Artist Gugger Petter

 

Artist Gugger Petter with one of her beautiful works of art.

Do you notice art when you are in public buildings? I do. I love art of many forms and can't help but notice it when I am out and about.

 One of my favorite collections happens to be at Nordstrom. I have not researched who is responsible for putting the collection together, but I should. In both the Austin and San Antonio stores,  in the shoe departments, are huge, fascinating pieces of art .

Behind the checkout counter of each shoe department are the very large newspaper "paintings" if you will, or woven tapestries, created by Danish artist Gugger Petter. (Pronounced Googer Peter)  

I don't remember the first time I noticed these wonderful works of art, but I fell in love with their charm and have been intrigued by the method of creation ever since. They are very large "canvases" of twisted and rolled newspaper woven together to create the images. They are wonderful!

Gugger has been working with newspaper for the past 21 years. She takes everyday life  observations and creates over sized images with the paper. Gugger uses current newspaper for each piece, and considers it "the diary of our lives", so in this way, a piece of her work becomes historical as well.

She has done commissions of famous people you may recognize in the following photos and is collected by art lovers around the world.

To read more about THIS one, go here.

Gugger is represented by the Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, and her work is featured there this month in their current show.

She is known for her landscapes of legs, shoes and dogs, as well as for her beautiful Madonna pieces.

Aren't the details exquisite?

To learn more about this amazing artist, visit her website 

and
be sure to visit the Jane Sauer Gallery, as well, to see the current exhibit and available works by Gugger.


All images thanks to the Jane Sauer Gallery and Gugger Petter.

Fabulous Fashion at Beadboard Upcountry

My oh so talented and fashionable friend, Maryanne, over at Beadboard UpCountry in Brenham, Texas, is having an online trunk show....not your average trunk show, I promise! The sweaters, scarves, mittens, shawls, and pom pom necklaces (to name just a few of the unique items) are all stylish, gorgeous knitwear and of fine quality.

The online sale ends this WEDNESDAY, so visit today or tomorrow! 

I have just pictured a few of my favorites, but the line is extensive with all sorts of colors and combinations of pieces, so go right now and check out each photo Maryanne shows on her website.

The piece pictured above is called a poncho with tassel belt. While it is cute as can be with the leggings and leg warmers, I am a boots and jeans kind of girl, and I can just see this poncho in the red.....

over a turtleneck or a long sleeved T shirt and jeans on a cold, crisp Texas day..............we do have those days, eventually, I swear!

And, oh yes, I will take the scarf and the fun flower necklace as well!

Isn't this stole pretty and feminine? I love the pink and black, but wonder if a different color combination would be more casual? You can combine any of the gorgeous colors if I understand correctly. What fun to custom design your piece.

What a great looking poncho, shawl, dress, skirt??? Apparently you can wear it several different ways! Maryanne loves this one and would be happy to talk with you about what size, color and length you need.

All the details are at Beadboard Upcountry, as well as contact information and how to purchase, so go now......and have fun! I am going over to shop as soon as I hit " Publish"!

Lonny and My Friend, Callie Jenschke

Ahem........yes, that would be MY friend, Callie Jenschke, on the cover of the current issue of  Lonny online magazine! To call me proud of my sweet and talented friend, not to mention my kids' first babysitter when we moved here 15 years ago, would be an understatement. I posted about Callie, and her partner, Nicki, here back in February of this year. These two are the brains behind Scout Designs in Manhattan.

http://www.lonnymag.com/


Click on the link to go straight to Lonny.

This new magazine is all the rage in the world of online design, and you can just imagine my delight when I clicked on the link this morning to see my friend on the cover, and then to see and read about her NYC apartment was icing on the cake! Congratulations Callie - we are so proud of our hometown  girl!!!!!

Nantucket Treasure

One of the loveliest magazines I read is New England Home.

 I am crazy about the Nantucket home of Lee Beirly and Christopher Drake in the July/August issue. This talented duo has paired sleek, contemporary design with fabulous antiques and folk art. I love the strength of the black and white striped rug, the zebra pillows and a little punch of color here and there.

Here are some of my favorites views of the house, and here is a link if you would like to read the entire article. It is worth your time to read it, and to see more stunning images of this coastal home.

All of these gorgeous images Michael Partenio, New England Magazine

Velvet Pumpkins

Last year I posted here about a wonderful shop in town called Sprout, owned by local friends, Michelle Hodges and Rhoda Reynolds. I love everything that Sprout does, but I especially love the velvet pumpkins they sell in the fall.  I just got an update that this year's pumpkins have arrived.

I am in love with the gorgeous colors and had to share!! The names are lovely, like curry and lagoon.....

The pumpkins come in all sizes and are made with the softest velvets and real pumpkin stems. They are beautiful in a group or just placed individually on a stack of books, on your coffee table, or in a mix with other treasures.

Aren't they just beautiful?

Bobby McAlpine, LIVE, on The Skirted Roundtable, this week!

I can hardly wait to hear the latest interview on the Skirted Roundtable featuring one of my favorite architects of all time, Bobby McAlpine.

Joni , of Cote de Texas fame, and I were emailing recently. I was responding to her statement that he is one of her design heroes of all time.  I told her that he is one of my all time favorites as well.

I wanted to congratulate her on the opportunity to talk with him on their wonderful online program.

Joni, Megan and Linda have talked design and life with some amazing people in the last year or so, but for me, personally, this one is exceptionally exciting!

 

Honestly, I have had this page and the following pages attached to it, in my files for years - since 1996, to be exact, when it was in Southern Accents. 

This one, too, an article about the home of designer Cindy Smith,  in Charlotte, North Carolina and her work with Bobby McAlpine..  It was in a Southern Accents issue from 1993!

This is the interior of the home - I loved it then and I still love it! Classic and handsome.

 

 While McAlpine Tankersley has had lots of press coverage over the years, people are quite excited about Bobby's new book, The Home Within Us. I couldn't wait to read it, and think it stands alone in the world of design books. While the interiors are beautiful, it is the depth and substance of Bobby's design philosophy that make this book so real and so special. I really look forward to putting a voice to these words.

I know I have been known to call more than one architect my favorite. I don't make that statement lightly, though. I really do have a handful of favorites.

Some are familiar Texas architects, Michael Imber,  David Lake and Ted Flato, of San Antonio.

Some are my friends, like Jon Pankratz  and Reagan George,  both of  Dallas and Fredericksburg, and Craig Kinney of San Angelo.

Some are architects  I have followed  from afar, literally for years - reading books, magazines, anything I could get my hands on to glean more from their work.  O'Neil Ford, 

Frank Welch,  Hays Town,  Hugh Newell Jacobson, and Bobby McAlpine are all architects whose work I am drawn to, flipping through design magazines, recognizing the pull and excitement I often feel when I spot an aesthetic I love,  sometimes before I even know it is their work.

So, check on the Skirted Roundtable  for the interview one day this week, pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit down for a listen. 

I know I will be listening, maybe more than once,  and loving every minute of it.