I could have spent for ever on this image but i decided to put it up in an unfinished state in stead.

Anyway, on the pretentious side, i feel i have rediscovered the therapeutic side of making images in the last years. Growing up with two therapist parents and having a real nag for over intellectualizing traumas and feelings i sometimes get absolutely stuck in analyzing events i still have to strong emotions about to really be able to distance myself sufficiently from them. At points where i find myself trying to distance myself from something that feels to threatening to turn my back on for even a second (for example for the purpose of dinstancing my self from them) making images of the feelings as one does in art therapy often makes me able to see sides of them i otherwise wouldn’t have dared glance at. Well here’s depressing image number one anyway; you took

On the same note, i’m currently working on a larger project, an abstrat image..or actually more like  four images of four stages in life surrounding death (not your own death of obviously or it would have said preceding since i’m not a big fan of the whole afterlife thing) but the experience of losing people close to you.. or to be moderately personal..losing my mother. I’m aware that it sounds somewhat depressing or pretentious but i think i have sufficient distance in that case to actually find it mostly interesting to reflect on what happens to your perception of time and the organization of your thoughts at traumatic times in hour life… the most depressing part of it actually…witch is in itself a bit depressing… is constructing the last image/phase that concerns how your life comes together afterwards…

The transition from heavily ornate rococo to a classicizing aesthetic inspired by the Greek antiquity during the reign of Louis XV is at the heart of the National Gallery’s latest exhibition, titled Le goût à la grecque – The birth of Neoclassicism in France. Masterpieces from the Musée du Louvre. Curated by Marie-Laure de Rochebrune, the state-of-the-art show features mainly exhibits gleaned from the Louvre in Paris, like paintings, sculptures, tapestries and etchings as well as furniture, tobacco cases, vases and watches. You can visit it until January 11, 2010.
more…

Netflix recommended this to me after I gave Battle Royale a 5 star rating.  I’m starting to have a thing for Japanese movies, and after reading the description I knew I had to get it.

Summary:
Highschooler Momoko may live in the countryside, but she’s big city fashion at heart.  Her babydoll, Rococo style frilly dresses, parasols, and bonnets make her stick out like a sore thumb at her school.  Ichigo is a member of a rough, tough girl biker gang.  Their paths cross when Momoko sells some of her dad’s Versace knock-offs to acquire money for more dresses.  A tentative friendship develops, affecting both girls forever.

Review:
The box for Kamikaze Girls claims it’s a Japanese comedy.  Although live-action, it definitely employs some of the zaniness seen in comic Anime films, so if that’s not your style, consider yourself warned.  I enjoy zany humor though, so I appreciated it here.

The acting is great.  The actresses playing Momoko and Ichigo play perfectly off of each other.  Ichigo walks tough and speaks gruff, while Momoko gently reprimands.

Japanese fashion is highlited here, making for excellent eye candy throughout the film.  Ichigo’s clothes are Easternized versions of Western punk fashion.  Momoko’s richly styled frilly dresses definitely hearken back to the 18th century France inspiration.

What really makes the film though is the plot.  This is a movie about friendship between young women, and their friendship doesn’t revolve around talking about men.  They support each other, instead, in making decisions about who they will be.  Instead of it seeming forced that they weren’t talking about men or sex or drugs, it felt completely natural.  They just had more important things in their life right now.  Should Ichigo stay in her growing gang or strike out on her own?  Should Momoko try to break into fashion design?  Can a Rococo girl also ride a scooter?

If you like quirky foreign films and want a solid friendship movie, look no further than Kamikaze Girls.  You won’t be disappointed.

4 out of 5 stars

Source: Netflix

Romanticism vs. Rococo

By Darius Jenkins

Art can be used as a tool for political influence and social change. The perception of art and what it means is an individual and subjective experience in most cases. When these viewing experiences begin to change the way people perceive their surroundings, art can become a movement, or be of great sustenance within a movement. Social political and economics conditions have had great impact on the meaning of art.

The Romanticism movement broke from the traditional way of artistic expression by capturing ominous images that showed mans dissonance with nature. Individualism and philosophical prowess was championed during the romanticism era. Enchanting images of the sublime were painted to show natures singularity in contrast to mans simplicity.

