I am obsessed with details. Finishing touches such as the trim on a drapery panel to how a work of art is framed can make or break the overall design. As a self professed art addict, I especially love working with clients, artists and my local framer to showcase the works of art to make them shine.
Later this month, I head to Las Vegas (my virgin voyage!) to attend the West Coast Art & Frame Expo as part of a Design Blogger Tour organized by Steve and Jill McKenzie. We will be seeing the latest and greatest introductions in framing as well as a variety of new forms of art reproduction.
See below for some works from my personal collection and client portfolio on how the variety of framing elevates the art.
A client’s colorful interior in Birmingham features large-scale works on paper by Windy O’Connor. The champagne toned metal frame pulls out the brushstrokes in the painting and still anchors the space. Dark oil rubbed bronze picture lights tie in with the stair rail and door hardware. A bold 19th century rug brings out the orange in the paintings and introduces the palette for the house.
In my library, a commission by Favorite artist Amanda Talley through Hidell Brooks Gallery provides a a focal point for the fireplace wall. A dark floater frame punctuates the darker strokes in the painting. The interior of the bookcases are painted to repeat this color.
This is the beginning of a gallery wall in my living room. A variety of watercolors and small paintings collected from our travels tells the story of our treasured memories. The wall has grown and been rearranged to include other paintings seen here…
A contemporary collageby Brad Thomas is placed in a gilded frame with a block motif to play off of the curves in the artwork. The work is floating on a linen mat in order the appreciate the intricate detailing and writing along the edges of the work.
Several of my favorite works have been found through Gillian Bryce who shows at 214 Modern Vintage in High Point as well as Scott’s Antique Market in Atlanta. This oil painting by Bernard Segal is in a vintage gilt frame and enhanced with a linen mat and fillet to make the work larger. The empty space of the linen mat gives the viewer a chance to appreciate the small compact bursts of color in the painting.
Another work by Bernard Segal, this is one of a pair of watercolors. I framed the works in a simple gold frame which pulls out the gold in the painting and floated them on a linen mat in order to appreciate the deckled edge of the paper.
A “pile” by Selena Beaudry (also through Hidell Brooks) is floating on a white backdrop and framed in a deep modern white frame giving the work a shadowbox effect. Our dirty pink entry hall walls enhance the pinks found in the watercolor.
One of my prized possession is an interior rendering by the Dean of American Design, Albert Hadley. A charcoal mat enhanced his pencil rendering and make it extra special.
I found this abstract encaustic at the Marche Biron in Paris. Maurice Morel came to Paris in 1927 to pursue his double vocation of artist and priest. He found a mentor in Artist-Poet Max Jacob, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, who was a close friend of Pablo Picasso and other artistic-literary notables of the period. In 1933, Morel helped stage a ground-breaking sacred art exhibition, Art Moderne d’inspiration religieuse, which included works by Picasso, Andre Derain, Tsuguhara Foujita, and Georges Rouault, who would become the priest’s lifelong friend and supporter. I fell in love not only with the work, but in the way it was framed….a frame within a frame. An ingenious way to add importance to a special work.
The starting point for the entire design scheme was this pastel confection by Kate Long Stevenson at the beloved “Pink House,” a center for breast cancer survivors herein Charlotte. She donated the work in honor of her friend. Again, we used a floater frame to set off the painting from the brick backdrop while pulling out some of the darker tones in the painting.
Be sure to follow along as we take in the sights of Vegas with my fellow design blogtour pals… Holly Phillips of The English Room, Tami Ramsay and Krista Nye Schwartz of Cloth & Kind and Vicki Bolick of The Ace of Space. We cannot wait!
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Throughout my entire career, I have been directly involved in product design – from paint color palettes and holiday products to custom frames, when, two years ago, the entire design world opened itself up when we launched our fabric line and showroom. Interior design was a natural progression as clients inquired about my design services for their homes. In college, I worked in Sherwin Williams’ research labs on color palettes for the Caribbean market. Instantly, I was hooked on the power of color and its impact on design.
My creative process for design is similar to the creative process for my art… I don’t start with a preconceived notion; I pursue an exploration of one brush stroke to another. Intuitively, the laws of balance, art, line, color are there, but I don’t focus on those. Same goes for my Interior design process, an image or color in nature can become just the spark I need for a space’s color palette.
My most recent creative breakthrough would be the chandelier I just designed for a client’s home. The chandelier combines the talents of several artists, and in my mind, it will reflect the look and feel of one of my paintings.
Starting this new business with Jill in Jan. 2012 and realizing all the potential for creative outlets to merge my artistic side with my design side.
The art series I’m currently working on is an exploration of the combination of color and pattern. It’s much bolder than prior work. To me it evokes a feeling of freedom and flight.
A sneak peek of something we’re working on that’s been under wraps until now is an outdoor fabric collection in our classic patterns!
JILL: Our family and the way we do business (we’re here to make the designer/client happy and look good while providing extraordinary service).
STEVE-Creating spaces and products that allow friends and family to create beautiful memories together.
Find a fabulous mentor who is willing to invest in you; network to meet great designers & resources; and most importantly – LISTEN. Listen to your clients, the way they live and want to live. Listen to your mentor and your peers. We learn so much more when we listen.
From an artist perspective, Anselm Kiefer and Antoni Tapies for their bold, fearless creations. From a design point of view, Axel Vervoordt, for his keen understanding of the role of art in the home.
POTUS – As a kid, my family and I saw an exhibit of Presidential china. Ever since, I’ve always wanted to design the White House china, and maybe even, the entire White House.
STEVE & JILL: An isolated beach with my family all together – relaxing, enjoying good food and playing games.
STEVE – For me, bliss is an afternoon of no demands on my time and being outdoors. JILL – An uninterrupted nap on the screened porch or playing a great game of tennis.
STEVE- Let It Whip by The Dazz Band; I love what I’m doing at this stage in life, and as a college student of the 80’s, this song embodies a great beat and keeps me going. JILL – Don’t Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?
Oh boy – so many items have stolen my heart and shelf space! Among my favorite collections are vintage ceramic turkeys, reamers, floral frogs, and religious artifacts. Jill says Steve has a problem 🙂
STEVE– Paprika; like a good chili, most interiors benefit from a dash of paprika
JILL – Periwinkle, my favorite crayon.What s your favorite design trick?
Orchids go a long way in any space.
Atlanta favorites include Anne Flaire Antiques, Scott’s Market, the print floor of the High Museum of Art, and The Lawrence restaurant.
THANK YOU JILL & STEVE!