ONLINE ART SHOW: Patricia Burns

I discovered Patricia Burns twice--in one week.  First, while working on a client project, a store owner (who happens to be her neighbor) recommended her art.  Then, a few days later, a friend invited me to a show at Muse Gallery where, it turns out, Patricia was the featured artist.  That kind of coincidence is simply meant to be.

While I found them pretty when viewed online, in person her paintings positively pulsate with rich, vibrant color palettes ranging from Blues to Bubble Gum. [#2 & #4 above]  "I paint purely from the passion of the paint, the moment and my guts," says Patricia.  "Whatever happens in my life inspires my paintings. Family, friends, romance, world events, adventure are all tucked in there.  My personal emotions are in each painting and I can tell what I was feeling in each one. They are never the same."

"I don't have any plan in mind when I start," she adds.  "Sometimes I think the painting paints itself and names itself too!"

After confirming that Patrica Burns' mysterious midnight blue Nights In White Satin would indeed be the perfect counterpoint to my client's neutral color scheme, I found plenty of art I'd love to have in my own home.  In particular a red piece bursting with energy and happiness for my sunny second-floor loft.  Or perhaps one day, in the beach house of my dreams, a collection of her works hung on soft white walls, with rustic ebony floors, giant cushy sofas, a long table with bright and funky unmatched chairs ... and not much else.

Patricia Burns is an artist, filmmaker and, yes, a Moody Blues fan.  
To see more of her work visit www.patriciaburnsartist.com 
or contact her at pfburns@comcast.net
phone: 610-649-1748
Muse is an artist-run gallery in Old City, Philadelphia.


All images courtesy Patrica Burns

EXCURSION: Terrain at Styer's

Welcome to Excursion, a new feature highlighting day trips for Style Maniacs--'cause sometimes a girl just needs a little getaway.

The first time I walked into Terrain at Styer's I felt like I'd entered another world. A world that seemed designed to appeal not just to all my senses but to all my interests. As a decorator I marveled at the execution of the design concept from the broad strokes to the small detail. As a party planner I envisioned a wedding in the pergola on a breezy summer night, fireflies flitting about; or a cozy autumn birthday dinner in one of the cabins, leaves rustling outside. As a reader I wanted to immerse myself in the stacks of books. And as a girl who likes a hot nibble and cold cocktail, the seasonal cafe specials and evening jazz event beckoned.

I could have spent an entire day at the place. Which, I found out, is exactly the idea.

"We wanted to create a real destination, like the garden centers in Europe, where the entire family comes to spend the day together," Terrain's Managing Director John Kinsella told me about the newest retail brand in the Urban Outfitters / Anthropologie family. "With a staff so welcoming that instead of being intimidated people will hang out for six or seven hours. They'll get inspired, learn, and then be able to take what they like with them to re-create at home."

So how does Terrain do it? How do you get customers to linger for hours--and enjoy it? For one, they make the place look cinema-perfect, with delights like this enchanting pergola ...


... and vignettes that seem to have sprung straight from the pages of the design books on display (hello, Axel Vervoordt).


Their buyers travel the globe for one-of-a-kind finds like Egyptian lanterns, antique Indian doors and Swedish garden planters; creating what Senior Merchandise Manager Allison O"Connor calls "a great sense of discovery." (Hmm, can you say "dream job"?)


They encourage that feeling of discovery even more by draping doorways in vines, wood beads or netting; framing glimpses of the next treasure around the corner (like a luxuriant table of orchids) and enticing you to come find them.

They staff the place with people who genuinely seem to like their jobs--and don't mind you peppering them with dozens of questions. And unlike many garden centers that close up come fall, Terrain makes sure your visits continue year-round. As Allison noted, Terrain's "earth to table offerings are all about celebrating the seasons," whether it's the monthly chef dinners or the carefully edited book selection or the smorgasbord of events. (In June, with lavender in bloom, events included lavender skincare treatments, sachet-making classes for kids and a Girls' Night Out that served up lavender growing tips with a side of wine and hors d'oeuvres.)

And then of course there's the flowers. Ah yes, the flowers. Terrain's team of master gardeners and landscape architects makes sure they're picture-perfect, too.


VISIT: Terrain at Styer's
914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills PA 19342
phone: 610-459-2400

Check Terrain's website www.terrainathome.com for upcoming events, such as the August Heirloom Tomato Festival.

Photos by Doreen Creede

ONLINE ART SHOW: Denise Fike

 

 

Once upon a time, I visited Denise Fike at her studio. She sat on the floor beside a long roll of blank canvas, a Sharpie clasped loosely in her fingers. As we chatted her hand moved in a swift fluid motion. As she worked her way across the canvas an enchanted world of fairies, flowers and birds sprang to life behind her. Pure magic.

