Modern Florals

Florals never go out of style, especially because there’s infinite ways to create a floral pattern.  It can be more traditional and old fashioned, more tropical, or something else entirely. Florals can become modern if paired with a second pattern – like a grid, plaid, stripes, even polka dots. Of course, you don’t want to get too crazy, but as long as the patterns are contrasting enough, or one pattern takes the backseat, the pattern-mixing works.

Even though the pattern of this dress is uniform throughout, it still feels a little more modern to me, probably because of the interesting colour combinations but also because it almost looks abstract.    Here are some examples of modern floral prints I found on Lookbook.nu:  Here, here, and here.

Read more

Art History Lesson: Impressionists you’ve never heard of, Part 1

If you’ve taken any kind of art class, whether it be studio art when you were 12 years old or “Art Appreciation 101” in university, you’ve definitely, without a doubt, heard of the French Impressionists.   I don’t even want to know how many times I’ve sat through lessons about how urbanisation, industrialisation, photography, leisure time, democratization of society, Orientalism, and of course, a desire to break the traditional rules of Fine Art all came together to create probably the most widely-known art movement of all time.  Don’t get me wrong, I adore this kind of art;  In fact, these are my favorite types of paintings to see in museums and galleries; Musée D’orsay will always be my favorite.  However, sometimes it’s nice to learn something new, to see a fresh side of an otherwise over-exhausted subject.

Read more

Claude Monet

Springtime in Monet’s Garden

Being a girl who took started French lessons in high school and studied Art in college, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Impressionism, or any artwork during that time period actually. Degas’ cropped Ballerina scenes, Van Gogh’s vibrating and tortuous genre scenes, and Monet’s expansive waterlily canvases. It’s all so fascinating, the history behind these artistic revolutions; and what makes it even more fascinating, more so than seeing the canvases in a museum, is seeing the source of inspiration itself. I had the privilege of seeing Claude Monet’s private gardens last Saturday, as well as his home, and took a crazy amount of flower pictures.

Read more

Photobucket

Thank You Cards

I caught the painting bug recently, and decided to express this new surge in creativity by painting some cards. At first, staring at the blank surfaces, I felt lost and didn’t know what to draw. But then I just started drawing, free of self-judgement, and I’m happy with how they turned out!

Read more