ripple effect

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”

Robert Francis Kennedy

photo by me, 12/23/10

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the farm ~ a ray of hope

Sometimes, an impassioned cause brings people together in ways no one could ever predict…a coming together of heart and mind for a common goal…in January of 2010, I joined a grassroots effort to save a local farm from development…this would be the start of a long journey, and one whose outcome has yet to be determined, but along the way I met a courageous visionary whose tireless energy and optimism gave me hope…my dear friend Janet Kern gave me hope…I want to dedicate this post to her and thank her for all she has shared with me and this community…without her leadership and heroic efforts, we would not be where we are today…we have real hope for the future

May 2011 bring us much to celebrate and may this farm continue to breathe and sustain life for generations to come

To learn more about the progress we are making, click on LexFarm

photos by me, 12/30/10

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“dare alla luce” ~ wendy artin

above, photo from Vanity Fair, September 2001

“dare alla luce” ~ “to give to the light”

A vivid memory from 2010, that I’m certain will stay with me a lifetime, was meeting plein air artist Wendy Artin…her paintings and her kindness live deep within my heart…I want to say thank you Wendy, for creating such timeless beauty…I have a richer and fuller understanding of your subjects having lived them through your eyes…to experience your art is to see light and texture in a brand new way…for me, your work is always a new discovery and a treasured gift for my soul…thank you

Wishing you and your family a very happy new year…may 2011 be filled with new adventures and always filled with beauty

below, photo from Gourmet, Rome Edition, March 2003

quotes from Wendy Artin, Arts and Minds, documentary film by Julie Kucaj of Bravo Television, Canada 2002

“She’s very unusual because she does not sketch her subject first, she watches what the light creates in her composition, and she paints that effect, in other words she doesn’t even paint the figure, she paints the effect of the light on the figure…so sometimes it’s just one or two strokes of the brush, it almost looks like calligraphy, those quick quick studies…so that when you look at the drawing after it’s finished, you not only see what she was after, but the whole thing comes alive again, as though she were doing it right before your very eyes…it’s absolutely masterful” ~ Adele Chatfield-Taylor, American Academy in Rome

below, Laura Arms Locked, 2004, watercolor on Rives BFK, 8″ x 13″

“My models are just phenomenal, they work with me, and they put on these certain performances in the studio that are endlessly inspiring…” ~ Wendy Artin

below, Tamara Touching her Toes, 2002, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 12″ x 7″

“They’re hard for me to do…it’s hard for me to get a page that’s satisfying…but that’s what the challenge is…that’s the beauty of it” ~ Wendy Artin

below, Tamara Reveuse, 2009, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 23 x 20 cm

“She’s a perfect illustration of the undying value of the classical value. The work that Wendy does can look familiar at first glance because you’ve seen other drawings like it, other paintings like it, but the minute you really look at it, you realize that this is brand new and in a sense I find that very exciting and more contemporary than almost anything I’ve seen because she’s finding something in a traditional subject that has never been seen before.” ~ Adele Chatfield-Taylor, American Academy in Rome

below, Laura Wind, 2009, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 20 x 34 cm

below, Piera, 2005, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 10″ x 11″

below, Tamara on her Side with Foot in Hand, watercolor on Fabiano Ingres paper, 12′ x 9″

below, Laura in a Quick Stretch, 2004, watercolor on Fabriano Ingres paper, 7″ x 11″

paintings by Wendy Artin

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takahiro maruno

Reflections of 2010…it was a lovely summer day in August…my mom and I planned a day trip to Provincetown…always so much to see and do…it’s worth a trip just to see the shadows on the dunes as you approach Provincetown…it’s like being in another world…our day was as perfect as could be with plenty of time to soak in the salt air, ocean views, art galleries, and dinner…one gallery we had yet to discover was the Ernden Fine Art Gallery…to our delight, there was a breathtaking show by a Japanese printmaker, Takahiro Maruno…we were so taken with his abstract use of pattern and color…for me, I knew I was in love with his work from the first moment I saw it ~ the feeling, an overwhelming sense of pleasure and curiosity…as much as I loved his colored pieces I was immediately drawn to this grayscale print…to my eye, it is an abstraction of mountains and trees…petite triangles outline the sweeping form of the mountains…it was like nothing I had ever experienced before…delicate and graceful, it captured my heart…everytime I look at this piece of art, I will remember the perfect August day, my mom and this special discovery

“Takahiro Maruno is a master printmaker. His skillfully rendered, richly colored and expressive abstract etchings reflect a relationship with nature begun as a child, playing in the fields and woods and streets of suburban Tokyo. His memories of the sensual joy of being in nature – the green smell of the lawn, the sound of the wind creeping up on him, the brightness of a dandelion on the asphalt after the rain, the wide sky above – these experiences sank deep into his mind and heart, and their memory brings fresh expression to the centuries old art of printmaking.”

photos by me 12/28/10

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one hundred posts!

above, Alex Papachristidis

I made it! Today is my 100th post! When I started “a thoughtful eye” back in September, one of my goals was to write one hundred posts before the end of the calendar year and happily I achieved that goal with a few days to spare! To celebrate, I’m sharing with you my top twenty favorite interiors! Each and every one of these images brings a smile to my face along with a vivid memory of the first time I experienced their beauty.

