An incompatible Composition

What a lovely little cabinet in this hallway! But what did the decorator think when s/he hung that abominable board with those plates above the delicate cabinet - it looks as if it were coming down any minute to strike the little cabinet dead. That board with the plates is much too heavy and needs a different place.

I would certainly hang a fine silk painting mounted in an ornamental gilded frame above this gorgeous cabinet such as this one. Not only do the colours of the painting adulate the fine paintings on the cabinet but it compliments the filigree carvings of the wood much more.

The painting belongs to a series of silk paintings which depict the symbols of ancient cultures.

"Celts"
(from the Magic Symbols Series)
silk, 40" x 13"
©Petra Voegtle

(sold)

There are thousands of magical places on this world and only very few I have seen myself. Stonehenge was one of them at a time - some decades ago - where tourism did not overflow the whole area yet and where they did not request yet astronomical entry fees and where the stones were not fenced from any touch yet. But times change...

Stonehenge has always been a fascinating motif for painters and poets and will remain so as long as it exists. I could not withdraw from its spell myself and so this painting on silk Celts became part of the Magic Symbols series. If you would like to know more about the painting please read here.

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A rustic Hallway with a Pigeon Painting

These days I read so much about pigeon haters again and about people who save songbirds and raptors, have a heart for all kind of wildlife but when it comes to pigeons, especial the ferals, their hearts turn into a stone and they would rather extinct them from this planet. Why is this so? I don't understand this. People are the cause for their misery and people condemn them, pursue them and shoot them just for fun.

A whole industry has grown who gain their profits through destroying the vermin of this planet and as vermin they declare the feral pigeon, even blackbirds and other birds which impend to reclaim a piece of nature which was taken away from them by the human species. The birds are considered to be a danger for human valuables such as cars, roofs, gardens. Loudly arguing that pigeons spread diseases which are dangerous for human health, offering even studies which are meant to prove their arguments but which are poorly executed and paid by the very same industry. Fact is that mammal pets can be far more dangerous for human health than any bird at all simply because of the specifications of bacteria, viruses and parasites which are limited to pigeons and other birds only.

The ferals are the offspring of carrier pigeons which are bred for sport, fame and income and when they don't deliver their expected accomplishments they are set free - when they are lucky - and euthanized when they are not so lucky. Not to talk about those who get lost on their "missions". And sometimes they are "used" as pets and share the common fate of other pets who get sick or are abandoned when the "owners" realize that there is a lot of work involved and time and occasionally money.

Is this the way we have been empowered to treat the fellow creatures on our earth?

Any creature on this world has a right to live - who are we to determine which species is the noble one and which is doomed to die? This is nothing else than what all nazis on the whole world do!!! So why is this bigotry still cultured?

But thank heaven there are also loving hearts who deeply feel compassion for the tortured souls and do whatever they can to save the lost, the injured, the sick only to realize what incredible gifts they have got on their hands. Anyone - I am sure there is no exception - who has ever taken care of a pigeon and realized what amazing birds they are, widely underestimated and misunderstood, will never again be able to escape the mystery of their knowing eyes, their affectionate love for their savior. These birds are highly intelligent with capabilities science only just begins to notice.

For this reason I decided to "hang" one of my pigeon paintings again in a room that I like very much: a beautiful rustic hallway in blue and white - noble colours indeed and just right for the painting The Gathering. Without the painting I feel there is something missing, a little eyecatcher, not too bold to destroy the serenity of this room:

 (original image source www.housebeautiful.com)

This is the original acrylic painting. If you would like to know more about this series please check this link. The original is currently not for sale but I have fine art prints on heavy cotton in various sizes in my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vyalaarts . Other sizes can be made available if needed.

"The Gathering"
(from the Pigeons series) 

26" x 18" acrylic

©Petra Voegtle

And if you would like to read more about pigeons in general and what they do go here to the Pigeon Tales, a diary about their lives and more...

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Sometimes you need a Colour Break...

