Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Thursday, June 12, 2014

DIY Crayola Art- Teacher Gifts

It's the end of the school year and that means time for teacher appreciation gifts.  Each year for the past several years, we have been making crayon art for the teachers.  This year, we did the same and added a fancy colorful background. 



I have the kids write their teacher's name , e.g. "M is for Mrs. McKinney" and sign it. 
This year we had a handful of "m" teacher's to thank! 





 
I use an exacto knife to trim the crayons and a hot glue gun to secure them to the paper.  I let the kids arrange them on the page in the color order they desire.  They write a hand written thank you note to accompany the gift. 
 
What do you do for end of the year favors?  There are so many great ideas on pinterest.  Please share some of your favorites! 
 
Happy summer! 
 
 


Sunday, December 30, 2012

DIY: a scarf turned into art

One of my favorite presents this Christmas started from a simple scarf: The Cityblock Storyteller Scarf from Madewell.  As I've mentioned before, I covet anything with a reference to NYC because it reminds me of my single, childless days of living there (not that I would trade my child-filled days with EG in Connecticut!).  But when I spotted this Madewell scarf of the city on sale for $35.00 I grabbed one for myself and for Kurby for presents.  Then my wheels started turning...   
 
 
This scarf is adorbs with a pair of skinny jeans, flats and a denim shirt.  But I wanted to display the entire city scape somehow.   I decided to frame mine so it would be permanent art on my walls. 
 
The framer stretched the scarf until it would stretch no farther.  I selected a thick black frame with a slight hue of antique gold/brown on the edge.  I wanted something that would offer a modern yet vintage flair.   
 
 
 
 It turned out pretty large!  It's almost 5 feet wide and I love how it makes a statement in my hallway right outside my bedroom
 

 
 
The details are better looking in person... I didn't get glare resistant glass because I don't personally like the way it looks (but obviously I would have looked better in these photos, ha)




 


 

 I am always looking for unique art that can't be found in every store.  I like the idea of framing something that's a personal favorite because it creates artwork that is unique.  This scarf was on sale for $35.  The framing was obviously more costly (several hundreds) but the end result was a large piece of artwork that covers a large wall and makes a statement.  And it has meaning to my family. 
 
Have you ever framed something like a scarf or article of clothing to turn it into "art?"
 
Happy New Year's Eve (almost....)!
 
xoxo Heather



Thursday, May 24, 2012

Meet Reagan Geschardt


In my mind, when I spot an artist's work and can immediately envision where I'd hang it in a room, it's the sign of a good artist.  This is exactly the revelation I had when I discovered Reagan Geschardt.  Reagan's style features that of an abstract expressionist who incorporates the tranquil settings in her environment into her work.  Until recently, Reagan was an artist in the Naples, Florida area where her work was showcased in many prominent homes in that area.  Now living just outside of NYC with her two girls and husband (also an artist*), she looks to landscapes and serene settings for her inspiration. 

You know Vivid Hue Home loves color and there's no question that Reagan Geschardt is filled with fun, brilliant use of patterns and colors. 

I decided to have some fun and partner her art in rooms that I feel really showcase her versatile style.  The cool thing is that Reagan's style blends with a vast array of interiors.  Everything from Lilly Pulitzer to Serena Lily to Kelly Wearstler to Lonny... Reagan Geschardt's got versatility to go just about anywhere you need a dash of fun! 

Lilly Pulitzer Showroom with Reagan Geschardt's "Spring has Arrived"
I love the subtle shades of lavender, mauves and split pea green in "Spring Has Arrived."  Shown here in a Lilly Pulitzer room, it adds a kick to the preppy decor.  I envision Palm Beach, Florida in the sixties type of vibe and yet, this could also go perfectly in a bathroom or kid's room. 
Lonny Mag, 2012 Interior with Reagan Geschardt's "Out East Somewhere"
I love that Reagan's work can take on a Hollywood Regency feel in a different room setting.  Loving the use of magenta, gold and teals in "Out East Somewhere"

Adore Mag with Reagan Geschardt's "Summer Day"

I adore  Reagan's "Summer Day" in this Adore magazine interior setting.  The art adds a touch of fun into the elegantly modern room. 

Serena and Lily Ronan Room with Reagan Geschardt's Ship Wreck

Reagan's Ship Wreck brings a vibrant, child-like feel to the Serena and Lily Ronan room.  Perfect environment to display such energetic colors!

Kelly Wearstler's Foyer with Reagan Geschardt's "Untitled"
And, this pairing seems like a no brainer.  Kelly Wearstler, known for her 80's chic style is practically a design-twin for Reagan Geschardt. 

Reagan is available for commissioned murals and you can contact her here.  Below are a few of her murals that are featured in designer Susan Haynes' own home.  Brilliant colors. 

Reagan Geschardt Mural in home of  Susan Haynes
Reagan Geschardt Mural in Susan Haynes' home


{*Psst, remember how I mentioned that her husband is also an artist?  Well apparently the talent runs in the family.  See below for some of Danny Geschardt's work.}






Thursday, May 17, 2012

Meet Wayne Pate

Do you know Wayne Pate?



