DC art exhibits with art I am loving

Thomas Burkett

Thomas Burkett

These two artists, Thomas Burkett and Clyde Fowler, will be exhibiting at LongView Gallery in Washington DC later this year.

I really love abstract art and have been stalking DC gallery sites looking for artists that I like.

LongView has many.

Clyde Fowler

Clyde Fowler

Clyde Fowler

Decade dictionary

Coach purse from 1990s

My husband claims that I have an entire zoo of peeves as opposed to just a pet or two. One of them is young'uns posting things for sale or otherwise and labeling them as '60s or '70s when they clearly have no clue. Case in point would be the Coach purse above. I have one. I got it in '93 or '94 new. It is on Pinterest as an Etsy find listed as '70s purse.

Purse from 1970s

This is a purse from the early 1970s. The early 1970s were stylistically an extension, albeit less mod and more groovy, of the late 1960s.

The late 1970s were there own beast and can't be compared to much.

Here are a few examples...

early 1970s

The early '70s looked like this, a clunkier version of '60s mod style with a heavy (pardon the pun) hippie influence.

Peoples houses were no exception.

The late '70s looked more like this...

 with this hair...

and this...

 The early '80s looked more like this...

with this purse...

The late 80s looked like this...

These are just a few examples of style trends in more recent years. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that babies born in 1992 will be 20 this year. That is the year I was married (the first time).

So people, please, if you don't know when something was made ask an old lady like me. ;)

Your opinion?

I am asking for completely honest opinions. The nude above generated a fair amount of activity on Pinterest and subsequently in my Etsy shop. I am doing a slightly larger version of it for an upcoming regional juried exhibition.

I realize that abstracts aren't everyone's cup of tea but they really make me happy to paint and to look at.

The nudes, which technically are abstractions, were just an experiment. They have proved to be a lucrative one but they are as close to realism as I want to paint.

 This one sold within hours of my listing it.

 This painting of mine has been popular but still has not sold.

Tell me your opinion of this...

it is another of my abstracts. 

What do you love or hate about it?

If you feel odd about a negative comment--don't. I have a thick skin and just want some input.

Toot!--that was my horn

Let me explain. This perfectly charming entry vignette is in blogger, Morgan's new home.

A while back, I noticed traffic to my Etsy store coming from her blog, Oh Captain, My Captain.

I wondered why and went on over to investigate.

She bought this painting from me and did a post about it. HERE

I was super flattered.

I continued to read her posts.

She just bought and moved into this darling house. I believe it is her first time owning a home.

She and her fiance made amazing progress before moving in. HERE

Which brings me back to the first image. She did a post on the newly complete decor in her entry and there was the painting I did. I was thrilled to see it in place in her very lovely house.

Thanks, Morgan!

There. I tooted my own horn.

The Story of an English Village

The lighter than usual posting is due to illness moving through our house, now landing squarely on the adults.

I thought I'd cheat and show you snippets of a book I have enjoyed since I was a little girl.

Calling all Anglophiles and Downton Abbey fans!

The book is aseries of lovely watercolor paintings depicting the changes in an English village from Medieval times to modern.

The charm is that on every page there is a half page that when turned changes the picture seamlessly.

There are both exterior and interior scenes all from the same point of view throughout the ages.

I had to photograph the book as my scanner would not have fit enough of each page.

These are amazing picture books that really fit the bill when you are too sick to bother with anything else.

The Story of an English Village

and these...

for Downton fans

An Edwardian Summer

or

Lavinia's Cottage

All images Copyright John S. Goodall

Frank talk

When I can steal a few quiet moments I love to read. Right now I am reading Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

It is about a woman who has an affair with famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

I think novels where infidelity is a main plot line are tiresome (the last one I read was too) but I am enjoying the insight into Frank Lloyd Wright, the man.

What are you reading?

I hear red

Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.-- Oscar Wilde

Not Chinese Red, but lovely

The verdict on black was a big NO in yesterday's post. Only two commenters had the guts to go for black.

So how about red? Or more precisely, Chinese Red?

 

Chinese Red leans heavily in the orange direction. Think of the color of a very ripe tomato.

 

Would you incorporate this color in your decor?

It doesn't necessarily have to have an Asian feel.
It is certainly at home in Western design.

Brennan's New Orleans

 It can feel too orange if paired with certain other colors.

via Apartment Therapy

So, would you incorporate Chinese red in your house?
Would you do it in a big way, like on the walls?

I will not think any less of those who hate it, but I will tell you that it is one of my favorite colors. It energizes me and makes me happy. You could even say it speaks to my soul.