Chandeliers and Coughs

Like that blog title? That's precisely all I have to report. I spent the entire weekend coughing up my left lung, and part of my right. I have no idea what has made me so sick, other than I'm not superman and the rate at which I've been going with 300 irons in the fire has probably worn me down to, well, this. Doesn't it just pain you when you find out you're indeed NOT invincible.

Still, I did get a few things accomplished this weekend, even through the cough and cold. My friend Brian (the one who had the brilliant idea about the floor) and I ventured out on Saturday to find lighting for the dining room. I was pretty sure we were going home empty handed, when we turned the corner in the last antique store to find this!

I pointed it out to Brian and he thought it was perfect! That made two of us, so I bought it, and came home to install. Of course, I needed a dimmer, so I had to install that first. But once that was done, I'm happy to report, that it's up, and nothing has caught on fire or fallen out of the ceiling, yet.

I'm pretty much in love with this room so far! The art is a collection I've been working on for the last year. All of it is black and white, most of it is original or limited litho printing, and a lot of it has a religious or spiritual element to it. I've hung it a little lower than expected to leave space for additional pieces, and to be at the appropriate viewing height when seated. The new curtains are up in both the living room and the dining room, a little off-white linen to match the wall color. 

Scott helped me get a new bed into the apartment this weekend (more on that later) and reminded me that I had a table at his house that would work perfectly for the bar table I want in front of the window. He said he'd bring it by today, which probably means next week. Once that's in place, I'll show you some of the awesome goodies I've found for that. 

I made some new cross bottles for Cross Bottle Guy this weekend, too! They should be live and ready to shop on Wednesday! That was thrilling actually! Working in the new studio was lovely, so much light! Everything is coming together there, and I've created some lovely pieces just in time for your Christmas shopping! So stay tuned for more on that, later! 

Back to rest and fluids for me, talk soon! 

Ohio State Reformatory

This weekend I spent some time in Ohio, and had an amazing time. I visited lots of great art galleries, (bought a wonderful piece) furniture stores, antique stores, (bought some chairs I'm super excited to show you!) and the highlight of the exploration side of the trip, the Ohio State Reformatory.

The Reformatory is probably most widely recognized as the filming location for the movie The Shawshank Redemption, but it was also used in several other films including Air Force One. Built between the years of 1886 and 1910, the historic prison is a stunning example of architecture conceived by noted Cleveland architect, Levi T. Scofield. Scofield, inspired by European castles and the nobility and gentility of that era, designed the sprawling reformatory in an effort to encourage inmates to be inspired by their surroundings, thereby correcting their egregious behaviors. The superbly landscaped grounds, Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, and general scale and footprint of the building in the middle of the Ohio plains was something of a marvel at the time it was constructed. People would come from far and wide to picnic on the lawn of the prison, and tour the scenic landscape.

Hard to believe having lunch in the prison yard would be fondly approached!

The reformatory closed in 1990, and a new prison was built behind it. Luckily, saved from being torn down by the notoriety it received after The Shawshank Redemption filmed there, it now is owned and operated by a curatorial 501C3 not for profit with goals of restoring the space to its former condition one room at a time.

I was able to grab some pretty good shots of this stunning place with my iPhone, and I can't wait to go back sometime in the warmer months with my actual camera, and maybe take part in one of their overnight ghost hunts!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

If you're looking to make a trip, you can find more information on the website about hours of operations, ghost tours, special functions, and directions.

 

Dianne D. Ballard - Artist Supreme

The Pied-à-terre

 

So many of you are familiar with the old rooms of CDLV. While they were lovely, they were dark, heavy, and they had become somewhat oppressive. I knew that I needed not only to be able to move forward in my life, but to move away from that dark and heavy interior and into a bright, neutral space in my new apartment.

 

Having such neutral interiors means that anything with color becomes a standout, so I knew that the art had to be two things: 1) really beautiful and of great quality, and 2) meaningful and interesting. Enter my friend, long time reader, and amazingly gifted artist Dianne D. Ballard.

 

Dianne lives in North Carolina, and grew up in a family that valued art. When she was a child, her parents had her portrait done by a local artist. It was before computer technology, and she had to sit daily for the artist to study her features and paint them on canvas. For Dianne, it was magic! The canvas came alive with every brush stroke, and in watching that process, Dianne knew that was what she wanted to do with her life.