Spanish painter Francisco Degoya painted a series of highly personal paintings called the Black Paintings. The type of unorthodox subject matter could be a result of Degoya’s witness to the atrocity of war and his suffering from illness. Had Degoya not been impacted by what was going on in his environment he would not have painted the  Saturn Devouring His Son, with such contrasting colors, extreme chiaroscuro and taboo  under tones.

“In Saturn Devouring His Son, Saturn is an allegorically a figure for Time, which consumes us all. But it is the incestuous cannibalism of the scene, the terrible monstrosity of the vision itself that tells us of Goyas own despair.”(Sayer, 490)

` All civilizations at some point in history have faced social, economic and political changes. With these changes come changes in philosophies, social tendencies and artistic expression. The art during Rococo movement was more sensual. This was an age defined by society women (Sayer485).The salons were the social events of the day. (Sayer485)The French socialites were gaining popularity. This caused art to be geared towards the taste of the French aristocracy.

Jean Honore Fragonard’s Bathers depicts nude women juxtaposed with nature. This type of painting appealed to the taste of the eighteenth century French court. (Sayre, 486) The political influence of the time completely redefined what kind of art was tasteful. With the death of Louise XIV in 1715 French life it self became more exuberant (Sayre, 485) and so did the art. During this time art meant more than just recreating the past but paintings were prepared with intent to make a social impact.

Jean Honore Fragonard’s Bathers and Francisco Degoya’s Saturn Devouring His Son, were created during different generations but have similarities in that they both were products of the environment of the artist. Secondly, both paintings work the imagination because neither one is very detailed, forcing the viewer to look deeper into the paintings.

These paintings are different because they depict two different states of mind. In The Bather, happiness, frolic and joy are depicted. In Saturn Devouring His Son, there is only one image and it is a mix between enchanting madness.

References

Sayre,H.M. (2007). A world of Art

Pearson Prentice Hall

“What made the mansion so exciting was its very emptiness and the lack of objects.

Its décor and fixtures, such as tiled stoves, doors, mirrors and mural paintings, were of

the highest quality, however-this despite its location in the depths of the countryside.

The proportions of the rooms and the views of water from each window were, and still are,

captivating. From the wide floorboards to the lack of central heating, the overwhelming

impression was of undestroyed 18th century. What rapidly became clear was that the

house would not work as a permanent residence, but a repository for dreams that

we could indulge in our leisure time. “

Lars Sjöberg’s account of his discovery and forty year careful restoration of

Regnaholm, an 18th century Swedish manor house. An art historian and

curator of the National Museum of Stockholm, and author of several books

on Swedish style, his account of the Regnaholm restoration is inspiring.

In the green drawing room the mirror is ornamented with roses around a pediment

in which two swans drink from a fountain. The gilded console table has a

painted glass imitation of Porphyry in its borders.

The pine floor in the drawing room features a star shaped oak inlay…

Late Gustavian sofa is decorated with green-painted griffins

and composition moldings glued to the wooden frame…

Lars has been painstaking in his removal of more contemporary wallpaper and paintfinishes

from the walls and wood detail that crept slowly over the original 18th century house.

On the death of an aristocrat, his belongings were inventoried by law, so Lars has been

able to surmise furniture holdings of the original dwellers and carefully approximate them.

Lars purchased the late Gustavian couches 20 years ago.

The pier glass’s ornaments were originally antique verdigris green, touched up

a century ago with gilding, and awaiting restoration to their original finish.

The blue and white rococo stove, made by Marieberg porcelain in Stockholm,

was moved from the reception room to the yellow drawing room in 1800…

Lar’s daughter Lovisa slept in this white and gold painted Gustavian bed

with red cotton canopy. The green rococo chair was made in the 1760’s by

Stockholm cabinetmaker Olof Holm.  Oh, how I love this bed!

My post Circular Logic here has photos from Ekensberg, another one of Lars Sjöberg’s houses

and Greet of Belgian Pearls recently did a post on Ekensberg here

Beyond the beautiful photos, what intrigues me is the earnest love

and dedication to a piece of design history and the commitment

to preserve it, wall paper layer by wallpaper layer.

