FORGOTTEN SKETCHES FOR FRIDAY

While putting away some posters & prints this week, I came across some old sketches & drawings of mine. I haven't drawn with this intensity in a while, but it's there. I also never had an art class to teach how to do this prior to this one (which wasn't an drawing class, but design). The class was filled with all different kinds of artistic backgrounds - graphic artists, web designers, architects, industrial & interior design students - and we all had different skill levels of drawing. The instructor would have a topic, give a few examples, put some music on (usually jazz) and just walk around the room, observing us either get it, or not... we were just to draw what we'd see (and also have projects to do on our own). After a completed project, we'd hang the drawings around the room, and critique them. This weeks Photos for Friday are some quick phone pics I shot to share some of these old drawings & sketches... (funny how 2001 seems "old" now). enJOY.

"reflections"

Silver decor objects I placed in front of a mirror,

and drew what was in the mirror...

"furniture"

(I was infatuated with Philippe Stark at the time...)

"light"

(I was being funny and filled a can light with light bulbs)

 "triptych kiss"

(I was eating them at the time,

set them on my drafting table, and drew them...)

"stool"

10 min. class drawing

"thinking out of the box"

(ribbons drawn outside the borderline)

above took quite a few hours to do...

all those dots - it's called stipple...

3 11"x14" sheets of cold press & ink STIPPLE to make a Triptych

one of the first lectures she gave was on "lines"

hold one hand out, and draw what you see with the other,

using the four different line qualities:

CONTOUR - CROSS CONTOUR - GESTURE - CONSTRUCTION

I have some others, like drafting

(yes - the old lost art of drawing blueprints by hand),

I'll share another day...

Do you draw? What do you like to draw?

Why not draw something today...

enJOY yourself and have a WONDERFUL weekend...

CLEAN LINED RETRO FINDS

Been seeing several ads for Mother's Day, and recalled this old pic of my mom, lounging  on a now thrifty find... it inspired this Thursday's collection of clean line retro finds, from visiting not only Faith Farm Thrift in Ft. Lauderdale and Hallandale Beach Thrift, near Hollywood, but also had stumbled upon a sweet find in the Habitat For Humanity Rehab Store (on Broward Blvd.) ... LOVE the HARDWARE DETAILS along with all the clean lines. GREAT storage pieces and seating...

set of 4 for $20

2 for $10

$5

could work next to this piece for a vignette

LOVE the two-tone and the HARDWARE!

found in Hallandale Beach for $60

more great hardware found up at Faith Farm Thrift...

even if you removed the hutch from above,

and used lower piece as a sideboard,

2 pc for $25

repurpose the hutch wood to shelves and the doors to carved wall art...

great lines & legs...

this find was at Habitat For Humanity Rehab Store

for only $60

love the doors and it's asymmetrical style...

simple hardware... but nickel...

this was one of my FAVE finds...

these shutters opened and closed...

can TOTALLY see repurposing this piece for a flat screen TV...

and HIDE it's electrical equip inside

or even hide other electronic components (charging station?)

although I could also see removing these components, and rewiring for an ipod

 (since behind those shutters were speakers)

so cool also @25

side tables both for $4

maybe even go retro for an office with these finds...

desk for $25

LOVE THE HARDWARE!!!

those chairs would look great with this

and a mosaic table

or side table with storage with the other two chairs

Some other great lines and finds...

But my FAVE hardware was on this little cabinet...

for $30

Guess I'm drawn to these lines because

 I've been around them since I was born...

and yes... that is me...

and yes... the sofa was avocado green...

Hope you're having a

HAPPY THRIFTY THURSDAY!!

GIVE YOUR STAIRS A NEW FOCAL POINT

Tired of seeing pictures just stuck on the walls of your stairs? Why not try floating shelves? Floating shelves set on the stair landing wall can give a new place for you to display your art or photographs... and even a seasonal rotating gallery...

Starting out in a bare & builders white blank space, along with updating the carpet, try just painting the lower portion of the walls, bellow the stair railing, in the common color you've used around the home. For our home, I had used a modern neutral palette of greys, which worked with the existing gray-taupe tile floor. The white mouldings, railings and uprights keep the space open and airy, without any major reconstruction.

A circle form works well within a 'wedge' of a wall space.

The dark wood disc (from Pier 1) here than relates to the floating shelves (found online at westelm.com) carrying the eye up upon entering our home...

Keeping the stairwell neutral, allows for the displays to rotate... but for added pops of color, just paint some blank canvas in your accent color, and the spaces will continue to flow...

To keep the space still stylish, but more classic neutral, a category of black & white photography works great... for a living space, utilize a personal event like your wedding, for a staged space, use abstract photos or photos of local architecture...

and for the holidays, add a few simple pieces of trim...

An easy way to create a festive FOCAL POINT,

whether traveling up or down your stairs...

Shelf width should be really no wider than 4 1/2",

to ensure easy traffic flow...

But isn't it nicer to look up and not see this?

but to see this

Or what ever other gallery you can create

for a new focal point.

Sorry for the delayed post today, but blogger changed how pictures are added, and it's slowed down the process...