Summer Design Trends: Beach Cottage

Today we discuss a fourth summer interior design trend - the beach cottage! It's relaxing and cheerful with pastel ocean colors, weathered finishes, and natural fibers. It's a great way to take yourself to the beach, even while staying home!

 

Open views and soft hues make this a wonderful getaway

Classic beach homes typically have pale palettes, generally white on white. Layer walls, furniture, and accessories in shades of white accented with pale beach hues (think aqua, sea foam, or seashell pink). Use varying shades in your color scheme to add depth to your rooms. Incorporate antique and vintage furniture with beachy accessories for a look you'll love.

Rustic antiques and great lighting make this the perfect gathering point

When considering textures, go for natural, earthy fibers. Add a woven rug and a piece of bamboo furniture. To really complete the beach theme, add furnishings with weathered finishes (sand and salty air quickly corrode finishes). These also provide a laid-back feel you expect at any vacation house. Soon you'll have your own coastal getaway without leaving home!

A weathered farm table and Louis XVI chairs, accented with bright seahorses

Make the trend:

 

Get the look: 

1 "Anice" modernist Murano chandelier 2 "La Jeanne d'Arc" by Claude LaBaube 3 French antique solid fir farm table 4 Art Deco brass coffee table 5 Louis XVI painted chairs (set of 6) 6 Murano glass lamps 7 Louis XIII walnut buffet 8 Triangular side tables by Mategot

Piet Mondrian and De Stijl

This winter the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, opened an exhibition exploring the works of Piet Mondrian and De Stijl. Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter and a key contributor to the De Stijl Movement of the early 20th century. He coined the term "Neo-Plasticism" to describe this style characterized by rigid lines and primary colors.

De Stijl, or "The Style," was a group of Dutch artists and well as a journal they published from 1917 until 1931. They sought to express a utopian ideal through abstraction, a fundamental reality rather than emotions. They simplified shape and color to their most basic, clearly defined forms. They worked with planes on a white background, adding only primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Symmetry was avoided; balance and harmony were achieved through opposition. 

Neoplasticism did not end with painting, but naturally flowed into furniture, interior design, and architecture. Straight lines and primary colors were used to achieve three-dimensional works of art. The Red Blue Chair was designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1917. Originally painted in the "non-colors" of De Stijl (black, gray, and white), it was repainted in 1923 to match the primary colors being used by Mondrian.

The Schröder House, also designed by Rietveld, was built in Utrecht in 1924 and is the best example of De Stijl architecture. Its facade is composed of intersecting, rectilinear planes in black, gray, and white, with primary colored accents. It has an open floor plan; in place of walls the house has rotating and sliding panels that can partition off space as needed by the residents.

De Stijl influenced fine arts, music, typography, furniture design, fashion, and architecture the world over. It proposed using geometry, asymmetry, and abstraction to express beauty. It had profound impact on the art and architecture to come in the Bauhaus, International Style, and Modern movements, and we can still see its effects today.

Dress designed by Yves Sant Laurent

Piet Mondrian, "composition en rouge, bleu et blanc II", 1937
© Mondrian / Holtzman trust, coll. Centre Pompidou, RMN

Mondrian / De Stijl
December 1, 2010 - March 11, 2011
Place Georges Pompidou
75004 ParisGeneral phoneline : +33 (0)1 44 78 12 33

"Revolutions" Opening Night

Meredith Pardue, at right, with guests on opening night.

What a beautiful evening! Thanks to everyone who turned out last Thursday night for Meredith Pardue's opening reception for her show entitled "Revolutions".  A magical soiree indeed - Meredith was ravishing and well received as her art installations danced on the walls of our gallery with beatific aplomb.

Barbara Serota, Cynthia Fray, Jean-Marc Fray, Birgit Schroeder.

Meredith Pardue, center, with guests Mia and Birgit.