*

The World of Interiors June ‘09

Text by Lars Sjöberg

Miguel Flores Vianna photography

These profile pic designs were some off-the-cuff things I did when I felt an urge of inspiration come upon me. They are my Facebook and Twitter profile pictures. I thought they represented myself well. (Which is what a profile pic is intended to do!) And they truly express how I was feeling at the time. I don’t know if it’s classified as art, but it definitely felt like inspiration to me! Copyright © 2009 Will Johanning. All rights reserved.

New image in the hand sign photoshop contest

credits and thanks:
http://vova145.deviantart.com
http://www.cgtextures.com
http://javierzhx.deviantart.com
http://emelody.deviantart.com

Enjoy …
Rococo photoshop picture

The two latest images commissioned by sprezzatura. The theme is commentary on an excerpt from a rather wellknown diary kept by one of the ministers of louis XV’s court, the comte d’argenson.

The excerpt in my own translation: The Dauphin (crown prince) and the princesses become melancholic and devote them selves without constraints to their peculiar taste; they wont see and will never speak to others: they love to talk of death and catafalks; in the dark antechamber they amuse themselves by playing quadrille in the light of a yellow wax candle, and with delight they tell each other: “Nous sommes morts” (we are dead).

]]> http://mihaipintilie.ro/2009/11/07/nu-ratati-sa-vizitati-in-praga-v/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:30:23 +0000 Mihai Pintilie http://mihaipintilie.ro/2009/11/07/nu-ratati-sa-vizitati-in-praga-v/

Astazi: Loreto. Este una dintre cele mai frumoase constructii din Praga, ridicata in secolul al 17-lea ca asezamant bisericesc, se spune ca deasupra unui cimitir pagan, intr-o perioada de reforme ce aveau ca obiectiv readucerea cehilor la religia catolica. Este un amalgam de stiluri: fatada in stucco, altarele in stil baroc, orga din cadrul bisericii Nasterii Domnului in stil rococo.

Atractia principala o constituie Santa Casa – reprezentare a lacasului sfant din Nazaret unde se crede ca arhanghelul Gavriil a venit la Sf. Maria vestind-o ca va naste pe Fiul lui Dumnezeu. In secolul al 13-lea, a fost construita la Loreto, Italia, o cladire reprezentand lacasul sfant. Pe masura ce cultul Mariei s-a raspandit, copii ale casei din Loreto au inceput sa apara in toata Europa, cea din Praga fiind cea mai fidela reprezentare a originalului. Basoreliefurile de pe exteriorul acestei replici infatiseaza scene din viata Fecioarei Maria.

Capela Sfintei Maria pe care o gasiti in Loreto este dominata de privelistea unei femei cu barba, crucificate. Sf. Wilgifortis a fost o fecioara portugheza care, pentru a-si pastra castitatea, s-a rugat sa aiba o infatisare masculina. Alte capele sunt ale Sf. Ana, Sf. Francis Serafim, Sfanta Treime, Sfanta Cruce si Sf. Anton din Padova iar de o parte si de alta a altarului din Biserica Nasterii Domnului sunt raclele continand moastele a doi sfinti spanioli, Sf. Felicissimus si Sf. Marcia.

Nu ratati sa vizitati tezaurul de la Loreto, o expozitie continand numeroase artefacte religioase din aur, argint si diamante, expozitie creata de comunisti pentru a arata cum, prin intermediul lor, taranii erau inselati si facuti sa creada in “promisiunile ieftine de fericire in viata de apoi”. Dintre ele se desprinde vizibil o monstranta ornata cu 6.222 diamante reprezentand imaginea Fecioarei care se uita in sus la Fiul sau. O veti recunoaste cu siguranta datorita masurilor de securitate, vizibile si ele. De altfel intreaga expozitie este un seif urias.

