Remembering

Today and always I'm thankful for the men and women serving in our armed forces, our Veterans, and those who gave their lives protecting and defending this country. America is blessed by them! xo

photo by Kevin Fleming: Veteran's Day NYC 2009

Tender Letters

Do you ever feel a hankerin' to "favorite" someone's entire album on Flickr? I believe I did just that this morning to an unsuspecting artist, Lauren Treece-known as Tender Letters on Flickr. Here's a sampling of her photography-a mix of art and life-and really the two bear no distinction. I hope you enjoy the escape to her world as much as I do....xo 

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A Very Sweet and Southern Engagement!

Congratulations are in order for my sweet and lovely friend, Alicia Magee! Alicia and Clay, her Texan beau of five years, are tying the knot this summer! These shots of the couple were taken by one of Alicia's best friends and fellow SCAD alumna, Nichole Barrali of nbpimages.com. The location is Fort Pulaski on Tybee Island just outside of Savannah. The couple chose this spot as it was on one of their regular weekend outings to the island with their dogs that Clay chose to surprise Alicia with a ring! Alicia is a creative pearl of a girl and its marvelous to see these photos that so capture her enchanting spirit...

Thank you for allowing me to share these Alicia! 

I am so thrilled for you both! xoxo

one hundred photos project

I was fortunate to meet another extremely kind and talented friend via the interwebs a few days ago...Toni from Simple Sparrow and her new project: one hundred photos.  Toni and her family are  sleepy sunny California beach-town dwellers temporarily living abroad in Germany. I can only imagine the shock her senses are experiencing this winter! I've really enjoyed  observing her adventures through Toni's lovely photographs and text on her blog, Waking Up in Bavaria.  I'm fasting today for a yearly physical I have this afternoon and I'm trying to defeat my wimpy will-power with lots of interesting distractions!  xo

until the end

Photo from her post: Fading Tulips

my son, the human perch

Photo from her post: Off topic just a bit

Tiny Lanterns

A friend down the road.

from her post: horses

So fragile

Photo from her post: the frost i had been looking for (hoar frost)

Photo from her post: Our Swiss Holiday: Zurich

Stopping

Riding bikes with her daughter to the bakery via their favorite path...

wish i was stowed away in her sweet green basket!

Jane Kortright

My sister, Jennifer who lives in Kansas City, Missouri runs an estate sale service with two friends. She likened their last big project for me as a scene from Grey Gardens...a gorgeous old forgotten mansion. You can visit their site here to see what's still available from the sale. I was excited to find out photographer, Jane Kortright found the house intriguing too and held a photo shoot at the house before the sale went up. See more photos from the house here. xo

{photos copyright Jane Kortright}

Joanna Maclennan Photography

While researching Aurelie Alvarez for a previous post, I came to know the equally talented photographer behind the enchanting photos of her work: Joanna Maclennan. Her photographs have appeared in House & Garden, The London Times, Maison Française, and Maison de Campagne to name just a few! So, in a series of emails between us, Joanna kindly took the time to share her story with me and I'm extremely honored to share it with you here. She is most definitely a constant gatherer of life through her photographer's lens!

Adam Calkin Interior- Bath, England

Adam Calkin Interior- Bath, England

Joanna was born in Sussex, England and did a lot of traveling around Asia and Australia in her twenties before settling in London at age 22. She held a bevy of odd jobs there, from nanny to restaurant and hotel jobs, which gave also provided her with plenty hard-won experiences. She then took a leap of faith and took a photography course in India with David Bathgate and it was there that she decided that her heart had finally found its calling.

Vox Populi in Avignon- a lifestyle atelier by Pascale Palun
view and read more about this amazing place here!

