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’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.

(I first published this on June 9, 2009, however it recently came to my attention that the photo links were missing – oops – so I’ve ‘repaired’ the article and updated it.)

One of the first things a designer will look for when designing a room is a natural point of focus. A natural focal point could be an existing fireplace or a breathtaking view from the windows. Should a natural focal point be missing then the designer will seek to create one. This could be by installing a fireplace or other architectural element, or by selecting a dominant piece of furniture or decorative item.

One of the tricks many interior designers use to create a focal point is to start by using an imposing, often oversized work of art that will dominate the area and from which the colour scheme can be taken. Some examples of which follow:

From one of my fav books “Decorating With Personal Style“ a Better Homes & Gardens publication

Bold, high impact art is what gives the above room its unmistakable personality. A single powerful painting, flanked by a pair of Noguchi paper lanterns creates a dramatic point. The deep green walls offer a neutral background that puts the work of art into total focus further enhanced by the white sofas, lanterns and ceiling.

Try imagining what these rooms would look like without their works of art…..don’t you agree they would just not be the same?

From one of my fav books “Decorating With Personal Style“ a Better Homes & Gardens publication

The above mural is entitled “House”, executed by artist Squeak Carnwath. It celebrates the owners’ wedding day and special elements that hold a special meaning for the family. The chairs echo the beige/orange table in the mural while all other elements are a neutral foil for this dominant piece of artwork.

From one of my fav books “Decorating With Personal Style“ a Better Homes & Gardens publication

The living room above features not one, but two show-stoppers. A life-size horse sculpture, designed by Montana artist Deborah Butterfield, made of steel and pipe, and a lively, almost child-like painting right of the fireplace. I love the informal seating arrangement of armchairs rather than one or two large sofas. The striped upholstery material is a surprise, really, and although in an odd way it does go well I may have chosen a deep red leather or velvet (even warmer), that would create more warmth, cosiness and vibrancy to this ‘cool’ room. Having said that, if the client wants a cool room then who am I to argue. As cool rooms go, this is great!

Interior design by Patricia Gray

Despite the existing fireplace that acts as a natural focus, Patricia has also installed a wall mounted tv as well as the vibrant piece of art that gives the room its colour scheme. Note that all other tones of green are muted allowing the lemon greens in the art piece to shout out. The black picture frames, tv and fireplace trim make the colours pop and reflect the zebra skin on the floor. Kind of gives the room a jungle feel – note the side table with animal feet! The transparency of the acrylic dining set help to not detract from the overall scheme.

Jen Wong Photography

The ethereal, cool atmosphere of the sitting room above is further accentuated by this dominant painting.

Juan Montoya Design

What a perfect ‘splash’ of blue to add personality to this living room! Blue is the dominant colour here, repeated in the table and decorative items that adorn it. Everything else is either white, black or beige, all neutrals.

Interior Design by Tobi Fairley

Notice how the colours of the painting continue through to the sofa+cushions and rug. The transparency of the acrylic coffee table helps by not detracting from the colour scheme.

Sally Trout Interiors

Where art is decoration…or decoration is art….stunning.

From one of my fav books “Decorating With Personal Style” a Better Homes & Gardens publication

From one of my fav books “Decorating With Personal Style“ a Better Homes & Gardens publication

From March issue of House & Garden (Greece)

The above is a neo-classical Manhattan apartment and the spin-art painting is by Damien Hirst. Interior Designer is Alex Papachristidis. This imposing piece of art supplies the white background of the room with all the colour it needs.

Interior design by Patricia Gray

Another beautiful interior from Patricia Gray. Airy blues, blacks, greys and browns are carried up into the painting and reflected back at us. A few more photos below show paintings that are the focal point in their space and accentuate and/or are enhanced by other elements in the rooms.

From left to right: KWID, Jen Wong Photography, Gaita Interiors

One of the things I look for in good interior design is if and how the designer has installed any works of art and how well it works with the interior design. One of these that caught my attention was the interiors of the Crowne Plaza in Athens. Having taken over the ex-Holiday Inn, the renovation and metamorphosis of the building is exceptional. The artist Markellos Galanos overlooked the interior decoration providing the hotel with his works of art that lay the foundation for the rest of the interior schemes.

The five hotel suites are decorated in shades of blue exuding a sense of calm that is injected with vibrant energy with Galanos’ paintings. The lilac blue walls and dark wood furniture are an ideal backdrop that show off his works and accentuate his use of bright, energetic colours.

The lounge is decorated in wenge that creates a neutral backdrop for his works featuring the three main colours that make up the overall colour scheme. The grey neutral carpeting is also neutral so as not to compete with t he bright colours and works of art. Soft led lighting creates a warm, luxurious atmosphere.

ref: “Office” magazine, 2010

This beautiful Chinese scroll painting is by contemporary artist Wenda Gu, owner of this beautiful home.  Notice how he has used the same colors found in the fireplace stonework and the black characters repeat the black metal fireguard. I would’ve liked to see more photos of this living room showing the fireplace and scroll from a different angle to see the full effect. Nevertheless, it is impressive and a wonderful marriage of Asian and Western. You can see more photos of Wenda Gu and his interior designer wife Kathryn Scott’s home here.

when looking for a theme and colour scheme for a room what better source of inspiration can you get than from art……and in this case, street art….an explosion of colour with murals from muralsdirect.co.uk….I would love to design a room around these!

I am always intrigued when I see a commonly used material used in a new and refreshing way, so when I saw Joe Serrins’ work in this stunning Beirut apartment (see: architectural digest) I thought, “now this is worth noting”.
note 1: custom carved gypsum wall bearing a map of Beirut
note 2: art (by guerra de la paz) suspended on steel cables in front of the glass curtain walls
note 3: living area gypsum ceiling relief bearing a map of Paris
note 4: verd antique marble wall in dining room

Every now and again I tackle my browser bookmarks and try to put some order in growing library of websites….upon this gargantuan project then today I stumbled across a bookmark I had kept when researching neoclassical interiors and, naturally, got sidetracked reading the article that went with the image that first attracted me to the site….the article is about interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and the interview features images of his home in New York.

The above image is what first attracted me to the site. Neoclassical elements are obvious in the Doric Columns against the mirrored walls. I love the use of mirrors, which Geoffrey is also a fan of using. The whole effect is so light and elegant. Acrylic furniture adds to the lightness of the room with its transparency avoiding ‘bulk’ and heavy objects in the room. I also love the way he uses art as a focal point….

….acrylic wingback armchairs? wow! the carpet is also his design carried by starck….

you’ve got to admire the mix of modern, slightly oriental headboard and NY city skyline wallpaper…the use of just black and white with so many other elements avoids overwhelm…

mirrors and more mirrors = endless space…..

stunning work by sarah spitler….wonderful what effects you can create with watercolor….