 

Dianne D. Ballard

 

After graduating from college with a degree in fine art, Dianne worked in every facet of the interior design business, from doing department store window displays to working with clients on interior design projects. She continued her love for art - painting, doing faux paint treatments, murals, and finally teaching art in the public school system. When she retired from teaching, she knew that it was just the beginning of having the freedom to paint whatever she wanted each and every day.

 



Dianne D. Ballard

 

Naturally, having such talent for interior design and having been a long time reader of my blog, Dianne knew without hesitation exactly what she wanted to paint for me. Within a few days, I went from conceptualizing art with Dianne via email, to having the art in my hands - wonderfully packaged for safe and secure shipment, and ready for framing.

 

 Dianne D. Ballard

 

Each of my four paintings from Dianne are hand painted on paper, something I requested for ease in framing. She used a mix of media for the art, including soft pastel and acrylic. For other commissions Dianne has done both canvas and paper.

 Dianne D. Ballard

Dianne was a joy to work with from the beginning, right through to the end. She communicated with me throughout the entire process, letting me know what she thought would be best for the space, collaborating with me on color ideas and the way that the art would be hung. I could tell that Dianne wasn't just painting something I could buy to hang. She was painting and creating ART for ME!

Dianne D. Ballard

 

Having been the first time I had ever commissioned anything at all, I was unsure what to expect, what to think, how to feel. But Dianne held my hand through the whole process, and was comforting and reassuring. She was confident in her ability to make the art exactly what I wanted - and boy did she ever! 

Dianne D. Ballard

 

I love everything about the paintings that Dianne did for the pied-à-terre; including how they work en masse and separately. It will be art that I will enjoy for a lifetime, and isn't that what art is supposed to be? They are exactly what I wanted for the space: interesting, provocative, soothing, emotional, captivating, and personal. Without a doubt, the most incredible art I own, and by far one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had in creating a living space.

 

When I asked Dianne if I could blog about my art, my experience with her work and the process of commissioning art from 400 miles away, she was gracious enough to let me share with you not only the art she had created for me, but work from past clients as well.

 

 Dianne D. Ballard

Dianne D. Ballard

Dianne D. Ballard

Dianne D. Ballard

 Dianne D. Ballard

 

 Dianne D. Ballard

 





Dianne D. Ballard

 

Dianne writes: "I am grateful to God for this gift of talent. I thank my parents for supporting me with so many opportunities while I was growing up and I feel very lucky to have adult children that remain my loudest cheerleaders. I am Southern to the core and have lived on the Carolina coast most of my life. I now have a studio in my home and am represented by Studio 413 on Broad in historic New Bern, N.C.."

 

If you have ever thought about commissioning art for your space, I recommend you talk with Dianne and have her create something as spectacular as she did for me, for you. Pictures can not capture the warmth and character of these pieces. To know, and experience art is to hold it in your hands, and study it yourself - and if you get the chance to do that with one of Dianne's pieces - well, you'll be in for a real treat!

 

If you wish to commission a painting there are many ways you can do it. Dianne can be reached at   diannedballard@gmail.com or phone 252-497-6246 to discuss the possibilities for your space.

 

Thank you again Dianne, for creating such wonderful art for the pied-à-terre, I love it!  

Artie's Chores, Art Festivals, and Artistic Endeavors ...

Abby taking a break from her chores ...

I've been working on so many projects lately, I've really not been very diligent about finishing my own. So, I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to finally tackle our bedroom and get it finished. Right now I'm stuck ... the bedding isn't coming together the way I wanted, and I can't find the right art to hang on either side of the newly moved bed.

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So this weekend, my friends and clients, Ron and Judy will join Scott and me at the Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo. We'll all be looking for art, pottery, and the trend de' unique ... and hopefully I'll find something so I can share the space with all of you.

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The rest of the house looked beautiful for the small garden party I had a few weeks ago. But when I did the tour of kitchens this year, I borrowed a lot from our house for staging. Needless to say, there's not much inspiration in the corners of CDLV.

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I am getting back on my horse again, however, and soon, I'll have lots to share about the house, and yard (which coincidentally is looking great now that things are blooming!)

and I'll even have some new cross bottles up over at Cross Bottle Guy.

So look forward to more on that front, too!

xoxo,

A

Wish me luck on my exhaustive search for art!