Truly I should have written something about this immediately the following days but obligations pulled me in all directions and, to be honest, my writing rhythm has somewhat broken what with me becoming more involved with designing rugs and painting. But I really must get back to writing occasionally too!

So, the exhibition. Well, this exhibition was to exhibit the sum of all our work who took part in the art and ceramics seminars run by Mrs Aggeliki Tseva. The exhibition took place in the beautiful garden of the Hellenic Centre of Art and Culture in Koropi where, although the weather was threatening at one point after setting everything up, it turned out to be fabulous.

There were, of course, the necessary speaches and explanations at the beginning and the handing out of our diplomas and certificates of participation and I felt like a graduating student when I stepped up to receive mine. It was even more special for me to have all my family there with me and close friends who supported and continue to support me in my efforts.

In closing, and before I leave you to peruse my photos, I must add that I feel very fortunate indeed to have met and studied under the loving and insightful guidance of Aggeliki Tseva. I certainly hope to continue learning from her as she generously imparts her wealth of knowledge.

my exhibition stand

close-ups of each work in order of production:

“oranges”, acrylics on canvas, 60×80         and           ”pebbles”, acrlics on canvas, 40×50

“summer oasis”, mixed media on canvas, 70×50      and       ”miracle”, mixed media on canvas, 60×80

“Indian Tea”, mixed media on canvas, 50×50 (inner) 70×90 (outer)    and    “Midnight dancers”, mixed media on canvas, 50×50

My lovely teacher Aggeliki Tseva

Receiving my diploma

My most precious supporter!

en famille…dad, hubs, step-mom, mom & moi…

just before closing, the dark of night has come upon us but the lights of our souls shine bright with the love our loved ones and teacher have showered us with…

till next time….

Lena

All my above exhibited paintings are available for purchase. Please visit my page LB Paintings for prices and send me a message regarding your interest. Thanks!

The reason I’ve been kind of ‘absent’ from my blog over the last months is that I’ve been preoccupied studying rug design and manufacture and preparing designs to begin my rug collection. An activity that has captured my interest like I never expected. 

One of the reasons I began researching this subject was a personal need to create something of my own, and in particular, something that would combine my love of interior design with my love for art. Something, after all, that would represent me as an interior decorator and designer. Meanwhile I had ascertained a certain ‘difficulty’ in finding suitable rugs for the interiors I was decorating. 

loomah

So, I visited many major exhibitions abroad and noticed how other designers were applying their ideas and concepts to rugs, either as independent entities or under the ‘umbrella’ of an established rug firm. I was immediately attracted to the idea of applying my own ideas to rugs and fireworks went off in my mind as an avalanche of ideas flooded my head. I simply had to learn more about this art form! 

luke irwin

So, I began by studying how these other designers went about this business. I researched the various manufacturing techniques, the language of rug making, the history of rugs and the basic ‘rules’ of rug design as these arise according to their origin. At the same time I started to create my own designs that I continued working on and improving as I learnt more and became more accustomed to the natural limits and requirements that this art form imposes. I studied the materials used and the available techniques that are constantly being improved helping the designer create ever more complicated and amazing designs. 

amy kent

Although the last step in my research, finding possible candidates to manufacture my rugs was one of the most important tasks. Initially I began by looking for Greek manufacturers, wanting to support local commerce. However, to my chagrin and surprise, I discovered that there was no such service here. My choices therefore, as I saw them, were one of the following: England – Portugal – Turkey – Iran – India – China – Nepal. 

loomah

However, before making any such decision I had to determine the character of my product. Its quality, reputation (in other words, what kind or product do I, Lena Blonsky, want to be identified with), its cost and to whom I am directing this product. In other words, my “brand”. 

loomah

Following this it was imperative that I secure my designs by copyright. The internet is rife with copyright theft and no-one can ever be too sure. 

Truth is I had been hoping to have already begun with the production of at least two of my rug designs. However, (fortunately or unfortunately) I am ridiculously thorough and conscientious in my research and study taking every step very carefully and methodically, aiming to reduce risks and errors along the way as much as possible. My aim is always to make the best possible decision. What does that mean for me? It means finding the best quality in raw materials and manufacturing process and a production team that will be using up-to-date methods of design and computer imagery that will meet with the designer’s (my) requirements and by extension, my clients’. 

kokeshi for spina

Furthermore, I wanted to be sure that working conditions were of a high standard and that no child labor is employed – manufacturers registered with Goodweave were favored. I also liked the idea of an amount of the income made on each rug being put back into the local community in the form of schooling, clothing, health and quality of working and living conditions. Finally, it was imperative that I be able to communicate with the manufacturers, that they understand what I want and that I understand them. Not forgetting, of course, the importance of cost. 

loomah

All these ideas and thoughts began to take form and become reality so that today I am in conversation with a rug manufacturer in Nepal and have ordered a ‘trial run’ of one of my ‘simpler’ designs. Something that will help me gauge how the whole process works and to see how my designs come out in reality. I would say that this is the most exciting phase of the process! 