“In this aesthetically whimsical body of work titled Revolutions, I use the circle to address the universal issues of time, speed, and change.  As a symbol, a circle or sphere could not be more fully loaded, as it represents some of the most powerful and universal elements that exist.  Aesthetically, the foundation for this work is the rotation of heavenly bodies--specifically the sun, the moon, and the Earth.  In Revolutions I address how the rotations of these heavenly bodies relate to human lives, with specific respect to the passage of time and the changes that occur in between these cycles.

"Bang Bang Universe"

"Big Time Revolution"

"Medals From One Long War (Defense)"

"Medals From One Long War (Honor)"

The obvious visual reference to lunar phases and planetary rotation lays a solid foundation for the fusion of one kind of revolution with another.  As titles such as Medals from One Long War or The Waxing and Waning of My Constitution suggest, an internal, personal, or political revolution also takes place within the constructs of these temporal revolutions of nature, while the titles Mandala I and II suggest the quest or presence of a spiritual revolution.

"Mandala I"

"Mandala II"

I chose to deliver this loaded concept in the form of a colorful palette of mixed media pieces, offering the viewer a playful respite from the gravity of its content.  The clean simple beauty of the natural maple both literally and aesthetically supports the rich impasto of the paint and collage.  It is my hope that the viewer will find both meaning and beauty in the balance of these two contrasting elements, as well as infuse his or her own understanding to the work, and therefore adding the most important dimension to the artwork--life.” —Meredith Pardue.

"Phases of the Great Rotation"

Congratulations Meredith!

See all of Meredith's new works here: http://www.jeanmarcfray.com/paintings/38.

Claude LeBaube (1919-2007)

Born in 1919 in Montmartre (Paris), in the art studio of his grandparents, Hortense Dury-Vasselon et Marius Vasselon, both of whom were accomplished painters, Claude Le Baube lead a life of two passions: sailing and painting.

Claude Le Baube in his studio in Aix-En-Provence. Jean-Marc Fray peruses his work...

Le Baube started drawing very young. He was talented and encouraged by his parents, Marthe Vasselon and Robert Le Baube, excellent illustrators in their own right. As a child, he was a huge fan of Jules Verne and spent countless hours pouring over the lavishly illustrated Hetzel collection of Jules Verne novels which would serve as a source of inspiration throughout his life (for illustrating of course, but perhaps too, for his incredible gift of story telling - another art form he truly mastered during his lifetime).

Front Cover of Hetzel Edition of The Adventures of Captain Hatteras by Jules Verne

Le Baube's love for the sea and sailing led him to the Ecole de Navigation, where he rapidly climbed to the position of Lieutenant. He served as a French Naval officer for the duration of WWII then joined the commercial Navy in 1945 as a Captain.

"Bateaux de Malte"

"La Jeanne d'Arc"

Throughout his 30-year career of voyages around the world aboard naval ships and cruise liners, Le Baube never neglected his love for painting. He always traveled with paint and brushes and set up his easel and canvases in ports of call around the globe. During his visits home, he frequented the Parisian art studios and studied under the masters Fernand Leger, André Lhote and Yves Brayer.

"La Pasteque"

His work includes natural landscapes, seascapes, still life and surreal scenes of mythical or imaginary inspiration. He also painted ships and historical naval battle scenes from all eras with extraordinary precision, exposing his talents as both a gifted artist and an erudite historian. He has illustrated more than 20 books for the French Navy. The last years of his life were spent with his family and two dogs in Aix-En-Provence where he painted profusely when he was not cooking, entertaining family, friends and a wide circle of admirers.

Claude Le Baube at work in his studio in Aix-En-Provence, 2005.

Juliette Fray with "Gabelou".

Jean-Marc in Claude Le Baube's Aix-En-Provence studio, 2005.

"Le Pain".

"Composition".

Commentary by French Art Critic Henri Feyt, 1998.
(Translated from French by Cynthia Fray).

"Armed with uncommon technical skills, this navigator rapidly reveals himself as an excellent seascape artist. The subject of the sea inspires a sense of modesty, deprivation and purity for him. The artist seems to find himself there with his motivations and deep roots geographically close to the somber seas of Normandy. Undoubtedly, the native pallor of the skies we find in his work comes from there, as does an undeniable sensation of a free existence - one that, above all, cherished the sea.