So many places, where to go?  Well, you didn’t think Nosey Parker worried about that did you?  She already knows.  Scoped it out, ate the scrumptious food, rated the customer service and there you have it.  Yes, there are lots of good restaurants in OKC Metro and Nosey Parker is not about “inclusiveness” or chain.  The restaurants we chose are wonderful locals who also offer the Nosey Parker Experience. Once you have your guidebook, just flash the card that is inside and they will instantly know who YOU are!  When you are out shopping gals, the MUST GO places are the following:

NORMAN: Fancy That!
DOWNTOWN OKC: Nonna’s, Sage Gourmet Cafe & Market and Iquana’s.
MIDTOWN: Rococo, Cheever’s and Paseo Grill; prepared take home is Prairie Gypsies and Market C
NICHOLS HILLS: Loved three but none of them wanted to offer The Nosey Parker Experience.  Sorry. Maybe next time.
NORTH OKC: La Baquette (eat in & prepared take out)
EDMOND: Cafe 501 and Boulevard

To find out where to get the Nosey Parker Guidebook, check out Nosey Parker Find Me, also we recommend you call the store first to make sure the books have been delivered. We apologize for the shipping delay.

Zilele trecute aruncam un ochi printre picturile din perioada rococoului ce apar pe Word Gallery of Art, un excelent site ce aduna mai toate picturile importante pana la 1800. Am ramas uimit sa vad de cat de des se repeta tema leaganului, simbol ce transmite bucurie, copilarie si multa dinamica.

Pierre-Jacques Cazes – The Swing (1732), ulei pe panza, 97 x 88 cm

Jean-Honoré Fragonard – The Swing (1750-1755), ulei pe panza, 120 x 95 cm

Jean-Honoré Fragonard – The Swing (1767), ulei pe panza, 81 x 64 cm

Nicolas Lancret – The Swing (aproximativ 1735), ulei pe panza, 70 x 89 cm

Hubert Robert – Avenue in a Park (1799), ulei pe panza, 59 x 39 cm

Giuseppe Zais – The Swing (1765-70), ulei pe panza, 53 x 39 cm

La polul opus gasim leaganul ca posibilul mobil al unui joc periculos

Francisco de Goya – Old Man on a Swing (1824-28), creta neagra, 190 x 151 mm

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo – The Swing of Pulcinella (1791-93), fresca, 200 x 170 cm

Next week I am going to be a bridesmaid for my dear sweet Sheil and Vic’s wedding.  The wedding is sort of a punky Rococo-themed amalgamation, and Rococo is one of my favorite design periods!

I found this necklace at Anthropologie and really liked it, but thought it would be a cool idea to create some ultimately removable pieces to fit it more into the style period.  I’m thinking I’ll leave it relatively asymmetric, and add in a few well-placed flowers on the other side.   The applique needs a little trimming before it’s done and I’d like to incorporate the rose quartz teardrops in better with a few more beads.  And yes, that flower is ponyskin.

Rococo-inspired necklace

Please click on the links to visit my Flickr page and see the images larger!  Though, I still felt it quite necessary to also take a detail shot of the applique so far.  I’d love to find a way to incorporate more roses and especially a bird into the piece!  But I don’t want it to get TOO large.  We’ll see…and of course I’ll post photos of the finished product!

Rococo-inspired necklace detail

courtneytrowbridge@gmail.com

I am continually amazed by the degree of agency I have in my own life.  Part of this, I think, has to do with living in a place where rail travel is so common.  There is something about standing in a big train station like the one in Cologne, with all different types of trains pulling in and out, bound for places you have always heard about but never been to, and know that you could just hop on to any one you like.  No one checks tickets at the door, so even if you didn’t take the 2 minutes to buy a ticket from a machine, you’d get a fair way to somewhere before getting kicked off.  It’s an entirely different mentality than air travel, and full of unlimited possibilities.

I woke up last Saturday morning with absolutely no plans, but the weather was so nice, I decided on a last-minute jaunt to Brühl.  Brühl is a smallish town halfway between Bonn and Cologne, actually not very far from where I live, but on the other side of the Rhine, so it still takes about an hour to get there.  Brühl gets its own entry in Lonely Planet Germany, for three reasons: the palaces, the museum, and Phantasialand, Europe’s first Disney-style theme park.  Phantasialand is on my must-visit list for next summer, but it was the other two things I was interested in on this trip.

