Super Cool People Week

Last week, my brother, Lane, and I had just one day to spend in San Francisco. I’ve mentioned our tradition of exploring a street whenever we visit each other. This time, I decided to hop around a bit hitting a smattering of  hot spots like super succulant shop Flora Grubb,

bold and old Big Daddy Antiques,

Lane and friend, Jeff, checking out this light up drafting table

No joke, Lane told me about meeting Harry Bertoia's granddaughter and the tour she led through his studio... of course, we were sitting in his diamond lounge and side chairs. I wanted to take the chairs AND the remarkable green table you see here. Being in Big Daddy's is like being in another world and time...

and the modern marvels of Erin Martin at Coup d’Etat.

Owner, Designer, Erin Martin has a remarkable sense of scale and drama I've never seen before. Her store, Coup d'Etat in SF AND Martin in St. Helena are must see shops if you love unexpected and wondrous things...

‘Course we also hit more pedestrian but no less enchanting Divisadero Street shops  The Other Shop and Cookin’ on Divisadero Street.

We got so distracted, but this shop that we forgot to take pictures! Here's a beautiful little montage of the magic from the folks at KKRB blog

Lane and I always have so much fun together. We laugh, create, play… he inspires me for sure, but he also motivates me. When we hang out the creative energy in me rises to the top and I just want to get to work. It got me thinking about all the ‘stuff’ that gets me going- that just calls to me, “do it, Shannon! Get to work!” So this week, I’m just going to show you people, projects, and all kinds of things that inspire me and hope they do the same for you.

Whether you’re inspired by music, literature, design, construction, craft (or my fabulous brother!) this is the week to let it all in, let everything motivate you to take any little step towards building your life, designing your space, making your dreams… this moment is for you.

Motivated Makers

I love Make: Magazine and often feel amazed by the commitment and curiosity of the geniuses who are driven to create the most amazing inventions, art, products, cool stuff… this is the latest art piece I saw in Make that took my breathe away…

Made from PVC pipe and paint, Kang Duck Bong from Korea sets everything in motion with his speed inspired sculptures. When I hear myself staring at a piece thinking, "how on earth did he think of that?!" I know I'm being inspired.

For some reason, this sculpture makes me feel like superman. It makes me want to be in motion.

I also discovered this super cool chandelier…

Designed with testtubes by Polish designer Pani Jurek, the chandelier is named after Madame Curie (whose full name was Maria Sklodowska-Curie), the Maria S.C. chandelier

So beautiful and perfect with this prism inspired configuration, but you can put any color liquid in any pattern into these tubes- A-Mazing!

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London is dedicated to design and that artist, designers, makers who live to create- especially with their hands and lives. Check this out:

Power of Making from Victoria and Albert Museum on Vimeo.

Here’s their mission statement…

“The purpose of the Victoria and Albert Museum is to enable everyone to enjoy its collections and explore the cultures that created them; and to inspire those who shape contemporary design. All our efforts are focused upon a central purpose – the increased use of our displays, collections and expertise as resources for learning, creativity and enjoyment by audiences within and beyond the United Kingdom.”

…can’t believe I haven’t been here! Oh, it’s on my list now!

Make: also introduced me to this clever artist. Why didn’t I think of this? :-)

I could go on and on about Esther Coombs and her adorable approach to decorative art, but here’s how she explains it on her site:

I began illustrating discarded ceramics about two years ago, and I have found people want objects in their home that, in addition to being beautiful, are useful and have a story. The cake stands are a particularly pretty way of giving a new lease on life to unwanted crockery. My range has now expanded to include up-cycled china seed markers, up-cycled printed tea towels and the newest addition to my work which I’m very excited about up-cycled cushions.

Check out Make: if you’re looking for crazy motivation from crafters, makers, inventors, artists… like this…

Christopher Jobson writes on the colossal art and design site Colossal:

Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori paints three-dimensional goldfish using a complex process of poured resin. The fish are painted meticulously, layer by layer, the sandwiched slices revealing slightly more about each creature, similar to the function of a 3D printer. I really enjoy the rich depth of the pieces and the optical illusion aspect, it’s such an odd process that results in something that’s both a painting and sculptural. Wonderful.

True Inspiration

Yoko Ono…

Give Chess a Chance- Yoko's interactive exhibit where she invites people to "Play by Trust"

This is the art piece that captured John Lennon's heart. The sign on the ceiling says, simply, YES

Like her or not, Yoko Ono’s messages are always simple, pure, and cheerful. Come on people, give Yoko a chance!

And now, the fantastical work of Su Blackwell.

