Interior Design

My Little Collection of Antique Fans

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Look but don’t touch. Well… that rule only applies to the carved ivory fan on the right. The ribbon threaded through the blades needs to be replaced before it can perform like it should.
Look but don’t touch. Well… that rule only applies to the carved ivory fan on the right. The ribbon threaded through the blades needs to be replaced before it can perform like it should.

One can never own too many hand fans. At least not here in Dallas. Perhaps you remember an earlier post of mine which showcased a few fans from my summer collection. I also have a winter collection which I will share with you at another time. I have found that unique, contemporary fans are hard to come by. Perhaps it’s because there isn’t much of a market for them. On the other hand, antique versions are plentiful online, so I’ve recently started collecting them. To see each one opened, click on the link below.

Landscape & Gardening

Time for Some Pretty Flower Pictures

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After today’s tragedy, a garden can offer escape and a little beauty.
After today’s tragedy, a garden can offer escape and a little beauty.

Firewitch Dianthus borders my greenhouse and blooms profusely this time of year. Because of a string of dingy days over the past two weeks, the flowers had been too soggy to photograph. Consequently they were a wee past their prime when I was finally able to shoot them this past Saturday. If I deadhead them after this cycle is finished, they’ll bloom again in the fall, but it won’t be as abundant as this springtime show.

Interior Design

The Last Cold Snap, the Last Fire

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You can click on the photo for a much larger version.
You can click on the photo for a much larger version.

One last hurrah before our sweltering summer. I have now used all of the Irish turf and the old firewood. And while allowing the embers to cool, I will enjoy the smell of their smoky goodness which tends to linger in all corners of my house for at least a week. The following photos will show you two of those corners.

Contemporary Art

At Wast! Wabbit Season!

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'Bunnies,' 2012; one of a series of four; resin, metal leaf, enamel
‘Bunnies,’ 2012; one of a series of four; resin, metal leaf, enamel

Let me introduce you to the newest household ornament. It was a happy accident when I found this seven-inch-tall sculpture by John Gordon Gauld. A friend of mine sent me a link to a very cool website called Grey Area. Grey Area is the undefined space between art and design where art is made functional and the functional is made art, and this site’s mission is to present the best of what doesn’t quite fit within the traditional gallery experience.

Landscape & Gardening

What’s Blooming Now

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Nature can be quirky and beautiful.
Nature can be quirky and beautiful.

This little Texas Whitebud tree has never been a prolific bloomer and never photographs well with a regular camera lens. This time I used my macro lens. Even though the breeze kept moving the branches and I’m an amateur with this kind of lens, I did manage to get a few good shots. This little tree looks much better in a detailed close-up. To view more sweet details, click on the link below.

Film: Design & Architecture

The Age of Innocence (part two)

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In Edith Wharton’s day, those who had extensive collections of silver flatware patterns, a catalog such as this one, would have been extremely helpful in planning a dinner party.
In Edith Wharton’s day, those who had extensive collections of silver flatware patterns, a catalog such as this one, would have been extremely helpful in planning a dinner party.

This film is a visual feast of details with the dining experience playing a major role. From the table settings to the multiple courses, Martin Scorsese has meticulously recreated the lavish displays of Old New York society in the late Victorian era. When comparing Edith Wharton’s text with the film’s visuals, I was unable to identify the porcelain, silver, and crystal. Perhaps someone out there, who has happened to stumble onto this blog, will be able to identify some of the pieces and leave a comment with clues to their identity. Otherwise just enjoy the visuals.

Landscape & Gardening

What’s Fruiting Now

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The wildlife has already started to feed on the grape-like fruit clusters.
The wildlife has already started to feed on the grape-like fruit clusters.

The Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia japonica ‘Bealei’). Well… It’s still winter officially, that is until tomorrow, but there’s ripe fruit ready for the pickin’ in my front garden. This shrub bloomed in January, but since I photographed and wrote about its blooms last year, I didn’t want to bore you with a repeat of what you’ve seen before. In fact, this year I have not bothered to photograph any of my winter bloomers until now, since their annual cycle has been covered at least twice before on this blog.

Landscape & Gardening

What’s Blooming Now

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Ajuga reptans ‘Valfredda’ Chocolate Chip
Ajuga reptans ‘Valfredda’ Chocolate Chip

The Chocolate Chip Ajuga is quite the show right now. It’s planted in both my front and back gardens in and around my stepping stones where there is shade. Eventually the clumps will spread by stolons and weave a tight mat of foliage. Depending on the amount of sunlight, the leaves are a mix of rich chocolate-purple and green, but the color will deepen in more sun. This ground cover was planted less than a year ago and may take at least another year to lose its clump-like look and spread into an uninterrupted blanket of foliage. To see a larger expanse of this plant, click on the link below.

Contemporary Art

Getting to Know You

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'Getting to Know You #1'
‘Getting to Know You #1’

Terri Thornton’s Getting To Know You opens tonight at The Reading Room. This exhibition of drawings and related material will explore the idea of how we acquire knowledge and the diverse sources, visual and textual, that we learn from. The title is taken from the musical The King and I. Tonight’s opening reception is from 6 to 9 pm, and the show will extend through April 14, 2013. There will be an artist talk Saturday, April 6 at 5 pm.

Thornton lives and works in Fort Worth where she is Curator of Education at the Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth. Thornton recently curated where is the power at TCU’s Fort Worth Contemporary Arts. Her own work has recently been shown in November House, Modern Ruin, at Brand 10 and The Old Jail Art Center/Albany. Other past exhibitions include Ether at testsite/Austin (a project of Fluent~Collaborative) and things held and never understood at Free Museum of Dallas.

Fine Art

Was She Ever a Real Person?

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She was advertised as a rare 1920’s bronze and Carrara marble bust.
She was advertised as a rare 1920’s bronze and Carrara marble bust.

A new addition for my library arrived today. I’ve been slowly collecting decorative objects for my front two rooms. This piece had been on my wish list for quite some time, because I had my doubts as to whether she would fit in. Most of my collected art is contemporary, but lately I’ve been drawn to antique works in sculpture and painting. It could very well be a phase, but I’m pretty sure I will never tire of these recent purchases. They’re here to stay, and I have plenty of room for more, whether it be fresh contemporary art that some of my guests may find disturbing or another dusty relic from a previous millennium.

Click on the link below for one more photo of this beauty.