I've needed a pick-me-up for the apartment, what with all the boxes and unfinished renovation projects staring me in the face lately, so I decided to unpack some of my artwork. I didn't realize how much I missed it! It's so nice to see it on the walls, even though nothings finished yet. I thought I'd share the pieces I hung with you.
This is one of the first ones I put up. It's one that was featured on my television show and belonged to my grandparents. It's a Katz acrylic and is a loose representation of a clown. Normally I run screaming from clown paintings, but this one is so abstracted that I really kind of like it.
This is another interesting painting. It's by an artist named Sonnenberg. I've done some research, but have only been able to find one Sonnenberg painter. Her work is different from this piece, but it dates back to 1963, so she could have been doing quite different paintings back then. I like the dark whorling quality of the piece. It sucks you in.
I like this one for it's somewhat morbid, pensive quality. the features of the man are so nicely rendered and the use of color is so beautifully applied - the hint of green reflecting up into the man's face. I love the angular, 1950's quality of the style. There is no signature, so it can't be traced.
This piece is interesting in its use of a heavy impasto texture. The bright red cape of the bull fighter is almost three dimensional. Bull fighting was a somewhat cliche subject for painters in the 60's, but this one has a very nice style to it. It's more unique than most of them. Avery Penn is another artist I haven't been able to find online.
The last one is a print. This also belonged to my grandparents. It's a Camille Graeser. He was a Swiss artist and had a very modernist sensibility. I really like mathematical precision of this piece.
Hanging these pictures has helped me to get motivated to do some of the preparatory work for the contractors. I think it's because of the change of scenery. If you have some projects you've been putting off, why not try shaking things up in your visual world? Hang some pictures, re-arrange some furniture. It can help give you the momentum to make the changes you want to make!
When I was a child I was given a book called A Home. It featured watercolor paintings by Carl Larsson of daily life at his family home in Sweden at the turn of the last century. Larsson was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. The home depicted in the paintings is a glorious hodge podge of images, colors and textures all rendered in delicate detail. These images have inspired and stuck with me through the years and I find myself referring to them when I have a visual project to do that needs a touch of traditional elegance.
This room is the subject of several of his paintings. Here, his son Pontus, punished for an infraction at the dinner table sits in the beautiful room next to one of those elegant kachelofens I mentioned in an earlier post. Notice the delightful designs featured on the door in the center of the image - the flower appears to grow behind the cross piece dividing the two panels.
Here's another picture of the same room from a different angle. I love how they turned the corners with the long runner carpet. The panels on the walls help define the space so nicely.
Here is Carl and Karin, his wife, after the children have gone to bed seated in the dining room. Notice the other kachelofen in the corner.
These beautiful images are a great source of inspiration for interiors. I suggest picking up a copy of the book for reference. There are several others that are equally as beautiful - A Farm and A Family. All are available on Amazon. If you'd like to find out more about Carl Larsson you can visit his official website and his wikipedia page.
Hello people, Brini here with some more ideas for freshening up your home. This week we’re finishing the cabinets and desk that we made on the previous episodes.
Finishing is an important step. Here are some tips.
Webbing tape is a must for filling cracks and holes. It gives the spackle something to cling to and makes the whole process a little easier.
If you have large gaps in your wood work fill them with shims. The shims will fill in the space so you don’t need so much spackle.
Don’t forget to sand – Sanding your spackling job will make it blend into the woodwork.
After you sand, run over your work with a tack cloth. Tack cloth is a loosely woven cloth impregnated with a sticky substance that picks up the dust.
Repeat this process twice for a super smooth look. You can even sand between coats of paint if you want a hand rubbed finish.
This week on the show we’re beginning our renovation in the closet. We’re making the closet a joy to open and a delight for your clothes. Most people paint their closets white and there is a practical consideration for that – white closets make it easier to find what you’re looking for, but if your home is nice and bright you can indulge in a flight of fancy and make a statement with your closet. I used colorful paint that was left over from other projects so, for me, it was a thrifty project as well. But you can brighten your closets with pretty paper or other paint schemes as well. Make your closet pretty enough and you may never want to leave it!
Hello people, Brini here with some more ideas for freshening up your home. This week we’re finishing the cabinets and desk that we made on the previous episodes. 
This week on the show we’re beginning our renovation in the closet. We’re making the closet a joy to open and a delight for your clothes. Most people paint their closets white and there is a practical consideration for that – white closets make it easier to find what you’re looking for, but if your home is nice and bright you can indulge in a flight of fancy and make a statement with your closet. I used colorful paint that was left over from other projects so, for me, it was a thrifty project as well. But you can brighten your closets with pretty paper or other paint schemes as well. Make your closet pretty enough and you may never want to leave it!