Thursday, January 31, 2008

Think Pink

Strawberry Gateau,watercolor. It's THINK PINK for SPRING! 
In Bloomingdales last week I was bombarded with PINK. This giant Marc Jacobs HOT PINK 'Plumbers' bag is major YUM.
Pink or rather Ispahan pink (a kind of rose) is a standard Pierre Herme.Here his lolly pop, Ispahan glass/verrine and Ispahan gateau. PINK makeup is always in. This sign in Bloomies was too pretty to pass by.
Juicy Couture LOVES PINK!!!
This sneaker of theirs - what's not to love?
They even have a very pale pink knight in pink armor in their Bloomies boutique.
Betsey Johnson had a PINK CUPCAKE charm bracelet.
Hot PINK sequine ballerinas.
Moving over to Dylan's Candy Bar across the street from Bloomies I was looking for PINK gummy bears.
Nothing to show -I ate em!
They also had a ridiculous hot pink purse for candy.FUN!An aside - I once left a pink/red paint color chart for Pierre Herme at his rue Bonaparte boutique. You never know.
I've got new silver trays inhouse.
This one is only 2 1/2" wide and the PINK teapot is 1" high. Lots of new mini goodies - more PH macarons. I'm playing with my new mini toys too much. First things first. That's why I'm in "Get Organized" class
Two other pink - posts 

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Quelle Wreck!

I thought I'd invite you back into my studio today and first show you something sublime -

Beautiful pastry boxes.

Now fasten your seatbelts!

You're definitely in for a bumpy ride!

So this is my still life setup area by the one window in my 11' x 11' studio. I think I have South light - not sure. Afternoon light whatever that is?

I have a horseshoe setup of "door" tables resting on filing cabinets FULL OF TOO MANY PAPERS! My computer is facing the window area.The door is to my right so I'm not sure how un-feng shui I am..Hmmm
I usually put whatever I'm painting up on the desktop and paint directly from it. Especially since the subject matter may be long gone.

A pull back showing my wonderful Canon scanner that changed my life dramatically.THANK YOU Canon.
I used to wait for daylight to shoot my watercolors and then they would still come out pink or crooked.

To the right of my computer - my watercolors and maybe my still life subjects...
My cousin Bill asked me where was I putting all the new miniatures I'm painting of late? They don't take up alot of space Bill :)

Next my watercolor paintbox and enamel palette.

My SURGICAL TOOLS - my paint brushes...Scalpel please.

Oooops the rest of the table to my left.
So why am I showing you all this havoc?
Because I hope these will become my "BEFORE" pictures. 

I am taking ArtBizCoach.com's "Get Organized" class to change things around here.
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Drowning in clutter?
Losing time to poor habits?
Don't know where to begin to start files and databases?
Chaos has always reigned supreme in my studio. Only in Paris, minus all my junk, have I ever had an airy, open clear place to work and I liked it!? So I've got until February 9th to make some serious changes around here,
YES. Well I'm gonna try anyway.

It would be so nice if every box I receive did not become a table for papers etc.Plus my new way faster tower is sitting inside this box (do I have to say it's been sitting there for 2 weeks..?)

I still have a ways to go to top Francis Bacon in messiness...This is now a shrine to him as well as a book, so maybe I should leave things as they are?
But here's a good book to get you going in the other direction -
EAT THAT FROG!
And here is Jana Bouc's very beautifully organized studio!

I'll leave you with some more lovely boxes after that bumpy ride through my studio. Are you doing the "January thing" of uncluttering and reorganizing your life too?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Eleni's NY

On Saturday I thought I'd do a little cupcake hunting for you.
Only research of course!
I called Eleni's in the Chelsea Market to see if they had mini cupcakes - rather hard to find in cupcake-leaden New York City believe it or not? And they had them! YAY!
And in 2 flavors and with 4 kinds of icing! YAY!
Eleni's is 2 doors in on your left at 75 Ninth Avenue (in the Chelsea Market)
New York, NY 10011
Let's go in!
The first thing to knock your socks off is this upside down Xmas tree completely decorated with heart-shaped cookies! WOWZA!
A closeup is essential.
And under the Vallentine tree - tons of CUPCAKES!
A little back story is required here -
While living in NYC, Eleni Gianopulos operated a small business baking trays of her mom's oatmeal recipe and selling them out of her apartment.
But New Yorkers wanted more.
Doesn't that say it all.
We New Yorkers always want more!
We demand it!
And we usually get it too :)
I really HEART these gingerbread men...
LOOK! BLUE CUPCAKES!
Who dares to say you can't have BLUE food!?
Oh and minis up the WHAZOO too.
YAY for mini cupcakes!
I bought one of each color and flavor plus the "brownie" mini with the sprinkles...
RESEARCH!!!
Yellow duck HEARTS Eleni's min cupcakes.
Oh and they taste just as good as they look.
Try em!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Florentijn Hofman

#147 Yellow Duck takes tea On Friday Asuncion Aranda in Seville wrote: Please COME BACK from "Lilliput"...I miss your "talkings"about that green or YELLOW...
All this tiny madness is making me crazy ;D

Canard de Bain by Florentijn Hofman
Canard de Bain by Florentijn Hofman
I always like to take heed of PB's savvy readers...ahem
And I found this wonderful YELLOW duck sculpture of
Florentijn Hofman of Rotterdam!

I ran to check on my little YELLOW duck...still there sitting on the tub, waiting patiently for me to remember to paint him.

Canard de Bain by Florentijn Hofman

Florentijn's duck or Canard de Bain, has a much bigger pool of water to swim in - the Loire River

Canard de Bain by Florentijn Hofman

I love the scale of this ducky -
26 x 20 x 32 meters!

I would like to invite Florentijn's duck to tea.

But I'm not sure he likes cupcakes..?

Canard du bain by Florentijn Hofman

Florentijn Hofman says of her duck:
A yellow spot on the horizon slowly approaches the coast.

People have gathered and watch in amazement as a giant yellow Rubber Duck approaches.
The spectators are greeted by the duck, which slowly nods its head.
The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn't discriminate between people or have a political connotation.
The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them. The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!
I completely agree!

Over the weekend I ate way too many Pierre Herme Collection desserts...Hmmmm

Stuck Pig by Florentijn Hofman And I'm feeling a bit like the "Stuck Pig" Florentijn created for the Museum van Nagsael. Please visit the other terrific sculptures at Florentijn's site!

And if you want a YELLOW duck of your own, please visit Amazon
!