In the early 1700s, Clemens August of Bavaria became Archbishop of Cologne and a Price-Elector of Holy Roman Emperors, one of whom turned out to be his brother Charles.  (You might remember my post about Trier, where I visited the very pink palace of another Elector from about the same era.)  And because what else is an Archbishop of the Holy Roman Catholic Church to do with his power and wealth, Clemens built himself two fantastically lavish palaces away from the hustle and bustle of the city, using the very latest designers from France, and connected the buildings with the vast Schlosspark, where he could indulge his fancy for falconry.

Augustusburg, the main palace, is very big and very yellow.  And in the early hours of an October Saturday afternoon, it was swarming with wedding parties.  I counted at least five.  Around every corner there were small groups of men in matching suits standing and smoking, while cold-looking women in white strapless dresses were perpetually hurrying off to somewhere else.  All that finery was a little intimidating, so I bypassed the main building (which can only be seen on a guided tour anyway… I may have to bring Markus and Karen here…) in favor of a stroll through the gardens.

The gardens are Baroque, whatever that means, but they are expansive and very, very formal.  Everything is planned, geometric and symmetric.  I have never seen such square trees.  The fountains were not on and the ground looked like it had very recently been dug up for winter, but all the beds were still lined with tiny little hedges in geometric patterns.  On the far side of the gardens was a forest, cut through with broad, tree-lined avenues leading to Falkenlust, the smaller but equally lavish hunting lodge.  Walking between them takes awhile, but it would be the perfect distance to traverse on horseback, or possibly in a carriage, if one were wearing a really nice gown.  Walking through here made me feel like a character in a Jane Austin novel.

Falkenlust is relatively tiny, with only about four rooms on each of the two floors.  You are free to wander through them as you like, but you have to wear felt slippers over your shoes that makes it seem like you’re ice skating across the parquet floors.  The ground floor has a dining room, a sort of living room, and the guest bedroom suite.  Upstairs is August’s private quarters, with his bedroom, dressing room, a coffee salon, and one room where the walls are completely covered in mirrors and Chinese porcelain.  The whole place is done up mostly in blue and white, the colors of Bavaria, including the grand stairway which is covered with 5000 blue and white hand painted tiles from Holland.  You are not technically allowed to take photos inside, but the mirror room was so fantastic that I waited until the docent wasn’t looking and snapped one anyway.  Shhh… don’t tell.  According to the pamphlet, seven-year-old Mozart visited Falkenlust in 1763 and noted the mirror room especially in his diary.

As I walked back to the main palace and to town, my first thought was that there was no kitchen in Falkenlust.  It must have been in one of the low outbuildings, where the lowly common folk toiled.  The second thing was that it suddenly seemed no wonder that Mozart had composed the type of music that he did, if he grew up surrounded by places like this.  His music is bright and intricate and exquisite, exactly like the rooms I had just been viewing.   It’s the music of lavishly clothed nobility dancing in twinkling, mirrored halls.  I suddenly understood how it was possible to describe both music and architecture as Baroque.  Thanks to the minor miracle of modern technology, I could actually indulge these musing while listening to Mozart’s music on my iPod as I walked.  [Note:  The palaces are actually early Rococo (the architectural style that followed Baroque) and Mozart is considered a  composer of the Classical era (the musical style that came after Baroque) but still, you get my point.]

Back at the main palace, I continued on to the Max Ernst Museum, just a few blocks away.  Max Ernst was a 20th century artist born and raised in Brühl.  He attended the University of Bonn before leaving to spend most of the rest of his life in France and Arizona.  He was a prominent member of the Dada movement and an early surrealist, so some of his art is very dark and very strange.  But he also made these really charming and playful sculptures of funny, geometric creatures with big eyes and endearing smiles.  I first saw one of these sculptures (and indeed, first heard of Max Ernst) at the Modern Art Museum in Bonn last winter and have been wanting to visit the museum dedicated to him in Brühl ever since.  It did not disappoint.  I saw plenty of wonderful sculptures and a lot of other interesting things as well, including a small painting of a woman from the 1930s standing on the terrace of Augustusburg with the gardens in the background, which I found particularly delightful.