That project, handmade children's wallpaper, is just one of the forms Denise's art has taken. She's also taught fashion illustration and was Director of Fashion Drawing at Drexel University. The two interests--wallpaper and fashion--resulted in a series of works that make intricate use of vintage wallpaper. Although dozens of patterns cover every inch of the canvas, none clash. (I've used these in Redecorators' projects and they elevate any furniture they are paired with. They also make terrific screens.)

Most works are of a grand scale. "I think that's me rebelling against my tiny house," Denise laughs. Her house is indeed tiny--a Trinity two rooms deep in which, along with her husband Lane, she raised two boys and a very large Great Dane.

Recently, Denise has been working on a series of nudes in a flat, graphic style; another series of intricate florals against a clean background; as well as interpretive portraits that capture the spirit and essence of a bride-to-be.

Yet, Denise will tell you, all of her pieces "share the same line." Whether of a bride, a dominatrix, an artichoke or a haute couture hat; whether collaged from vintage wallpaper and metallics, or bursting to life in lacquer-like house paint, each creation is unmistakably hers.

 

 

For more information on commissioned portraits, bridal, pets plus fashion and floral themes contact Denise at:

Denise Fike Designs
denisefikedesigns.com
denise.fike@gmail.com
267-968-1849.

All images courtesy Denise Fike.

DISPATCH: Tokyo

Welcome to Dispatch, a vicarious visit to stylish spots around the world. This month I talk to Gina Pierantozzi, who recently had the good fortune to spend six weeks in Tokyo, Japan.

(Who is Gina? My longtime friend, business partner in The Redecorators and a true style fanatic.)


DOREEN: Describe Tokyo.
GINA: Tokyo is one of the few places I've been that truly feels different from the U.S. When you first arrive it seems very cold--steel skyscrapers, everyone dressed in black. But then you realize it's all about the details. A shop girl takes as much time and care wrapping a $2 piece of candy as a $20,000 handbag. No interaction or job is small or insignificant. Everything is done with incredible pride, care and attention.


Tell us about the ice.
The ice! Okay, you cannot just plop down in a bar and grab a drink. Cocktail creation is an art. Every drink has a particular glass, yes. But there's also a particular shape and type of ice for each drink. All cut by hand. The bartender in the photo above chipped away at that hunk of ice until a perfect diamond emerged.


Did you have to order a glass of wine to tide you over while waiting for a cocktail?
Almost! One night Jimmy [husband] ordered a drink. The Master Bartender went through the twenty minute ritual of creating a cocktail. Finally he presents his masterpiece. But before Jimmy can take a sip it's yanked away--"oh, so sorry, so sorry!" Out comes a flashlight and all three bartenders bend over the glass to examine it. Turns out there was a crack in the ice.


If ice warrants that much attention, what's the food like?
Pristine. That's fugu above. And below, food at a department store. Just an ordinary department store.



What about the restaurants?
There are thousands of them. Look at the photo below--those signs list restaurants in just ONE building.


Tokyo''s so outrageously expensive that most office workers live an hour or more away by train. Every night they go out with co-workers and get plastered. If they miss the last train home they sleep in the train station. Fully dressed, suit and tie, sprawled out on a bench with a briefcase beside them. And no one robs them. I couldn't get over that. This huge city teeming with people and virtually no crime.


In addition to all the restaurants, vending machines line the streets. No garbage cans. Not a speck of litter. But vending machines and food kiosks everywhere. Where does it all go? I have no idea.

How was the shopping? I love the vintage kimono you gave me.
That's about all that would fit you! I'm five-two (and-three-quarters) and I felt like a giant over there. Size 9 shoes? Forget it. I did find an incredible rich white face cream. Turns out its nightingale shit, but wow does it work great.



The fashions look surprisingly bold.
There are two extremes. It's either what looks like government-issue uniform of black bottoms and white tops (for men and women) or crazy, all-out anything goes.

TOP FIVE things a Style Maniac should do in Tokyo:

1. Seek out the Secret Bars. They are marked only by a small sign so ask your concierge for detailed directions. You walk down steep, narrow flights of stairs to emerge into a magnificent bar with tuxedoed mixologists creating fantastic drinks.
2. The restaurant supply district, Asakusa, where shops offer gazillions of dishes and custom-made knives hand-honed in front of you.
3. Another section of Asakusa where the geisha girls buy their makeup.
4. Visit a Sumo stable and learn about the rituals, hierarchy, feeding and surprising grace of the men in this Japanese sport.
5. Omotesando is a high-end shopping street featuring Louis Vuitton, Fendi, etc. Parallel to it runs Takeshita Dori, a street where all the kids shop for cheap, crazy clothes. The contrast and combination of the two was my favorite part of Tokyo.

Photos by Gina Pierantozzi