To furnish and decorate a room, a hallway in matching tones might be desirable for many people but too often the result is boring and tiring. An eyecatcher can create so much difference. I would want any room or place to incorporate something exciting, an object, a colour that really demands some attention. If you have a colour palette that consists mainly in beige and brown tones a break is really necessary as in this hallway:

The original art on  the wall certainly looks elegant with the nice shiny frame but I am sure that after a very short while no-one would look at the art any more - it would simply mingle with the background and disappear from your attention.
The contrary would happen with a piece of art such as this one:
a silk carving/sculpture with glowing colours, nothing you would just oversee.

The silk sculpture was inspired by the Hawaiian legends of Pele, the Hawaiian Akua (Goddess), the fire goddess, mother of all life which comes out of the depth of the earth. 
In Hawaiian mythology women were a powerful source of new life and source of spiritual power. In the Polynesian world Mana Wahine - the power of woman - was a force that must never be ignored. It was Hina (Woman) who gave birth to new life, Hina controlled the moon, the tides and the reefs and Hina had the secret of fire.

Pele incorporates a technique called silk carving©, which is a development by the artist. The intent of this technique was to create a symbiosis between carving and fiber art. The surface of the fiber was transformed completely into a relief. The upper layer of this piece was made from one single piece of silk - nothing was sewn on top to add depth. Additionally paints and pigments were used in a manner to give the visual impression of flowing lava in all its glowing colours and the viewer is supposed to feel the heat. But it is "only" a piece of soft sculptured silk.

 "Pele"

( from the Hawaiian Symbols series)
silk carving, 48" x 17"
©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to see more detail photos please check this link

(This art piece was shown at several art venues in the USA and was featured by art critic Cate McQuaid in the Boston Globe.)

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A Challenging Idea - Silk Painting in a Wrought Iron Frame

From time to time I love to play with crazy ideas and as usual doing this on the computer wouldn't hurt - right?

Now look at this wonderful entry hall with a staircase and a wrought iron railing. Did I tell you that I love all sorts of wrought iron objects, especially beds, chairs, iron cast stands for tables etc.? Wrought iron doors and portals can be noble pieces of craftmanship and are always worth to look at in detail.

In this entry hall the wrought iron railing turns the staircase into something delicate and filigree and the effect is beautiful. So I thought about how the empty wall could be adorned additionally without destroying the overall impression of this hall. My choice would have been this 3 panel silk painting Ayutthaya from the Magic Landscapes series.

You can see from the original image that the wall looks a bit empty and really could need some additional artwork.

Now my idea was to virtually mount the 3 silk panels on a "board" and frame this in a wrought iron frame that would complement not only the railing but also the table. This could be realized indeed.
Iron and silk are materials which could not be more different but wrought iron can be crafted in a manner that its ornaments can become filigree elements like in lace. So I found the idea quite attractive and challenging...

"Ayutthaya"

(from the Magic Landscapes Series)

40" x 39", silk triptych

©Petra Voegtle

I have to admit something - the idea was actually not completely new - I used the idea with the wrought iron frame on other rooms as complement for existing interior before. Here are the links: link, where you also can read more about the painting itself and where the inspiration came from and here is another link.

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Surprise in the Hallway

From the interior design point of view this hallway really does not offer too much for the eye to see - the place is simply too narrow to fill it with "stuff". But white walls and white wooden floors offer some alternatives of course - there are alway possibilities for an eyecatcher.

So what would you say if - let's assume this small and narrow corridor is on the second floor of a house and while you are climbing up the stairs - your view goes directly to this wall with that drawing of a sardonic face? Would you feel surprise? A bit? I suppose so and that would be the intention. HA!

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

This drawing belongs to a series about the 7 Deadly Sins (although I have only finished 3 of them so far but it is planned to become a series of 7 drawings).

The pencil drawings of the "Deadly Sins" (on 30 gr Chinese Wenzhou paper) are quite large and therefore handled like scrolls. They are backed with a thin pongé silk, mounted on silk/paper scrolls (painted or dyed silk backed with painted Chinese Wenzhou paper) and finally hung on hand made wooden dowels, coated with acrylic lacquer (several layers) which are removable for easier storage etc.

If you would like to see the other drawings check this link.

 "Envy"
43" x 27"/58" x 32", drawing mounted on silk
©Petra Voegtle

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You think Quilts are out? Never....