 
If not, you should...

Wayne Pate is a super fabulous illustrator that produces quirky, fun and affordable master pieces.  Mr. Pate started out as a free lance designer working in a more commercial design space with companies like the Gap, Old Navy and J Crew.  He is a self taught artist (which is completely inspirational) and he decided to take a leap and begin doing illustrations on his own.  That was over six years ago and we bet Wayne is glad he decided to follow his desire...From that point forward, we can imagine he has never looked back to the commercial world...

Can you imagine doing what you really love and also having other people dig it?   

Here are some of my favorite illustrations...
Rising of the Setting Sun

Flock





And Wayne Pate did this rendition of Rising of the Setting Sun exclusively for Serena and Lily's Bazaar.  Cool stuff! 


Mr. Pate himself


And additional pieces from Wayne...












You can check out additional work by Wayne Pate here



 






Tuesday, May 15, 2012

House Tour: Family Room


The inspiration for my living room started with the Antoinette Wysocki  oil painting above my fireplace.  We were still in the planning stages for building our new house and this was a gift from my husband for Christmas.  It was my first real piece of art and I loved it.  The cranberry red hues in the painting were inspiration for the tufted ottoman and Benjamin Moore Classic Burgundy accent wall. 


The room was rather large with two potential focal points: the fireplace and the flat screen tv (I begged my husband to conceal this behind a built in wall cabinet, but you see who prevailed).  We created two sitting areas in the room, defined by separate ottomans and sitting areas. 


The area by the fireplace has two Hounds tooth Clayton Chairs.  The plaid ottoman (Jacobean Demi-Lune) reminds me of a cozy wool coat.  The red is a subtle continuation of the cranberry color.  When we have extra guests, this can also serve as additional seating.  (Thank you to Holly Russo at Lillian August for this plaid ottoman design). 


Holly also helped us find the perfect entertainment cabinet for the room. It has a brushed sand coloring that blends with the Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Grey walls and it hides our entertainment items beautifully. 

This Lillian August Belvedere is one of my favorite pieces.  You can guess how much fun it was to mix multiple patterns and colors for this end result (I had help from Carolyn Wise at Lillian).  The outer frame is covered with an ikat ebony and charcoal print.  The down cushion is a flax linen with black piping.  There are marigold side pillows with black contrast piping and gray velvet back pillows.  The gold and black silk plaid pillows continue the same color hues. 




The opposite side of the room is more subdued (for me, ha) with Lillian August Albert Sofa and Side chair in grey velvet.  There is a Chrysanne wool round rug that defines this sitting area.  The ottoman is a red tufted leather with pewter nail heads. 





I am drawn to anything with Greek Key.  I knew these grosgrain ribbon Greek key pillows would give a great accent.


This Per Se Round end table has a fabulous travertine top.  It's an unexpected 'unfinished' look to keep the room from being too polished.  The silver lamp is James Young and I was drawn to the over sized shade


To keep it at the same eye level as the floor lamp on the other side of the couch, I added some of my favorite design books to add height.  (Thank you Holly Russo for the suggestion). 


Here's the view from the kitchen into the family room.  They're really a continuation of each other so it was important to have the same feel in both rooms.  The Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Grey paint is carried into the kitchen.  This is just a sneak peek of the kitchen view.  Check back at a later date for a house tour of the kitchen.   (PS- I couldn't resist this pendant from Restoration Hardware, even if it obscures the view of the tv slightly). 



 
 
 Got to keep the ties to NYC somehow.  "Drink NYC Water."  Love Fish's Eddy for these coasters and more



I needed something that made a statement on this wall.  I hunted for a large piece of art and fell head over heels with this one.  It's another oil on canvas by Antoinette Wysocki and it's even more brilliant in person.  (You have got to see the process by which Antoinette creates these pieces, video here.  And note--this video was not sped up...this is how quickly she creates her work. 
It's breath-taking). 


We positioned the sofa a few feet from the back wall to create a hallway from the kitchen to the sunroom. 


My stack of House Beautiful mags give the peonies some height.  The photo on the back left is one of my favorites...a silhouette of my kids at the beach handing off a mini Star Wars light saber. 

 

 

I bought this poster from Etsy.com and I always remember it as a quote from Strawberry Shortcake (of course now I can't authenticate that through google search).  But anyway, to me, the use of the word "will" shows determination.  I interpret in my own way to mean...if you work hard, love unconditionally, try to be a good person, put your family first, be kind, (you get the point)  etc, etc then it's possible to have the best of both worlds.  




This is a photo of my little guy.  Believe it or not, this was a candid shot I captured one day last summer when we were just hanging out. 

 

Hope you enjoyed the family room tour*. 

Check out other room tours here
Also, I have additional photos of this room on another post that can be viewed here

*I must acknowledge that I had help from several Lillian August designers for the culmination of this room (Carolyn Wise | Holly Russo).  My goal was to continually push the limit in how daring the design could go but many people contributed to the end result.