Standing Our Color Ground IV

Standing Our Color Ground IV

Having completed a rather large and multifaceted color consultation for a set of two buildings anchoring opposite corners of a block in the “The Valley”, I decided to disseminate the experience, and its results through a series of blog posts.

I am completing the process with this post..which highlights some of my favorite details, architectural and otherwise, of  two buildings, one on either end of a median-sized block in Canoga Park, a district in the San Fernando Valley, about 25 miles northwest of Downtown LA.

Doors….the cool elegance of a front door,

verses the brighter warmth of unit doors.

   The personal statement of a windowsill-scape adds whimsey.

 Shifts of  color pull out window and balcony details.

A strong hue on a service door offers  visual way-finding, and pleasing accent,

while the softness of integrated colors is  accented by a hue less saturated.

The sides of a building flow with the colors and lines of trees, and bursts of foliage.

Variety in building materials and plants  creates layers of texture, sheen and hue,

bringing  it all together.

Harmony…that’s what we’re after..isn’t it?

Here’s wishing You harmony, beauty, peace, and prosperity…for the still New Year!

Blessings from Artissima…the blog of ArtiFactory Studio.

LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2

LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2

Venice, like Los Angeles, like really most anyplace when you get up close…is a study in contrasts.  Seeming contradictions, unless you both look closely and widen your view. Even in the storied Venice Canal District, one sees the fascinating contrasts which give the place its unique texture and flavor, and perhaps aren’t such contrasts after all.

Architecture, Design, and Landscaping….

A cottage, its blue body and white trim punctuated with an energetic red door, nestled into trees and foliage,

and a stately stone and glass structure graced by palms.

Color…

Warm, vibrant, high contrast hues,

vis a vis earthtones, neutrals, black and white, and bricks….

And whether it be
warm and winsome sculpture,

hand-painted tiles,

or mosaic-ed columns,
The angels, are in the details!

Here’s to the beauty of contrasts, in all its forms.

What magical neighborhoods have YOU explored recently? What angels in the details have YOU discovered?

If You feel so inspired, please share about it with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all comparing and contrasting our way through this Life, together.

Cheers!

Behold the Glitterati

Behold the Glitterati

All that glitters isn’t gold…or is it?  Well, it might be “schlag” , or combination metal leaf, it might be 22 karat gold leaf, or it might be copper, silver, bronze or a combination of all of the above. Materials that contain or give the look of  precious metals can add instant warmth and light to a room, which can be a welcome addition at any time, but perhaps especially during this the darkest time of the year.  Use of metallic leaf, waxes, paints and glazes can be instrumental in transforming a time of darkness  into a season of light. In a space that is.  Which may just affect our state of mind, and lift our spirits.

We speak of radiance, iridescence,  incandescence and luminescence.   We crave shine, sparkle, glitter and glamor.  We love sheen and shimmer, glow and glimmer.  We are attracted to the translucent, which lets the light through, and the reflective, which bounces it back to us.  In other words, we long for light,  our source, our fuel, without which we cannot live.

So, its only natural that we should adorn our  objects, furniture, architecture and accessories with materials which play with and celebrate light, and expand our experience and enjoyment of its qualities.

So, whether it is the enhancement of  a craftperson’s  decorative detail,

a ceiling treated in tones of gold,

or the embellishment of a chair…

let us celebrate the spark of our spirits, and illuminate our state of mind with the pure enjoyment of things shiny and bright.  Let’s revel in radiance, especially during the dark time of the year.  Let’s lavish ourselves and our loved ones with light, shine and shimmer, and spread a sphere of good cheer around us wherever we go, during this Season of Light.

Who knows? It may make us whole.

What is your favorite ritual of light?  Do you have a special way of embellishing the Holidays with glow and glitter, sheen and shimmer?   If you feel so inspired, please share your unique light with us.  We love to hear from you.  Remember, we are all  in this thing called Life, together.

Happy Holidays, and Best Wishes for the New Year!