Do you honestly believe that a quilt couldn't make it into a well designed big hallway? Why? Because you think a quilt belongs on a bed? Not so!
In my last post I was showing a very special art quilt with an exotic flair and motif. This time I chose something with a motif that should be familiar - Cygnes (Swans). I prefer the French name because it sounds much more delicate, more appropriate for those beautiful birds.

Would this beautiful huge entry hall not be predestined for a large art piece such as this hand stitched silk quilt? And would the grand piano in this place not be the perfect complementary object as if made for each other?

The original painting is certainly making a point but an art quilt would be a real eyecatcher - wouldn't it? Something that not everybody has on the wall.

The art quilt was made from silk, hand stitched with silk and finally painted. It is an hommage to one of the most beautiful birds on our planet, a bird that stands for grace, elegance, innocence and love:

"Cygnes"

76" x 54" silk art quilt

©Petra Voegtle

This wall hanging has been part of a project called “Piecing a Quilt of Life” an international project dedicated to empowering senior women by recognizing their creative abilities by Fiber Artist Dottie Moore in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was part of an exhibition in the Rock Hill Museum for nearly 8 months and was featured on TV in the HGTV channel. More links...

Guilin - a Landscape for ROOMS, big ROOMS

I have brought this up a couple of times in order to show you the various possibilities to place a painting such as this one and how it could transform a room into a breathtaking place as it is shown in the example below. Sometimes it takes so little for this metamorphosis. The original art on the wall looked very nice but do you think it made you feel excitement?

I have a different idea - a landscape as below would make you gasp. A painting that emanates pure magic because the subject is magical. And this is what art is living from otherwise it is only a piece of decoration. So chose wisely!

In a large hallway such as this you need something that blows you out of your socks. There is so much space that can be used without stuffing it. This is my suggestion:

To see that breathtaking landscape with your own eyes will never let you forget about it. Photos are not sufficient to catch the special light, the atmosphere of this beauty. You can look at some of the photos I have taken here but I wished I could go back with the camera and the easel and do what so many artists have done before me. So many motifs I would like to share...

The painting consists of 5 panels which are painted on silk and even could be continued into a 360° view. Imagine a room with an endless landscape! It takes you into a 3d-view when you are in front of it and opens the space even more into nearly endless distance...

"Monuments of Guilin"
(from the Magic Landscapes series) 
Polyptych, 40" x 65", silk
©Petra Voegtle

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The Palace - a Silk Scroll as an alternative Decor

I am always looking for alternatives and different ideas. I think any room with a traditional interior design could also become something very special with a tiny exotic touch, something not everybody calls her/his own. This could be any object or a very special piece of art.

Today it is quite common to mix styles - every epoch has at least one speciality - so why not take advantage of the parts which we like and avoid the rest we may not like.
Curved lines are combined with straight ones, bright colours are mixed with subdued hues and as long as there is a certain harmony depending on layout, objects and space everything may be used if you like it.

Natural taste is as is known very subjective and driven by subconscious vibes. Yet there is another taste that can be taught and learned i.e. you need to learn about the rules of composition. These are in principle the same rules you need to know when creating an excellent piece of art. A good painter will always recognize whether a painting is unbalanced and inherits severe mistakes - a good interior designer will know immediately when objects (including furniture) are positioned the best way, where colours, textures and patterns compliment each other and where focus is necessary to lead the eye: when everything plays together to form a harmonious unit. Harmony in my opinion is the most important part in a room in order to feel peace and affinity.

Here is a great quote that says it all.

"A harmonious room will be achieved when the rules of scale, balance, contrast and rhythm are followed. In addition, a harmonious room will have furnishings and other elements that relate to one another within a interior decorating scheme." (Interior Decorating)

What I have done here was virtually replacing the original display cabinet with this silk scroll.The original image (see below) had an open build-in display cabinet with a collection of very beautiful and probably very expensive china. But you have to see this in detail very near. From the distance this somehow retreats into the background despite the lighting. I would be looking for an eyecatcher, something that draws you in even from a greater distance.

  original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com 

the original design

The scroll is from the series of ornamental silk scrolls which depict motifs from southeast Asia/India. The Palace is an hommage to the sophisticated ancient architecture you can find in India. If you would like to read more about the "making of" this extravagant piece and see a lot of large detail images please check this link.

