It's a Small World

It really is amazing how blogging brings together people from all over the world.  I have met some amazing people thanks to my blog and the kindness of strangers continues to surprise me. 

I think almost everyone in our blogging community knows about the artist Anne Harwell.  She is one kind lady.  A long time ago she painted my gilt chair in my lounge room which she calls Anna Spiro's Chair. She sells prints of it in her etsy store.  Last year I received a package in the mail from Anne and inside was the original painting of my chair which she sent to me as a gift.  That little painting now hangs on my cluster wall in our sitting room at home {as above} and I look at it all the time and remember her kindness. 

Another artist we all know and love is Patricia van Essche who I had the pleasure of meeting in person in New York earlier this year.  She too has painted a few of my vignettes in the past.  I am yet to frame the original of the Staffordshire dogs she painted of mine which she sent me a while ago.  I am planning on framing it soon and hanging it in my office at work.  I will post pictures once I have hung it as it is beautiful.

I really think these ladies are so kind and so generous and I would like to thank them for their paintings which I love so much.  You must check out their etsy stores here and here if you haven't already done so.  I'm sure you won't leave empty handed!

Loving

I am completely in-love with these images...especially that lovely pink!

image 1 - sara hicks malone via decor8, image 2 - paule marrot {image source unknown SORRY!}, image 3 - miles redd

Mariska Meijers

Today I am inspired by the artwork and words of Mariska Meijers. I have posted some of her lovely paintings and images of her creative space above.

In her own words...

"I collect, tower and pile stuff. I just can't help it. My house is like an over sized mood board. I hardly have room to manoeuvre. I admire people with empty houses and just can't figure out how they do it. I need my stuff, it inspires me, it is part of my life..."

I'm with you Mariska, all the way!!

Inside Out Art Auction

To celebrate it's 10th year anniversary Inside Out Magazine is currently running a fantastic art auction on ebay. My absolute favourite piece is the hydrangeas by Jacqueline Coates. It's already at $711.00 with 7 days to go but it's real value is $2,200.00 so it will be very interesting to watch this auction. There are lots of wonderful pieces by some talented Australian artists and creative personalities...click HERE to be directed to the auction.

Here's another piece I love by Jacqueline which I found on her website.

Allyson's Moths

As seen in Vogue Living 2002



Our moth painting in our lounge room at home

The pair hanging in the Number 16 Hotel in London

I remember the first time I spotted one of Allyson Reynold's moth paintings. I was in my early 20's flipping through one of my mother's Vogue Living magazines. I have posted the exact picture I spotted at the top of this post. I immediately fell in-love with that painting and the room it was hung in.

A few years later my husband and I purchased one of Allyson's moth paintings and to this day I absolutely adore and treasure it. I am often asked about this painting. I believe that Allyson had a couple available at Doggett Street Gallery late last year however, I think they are a little hard to come by these days.

Kit Kemp selected a pair of Allyson's moths for her Number 16 hotel in London. It seems however that Kit has revamped Number 16 as I just checked out their website and the paintings are still there but the room is completely redecorated. I was thrilled to see she kept the moths in place.

Allyson currently has an exhibition at Doggett Street Gallery in Brisbane. Unfortunately it seems there's no moths in her latest works.

Debra Dawes Paintings

I am a little besotted with these paintings by one of Australia's leading abstract artists, Debra Dawes. I love the clean, geometric lines and of course the vibrant colours. I think they would look wonderful mixed with some more traditional still life pieces. I enjoy mixing artwork styles in a home. Collecting and displaying fabulous art is another area where we can express our own unique individual style.

Thomas Meyer Portrait

Today I was searching for some pieces of art for a client for a cluster wall we are creating in her lounge room and I came across this gorgeous piece by artist Thomas Meyer via Jamie Shelman's website.

Miranda Skoczek at Edwina Corlette

I absolutely love the new Miranda Skoczek exhibition which is opening this Friday night at Edwina Corlette Gallery in Brisbane. Miranda's work is so beautiful and colourful and fresh. I am sure the exhibition will be a sell out!! For all enquiries contact Edwina Corlette.

A Love Affair With a House

To be in-love with a house which you own is one thing but to be in-love with a house you don't own is another. Have you have ever felt a strong passion for a house or a property which does not belong to you?

My husband and I have had an obsession with a little waterfront house which is located at Amity Point on Stradbroke Island for quite a few years now. It is a cape cod style house which needs lots and lots of TLC {and white paint}. Whenever we drive from Point Lookout {where our little beach house is located} down to the fishing town of Amity Point we always slow the car down to a snails pace for a quick look and and a quick check to see that it is still there waiting for us. On the weekend I took a few photos to share with you. Maybe one day our dream will come true...

I have read stories about other people finding a house they love, dreaming about it for years and then becoming the owners down the track. It seems that sometimes, these sorts of dreams really do come true!

One particluar story I love is that of iconic Australian artist Ken Done and his cabin which he found and fell in-love with when he was 14 years of age. Ken uses the cabin, which is right on the edge of Sydeny Harbour, as his art studio. I have included an excerpt below from Studio International;

Australian Artist Ken Done

Ken Done's Sydney Harbour Cabin above

The Cabin studio at Mosman, overlooking Chinaman's Beach on Middle Harbour, was acquired by Ken Done in 1979, after he had leased it for sometime prior.

