Sunday, August 15, 2010

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Thank Hue, Thank Hue!

Rachel Perls is one amazing woman. Over the course of the last year, I was fortunate enough to discover her blog, Hue:
"I created this blog to catalog and share my color-related findings. From architectural interiors to marketing, color has a major impact on our lives, and I'd like to draw attention to it's importance. If you love color, I hope you'll enjoy this blog. Welcome!"

As a follower of Hue, I have learned, been awed, inspired, smiled and most importantly found not only a mentor (whether she knows this or not!), but an incredibly talented and gracious woman who is quick to share her knowledge, guidance and heart in each and every post, comment and email.

In anticipation of her firstborn, she reached out to fellow design bloggers to contribute guest posts in order to keep her blog current and on schedule. When she included me amongst her invitees, I was humbled and honored to say the least.  My background and experience pale in comparison to the others who contributed. Nonetheless I accepted the mission.

Thank you, Rachel!


























Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Long Distance Relationships

Okay - I know exactly what you're thinking. Rest assured, I have not strayed into any kind of psychoanalytical personal development realm. At least not here in this blog.

My very good friend has had quite the busy summer, filled with lots of traveling to various states for family reunions, weddings, birthdays, graduations, well...you know, family stuff.  Big family, big events. And a lot of them. We last got together for a gelato in June.  The next time we get together, the calendar will have flipped a couple of pages to September.  Until we are able to indulge in sinful desserts and laugh-till-your-belly-aches girls' nights out,  she surprises me with various electronic souvenirs from her travels. I just have to share with you her most recent one. Though these pics were shot with just her camera, they are no less impressive.



Can you guess what this is? Here's another close-up....



Reminds me of amoebas or something.  Well, here it is in its actual context....






This is the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The glass is an installation done by Dale Chihuly. So I did a Google search and found his statement about this piece.

"Steve Wynn started talking to me about the ceiling at the Bellagio long before construction even began. He wanted me to make a “spectacular” piece in the lobby of the hotel that would rival the aquarium at the Mirage, and generate more interest. Back in Seattle, we built the entire seventy-by-thirty-foot ceiling, full-scale, at my studio. The commission, as contracted, called for a whole new armature type and about a thousand new “flowers.” Steve visited several times, loved it, and wanted even more glass. Finally FIORI DI COMO was installed with over two thousand handblown glass elements.
 — Chihuly"
 
If you have a few moments, I urge you to visit Dale Chihuly's site. I guarantee you will get lost in a magical collection of color, form and architecture; each piece drawing you in more and more leaving you with a feeling of wonderment and just plain joy.




Wednesday, July 21, 2010

I'm Still Here!

Hi Everyone!!!!


Boy, it's been awhile and I sure do apologize. Time flies when we're having fun. I would like to assure you that I have not gone anywhere. Life just needs me more than my blog does right now. But I assure you, it's all good.



September will mark a new chapter for my family. Therefore I have decided it will also mark a new chapter for this blog. I plan to mix it up quite a bit with some new formats, perspectives, projects and maybe even a co-author (if I can get her over her trepidation) who will (if she accepts this mission) add an ingenious and hilarious perspective on just about anything you can imagine. Not only is she brilliant and creative and talented, she's incredibly insightful. So, keeping my fingers crossed...!

                                                                              

Meanwhile, I promise I will pop in and out with snippets I find along the way, just so we stay in touch.  See you in September!!!  xoxoxo Karen


PS: I managed to lose the links to properly credit the above images. Should the owners visit this page, please contact me so I can publish your info.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Can I Quote You On That?



Over the years I've collected an assortment of inspirational quotes so I thought I would share with you just a few of my favorites about color. Which one is your favorite?


Color is but a sensation and has no existence outside the nervous system of living beings.  Nicholas Ogden Rood, American Physicist, 1831-1902

“Who told you that one paints with colors? One makes use of colors, but one paints with emotions.” Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, French Rococo Era Painter, 1699-1779  


“If we were to imagine an orange on the blue side or green on the red side or violet on the yellow side, it would give us the same impression as a north wind coming from the southwest.” Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein, Austrian Philosopher, 1889-1951


“The sound of colors is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble…”  Wassily Kandinsky,  Russian-born French Expressionist Painter, 1866-1944  


"The only color I don't have is navy brown."  Yogi Berra,  American Major League Baseball Catcher, Manager, and Hall of Fame Honoree, b.1925.


'Yes,' I answered you last night; / 'No,' this morning, sir, I say. / Colours seen by candle-light / Will not look the same by day.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning,  English Poet, 1806-1861 

“For those colours which you wish to be beautiful, always first prepare a pure white ground.”   Leonardo da Vinci,  Italian High Renaissance Painter and Inventor, 1452-1519  

"I know I can not paint a flower. I can not paint the sun on the desert on a bright summer morning but maybe in terms of paint color I can convey to you my experience of the flower or the experience that makes the flower of significance to me at that particular time."   Georgia O'Keeffe,  American Painter, 1887-1986 

Almost all words do have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone's eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her too."
 Gladys Taber,    American Author, 1899-1980 

Some of us come on earth seeing – some of us come on earth seeing color.”   Louise Nevelson, Russian-born American Abstract Expressionist Sculptor, 1899-1988 











inspiration is all around even where we least expect it