Assuming all goes well I will be visiting the manufacturer in Nepal in autumn ( ideally I had wanted to visit now, however, it is rainy season in Nepal) and giving them my next order. 

amy kent

till then, I’ll be designing more rugs!

all my best 

Lena

I am happy & honoured to announce that I am taking part in a group exhibition where the theme is “Tea”….why? host for this exhibition is a wonderful tea room called “To Tsai”, which means “tea” in Greek. This exquisite tea room is located at Lykavitou & Alexandrou Soutsou 19, Kolonaki, Athens. The exhibition opens on Tuesday, 18th May at 8 pm and will last till May 30th. Why not enjoy a delicious bowl of green tea icecream or a pot of aromatic tea brewed to your liking while browsing the art on display? I’ll be honoured to see you there!

In order of execution, here are my latest paintings as my lessons progress with Ageliki Tseva. All are acrylics on canvas and my aim is to bring out the feeling & atmosphere of my subject with personal expression rather than a realistic or photographic repeat…

For the last 2 and a half weeks I’ve been without my personal pc, or laptop – which was brand new, I might add as it was only 2 months ‘young’. It just kept crashing, showing a blue screen and a long message I couldn’t read in time before it would shut down and restart. All I could read in the 2 seconds it appeared was that there was a fatal error with the hard drive and windows…..

Technology has become such an important part of our lives…evident in my feelings of utter loss and desperation when I was faced with living – even for a day – without my ‘faithful’ laptop. These feelings shocked me more than the actual fact of not having my laptop– my ‘faithful friend’ (hah!) to work with.

Lately my husband had started telling me that I was growing too dependent, or, to put it in his words, “addicted” to the internet and my pc. I would scoff at him telling him that my work depended on my research over the internet and contact with others interested or active in my field. I had to be connected. At the same time I would express concern at my daughter spending hours chatting to her friends on FB!

Reality hit home when I was faced with living without my laptop.

As I said, the feelings I experienced terrified me more than anything else. George, my husband, was right. I had grown dependent, if not addicted, to being or having access to the internet.

So, I began to think things over. What was life like before the internet, before mobile phones even? Not quite so stressful, I’m sure. Although access to information and easy communication has helped us in numerous ways it has also made us more vulnerable. Privacy and security have become issues of concern. How much do we want the world to know about us? In the final analysis is it good to expose yourself to the world on a personal level? Does chatting to friends on FB and other platforms really relieve our feelings of loneliness and isolation? To some extent yes. But when I found myself without this window to the outside world I felt lonelier than ever. Why? Because in depending on my FB friends (who are wonderful, I must add!) I had ‘abandonned’ my real-time friends and family. Ok, so I’m a bit of a solitary person anyway. I’ve learnt to live on my own for days at a time and can keep myself occupied with my work, interests and hobbies. But there does come a time when you do need person to person communication and connection.

On a work level, I found that the internet had started stealing my creativity. Spending excessive amounts of time on the internet I was depriving myself of the joy of creativity. Instead of my designing and painting taking priority it was coming second, if not third. Designing and painting by hand, mixing my colours, playing with shapes and motifs all the while listening to inspiring music has changed my outlook and temperament and made me happier, more confident and positive. I am spending more time doing what I should have been doing all the time and making more definite steps to realizing my visions and goals.

I still don’t have my own pc back yet. I’m using an older one that I had given my mum. But I’m spending minimum time on the internet. In fact, I’m writing this as a word document to post later. My internet connection is switched off. Mornings and afternoons are my most productive hours so I spend this time doing my truly creative work and taking the necessary steps to realizing my goals. I only allow myself a couple of hours in the evening checking my emails, checking in on FB, twitter & linkedin, reading a couple of blogs that I follow and perhaps posting something myself.

Rather than being reactive I have become more proactive. I am taking control (or at least more control than I had before) of external forces rather than them controlling me. It takes some effort initially, but it’s surprisingly easier than I expected and the benefits are immeasurable.

