art-in-bloom: making connections

The concept of art-in-bloom has many facets, one of which is the collaborative connection that happens between artists. It's about the celebration of art, and the sharing of media for the purpose of making an artistic statement. This year officially marks my tenth year as a member of the Lynnfield Garden Club, and my tenth year participating in the club's art-in-bloom program. I owe much to my experiences with art-in-bloom, as it was that which lead me to floral school and to the launch of my business, Laura Thomson Design. A love connection, in the words of Chuck Woolery, that was made rather unexpectedly.

Every year I talk about the process of art-in-bloom, and how it always begins with the inspiration, aka the painting or piece of art. When it's time to choose a painting, all the beautiful pieces are laid out for the club members to see. Garden club members pick numbers from a hat, and the selection process begins. I was lucky number one this year.

Karen Duggan | "A Fall Walk"

I was instantly drawn to this beautifully saturated water color by Karen Duggan, called "A Fall Walk." After speaking with Karen on the phone, I learned that this was her first attempt at painting, and that her creative background was in the art of needlepoint (6th generation, to be exact). My curiosity was piqued. I couldn't help but think that her unique perspective must have played a huge role in how she interpreted her inspiration. Karen also talked about her connection to The American Needlepoint Guild, which has provided her the opportunity to travel the world, teaching, lecturing and judging needlepoint work. As our conversation continued, my mind was abuzz with questions. What are the current trends in needlepoint?  Is it a popular medium among the younger set? I had to find out.

Coral and Tusk

Coral and Tusk

In the throes of another sleepless night, I came across the website of Coral and Tusk. The serious creativity of their name, and the meaning behind it, immediately brought out my jealous side. The tablescape design was like a pressed-flower extravaganza of eye candy, and it drew me in from the moment I entered the site. I was amazed by the breadth of their work, and suddenly realized that I was most definitely out-of-the-loop. Have I been sleeping on the job, or have I not been paying enough attention? I may have been stuck in my thinking that this art form had ended with my grandmother's generation, and was not something that had clearly come along with the times. Shame on me! To say that Coral and Tusks designs were engaging would be an understatement. I connected especially with the natural aesthetic of their work. I, too, am a friend to the animals. Although, I may never pick up a needle, 'cause the eye sight just isn't what it used to be, that doesn't diminish the fact that I can truly appreciate the intricacy of these designs, the expert craftsmanship, and the attention to detail, obvious in every tug and pull of a stitch. Please read about the story of Coral and Tusk, here.

source

I almost forgot that I'm supposed to be writing about art-in-bloom in this post! I suddenly found myself lost in the desire to learn about the art of needlepoint, thanks to my conversation with Karen. Once I have my painting/inspiration in-hand, the process is pretty much the same from year to year. I start by pinning up the image someplace where I can spend time admiring its qualities, and considering the overall feeling that it invokes. I then start to think about the container. When I saw this West Elm collection, created by the talented floral designer, Amy Merrick, the search was over. The sandstone compote and bedside vase had the most unique shading, similar to that of a cross-section of a tree. It was the perfect beginning to my story. To change things up a bit, I decided to create a grouping or vignette of vases for my interpretation this year, putting to use some of the fun ideas I learned while in New York from Naomi DeManana, Senior Style Editor for Martha Stewart Weddings.




Art in Bloom begins on Monday, April 13th, at 7:30pm, with an opening night reception, tour, and treats. Hope to see you there!

Christmas Vignettes

The fun for me in decorating for Christmas, is in creating vignettes with my collected treasures. As I try to keep in mind the color and style of a room, it helps me decide where to place things. My living room is a shade of cherry red with touches of gold which makes it a great place to display all my Byers Choice dolls. My grandmothers vintage drop leaf table is the perfect landing spot. These dolls have great meaning to me, as they have been given to me by my children over the last twenty one years. The kids like to reminisce about the details behind every doll.

My dinning room with its gray paneled walls, and touches of pewter make an ideal backdrop for birch, pine cones, moss and all things natural. I like to use animals as my daughter is an animal freak, and the buri animal ornaments are in style right now. Martha had a collection featured at Macy's, this year. Apparently they are sold out quickly, which i guess is no big surprise.

My son is crazy about penguins, or used to be. This guy tucks in nicely against a piece of birch. My daughter and I made paper snowflakes to add a personal touch to this tree. It had been a while since I had made paper snowflakes but, a little online search provided the how-to we needed to get started. We glued pieces of twine onto the snowflakes, so that they could be hung from the tree. We also made twine bows, and a twine tree topper in keeping with our natural theme.  I love twine because, it is one of those multi-purpose items that you should always have on-hand. Great for gift wrapping any time of year.

Needlepoint stockings where hung by the chimney with care, thanks to my little elf. Brick, birch, pine- cones, mercury glass, greens, and a old beam are music to my ears.

I am lucky to have lots of birch trees growing in my yard, so there is never a shortage of available birch to work with. I can often be seen peeling a piece here and there, for the sake of a design. The large birch log was once home to a bird. As the tree began to weaken and eventually fall, I went out to claim my prize.

A little bling, bling for the dining room with the addition of mercury glass. It sparkles, and brightens the muted gray walls nicely. The fabulous birch candle holders were handmade by my friend Maura Quinn.

Thanks Maura, I love them!

A little vignette for the back hallway, which is where I usually set up my party cocktails. The black hutch is from my days at Pottery Barn. It opens up, and is a perfect spot for serving some holiday cheer. Nothing like a brick floor to deal with spills.

My family room which is the heart of the house, and the perfect place for several snowmen vignettes. These sparkly guys are some of my favs. My daughter is of the philosophy; if you have it, you must display it. I would have to agree in this case.

Until next time...L.