His first encounter with the building that subsequently became a most vital source of inspiration was when Ken was 14 when he and a friend took an alternative route from Cremorne to Balmoral Beach. Walking along the foreshore via Chinaman's Beach, Ken Done recalls his delight at discovering the small cottage:

"Suddenly, miraculously, underneath a huge tree was the most wonderful little building that I had ever seen. It was very much in the style of "The Wind in the Willows", but Australian. A house right by the edge of the water on the rocks, under a spreading Morton Bay Fig and a Camphor Laurel tree. It stood at the point where the rocks and sand and water and beach and land all met. A perfect holiday house or a fisherman's cottage."

By the time that Ken Done's previous studio, The Nook was demolished he knew the owner of The Cabin. The Cabin had been let to a series of tenants and Ken Done made it clear that he very much wanted to lease it to use as a studio. His childlike enthusiasm for the Cabin represents his joy and passion for the place. The components of the cabin studio represented perfection for Ken Done: an exquisite view over the Middle Harbour, marvellous trees and flowers, an exotic paradise. The view of the upper level of the Cabin from the wooden veranda provided Ken Done with further inspiration. It is a view onto a myriad of light effects, the endless patterning of boats, the drama of storms, the power and beauty in nature all from a secure vantage point. In the area surrounding the house, he and Judy have created an oasis of garden which Ken has painted constantly and where in the early years there he shared with his family at weekends.

To have loved a property for so many years and then to have been able to acquire it is an amazing and inspiring story. Ken Done certainly expresses a true sense of Australian style in his work and it is evident that his cabin and it's surrounds have been a huge source of inspiration for his paintings over the years. It was obviously meant to be that he would one day own the place of his dreams.

There's My Chair

Anne Harwell recently painted the French chair in our lounge room at home and sent it to me as a very big surprise in the mail. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened up the parcel. I absolutely adore Anne's work. Her drawings are so precise and beautifully composed. I particularly love her chair drawings. Courtney's chair certainly has been a favourite in the blogosphere! If you would like your own copy of my French chair Anne is selling it in her etsy shop along with all of her other beautiful pieces. I am trying to find a special spot to hang my chair and the frame is also still being decided on. For the moment I keep on propping it up on pieces around the shop. It looks so pretty with all of our mismatched cushions....I am mad, I know!

Room Scheming

I would love to be asked by a client to prepare a room scheme around these two beautiful pieces above. They are simply breathtaking, in my opinion.

I could imagine an {almost} all-white colour palette with recycled European parquetry timber flooring and beautiful blue and white patterned fabrics on cushions and possibly on a couple of accent chairs here and there. I think I would use white slip covered sofas with frilled skirts {like the ones Joni posts}. Oh, and of course I would fill the room with blue and white ginger jars.

What would you do if you were given these two beautiful pieces to work with?

Woodblock painting by celebrated Australian artist Cressida Campbell and beautiful French antique mirror from Baran de Bordeaux in Auckland.

Loving Jamie Shelman's Work

I really like these original artworks by Jamie Shelman which I found via Chelsea over at Frolic.

Lady Portrait

If I wasn't trying to be good I would snatch up this gorgeous vintage girl from Lynn at Paris Hotel Boutique. So, if any of you decide to snatch her up make sure you let me know as I would love to see where she ends up!!

Annechovie Print Sale

If you are trying to create an artwork cluster wall or just trying to find some lovely prints then you must know about Anne Harwell's amazing sale. Anne is currently offering 2 prints for the price of 1 at her Etsy store. I think this is an offer too good to pass by. Offer is only available until this Saturday 16th May.

Image - Annechovie

The Artist

Yesterday I posted images of our new display at Black & Spiro in which we have a painting by a talented new artist we are representing.

Her name is Diana and she is a friend of my mothers. She has been painting on and off for years. She painted the painting below and gave it to us as an engagement present 8 years ago. She has been painting for family and friends mostly however, she recently decided she would paint a few of my vignettes.

A few weeks ago she arrived at Black & Spiro with the painting above of some pink peonies I had arranged in a blue and white ginger jar on the bench in our kitchen at home. I actually posted this image on the blog late last year and she loved it so much that she painted it. I instantly fell in love with the painting. One of our customers also fell in love with it and it sold on the very first day we displayed it.

Her second painting which I posted yesterday also sold on the very first day we displayed it. We are now awaiting delivery of painting number 3 with a couple of our customers wanting to be notified when it arrives.

Diana is so excited, as am I. I have always loved her style and I am just so thrilled that she has finally taken the step to allow me to have her beautiful paintings on display at Black & Spiro.



Diana gave us the painting above for our Engagement present and I have continued to love it over the years. I have it hanging in our kitchen at home above an old chest of drawers which houses my napery collection.

Paintings To Die For...

Ever since I stumbled across Holly Farrell's work over at Wide Open Spaces I have been obsessed! Her paintings are so realistic at first glance I thought they were photographs. I absolutely adore her book paintings. Based in Toronto, Canada her website is fantastic for we Aussies who live a little too far away to view her work in person.

As a side note, I am currently looking for some beautiful original artwork to display in my store, Black & Spiro. If anyone is interested in submitting their work for consideration please email me...anna@blackandspiro.com.au. I would be very excited to see paintings of table vignettes, vases of flowers, room scenes, pieces of furniture, blue and white ginger jars filled with flowers etc. etc. etc. I am looking for pieces which are medium to large in size.