"The Palace" 

( from the Ornaments series)

75" x 23", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

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An Entrance Hall with one of the most beautiful Landscapes in the World

Yes - I have shown you virtual room examples with this painting before but the more pictures I see from beautiful interior designs the more possibilities there are to place fine art.

What I especially loved here is the wonderful door, very sophisticated but not overdone. The filigree cast iron makes the whole ensemble wonderfully light and unobstrusive. Often doors of big entries are plump and excessive - not so here.

 original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com (left part)

The left part of this image is the original source photo - so I just added the right half as if the wall was elongated. It could be - couldn't it? I do not derogate the work of the interior designer in any way - on the contrary. I consider my art being a potential compliment to the ideas and composition of the interior designer.

About the painting: I have been there, seen this breathtaking landscape with my own eyes and will never forget about it. See some of the photos I have taken here. I wished I could go back with the camera and the easel and do what so many artists have done before me. So many motifs I would like to share...

The painting consists of 5 panels which are painted on silk. The photo does not do justice to the work - it takes you into a 3d-view when you are in front of it!

"Monuments of Guilin"
(from the Magic Landscapes series) 
Polyptych, 40" x 65", silk
©Petra Voegtle

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Matching Colours - A Painting and a Bowl

How far could you drive matching colours? Well I have an alternative to the original painting that even matches the bowl in the hallway. Crazy? No - funny and not meant to be too seriously. If only the owner of the house or the interior designer would have known earlier...! But honestly - what would you say about mounting this triptych on the wall?

On top of matching colours I also would suggest an unusual iron cast frame (currently virtually mounted but a real idea) which would perfectly compliment the Chinoiserie table and the iron cast stairrails.

The painting itself is a triptych, painted on 3 silk panels and was inspired by the ancient city of Ayutthaya in Thailand.
Ayutthaya is one of those special places which emanate an aura of magic and fascination ancient sites have in common. Ayutthaya (1350 - 1767) was once the golden capital of the ancient kingdom of Siam (Thailand) - a magical city with about one million inhabitants around 1700. It was destroyed by the Burmese and finally abandoned. Bangkok became the new capital.
Today nothing is left but ruins. Only hundreds of Buddha statues, partially intact or restored, prangs (reliquary towers) and monasteries, which form the Ayutthaya historical park, create a place of great magic and belong to the UNESCO World Heritage.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

the original image

click to enlarge

"Ayutthaya"

(from the Magic Landscapes Series)

40" x 39", silk triptych

©Petra Voegtle

 

If you would like to see additional room examples please check these links: interior1, interior2.

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Bright Red or a fascinating Landscape on the Wall?

I must admit when I saw the picture of this hallway I was fascinated. I think the interior designer did an excellent job by placing that bright red photo(?) as focal point on the wall. It sends a lot of heat into these white walls - a wonderful and necessary contrast. You can see the original photo below.

But then I thought as brilliant and eye catching this bright red photo is, it probably will soon lose its attraction - I mean there is not so very much to discover in this photo, it completely lives from the colour. It's a similar issue with a bright coloured dress or maybe even a car - it might be a screamer for some time, a prominent focus for everybody but after some time you get bored with it and you wished to have chosen something more sophisticated. I am offering here an alternative: my suggestion would have been this triptych, a large silk painting that consists of 3 panels. But judge for yourself.

Btw - the peculiarity of this triptych is that you could hang each panel separately because it was painted in a manner that each panel shows a complete landscape in itself...

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

the original image

(Click to enlarge)

 "Canyon"
(from the Magic Landscapes series) 
40" x 63", Triptych, silk
©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to see more detail photos about this painting please check this link. Here are some more room examples for this painting: interior1, interior2

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Dark Rooms

In the meanwhile I have seen a lot of images about interior design and one point really sticks out - many rooms are incredibly dark, especially hallways. I would like to know what the reason for this is. I could possibly understand this in geographical regions where sunlight is abundant but still I could not stand dark rooms, even less in areas where the winters are long and dark.

The design of this hallway is harmonious but very dark especially as the adjacent rooms seem to be dark as well unless this has been photographed in the evening but I doubt it. The illuminated graphics on the wall cannot really lighten this space up, the pottery - although wonderful - adds to the sinister feel I would have in this room.