Claude’s evolution might have stopped there if, at the age of navigational retirement, which is to say still relatively young, he hadn’t latched onto what we could call the pictorial adventure of his life.

In this new venture, at once original and ambitious, the artist-sailor who’d forgotten nothing of his origins, will attempt, in his own way, to sail back up the river of Time in order to capture, as if by a series of snapshots that would become canvases, some references or striking memories.

The artist disposes with but a mere skiff for this expedition: a dozen object-symbols, who take turns in compositions or juxtapositions that might appear insolent, if, during this long voyage, these object-symbols hadn’t visibly sympathized with one another under a wand of eminent and sensitive coherence.

Thus an impression of temperate surrealism is born, where the author never crosses the frontier of the unconscious in this symbolic voyage through the mist of memory. Carrying at heart, of course, the secret dream of every life’s end: to perhaps brush against the youth of roses once more ….

Refinement and light nostalgia are his travel companions."

Awards:
La Jeune Peinture - Marseille 1960; 1st Prize
Concours du Palais Royal - Paris 1965; 1st Prize

"Bataille de la Hague".

"Plante".

"Le Normandie".

"Nature morte".

"Chapeau de paille".

"Bleu".

Five Minutes With Artist Meredith Pardue

Meredith Pardue, one of Louisiana's hottest contemporary artists in the art world today (soon to be one of Austin's own!) was in town last week for her latest exhibit entitled "Unbound (Seven Parts of a Rainstorm)". The show opened in our gallery Thursday evening to an enthusiastic and receptive crowd. Thanks to all who joined us, including Meredith, the show was a success, and a memorable evening for all.

Afterwards we sat down with Meredith for a lovely conversation about her work, her inspiration and some insight into her life as an artist. Enjoy...

Meredith Pardue

Jean-Marc Fray: Meredith, when did you decide to become an artist?
Meredith Pardue: I don't think I ever decided to become an artist. I have always painted, and throughout my life it has been the only thing that I have consistently loved and practiced.

JMF: How would you describe your style?
MP: Abstract. The canvases are composed of organic forms that are similar to, and possibly even derivative of, those found in nature, but ultimately the paintings are a visual record of an unplanned dialog between myself and a blank canvas. The marks and forms create a language that reads as something unique to each viewer.

JMF: Where do you find your inspiration?
MP: Music, nature, visual art, weather, human relationships, the general dynamic of living.

JMF: Which artists do you admire and how have they influenced your work?
MP: Cy Twombly, Joan Mitchell, Tom Waits, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Jack Pierson, Peter Paul Reubens, Bob Dylan, Franz Klein, Stevie Wonder, Agnes Martin, Joni Mitchell, Robert Rauschenberg, Alberto Giacometti, Richard Diebenkorn. There are so many more, but those are probably the most significant in terms of influence on my work.
I am certain that somehow fragments of what I encounter through sight or sound and the emotional response that accompanies any meaningful experience with a work of art, manifest themselves in my work. That sounds vague, but it is just so subtle and intricate the way things combine together to form something new.

JMF: What’s your favorite medium?
MP: I use oil and water based media on canvas, linen, and paper. I love them all.

JMF: Could you talk a little about your latest series of paintings, “Unbound (Seven Parts of a Rainstorm)” ?
MP: The paintings address the freedom found in chaos, and the clarity that ultimately emerges from scenarios that previously, in their high energy, appeared disorganized. The drips in the paintings occurred at the beginning of the painting process, and I delineated each form in the composition as it sort of emerged from the mess. So, the process of how these paintings were made speaks of the content.

"Unbound (Part One of a Rainstorm)"

"Unbound (Part Two of a Rainstorm)"

JMF: You are a mother of two - how do you juggle parenting and painting?
MP: I just dive into each day face first. I don't think the work I do is any more demanding than what other working mothers do. I set regular office and studio hours for myself, and I feel panicky and nervous if I am not working really hard during those hours. I do not sit down until I get in the bed at night.

