Frightfully good design

It's the countdown to Halloween, how could I not post a few ghoulish finds?

Katsuyo Aoki, Predictive Dream XLIII, 2013
porcelain

Haroshi, Skull, 2012
laminated recycled skateboard decks, resin wheels, dental braces, 18k gold

Scott Campbell, Cut US Currency, 2012
laser-cut U.S. dollar bills

Farewell, summer

The first step is admitting you have a problem. But too many books is such a wonderful problem to have!

As we near the end of summer (so long, I say, bring on fall, my favorite season!), I found myself flipping through a few garden books. Here, a few pics from some of my favorite titles. 

Royal Gardens, George Plumptre and  Derry Moore, Harper Collins, 1982

Gardens of France, Anita Pereire, Gabrielle van Zuylen and Robert Cesar, Harmony Books, 1983

The Gardens of Spain, Michael George and Consuelo M. Correcher, Abrams, 1993

Enjoy a last dose of the season's beauty... until next year, that is.

 

(I had some help.)

Highgrove House, a new home for Emma Stothard's sculptures

It's official. I'm absolutely smitten with Yorkshire-born artist Emma Stothard's willow sculptures.

Her work is newly available through the shop at Highgrove, Prince Charles's home and garden in Gloucestershire. In fact, it's the Prince's Charitable Foundation that awarded Stothard a grant to begin her career as a sculptor in 2001. By offering her pieces for sale (proceeds go back to the trust and continue to fund good causes) the circle is completed.

The sculptures shown on the grounds at Highgrove represent the prince's particular interest in historic breeds and his association with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Below are a few of Stothard's creations photographed on the estate but you'll find many more images of her incredible work on her Web site (click here.)
 

Gloucester Old Spots, £950each or £1,750 for the pair

Pheasant, £250 each or £600 for a set of three

Cotswold Ewe £700, Cotswold Lamb £600 (as you might expect, there’s also a collie at £800)



Irish Moiled Cow (aka Clarence) £2,750

 



Fresh air, fresh starts

A June morning in Cambria, California

This spring brought about many changes—some good, some bad—but I still can't believe it's been over 4 months since my last post. The loveliest reason for my absence is that I've been knee-deep in writing assignments for Modern Luxury magazines, chiefly Interiors California and Angeleno. I couldn't be happier to be contributing, and the many wonderful editors, designers, homeowners, and photographers I've had the pleasure to work with have been a source of absolute joy in the bleak days that have followed losing my father. Turns out Fraulein Maria, that icon of my childhood, had it right: "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window."



 

Of salt and water, and poignant design

Tear catchers have existed for thousands of years and are most widely associated with the Romans, whose mastery of glass-blowing enabled them to produce small, decorative vials perfect for collecting the delicate drops. Capturing tears was a way to honor the dead, and the tear-filled vials would accompany the bodies of the mourned to their graves.

The practice fell from fashion for centuries but returned under Queen Victoria, who so publicly mourned the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. The practice also experienced a resurgence in America during the devastating years of the Civil War. Sometimes the vials were buried with the body; sometimes they were worn as necklaces and emptied at the grave site on the first anniversary of the death.

So many years later -- thousands of years later -- we're still coping with the same sorrows, the same pain, the same fears. What's changed, though, is the way in which tears can be captured. Dutch designer Roos Kuipers, a 2009 graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven (the Department of Man and Well-being), has created a new way to approach the ancient art.

Based on the belief that tears shouldn't just be dried with a tissue and discarded, Kuipers has designed a collection of tear catchers made from glass and bamboo. The glass rings, by their very nature, imply fragility, while the bamboo-fiber pieces take a more utilitarian approach: the material is three-times more absorbent than cotton and is anti-allergenic, making it gentle on sensitive eyes.

The charm of Kuipers's designs, which range from practical to playful, comes in the act of using them. Be they needed for tears of joy or tears of sorrow, the designs are as integrated with the body as tears are with life. 

When the water of the tears caught on Kuipers's glass rings has evaporated, a delicate pattern of salt remains.

Each of Kuipers's rings are meant to be worn two ways, either visible to all or turned into the palm for privacy.

The bamboo-fiber puff necklaces come in a variety of lengths.

A traditional handkerchief made of ultra-soft bamboo.

Kuipers's bamboo-fiber glove features an extra pad for the index finger, making it doubly absorbent. The idea is based on the Dutch expression "een traantje wegpinken," or "to brush away a tear."

For more information on Roos Kuipers, visit her Web site and Etsy shop. Prices range from about $80 to $130.

There are loads of images of antique tear catchers online, but this Pinterest board offers a handy collection.