In order to show how paintings can make a difference in similar rooms such as this one I added these silk paintings virtually, in order to add a bit of colour and another feeling to a dark room.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

The two collages/paintings belong to the Magical Symbols series and are painted on silk. They are also stitched to add more texture.

"Minoans I and II"
(from the Magic Symbols series) 
40" x 13" each, silk
©Petra Voegtle

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If you would like to see details of these paintings, Minoans I and II please see this link and this link.

Lost Treasures in the Hallway

The hallway of this house looks marvellous with its space for arts and crafts. So my thought for this stairway was - if it were mine - to hang this silk carving with its trees and floral environmental theme: Lost Treasures as a complementary art piece to the wonderful pottery besides the stairways.

As I already said - the silk carving is an environmental piece and - belonging to the Hawaiian Symbols series - it stands for all the extinguished flora and fauna of this world. Especially the Hawaiian archipelago has lost many of its endemic species thanks to the introduction of too many aliens due to the ignorance of immigrants and natives - mostly not with bad intentions but nevertheless deadly for the existing species.

 original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

"Lost Treasures"
( from the Hawaiian Symbols series)
silk carving, 66" x 17"
©Petra Voegtle

If you would like to see more detail photos please check this link

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Magic Landscapes in the Hallway

I like this hallway for its simplicity. It looks unspoiled, ready to reveal some magic, nothing spectacular but simply something magical which you can only discover if you look close enough to see what might be seducing.
The idea of placing these two silk paintings (virtually) above the sofa came from the other art work on the wall of the staircase. Its theme fits very well to the ones of the two silk paintings from the Magical Landscapes Series.

If you would like to see more of the latter - please check this link and this link - both paintings available at the Boxheart Gallery in Pittsburgh.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

"Angkor's Relics" and "Morning in Sumatra"
(from the Magic Landscapes series)
40" x 13" each, silk
©Petra Voegtle
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Landscaping

The monuments of nature have always been part of man's fascination. And despite all attempts the colours of nature cannot be reproduced in all their splendor and in all their variations. Each artificial reproduction will fade away in the face of the real scenery. Even photography is not capable of giving us what the eye and the soul is seeking.

Additionally colour is susceptible to every individual's interpretation. Sometimes it seems that colour becomes a very personal goal/achievement. This is the "burden" of any interior designer as well as any artist. Not to speak of the deficiencies some people are suffering from, such as colour blindness in various grades.

Still - colour is one of the most important elements of interior design and will always be unless we learn to live in a world one day that is no longer dependent on superficial surfaces - but that would be science fiction??

I "added" this silk painting Canyon to this hallway, thinking of opening spaces which lead into other spaces - fantasies - just as a valley would do. Where would you like to be? In the hallway or in the canyon?

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

"Canyon"
(from the Magic Landscapes series)
Triptych, 40" x 63", silk
©Petra Voegtle

A few details from this painting are shown below. The silk painting Canyon is actually a triptych, inspired by the many marvellous canyons in northern America's national parks. If you want to know more about it check this link.

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Magic Landscapes from another World...

A river journey on the river Li, when tourist boats did not clog up yet the landscapes, was an experience I would never miss in my life. The landscape around Guilin IS magical and has been inspirational for painters for hundreds of years.

I wished I could go back with my easel or the camera and continue what I started so many years ago - explore every bend of the river, feeling like a child that is curious about a surprise that may be behind the next corner in a Walt Disney park...






Inspired by the wonderful memories and photos (more photos) I made on this very special journey, I created a silk painting - The Monuments of Guilin.

"Guilin"
(from the Magic Landscapes series)
Polyptych, 40" x 65", silk
©Petra Voegtle

This silk painting consists of 5 panels, which can be hung together or separately. Details can be seen here.

So the question is where to hang such a painting? It needs a bit space in order to achieve its full effect of distance. Now if this hallway (below) were in my house I definitely would hang this painting here. I also found a lamp I would add to increase the magic of this landscape and the memories before my inner view. I love this lamp because it complements the colours of the wall as well as the painting perfectly with its fine shade and delicate porcelaine foot by von Wilmowsky.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

Any other suggestion where to hang this painting? Please, let me hear your ideas...

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