I went to see Niki in the Garden -Niki de Saint Phalle Sculpture Exhibit at the Atlanta Botanical Garden- last year and that was an amazing experience!!!
I actually went twice! First with my friends and then I took my mom. It was as amazing the second time as the first!
I remembered it again his weekend when I saw some pictures of hers and I wanted to share it with you.
I found this poem today and I really like it!!!
ITHACA
As you set out for Ithaca
hope that your journey is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon – do not be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare sensation
touches your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon – you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope that your journey is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors seen for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind -
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and learn again from those who know.
Keep Ithaca always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so that you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.
Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithacas mean.
Constantine P Cavafy
Wall decor for the home is becoming an increasingly popular idea for the home owner who wants to add some life to a room. Unfortunately not all of us can afford to spend hundreds, thousands, or sometimes millions of dollars to add that lift to our homes.
That is where art prints can provide an economical means of accomplishing just what you need. When looking at art prints don’t first decide what style of home you have. Some people’s furnishing can lean toward the traditional, but an abstract piece of artwork is just what they are looking for to liven up a room.
Abstract wall decor can be more than just splashes or streams of colors on a canvas. In fact abstract art is represented with several different techniques not only limited to the ones mentioned previously.
Many times a piece of artwork can be in the category of abstract, but in fact it lends itself more to fantasy. There are thousands of types of abstract wall decor that appear to be a collection of flowers, but when looking at them closer it can be seen that they are actually large splotches of color.
In fact many homes today are more transitional than anything else. This means a style not traditional and not ultra contemporary, but somewhere in between. A home that has antiques, but also has very vivid colored furniture is an example of a transitional home.
Most houses have a little of both. This makes abstract wall decor the perfect choice! You can have the best of both worlds. The antique chest that was in your great grandmothers bedroom, that funky couch you found at the vintage shop, and a nice piece of abstract wall decor bringing all the things you love together.
The most important thing for you to do as the buyer of artwork is to look and find the things that appeal to you. That is the first step for any selection process. Don’t get bogged down in color schemes or home types. Find some wall art with textures and styles that you love.
You will probably find that wall decor is virtually so inexpensive that you can purchase several pieces and place all the ones that you truly love in your home. The great thing is that if you decide you don’t like one that you thought you would, it hasn’t been such an expense to you and you can purchase another one you think that you will like better.
Another really great thing about abstract wall decor is that it creates a unique conversation point for people who are visiting your home. People are always curious, because it captures the eye and draws people into conversation about things like where you purchased the artwork, how you decided on that piece, and why.
Wall art and decor is now so accessible you will have an easy time finding, selecting and purchasing artwork for you walls. The best thing is you won’t have a hard time doing any of those things and you can get years of enjoyment out of your purchase.
The Japanese Geisha is a figure that has long been heralded as beautiful and mysterious. It is also one that has been misunderstood. Many cultures believe that a Geisha is a prostitute. In reality, a Geisha is a performer. Geishas are women who have been specially trained to understand traditions as well as the arts – and then they are those that perform these arts and participate in the traditions in tea houses. Although the history of the Geisha does include pleasures that the typical entertainer does not usually do, the Japanese Geisha herself is much more about the beauty and the traditions than about these other pleasures.
The traditional Geisha in Japan is a woman who performs for everyone – who is able to sing, dance, recite poetry ,and hold conversations with her clients. She is also trained in the particular traditions and ideas that come from the Japanese Geisha training. The training for a Geisha is very rigorous, and could take several years. A woman must also make a lifelong commitment to be a Geisha because she will not be permitted to marry if she decides to be one.
The Geisha has brought many Japanese women in art – and has led to the idea of the beauty of Japanese women, as well as the unknown power of women all over the world. These are two of the elements that are found in Japanese Geishas who are portrayed in art. Therefore, Geisha art is something that is a balance of beauty and power. Also, Geishas are extremely well versed in tradition, so the Japanese women in art who are portrayed as Geisha are also carriers of the traditions that all Japanese wish to keep.
Therefore, using Geisha art in your home can bring in all of these ideas – traditions, power, and beauty. Any room in your home can be built around these ideas already, and the women found in the paintings will simply enhance this for you.
The Geisha does not belong to one person – and does not ever belong to just one client. They are meant to be carriers of tradition, performers, and artists in their own right. Having your own Geisha in art on the walls means that you get to glimpse this beauty first hand, and that you get to be witness to the tradition and the power that comes with the traditional Geisha in Japan.
If you take a look at ultra modern homes you will notice that the rooms are well ordered, that there is a minimal amount of items such as knick knacks and that everything has its place creating an overall sense of balance, and serenity that is not found in more classically designed homes. It is these elements that are what makes it possible for Japanese art fit in even with the ultra modern homes. Japanese traditional art especially wall hangings make great and popular additions to any homes but because of the elements found it ultra modern homes the Japanese arts are even more popular.
Japanese art contains balance; the elements are simple most of the time colors are muted if present at all. There is obvious effort and care within each piece. The Japanese are people who believe that if you are going to do something be sure to do it well and that is definitely reflected within the Japanese arts. Each piece is done with care and attention to detail. The Japanese culture is one of minimalism. Therefore Japanese art, especially wall hangings and items that are suitable for wall display show this.
If you take a look at the traditional Japanese art wall hangings you will see that they are very minimal when it comes to design and color. It is more the shape of things that are presented rather than high levels of detail. This gives the works a poignant but softer effect. It promotes a second or third look without screaming out for attention. The pieces are designed to accent rather than be the focal point of designs. However, it is not uncommon due to the beauty of Japanese art for it to become the focal point of a wall display.
Japanese art covers just about every subject, from landscapes to battle scenes, from a day in the life to a simple flower on an empty background, each piece has things that make it unique and because of the wide range of subject matter and styles that are found within Japanese traditional art there is something for every decorating style.
Japanese art makes popular, timeless additions to any decorating style but they seem to fit especially well with ultra modern homes. Ultra modern designs tend to lean towards clean straight lines and the less is more approach. It is because of this that Japanese art goes so well with these types of décor. Japanese traditional art follows the same principles that are used for ultra modern design, simple, clean, straight lines. The Japanese arts that deal with wall hangings encompass a wide variety of styles and they range from something as small as a postcard to pieces that can take up an entire wall. They make perfect center and accent pieces as well for larger displays because of the wide variety of shapes from long and thin horizontals to long and then verticals to standard sizing and everything in between. It makes them highly versatile additions to wall décor.
Japanese Acrobats are just an incredible use of color and design.
One of the reasons I personally love this series, is because it takes Japanese art in a totally different direction than we normally think of.
It’s not just the Geisha’s and fan pedals. It’s full of motion and color, it’s all these images crowded onto the page but in a really pleasing way. It almost looks like a tapestry.
One of my favorite things is the use of line. The Japanese have an incredible us of line and expression when they create these water colors.
In the way that the people are moving through the picture really indicates the flexibility.
Looking at this print you can see these acrobats flying to the air and doing flips, it makes you want to engage with these group of people. I love the fact that you can see colorful outfits and really get a feeling of what it’s like to be in an Oriental Three Ring Circle.
We sell this set of three prints really affordable -$19.97- in our store. Here is the link to go and look at it if you are interested! Japanese Circus Prints
This set of three is a Woodblock Woodcut set also known as Ukiyo-e
We have so many Japanese prints for sale in our store that we cannot possibly show them all here. I will continue talking about the history of certain prints here on the blog and show you some different and unique ways of using them.
Here is our whole selection of Japanese and Asian prints. Japanese – Oriental – Asian Prints
Retro art
