Flower Stories

Flower Sense by Tricia Guild, The Art of Decorating with Flowers • Photographs byJames Merrell 

Text by Elspeth Thompson with Tricia Guild

If you are thinking of adding to your garden collection of books, an old favorite of mine is Flower Sense by Tricia Guild, The Art of Decorating with Flowers. Published by Rizzoli International Publications Inc. British designer Tricia Guild is the founder of The Designers Guild. She is Known for her original fabric wallpaper designs and home furnishings. This is a wonderful book full of floral inspiration with unexpected flower mixes, shades of color and texture. As we put our gardens to bed until spring this is a great way to stay connected to the garden. During the cooler months as you wait for the garden and seed catalogues this book fills you with warmth. The photography is rich colorful and abundant with peonies, roses, delphiniums and hydrangeas to name a few. Leaves tell the color story in their simple yet beautiful displays. Her arrangements can fill a glass vase, a pitcher, a metal tin even a decorative plate it is as if Tricia is painting with her floral arrangements. 
There are over 150 pages of luxurious color to enjoy.

   

 The book is divided into sections to fit any style of flower decorating. 
The sections run from 

City

Vintage

Modern

Romantic

Party

Country

Exotic
to

Minimal 

These chapters are beautifully divided by vellum sheets introducing pages full of stunning color stories. The vellum sheets add to the luxurious feel of this book. A great addition to any library. 
If you are an artist this book is great resource for color and floral reference.

Curl up with color and garden inspiration.

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2011.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without noting the origin on your blog or website.

Word Path • Closure

Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Velásquez©2011

Word Paths, a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces. 

My goal is to present three to five words or three to five lines. 

I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often, only if needed. 

I plan to work the Word Paths out artistically and process them to share with you here. 

You can go here, to my first post on this project and see how it all started.

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Video of Anderson Cooper interviewing his mother Gloria Vanderbilt.

I am a big fan of Anderson Cooper, a CNN anchor. I like his style of

 reporting, he is accessible, funny and genuine. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, , a designer, writer, painter and a fashion icon has my respect and admiration for all she has contributed to the world of design. Back on September 19, 2011 Anderson interviewed his mother on his new daytime talk show. Wonderful to watch the both of them so full of pride and love for each other. There was a point in the video where Gloria opened up about their family tragedy, the loss of her son and Anderson's brother, Carter. They both spoke about the word closure and how they both disliked the word, they called it a "TV word". It is mentioned at 13:04 in the video if you want to have a listen. I was going to just have that snippet so you could understand my inspiration for today's Word Path on closure but decided to include the entire interview. I believe it is important to see Gloria and Anderson's relationship in full. 

You get a chance to see how they are each other's champion. 

As a mom especially of boys I am always touched 

by other mother and son relationships, 

it grabs a piece of my heart so tight it aches.

•  

Here is my word path for today 

Closure                                                                                               by Velásquez@2011

Inspired by their conversation I made this piece. I am not here to make anyone sad by today's post. I believe it is a good one for sharing and understanding. My hope is to have you think of the word differently. To see what someone feels in words, that is my goal. The word closure is just a line literally and figuratively. As an artist I see the line as having a beginning point and an end point never meeting to complete or make a circle. The line has its ups and downs and at times it spirals out of control or swirling leaving you dazed and confused when tragedy or loss show up at your door.

Closure never makes a circle. It is two points never meeting, never making you whole just changed.

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Happy Weekend • Be Open and Kind• Enjoy the Language of Words

My Girls the Fly Girls

I have the wonderful opportunity to be in a trading session of Artist Trading Cards with a great group of women 

I met through the Kelly Rae Roberts Flying Lessons-e-course. 

Artist Trading Cards are miniature works of art created on 2 ½ X 3 ½ inch or 64 X 89 mm card stock. 
They are originals, small editions and, self-produced. Anyone can produce them. 

The idea is that you trade them with other people who produce cards in what ever artistic fashion they choose.

M. Vänçi M. Vänçi Stirnemann is credited in many circles with initiating and popularizing the modern artist trading card in 1997.

