The AI created the above featured image after a few attempts of not getting it quite right. I then asked it to show me an image of a black woman doing finishing touches to artwork and photography. I give it 8/10 this week.
This week I was able to do finishing touches, like mounting an abstract painting on paper onto canvas and setting up for product photography. I also completed the remaining x15 A5 sized artworks on art board.
Doing product photographySome of the x 15 abstract collaged monograms sculpted paintskins on canvas board
Love this mixed abstract painting using acrylic inks on paper mounted on framed canvas.
It has taken over a year to complete the series of about 30 + mixed media artwork featuring paint skins for texture. I’m also glad to have come up with the concept of paint skin to create abstract versions of the monogram underpainting.
Making an abstract monogram from sculpted paint skins
I love the interesting mix of textures that the offset mosaic like arrangement in the colleage creates.
The knife-sculpted paint skin allows me to extend the boundaries of the canvas, reminding me of overgrown nails. 💅🏽, which I later trimmed down. This has inspired future works.
The featured image above was generated by AI after it analysed all the images on this post. Interesting 🧐 not sure I like it this week.
Now that all the lamps have their feet attatched the look is completed. I like that the feet echo the organic black shapes in the poured skin that surflaces the barrel of the lamp.
In creating a series of painted and poured skins and assembling each onto lampshade making backing I first thouhgt I was a bit crazy, but I didnt mind because people had volunteered that they loved what I had created. I later discovered that I am not solitary in making sculpural forms out of paint integrating a clear foundation for a more etherial spirited look. I had learned about sculptural skins before as we were taught that in my mixed media class at Central Saint Martins. But I hadnt come across an artist who had had integrated the clarity of acrylic sheeting in their work.
Poured paint sculpture lamps: The first trio with all their feet fitted, allowing paintings to be formed into semi transparent tablelamps15 cm acrylic abstract poured on PVC formed to tablelamp signed on the back..20cm poured acrylic and ink laminated on PVC framed with black cotton formed to tablelamp
Yet, this week I found new company for this sculpural element of my artwork in the work of Lillian Thomas Burrell. This American artist born in 1927 and five years younger than my mother, wrote a book called From Painting to Painting as Sculpture: The Journey of Lilian Thomas Burwell, by Lilian Thomas Burwell, Hampton University Museum.1997. I have orded a signed copy of it.
I learned about her this week, when Kitty Gurnos-Davis of @artistic.identities posted a reel on IG (16th August 2024) talking about the work of Lilian Thomas Burwell (saying she was ashamed to not yet had discovered her). From watching this reel, I entered into a new world. My internet research took me on a journey. I discovered the images of her sculptures made of painting canvas over a wooden form. There are also images and videos of her use of acrylic sheets with wood in her paintings on canvas.
The Lillian Thomas Burrell exhibition at Berry Cambell Gallery from You Tube
My prior career as a management academic allows me to understand the importance of asserting and connecting with the seminal works in my field. I know that using paint skins is something that is a constant in all my work. Seeing and using paint’s sculptural potential is what only a few artists do. It was encouraging to digitally meet the work of Lilian Thomas Burwell this week. I’ve downloaded the book to discover more about this genre and even asked for a signed copy so I can have it to hand for future reference and inspiration..
I shall be making more of these poured paint sculpure lamps in other colours. Purple and gold was requested on instagram and I might do a deep red and organic green and even a yellow and blue later.
On search for design inspiration, I went to the Wow house, down the road from me at Chelsea Design centre. The exhibition is in its third year, which means that I was there at the first Wow house see blog link. But then I had used visiting the Wow house as a tactic to get me out of the house after my pandemic imposed social anxieties.
Now that those wowes are behind me I had a bit more pep in my step as I visited this time. Now, in 2924, I was purposefully looking out for the latest thinking about home office design and where the field is on shelf styling and lampshade trends. This post is about examples of home office styling and accessorising I saw. I have pulled together my top five to comment on.