Vox Populi Atelier and Brocante in Avignon

Vox Populi Atelier and Brocante, Avignon

At 28 she left London to work in a friend's pub in Bath where she could also spend time finding a position as a photographer's assistant. Patrons of the pub led her to the acclaimed Peter Woloszynski (an international photographer who works with a number of book and magazine publishers including Chronicle, Random House, Elle Decor, and World of Interiors) whom she later found out wasn't in need of an assistant, but so taken by her enthusiasm and in turn taught her the art of Interior Photography. She worked with Woloszynski for several years before striking out on her own merely two years ago.

M. Miane Coiffeur

M. Miane Coiffeur-shop

M. Miane Coiffeur-shop, detail

Joanna relocated to the South of France (where her mother was now based) where she braved her first meetings with executives in Paris barely speaking a word of French. By her second meeting she had sold her first article! She and boyfriend, Mike Sajnoski (also an artist) now call Saint Rémy de Provence thier home base where they chronicle their on-going travels and work experiences in their blog, Attention, Cheri!

Hidden Treasures- France

An artist's house in a village near Avignon

Vignette from an artist's house in a village near Avignon

While Joanna is primarily interested in Interior Photography, she also has an extensive collection of personal and portraiture work- such as M. Miane Coiffeur (see above). She finds a soulful beauty and importance in capturing the people, places and things that are forgotten or soon-to-be forgotten, their environment, and memories. She still relies on her trusty Hasselblad-medium format- camera and natural light for carefully documenting these pieces.

In Memorium-Cimetiere

Forgotten

Joanna's most recent collaborative efforts are with the Association, FACE (lead by Artist, Monte Laster) who are working alongside residents to document their lives in La Courneuve- a community in peril on the outskirts of Paris. The project will next focus on folks in similar situations in New York and D.C. and while the object is to capture these folks in their homes and real lives, the situation can often pose danger to the crew. (Be safe, Joanna!!)

Scene from the Atelier of artist, Michel Wohlfahrt

To view more of Joanna's work, visit her website: JoannaMaclennan.com. She is currently represented in Italy by Living Inside (I highly recommend viewing this site!) or can be contacted personally through her website.

Thank you, Joanna! oxo

Aurelie Alvarez

I am delighted to share the art and environment of Aurelie Alvarez. Aurelie is a French painter living in L’Isle sur la Sorgue with her partner and two daughters. She and her family live in an ancient multi-storied home-some of which they have preserved in its layered state of beautiful decay. Aurelie receives much of her inspiration from her surroundings... her studio is located in the attic above their living space. She's also influenced by Japanese blockprints and the theatrical wall decorations of the Baroque period. The following photos of her work were staged in her atelier and photographed by Aurelie's good friend and photographer Joanna Maclennan (who was most helpful in assisting me with this profile-thank you! Her profile is next!).

One of a Kind Aurélie Alvarez on Vimeo.

"My atelier is an essential vehicle in the creation of my work. Its an austere and authentic place which inspires me greatly and where I like to work and spend my time. It is a loft that is not insulated and is very cold in the winter. I have no intention of changing this environment. It is part of what I paint and I feel more and more at home within these walls. These are the walls that have been here for many centuries, they have their own history, depth, vibrations with layers of paint, which is peeling and changes colour depending upon the sunlight that hits them. They have their own mark, abandoned through time, witness to life, of which I now feel apart of. These walls guide me; giving my paintings their rawness. I also like working with the notion of 'dust', which stays like a spotless imprint, perhaps the dust of time that runs, a universal dust or perhaps the dust of my cultural heritage, which I attempt to reproduce in my paintings and my décor.
The notion of time or timelessness, also take centre place in the heart of my work. I don't attach or retell a story, only try to reproduce 'an imprint' that puts me in a place where I can dream and feel free. I am really transported by this place and I think that I owe a lot to this environment of which for me time does not exist. It is simply an invitation to travel (to be lost in another world)………" -Aurelie Alvarez

Portrait of the Artist- Aurelie Alvarez

Above photos of Aurelie and her work are copyright Joanna Maclennan.

Aurelie's work found via Poppytalk and Man Shops Globe.