JMF: What do you do when you’re not painting?
MP: Spending time with my boys, running, reading, yoga, taking care of the one of the many living things in our house. And I am learning how to cook.

JMF: Any words of advice you’d like to pass on to aspiring artists?
MP: Have a disciplined daily studio schedule and stick to it. Deliver what you promised when you said you would, and you are already ahead of most other artists. Keep the old ego in check...nobody likes a crazy artist. Your work is also your passion, so a moment of gratitude here and there is probably in order.

"Unbound (Part Three of a Rainstorm)"

"Unbound (Part Four of a Rainstorm)"

"Unbound (Part Seven of a Rainstorm)"

Unbound (Seven Parts of a Rainstorm) - on display in our gallery through November 30, 2009. See the whole series here. See more of Meredith's work here.

Trompe L'oeil

by Lauren Stewart-Ebert

"Escaping Criticism" by Pere Borrell del Caso, 1874.

Tromp l'oeil is a centuries old style of painting meant to, literally, "trick the eye".

An ancient Greek story dating to about 500 BC tells of a contest between two famous painters of the time, Zeuxis and Parrhasius. Zeuxis painted a still life so real, birds flew to the canvas to peck at the grapes. He then told Parrhasius to unveil his painting, which was hidden behind a pair of tattered curtains. Parrhasius won. His painting was not hidden by the curtains but was the curtains.

Pompeian fresco

Some of the oldest surviving examples of tromp l'oeil are found in the remains of Pompeii, Italy. Typical tromp l'oeil of this period might depict windows or doors looking onto beautiful landscapes or columns and paneling enhancing the richness of the decor.

Pompeian fresco

Pompeian fresco

During the Middle Ages a decrease in wealth and stability led to a drop off in artistic achievement. It was not until the Renaissance when perspective drawing was fully explored and painters once again created stunning tromp l'oeil works.

"Triumph of the Sacred Name of Jesus" by Giovanni Batista Gaulli, 1679. The Church of the Gesu in Rome, Italy.

Italian fresco painters of the 1400's experimented with foreshortening on ceilings, referred to as "di sotto in sù" (from below), a technique which creates the illusion of greater space.

"The Camera degli Sposi" by Andrea Mantegna, 1474. The Ducal Palace in Mantua, Italy

An early example of this architectural trompe l'oeil can be found in the Santa Maria presso San Satiro church in Milan, Italy. Constructed in the late 1400's, the church's proximity to an existing road meant the choir could not be built as deep as originally planned. Instead, architects Giovanni Antonio Amadeo and Donato Bramante created a richly detailed theatrical apse in bas-relief. The illusion was a success. Although the space appeared to be several feet deep, it actually only measured a mere 38 inches.

The choir of the Santa Maria presso San Satiro in Milan, Italy

One of the most spectacular examples of this style is found at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius in Rome, Italy. Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709), a Jesuit brother, painted the massive fresco which stretches the length of the ceiling.

The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius in Rome, Italy

Although the ceiling is flat, Pozzo's painting creates the effect of a barrel vaulted ceiling.

"The Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius" by Andrea Pozzo, 1694

Detail from "The Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius" by Andrea Pozzo, 1694

Detail from "The Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius" by Andrea Pozzo, 1694

A whimsical type of architectural trompe l'oeil called "quodlibet" (whatever pleases) features life like paintings of everyday objects in real settings.

"Trompe l'oeil" by Johann Heinrich Fussli, 1750

"Trompe l'oeil" by Edward Collier, 1699

At Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England, a violin and bow appear to be hanging on the back of a door.

Violin and Bow by Jan van der Vaart, 1723.

Modern examples of trompe l'oeil are found in the works of body painter Joanne Gair and sidewalk artist Julian Beever.

"Disappearing Model" by Joanne Gair

"Eiffel Tower Sand-Sculpture" by Julian Beever

These "tricks of the eye" have delighted people for centuries. Although the format and subject matter may change, the surprise effect continues to amuse...