This post also marks a shift in my blogging style, but more on that next time…

Till then,

Smile, be well and find your bliss – creatively

Lena B

Do you believe in coincidences? As the years go by I have begun to believe that the universe has incredible timing and knows just when you are ready and open for a particular experience.

It was then that by total chance, coincidence or fate (call it what you will) my mum came across an ad in the local newspaper announcing the commencement of a series of art lessons by a well-known artist, Ageliki Tseva, close to my home town. Now, I had, many years ago, wanted to attend pottery classes with Ageliki, but for one reason or another it just hadn’t worked out – bad timing, whatever. I wasn’t aware that she was now teaching art as well as pottery. I was so excited that I immediately called her to secure a place on the course!

Well we’re now 7 lessons into our course and I can honestly say it is probably the best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time. I had taken some other art classes in the past but none had really fulfilled my expectations and my needs. Ageliki, however, is more than I could have hoped for. Her approach to art is so open, free and liberating.

One of the things I’m trying to get over in my painting is a ‘fear’ of a blank canvas. Fear of not finding the ‘right’ inspiration. Fear of making mistakes. Fear of failing. Fear of disappointing. Fear that my art will not be technically correct. Will not look real.

I think that with Ageliki I might be able to overcome this. She believes that there are no mistakes, as such, in art. What one might call a mistake can in fact lead you in another direction. Art is an expression of the soul. An emotional outlet that should be practiced for the health of our psyche. A way of externalizing our inner worlds. So, just for that fact, there can be no ‘wrong’ art, as such.

Ageliki uses mostly acrylics in her paintwork but she skillfully combines many medium together to create vibrant works that reflect her zest for life, her curiosity and her willingness to look at things in a different way.

Last weekend I was priveleged to be present at an event that was held in her honour. A tribute celebrating her 50 years of contribution to the world of art. Prominent speakers narrated their impressions and experience of Ageliki’s art and all that it means to her and to us. And Ageliki was hugely generous when she gave each and every one of us a book of her work in the preservation of the art of traditional dough sculpture and prints of some of her works which are pictured below. A few days later we also received a copy of the dvd of the documentary that was made of her life and work!

I felt and am incredibly proud to be one of Ageliki Tseva’s students and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for the wonderful gift she has given me and others. It is certainly a rarity today when someone of her creative talent gives of herself so much and so generously.

Pictured below are some photos of the tribute to Ageliki Tseva and some of the works in her art gallery that we are very fortunate to be inspired by as she teaches us in this very same space.

Some interesting information about Ageliki Tseva, she….

• was born in the town of Koropi in Attica where she still works today.
• took lessons in painting and ceramics.
• has been actively involved, since 1977,  in a continuous pursuit for the cultural development of the Mesogeia region.
• became a member of the Artistic Chamber of Greece (1977) whereupon she was elected to sit twice on the Decorative Applications Committee and once on the Penalty Committee.
• founded the A. Tseva Cultural Centre in Koropiin 1977 and in 1985 the Museum of Art & Tradition – Museum of ‘Embroidered’ Dough.
• has given lectures on many Folkloric Art symposiums.
• has published 3 books on art and folk tradition
• has collaborated with Greek magazines, newspapers and radio stations.
• has taken part in several international and 41 joint and 100 personal exhibitions in Greece in painting, ceramics and sculpture.
• has won 4 prizes and 2 recommendations from the Cultural Ministry of Greece and other artistic foundations

I was going through some old magazines last night and saw some really amazing grand pianos. Not being able to find the same ones (the magazine was dated BI – Before Internet) I started on some research to discover some interesting pianos – something that isn’t actually given much thought in the general design scheme – well, a piano’s a piano – yes, but if you can find a really cool designer piano that will make a statement on its own and could actually be considered a work of art in itself and constitute a focal point in a room lacking an obvious one, and match your interior style, well I speak no more. Take a look at these fabulous pieces from SAUTER…..my research continues…..have you seen any unusual and/or beautiful pianos? do you know of any other cool pianos? let us know!

Living in Greece I didn’t have any immediate need to visit the NYDC website. However, while doing some research yesterday I came across their site and was blown away by the mouth-watering choice of beautiful, top quality items I found. I couldn’t resist adding some of my first choices which include items from Cote France, Henredon, Brueton, Century Furniture, Kravet, Hickory Chair, Profiles, Barton Sharpe, Michael Tavano & McGuire…..I think you’ll agree that the items here are bursting with colour – something I love in interior schemes, even if the overall scheme is whites or a neutral palette I can’t resist adding a hot (or cool) accent to add some punch……oh please let me go shopping!

