Rauschenberg

Victor Pasmore

Piet Mondrian

Gerald Richter ( My favorite series!)

Jackson Pollack

Mark Rothko

Not entirely sure on this one...

Image: Courtesy of Keep Calm & Carry On

Ring a bell? I feel like I see this print in so many interiors, so it was funny that the above paintings reminded me exactly of this particular image. Fun fact about 'Keep Calm and Carry On' is that it was originally a British propaganda poster in the 1920's that was rediscovered in 2000 and the rest is history--no pun intended :)