The groups theme for the trading cards is one of flight or flying. I made the owl cards while flipping pancakes this morning getting my oldest off to school. Not ideal and this is not how most people picture an artist making art but it is probably how a lot of us artist make art these days! It just worked out that I had supplies in the house from the studio. 

                                                                                                               Velásquez©2011

I know that after art school is over many artist find themselves making art by themselves in a studio. I happen to be one of those artist. I should say that as of late I have had the company of my two year while making art. I am working on my book called "how to make art while distracted"! Just kidding. Anyway, my point being that the energy of other students to play off of each other is no longer there. You longer have anyone to have discussions with about art, art technique or to just bounce ideas off of. 

This is so important in process. Now that I have the group, I do.

The Flying Lesson Group has shown how important it is to support, teach and mentor each other as artist. E-courses have definitely widened the friendship circles. Some circles a cab ride away, others a flight away. 

Community and connection is the best prize of all in all of this.

 Thank you to My Girls the Fly girls.

Flying From the Nest • The Final Four

                                                                                                                                Velásquez©2011

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2011.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without noting the origin on on your blog or website.

Cosmos

Grabbing last bits of beauty in the garden before the frost.

  

           

Nature and its gifts of beauty no matter the season are truly awesome. 

As an artist the offerings from nature with color, texture and beauty inspire the creative spirit.

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2011.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without noting the origin on on your blog or website.

Word Paths • Heart

Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Velásquez©2011

Word Paths, a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces. 

My goal is to present three to five words or three to five lines. 

I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often, only if needed. 

I plan to work the Word Paths out artistically and process them to share with you here. 
You can go here, to my first post on this project and see how it all started.

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In the studio working with gouache and Sumi brushes. Spent the day creating some word art and exploring word paths. 

I love working with gouache. Gouache with its opaque watercolor qualities and smooth,creamy texture is a dream to work with. 

A favorite of mine since art school.

I started some pieces with acrylic ink but found acrylic ink too transparent for the look I was going for.

 Playing with words and paint, I really enjoyed making this piece of art. The motion of writing in cursive is so fun and so free with the flow of movement. I keep a notebook to record my word paths. This is where I work out the feel of the piece I will eventually paint and present.

•  
Here is my word path for today • Two versions

Silent with Love                                                                                                                  Velásquez©2011

 Silent with Love Repeated                                                                                                  Velásquez©2011 

Difficult to choose one piece to share because I loved them both. More love to spread around!

I love the word "love" all forms, in language, in poetry, emotion and in art.

Whether it is the love you have for your 

 partner

parents

children

friends

Nina Simone

or

Wassily chairs

It has the power to leave you windswept with joy.

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Happy Weekend • Fill your Heart with Love • Enjoy the Language of Words

IF: Scattered

For Illustration Friday • Scattered

Simple beauty scattered on the landscape.

Inspiration-Gifts from Nature

Nature is what you see plus what you think about it.  -John Sloan

This is the season where we are most color aware, more than any time of year. We trade in our shells, beach stones, walks in the sun and sand for leaves, sticks, acorns and cool and crisp air. We are in gathering mode, the children and myself, collecting beautiful leaves and dried flowers for fun projects. This season is touched, experienced and recorded in that expression or wonderment on their faces. 

You hear a lot of "wow mommy"! 

We walk through color everyday in our lives. 

Go ahead and grab some.

Great resource books, Leaves In Myth  Magic &Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine by Alice Thomas Vitale Leaves and Pods by Mary Ellen Hannibal, photography by Josie Iselin.

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2011.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without noting the origin on on your blog or website.

Word Paths • Coffee

Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Velásquez©2011

Word Paths, a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces. 

My goal is to present three to five words or three to five lines. 

I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often, only if needed. 

I plan to work the Word Paths out artistically and process them to share with you here. 

•

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Inspired by Audrey Hepburn's quote from the movie Sabrina,

"Paris is always a good idea" and my love of coffee. 

•

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 Here is my word path for today

Coffee is Always a Good Idea                                        by Deborah Velásquez©2011

Sometimes one cup is not enough. 
Ink and coffee on Paper.




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Happy Weekend • Enjoy a Cup of Coffee • Enjoy the Language of Words