Home Beautiful? Sure is.

Over the weekend I spent a bit of time tying to organize my computer files into some sort of order - although it seems I'm fighting a losing battle. Anyhoo, I came across some familiar photos in my travels, and thought you might recognize this one too:

Gorgeous pool with Parterre daybed

Look familiar? Well, that's because it starred on the cover of the January issue of Home Beautiful magazine. 

Although now sold, this was the Avalon home of an art director/stylist, and it shows. It has that typical laid-back, relaxed Northern Beaches vibe (perfection in my book) and promises the perfect beach lifestyle.

all images courtesy realestate.com.au

Rather nice don't you think? My only suggestion would be to add a few paintings here and there (yes, that was a blatant plug, I know!)

It's going to be another scorcher here in Brissie today, so I'm planning little more than some painting, swimming, and Oscar red carpet watching. How 'bout you?

Quick weekend update

I've just listed five new paintings in Charcoal over in my Etsy shop.

'Sea Coral III in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Coral IV in Charcoal'

watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Fan II in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Fern III in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Coral II in Charcoal'

watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")

copyright 2011

To take a better look, head on over to my Etsy shop, or check out my Facebook page, where you'll find these and more of my artwork.

Happy weekend all,

Hot off the press!

Word to the wise - get yourself off to the newsagent quick sticks, and pick up the latest issue of Australian Women's Weekly magazine. Why? Because the absolutely stunning home of our very own Sharnel Dollar is featured in all it's glory, and I tell you, it's TO.DIE.FOR! Race on over to Sharnel's blog, My Life-My Loves, for the low-down, but here are just a few pics to whet your appetite....

 seriously stunning Sharnel!

gorgeous outdoor area, featuring Verandah House furniture too - love it!

Gorgeous, no? So what are you waiting for - pop on over here and check out the full story!

all images courtesy Simon Kenny for content agency, story by Catherine Shields

Just a little bit cheeky......

You might remember this post, when I mentioned I was working on a commission for some large abstracts? Well, I finished another one today, which I'll show you in just a minute. Being the impatient soul that I am, I can't wait to see photos of my work in situ, but sometimes it can take quite a while. So, I thought it would be fun to redesign some rooms with the click of a button, all via the wonders of PhotoShop (seriously some of the best money I ever spent, in spite of the fact that I'm a complete novice!) Ok, ready to take a look at my virtual designs? Let's go.

My client sent a picture of a room (designed by the very talented Elizabeth Bauer and featured in the June/July issue of Lonny magazine) as a guide to the colour palette she'd like in her painting. Which then gave me the idea to 'virtually' hang the artwork in that same room. So here it is, albeit hung horizontally this time....

...and the original room, via Lonny magazine. I love Elizabeth's use of bright colour, and after all - who wouldn't enjoy living in such a happy space?

the original via Lonny

And here's the actual painting, in detail... 

'Sway'

mixed media on canvas

750mm x 1000mm

private commission

And then there was no stopping me! Here's a room I love, from Canadian House and Home, tweaked to feature a piece from my 'Into the Blue' series.

...and the original

who needs windows anyway?

And one last one - I added my 'Sea Coral III in Denim' to this room which was featured in the now-defunct Metropolitan Home magazine (although I do love the original abstract)

www.elledecor.com/met-home/

So, what do you think of my virtual designs? Of course, this was just a bit of fun and in no way am I suggesting that the original rooms aren't fantastic - I love all of them, which is why they've been saved in my inspiration files. But it's a great way to picture artwork in situ, particularly large pieces, and I think it can be a valuable tool when you're decorating a room. 

Right, I've done enough 'virtual' work for one day - better do some of the real stuff!

Baroque 'n Roll, baby!

Thought you might like to see my latest Interior Portrait - 'Baroque 'n Roll".