This is my special gift to you, my loyal readers…thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to join me on this personal journey…I can’t thank you enough…there is so much I have yet to discover and explore about our visual world…I hope you continue to join me, it wouldn’t be the same without you…

below, Antony Todd

below, Bobby McAlpine

below, Bunny Williams

below, Charles Spada

below, Darryl Carter

below, Jacques Grange

below, John Saladino

below, Kelly Wearstler

below, Miles Redd

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Robert Couturier

below, Stephen Sills

below, Studio Ko

below, Susan Ferrier

below, Thomas O’Brien

below, Veere Grenney

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Windsor Smith

below, Yves Saint Laurent

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bunny williams ~ kips bay 1998

Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways…I had planned today’s post as a surprise for my sister Karen (she adores Bunny Williams!)…she and her husband Jim were scheduled to fly in this afternoon for a much anticipated holiday visit but because of the fierce snow storm, hundreds of flights up and down the east coast have been cancelled…so for now, today’s post will be my link to her and the connection we share for all things beautiful…somehow, despite our disappointment this morning, we unearthed a wonderful discovery ~ Karen was at the 1998 Kips Bay showhouse! This masterful interior is the reason she fell in love with Bunny Williams! How strange that of all the interiors to post about, I would choose this one! I am so grateful for this incredible connection and will cherish this post always…

I hope you enjoy the detail and beauty of this space as much as Karen and I do ~ sophisticated, elegant, refined and timeless…a masterpiece

In 1988, after twenty-two years with the prestigious design firm Parish-Hadley, Bunny Williams opened her own interior design company, Bunny Williams Incorporated. Her meticulous attention to detail, restraint and appropriateness are just a few reasons why she is considered one of the greatest interior designers of our time. In addition to her highly successful company she has published four books, created her own home furnishings line ~ Beeline Home ~ based on beloved pieces from her own collection, and co-owns Treillage Ltd., a garden furniture and ornament shop in New York, with her husband and famed antiques dealer John Rosselli. You might also be pleased to know that Bunny Williams has a blog called “Bunny’s Buzz“, a behind the scenes look at her life and career! I highly recommend adding it to your daily reads, in fact right now she has some lovely photos of her country home dressed up for the holidays!

“Objects, patterns, textures and colors, beautifully balanced, have an appealing undisciplined look  ~ the direct result of great focus and meticulous planning.”

above, I am so taken with this desk…what a masterful composition of elements ~ the whimsical chair, magnificent horns and eclectic mix of art…genius!

photos from Bunny Williams

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merry christmas

“Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don’t you see? It’s not just Kris that’s on trial, it’s everything he stands for. It’s kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.” ~ Miracle on 34th Street

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

photo from my trip to Nesting on Main ~ 11/26/10

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in snow thou comest

In snow thou comest ~ by Emily Dickinson

In snow thou comest —
Thou shalt go with the resuming ground,
The sweet derision of the crow,
And Glee’s advancing sound.

In fear thou comest —
Thou shalt go at such a gait of joy
That man anew embark to live
Upon the depth of thee.

photo by me, 12/23/10

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a winter waterscape

the reservoir was a study of light and texture today…I was fascinated by the water and it’s layers of snow and ice…all I could think of was monet and his water lilly paintings…what a wonder…winter in all her glory

photos by danielle boudrot ~ 12/23/10

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first snow

our first snow arrived on monday, sugar coating the earth with a fluffy blanket of white (mother natures gift to those of us wishing for a white christmas!) I was lucky enough to capture a few photos of the winter landscape on a trip to concord yesterday…the farm, pictured above and below, is along route 2A west, from lexington to concord…the afternoon light was just as I hoped it would be, painting long shadows across the pure white canvas…dark sculptural trees and wispy clouds balance the composition as only nature could…

below, a statuesque black and white cow enjoying the afternoon sun

below, Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord, MA ~ the steeple all aglow with the last rays of sun

below, a beautiful holiday window display at George Vassel Jewelers, Concord, MA ~ I love the reflection of the sky in the window

photos by danielle boudrot, 12/21/10

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