Study One: Conceptualising Studio Spaces
Subscribers will remember that I love the fantastical in art and this studio by Fosbury Architecture has done it in room design, furnishings and finishings. They have ensured that all work surfaces receive the maximum levels of cosy because every office artefact, tool and piece of equipment is covered by the fabric of the sponsor Dedar. I loved the sumptuous nature of it. It certainly is an answer to the current calling for cosy office or cozy office decor as they say in USA. I later sat in this room with 20 other people when we were on the guided tour.
Conceptual Studio workspace created by Fosbury Architecture for Dedar Nicola Campri and Claudia Mainardi at Wow House 2024
Sitting there in the corner gave me a real sense of belonging and feelings of affinity with the others on the tour. It felt safe, cocoon like. It has given me some ideas about the future of training room design, that I have long complained to my colleagues about. Perhaps training room studios could be like this and the cocooning is the butterflies that will emerge from their day of corporate training.
Study Two: Functional Reality.
There were also office and study displays to be found in the showroom windows adjacent to the exhibition. The example below from Ligne Roset. This shows the reality of what people tend to buy. I do love the warmth of a dark walnut wood. It might be the new burled wood style that is coming in.
Study Three: Global Style Influences
East meets west. Japan has an influence in the room set up below. By Anahita Rigby’s cool office with a strange zen yet industrious feel. It was one of the rooms that enjoyed sitting in for a long time just absorbing all the textures.
Below are videos of lighter versions of studies.
Study four: How to elegantly place your desk in your bedroom
The exquisite desk arrangement in the Courtyard bedroom of Veere Grenney showing restrained elegance for Schumacher.
Veere Grennay’s elegant desk creating a study area in the Courtyard Bedroom
I think you can hear other viewers giggling about another room, they were hinting at how one of the rooms reminded them of a cosy country cottage. I left the sound on as the music seemed to find to fit the calm feel of this desk arrangement.
Study Five: Library Decor on Stage
And lastly putting on a grand appearance (his background explains why) is the Library by Andrea Benedettini. He used to be a Ballet Dancer and the Library was inspired Swan Lake and theatre curtains. I love the ballet and have seen many productions and this library setting was significant for me as it including floor to ceiling curtains to cover the walls. Andrea Benedetti is said (by the tour guide) to have been inspired by stage curtains for the wall draping. It was beautiful. I love that the overall look acknowledges the importance of presenting those bookshelves. And this room is a great exemplar for shelf styling cabinetry integrated into a room.
Overall I found I was full of wonder at the wow house. I was struck by how every study room appeared to use fabric as a wall covering. There was also deeply considered treatment of the ceilings as a feature or complement the room
Metal tended to feature in the lighting for all office desks and shelves so this might influence what I do with future lighting collections too.
Art was another big feature for shelf and desk displays, with nearly every room acknowledgeing the important role that art plays for personalising the space and conveying the inhabitant’s unique personality. I particularly loved how in the Martin Moore kitchen with Studio Vero (Romanov Brihi and Venetia Rudebeck) they purposefully curated and displayed green and organic themed art for shelves in their kitchen. It complimented the beautiful green and black marble surfaces they used, to make the space feel like a place to spend time and truly enjoy.
As a bonus i have added the Colefax and Fowler Morning Room by Lucy Hammond Giles. For some reason this was the room where everyone seemed to just want to sit in and rest and take in the decor.
Colefax and Fowler, Morning Room by Lucy Hammond Giles
What are the best office set ups or studies you have seen? What did you like about the five studies I’ve looked at?
Welcome to this months’s edition of the newsletter. The cultured complexities series is being released and listed on Etsy this week. Artwork is ready to purchase.
The Cultured Complexities series is of about 30 mixed media painting made small enough for shelf display. It is a series that took me one year to complete as I started April 2023. Below are images that show the processes.
Last week I visited Tennessee USA, to carryout business for my employer. On my rest and travel day I was taken on a tour of Nashville and naturally sought out the art and culture areas. I’m not such a fan of music venues, being from London we get a lot of those around here. Instead I was more intrigued by Belmont and Vanderbilt campus area and the lovely community around there. I went to the Parthenon where they had an artist on show that I have begun to admire because I feel a sense of affinity.
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