I’m sure most people are familiar with the popularity of dressing screens used in past eras. Well, apart from their obvious function as a screen for ladies to change their clothes they are a great way to introduce color and pattern into a room. Placing a screen in the corner of a bedroom, for instance, creates a dramatic and nostalgic effect.

Many decorative screens can become a design focal point in just about any room/office/or public space you can imagine. They can be amazingly detailed in craftsmanship and are an art object as well as a screen. Furthermore, screens come in all sizes, they can be elaborate or simple and can be made from all kinds of materials from sheer to Asian lacquer.

Screens can be used to hide unsightly structural or architectural features that may be costly to remove. Placing a screen in front of these features will both hide them and add an interesting feature to a room.

Window treatments can occasionally be a challenge where large openings or awkwardly shaped openings are involved. Shoji screens can solve the problem by providing privacy from curious neighbours or passers-by, or by hiding an ugly view while at the same time allowing the natural light from the window to pour into the room.

Screens can help adjust the proportions of a room by giving the illusion of height. The vertical  lines draw the eye up and create a false sense of height. This is especially effective in a small square room. The lines of a long room can also be interrupted by the multiple vertical lines and add depth to the room.

Occasionally the entrance from one room to another needs a false wall, or perhaps an open doorway that you wish to continue using but would like to partially screen. Placing a screen a few feet in front of the opening will give you the desired privacy while still allowing traffic to flow from one room to the other.

Multi-functional rooms or open-plan spaces can benefit from the use of decorative screens when these are used as dividers. A screen can be used to separate a dining area from a living area, or to create an office area, craft work or exercise space within a large room. Using more than one folding screen to create a wall will allow a doorway-sized opening.

The advantage with screens is that configurations can be changed according to how the space is used and the evolving needs of the owners without the cost of making structural changes.

Screens can create the illusion of a separate entrance area or foyer if your front door opens directly into the living area. If the foyer is large enough a chair or a bench can be included.

Perhaps a portion of a room is needed for storage but adding a wall and doorway is not feasible. Folding screens can completely block off the desired area and moved whenever access is needed.

Screens can be found to match any interior. They can be pure art, decorative, modern, traditional, ethnic, romantic, serious, humorous, quirky. The choice is only limited by one’s imagination.

references:

http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Decorative_Folding_Screens

Gregg Baker – Japanese Screens

Oriental Furniture

By Sue E Krippner

When you are considering arranging art in a room, you can include many forms of artistic design, such as a sculpture, a ceramic piece, a painting, or a photograph for a table, wall or mantle. Several combinations of art forms could be considered, depending on the room in question. Experiment with placement, but be sure not to overdo it.

Before arranging art on a wall, think about the size of the artwork. If it is too large it would overwhelm everything else. Too small and it could get lost and serve no purpose when it comes to enhancing your room’s decor.

The size of the room and the wall the artwork will be hanging on should be part of your decision when arranging art. If you have a long wall, an easy solution is to hang a group arrangement of artwork. For a short wall, select a small but powerful piece of art.

When arranging art on a wall, consider the lighting in the room. Your artwork will really pop when properly lighted. You could install recessed spot lights in the ceiling or showcase lighting right above the painting, similar to what is used in a museum. Take advantage of the windows in the room to brighten the area near the art piece. Because watercolor, pastel and pencil can fade in certain lighting conditions, be sure your painting is framed in UV protected glass or acrylic.

When arranging art to accent a particular room make sure that your colors blend. One or two main colors in the piece will need to complement the room’s color scheme, or it will look out of place. It may not be necessary to have the exact colors in the room reflected in your art piece, although some shades of the main color should appear. You could consider bringing out the accent colors of your room by matching your artwork to them.

The style of the artwork should be taken into consideration when arranging art in a room. If the space has a country theme, an abstract piece would not work. Try to find art pieces that stay true to the design of the room.

You will need to adhere to basic guidelines when it comes to arranging art in a room. Artwork must be hung at a level so that the center of the painting is at eye-level. You may place sculptures or ceramic pieces on a table or pedestal. Certain pieces may be displayed directly on the floor.

When arranging art to be the focal point of a room, keep the design of other items, like furniture, accents and window coverings, simple and basic. Its important that other elements in the room don’t take the focus away from the artwork.