'Baroque 'n Roll"

watercolour and gouache on paper

210mm x 297 mm

for sale now on Etsy

It very nearly ended up in the garbage actually - let's just say this one has been something of a problem child. I guess it was to be expected - children of famous parents are often rather difficult. For that reason, I'm not sure I'll be offering prints this time; it will probably remain a one-off. Oh, and my inspiration? This marriage between Anthropologie and Missoni.

via anthropologie 

Somehow I'm not surprised the ginger jar/peony painting I'm working on now is being much easier to get along with!  

Beat the heat

It's another scorcher here in sunny Qld today. The past few months have been anything but typical weather-wise, but the typical heat and humidity have now arrived with a vengeance. The crew and I spent most of yesterday in and out of the pool, and that's my plan for today too. Paint - swim - paint - swim....sounds pretty good to me.

I'm not the only one who enjoys a refreshing dip. My studio assistant Darcy adores it. But we have a small problem - the entry.

here he is - on guard at all times

source

I hope you're paying attention Darcy. This is how it's done. You need to run and jump at the same time. Maybe the adorable Cooper could teach him a thing or two. Darcy uses this method...

source

...but always manages to fall in head-first. And once in, he won't get out. I didn't manage to get a photo of Darcy yesterday as I was too busy trying to get him out of the pool, so I'm using these for illustrative purposes only. Hope he takes note and learns a trick or two.

source

There will be devouring of mango iceblocks by the truckload today too. And as for the painting, I'm working on a request for peonies and ginger jars - two of my favourite things.

 carolyneroehm.com

 carolyneroehm.com 

source

Hope your day has lots of loveliness in store for you too.

Oh, and by the way...

...I just wanted to share this one with you before I race out the door. It's called 'Windsor's Chairs' and was inspired by one of my very favourite designers, Windsor Smith.

'Windsor's Chairs'

watercolour and gouache on paper

210mm x 297mm

click here to view in my Etsy shop

Oh, and if you're interested, this is inspiration behind this piece:

windsorsmithhome.com

I absolutely love Windsor Smith's work, and I know I'm not alone there. I love the symmetry and balance in her design, and thought it would be fun to paint a light-hearted, colourful interpretation. Not to mention, it gives me the chance to be a bit cheeky and say I have a room designed by Windsor herself :)

Ok, I'm off to my daily round of sport. Catch you later,

The next instalment

Just popping in for a quick hello this morning to share the latest painting in my new 'Interior Portraits' series - 'Abstract Ikat'. If the mood strikes you can check it out over in my Etsy shop.

'Abstract Ikat'

watercolour and gouache on paper

210mm x 297 mm 

Although it was a little time-consuming, painting the ikat pattern was very therapeutic - my version of meditation. I'm having a ball with this series, and have lots more to come. Think cabinets, chairs, mirrors, consoles....they're all due to make an appearance very soon.

If you have a favourite room, real or imagined, that you'd like immortalised, I'm now offering custom commissions. Feel free to drop me a line for all the deets.

Righto, no rest for the wicked. Obviously that means I have a busy weekend ahead :) Hope you all have a great one, and I'll catch you next week.

Some days are diamonds...

...and yesterday was definitely one of those days for me. I was sitting in my studio, painting and pottering and packing orders, when an email popped into my inbox. Nothing unusual about that...except when it's from one of your all-time favourite artists, emailing to say thanks for a little mention on my blog....oh, and to buy one of my paintings. No biggie.

James Gordon is one insanely talented bloke. He paints the most divine watercolours, is an event stylist extraordinaire, and has collaborated with the likes of Collette Dinnigan - and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Now completely freelance, James is free to concentrate on doing what he does best....which is quite a lot. Here's a snippet:

officially.in.love.

some recent work in his fave shade - pink

he had me at hello with an iced vo vo

james working his magic, styling the Honoré des Prés launch at Macleay on Manning in Sydney

james donated this painting to the Inside Out magazine Anniversary Art Auction, with proceeds going to the HeartKids charity

 you can see more over here at timolsengallery.com

here's his best mate Bob, pimped out in bling. Love it.

So thank you James, for making yesterday one of those diamond days. Btw, he has a new website in the works, jamesgordon.com.au, which I'm sure will be a visual feast of all things fabulous. Can't wait.