Monday, July 23, 2012

elyse harrison

Sky blue bird

Elyse Harrison has been teaching art to my kids for a couple of years. Her beautiful sea-green building is a Bethesda institution, a former vacuum-cleaner shop that now houses her husband's architecture studio and Elyse's gallery and studio (and a Bang & Olufsen showroom on the ground floor). Her bird sculptures incorporate objects like egg beaters, metal clips, and Beatles lyric sheets, and the effect is completely charming: deceptively simple, childlike in the best possible way. It's what makes her such a good art teacher: the ability to access ideas and inspiration, plus the focus to make something coherent out of them. It's why I need someone like Elyse to teach my kids, not just me at the kitchen table. She's got great ideas and patience—not just a drawer full of art supplies.

Jane's bird
Silver flower bird

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