By the time I was finished with the museum, it was getting late and wet and dark (curse you winter) but I wandered over to the other train station so I could see a little bit of the town along the way.  The picture of the two little square guys below is a Max Ernst fountain in front of the courthouse.  The rest of Brühl isn’t much different than most German towns… a pedestrian zone lined with a few historic buildings and a lot of chain stores in ugly and/or nondescript modern buildings.  Not that I’m complaining about the stores.  I popped into a Galleria and got a couple new pairs of socks.  I was tempted by but did not actually get an F.C. Köln rubber duckie-shaped goat.  I figured I should actually go to a game first.  Don’t worry, it’s on the list.

Bailiff: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention, please: the Court will come to order. The Honourable Judge presiding. Please be seated.’
Judge: ‘Good morning. Would the Clerk please read the charges?’
Clerk: ‘The Court charges the World with Libel in the First Degree.’
Judge: ‘Prosecution, would you please explain your reasons.’
Prosecutor: ‘My client suffers from remorse and a feeling that makes him believe that he has violated a moral standard every time he comes in contact with the Defendant.’
Judge: ‘How does the Defendant plead?’
Attorney for the Defence: ‘Your honour, the Defendant enters the plea “Not Guilty”’.
Judge: ‘Defendant, would you please explain your reasons’.
Attorney for the Defence: ‘Your honour, dear members of the jury, I’m here today to re-establish the truth about my client and the rumours that it has been accused of. In order to remove all shadows of a doubt concerning my clients innocence with regards to these heinous accusations, the Defendant has accepted to go through a battery of tests and experiments.  The results speak for themselves, your honour.’
Judge: ‘Well, we don’t have all day. What do they say?’
Attorney for the Defence: ‘The results show that the samples tested contained antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay and phenyl ethylamine, which is a mild mood elevator. Results demonstrated an increase in antioxidant levels in the blood, that the smell increased theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation and the carbohydrate content raised serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

They also contained oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol as well as stearic acid, a neutral fat which does not raise bad cholesterol. Neither of these are a causative factor in acne.

Finally, historical tests on other samples have proven useful in treating bronchitis and insect bites, and there is no scientific proof, anywhere, of addiction or narcotic side effects.

In conclusion, the research clearly proves that the Prosecution is not suffering of guilt, but is actually incapable of dealing with the only proven side-effect: pleasure.’
Judge: ‘Please clarify your statement. I’m not sure to understand you’.
Attorney for the Defence: ‘Chocolate, Your honour, I’m talking about my client, chocolate! And the only thing that chocolate should be guilty of… is pleasure!’

As a diamond shining in a store window or the One Ring of ages past, chocolate works its power on our palates in ways we can hardly resist. The Chocolate Week was the perfect moment for the finest British chocolatiers and European chocolate producers to present their wares without the slightest hint of guilt.

According to Paul, Paul A. Young “You should never feel guilty about chocolate. Feel guilty about the take away and the junk food! Never about chocolate as long as you choose the right quality. Chocolate makes you feel alive and smile. Don’t be shy about it.”

Trish Deseine defines chocolate as an “escape and pleasure! A little guilt is a good thing from time to time, but not when served with food.“

“Eating chocolate is a bit of an occasion and it’s proper treat. It’s like a comforting hug or kiss,” confides Rosanna from Divine Chocolate. “I don’t see the guilt factor when you have just a little of what you fancy now and again! Chocolate has a great power to bring out the best in people.”

For Elise, Artisan du Chocolat, chocolate is “pleasure, a delicious taste, work, but first of all a connection to pleasure. There’s no reason to feel guilty about enjoying good chocolate that contains no additives and very low levels of sugar.”

“The visual pleasure and the taste are almost as important as knowing where the ingredients come from.” explains James, from Rococo. “It is very important to create a connection with the people who work hard to get the best out of the cocoa bean. As long as you pick the right ingredient to make the best chocolate, there is no reason to feel guilty of enjoying a delicious piece of it.”

