the blue locket quiz: heather frazier of frazier & wing

Frazier & Wing's mobiles far surpass standard nursery baubles. They're exquisite works of art. Heather Frazier, their Portland-based designer, took the Blue Locket quiz this week. Her favorite artwork and artists are interesting and surprising; the dark intrigue of some of her influences makes her sweet designs all the more remarkable. Plus it's hard to argue with anyone who cites Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus." (Check out her beautifully photographed and styled shop and blog as well.) Heather, thank you so much! 

1. What inspires you? Color, gems, flowers, jewelry, fashion, art, small details and sunshine.

2. Who are your favorite artists? Masao Yamamoto, Egon Schiele, Kiki Smith, Yoshitomo Nara, Hayley Barker.

3. Can you name some favorite works of art? 

Chris Bucklow, Guests 

The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli

Masao Yamamoto

Xavier Veilhan

Yoshitomo Nara

4. Where do you do your best work? Place does not matter. It all comes from within and from inspiration found in the world around me—so that can happen anywhere. The actually physical work of making happens in my studio. 

5. What scares you? Public speaking and the thought of having to get a job.

geometricink on etsy

Love the juxtaposition of stark black and white, rendered in soft watercolor. GeometricInk is the Etsy shop—offering original paintings as well as prints—of Kara of Cabot, Arkansas, whose careful geometrics echo what I've been noticing a lot of lately. Is this a thing? I'm in.

monday thoughts: richard diebenkorn

Saying too much about Richard Diebenkorn would be wrong. His paintings are so peaceful, so cool, so California. They're controlled but emotional. They remind me of a brief time in my life when I lived there. How the air smells. How you always sense the ocean even when it's not nearby. How the neighborhood plants are so different from the east coast. How the sky is bigger. I see it here.

marnie gilder

Australian artist Marnie Gilder makes the simplest, prettiest prints, always in extremely limited editions of 20 or fewer. Her color, shape, and composition are just impeccable. These pieces convey exactly the mood I'm going for in my house: serene and soothing and cool, but not cold or austere. There's a warmth to their simplicity.

more pink

Here they are! And in honor of yesterday's theme, more pink art. (I promise to drop this subject now.)

Not always a fan of word art, but this one from Minted is sweet

Pink magnolia painting from Bowerbird is all Rorschach-y

Eloise Renouf print from Etsy

The Castle by Ashley Goldberg (and right now everything is 20% at Serena and Lily)

pink for spring

Malissa Ryder print from Leif

I really wanted to post some photos from around the house today. But I'm having computer problems, and I can't seem to get them from my photo app onto this post. So imagine a lovely shot of the peonies just opening in our garden—and a just-so-stylized one of some watermelon cubes beside some arugula and scallions on a wooden cutting board. Are you picturing it? Anyway, I don't usually go for warmer colors—and the only red you'll find in my closet is the swoosh on my sneakers. But I have a girly side, and I definitely like pink. And once I figure this business out, I can't wait to show you all the pink outside our house right now.

Dress from Kate Spade Saturday

Amethyst print from Land of Nod

monday thoughts: pretty vintage (on etsy)

Striped bowls

Not my usual top-of-the-week musings, but I couldn't resist. I'm not much of a vintage shopper, so I'm far from an expert—but the pieces from Junk House on Etsy look perfect, so clean and colorful. 

Enamel bowl

Fish figurine

Enamel flower dish