Now, to milk every last drop of inspiration from this moment… expand the video to fill your screen for the best effect… the music may move you, but it’s Su Blackwell’s creations- the dresses, the props, even part of the set are paper. Let it amaze you. Then dream a little, create a little. Play! Color! Sing! Create something all your own- your inspiration project that celebrates all the things you want, imagine, and love. Have a great weekend!

indah-video from Su Blackwell on Vimeo.

One, Two, You Know What To Do

So, I’ve got the inspiration, the idea, the frame… It’s time to make my version of an inspiration board!

I headed to the hardware store for some wire. I’ve seen this done with chicken wire, but I was attracted to some wire with a grid pattern:

I stretched it across the back of the frame then drew some butterfly shapes on poster board and cut them out:

For efficiency sake, I cut out half shapes in the posterboard

Find an image that fits the butterfly shape and it tear out. Fold the page in half and trace the shape with a pen. Cut it out…

 

Play with the shapes, colors, sizes, patterns...

Then, using wire and straight pins (I used multi-color pins for fun) start arranging the butterflies let them cluster and stream in a fluid arrangement…

Et voila! My inspiration board full of butterflies like wishes for all the things I’m loving, appreciating, and working for. It’s not a “real” inspiration board, but the project made me feel open again to putting my dreams in the room so I can see them, and more, believe in them, again!

And my super cool business coach, Kim Kuhteubl, is pushing me to go for it again too- to create an inspiration project with defined goals and dreams. I promise, I’ll do it! And you’ll be the first to see it.

Now, stay tuned tomorrow for more work by the artists who inspired this project. You’ll be amazed by their work.

And Another Thing…

So, you saw my beautiful mirror frame that has hung in almost every room of my house (see yesterday’s post). We’re all caught up now, right?

Here’s the back story: About the time I found the mirror frame I was starting over in a new city, new home, new life… in other words, I was recently single. Being back on my own again was my choice, but I was still feeling a tad down about it all. I didn’t bring much with me (clothes, a few pieces of furniture, and my meager art collection) and was only half-heartedly decorating.

I was moping around one day when it hit me…

All of my artwork was sad- I even had a ‘sad angel’ collection! Yikes! What felt sort of comforting before suddenly seemed gloomy and oppressive. I took everything down immediately. I was done being a victim in my own life.

This is really where my Making Room for More journey began…

Over the next several years I did everything I could to improve my life, my outlook on my life, my faith in myself and others…

I made a big ‘inspiration board’ pinning up everything I wanted for my life. I had big visions!

I was so excited, I even had an Inspiration Board party with my friends!

The frames are from the Alameda Flea market. Cork tiles and everything else are from a craft store. We had a great day!

But as the next few years went by it seemed that rather than checking off my dreams as I achieved them, they were becoming further and further away- impossible even. I took it down feeling totally defeated. BUT, I continued taking classes, reading books, journaling, finding women’s business groups… in other words- I didn’t give up.

So, it’s no surprise that just as I was wrapping up decorative details on my house, that I met Bethany Nauert (thank you, Michael!) and was soon scheduling my Apartment Therapy photoshoot.

I was thinking about my inspiration board realizing that maybe my inspiration board had to be three-dimensional like my work. Isn’t that was Making Room for More is all about? duh!

I wanted to create an art piece for the photo-shoot- something special that spoke to my aesthetic and my new outlook. Immediately, I remembered this…

I saw Yoko Ono’s exhibit at SFMoma a few years ago- Most of the exhibit was white- white chess boards with a sign that said ‘play by trust’ and a white birch tree with a table full of white tags and an invitation to write a wish and add it to the tree- a wishing tree. It was chalk full of tags dancing in a soft breeze created by the people who walked by. Breathtaking! The wishing tree isn’t Yoko’s invention, but she certainly impacted thousands with her spin on the concept.

Perhaps, I could create something similar with my own wishes hanging from a chandelier… or floating on a wall… floating… flying… what shape would that take? how would I create it?…

Without knowing any of these thoughts, my friend, Krista showed me an installation she had just seen with paper butterflies. This isn’t the exact piece, but I’m pretty sure this is the artist Krista saw:

More about Su Blackwell coming...

Eureka! I’ve got it! I’ll cut butterflies from the pages of my favorite Interiors magazines! I’ll attach them to the wall and to my beautiful mirror frame! I’ll paint the wall deep purple so every colorful image jumps from the wall- like flying. Yes! Yes! Yes!

I went to the hardware store to get chicken wire for my frame and found this grid patterned fencing-

Even better!

Then I gathered some friends and cut out about a hundred butterflies- each one reminding me of the freedom to create, re-create, and totally design my life. No words, now specific images- just color, play, light and flight.

Now that's an Inspiration Board!

Tune in tomorrow for more specific instructions- we’re getting to the good part!