And what do our passionates about food think about it?

drinkandeat ‘Relief!’
meemalee “’Chocolate’ means a cute autistic girl with amazing martial art skills”
bellalimento “LOVE! Yes, Chocolate, the kind that makes you bite your lip and say mmmmh is LOVE!”
aforkful “Pure sensory indulgence”
chocolatetours: “Joy”

Want a great excuse to dress extravagantly and have a great time on Halloween this year?  Consider yourself invited to the blow-out double event at the Costa Rica Sims …

Bring a friend, or two, or three to our Halloween Masquerade Ball / October Rezz Day Celebration!  While our theme is “Phantom of the Opera,” you can wear anything formal (and a mask), so now’s the time to show off your favorite high-goth gown or suit as  you party in grand style.

Put it on your calender! Don’t miss it!

"Tulip Angel" (Parrot Tulip 'Rococo') Nikon D300, 105mm, F/8, 1/40s, -1.0EV, ISO 1000

The photograph was easy. Writing this post was not.

Early Tuesday morning, following a brief illness, Gertrude Noyes passed peacefully at her daughter’s home with her family by her side. How do I know this? Her daughter is my next door neighbor and dear friend Nancy, whom I’ve mentioned several times before in this blog.

The news wasn’t a surprise but nonetheless, not easy to hear. I found myself sobbing while reading sympathy cards in the aisle of a local store, and again, while trying to pick out the perfect flowers. I wasn’t crying for Gert – she lived a good, full life, or for Nancy – she is the strongest person I know. I think I was crying for me, overcome by the sense of loss, hoping someone will feel this way when my time is up.

Gertrude was a spunky little bit of a thing, with a cherubic face and playful wit to go along with it. She liked to tease Nancy and we were a willing audience. You just never knew what humorous comment was going to come out of her mouth! I guess when you live past 80, you’ve earned the right to say what you want.     I hope I get the chance to do that.

She loved flowers and watching the birds, Cardinals and Goldfinches were her favorite. She liked to keep her hands busy, whether that was helping in the garden or working on some sort of needle craft (several examples of which can be spotted around Nancy’s home). She made a mean potato salad and looked forward each summer to lobster rolls - on griddled hotdog buns, of course!

But most of all, Gertrude was loved as evidenced by the family and friends that always surrounded her. She will be missed.

——————————————————————————————————–

Gertrude M. Noyes          December 23, 1920 ~ October 13, 2009

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Il y a des banques qui ont leur siège à la Défense. C’est nul, les journalistes n’y vont jamais, bien trop loin et pas le temps de faire un voyage de presse en province. Du coup les établissements financiers sont contraints de faire des événements dans les grands hôtels parisiens. Ce n’est pas le cas du «banquassureur » de ce matin (enfin d’avant-hier, je me suis relâchée en raison d’une sombre histoire de pot de colle qui a abîmé ma motivation journalistique pendant 24 H) qui a pris demeure, depuis le création des sous, à deux pas de l’Elysée. Une bâtisse sublime et chargée d’histoire que seule une carte de presse ou un changement de carrière en direction de la banque peut vous faire pénétrer.

 J’étais très en retard ce matin là, car victime d’une grosse crise d’orientation (impossible de retrouver l’avenue Matignon, ce qui à mon sens est une dérive politique de ma part liée à des relations sentimentales gauchisantes). Après les informations précises de ma mère pour retrouver l’endroit, j’entre dans la demeure historique de notre hôte. L’immeuble a été entièrement refait l’an dernier et au milieu des bâtiments historiques (comprendre vieux, genre haussmannien, parquet, moulure, cheminée [PMC pour les amateurs de seloger.com qui recherche un appartement]) trône une terrasse couverte par une pyramide en verre fort haute de plafond. Un espace où les salariés peuvent prendre leurs petits-déjeuners en consultant leurs mails de la nuit (le banquier est en relation avec NY et Shanghai en permanence..). On se croirait dans le Sud de la France et face à cette découverte (des bureaux sympas ! ), je suis à deux doigts de rentrer dans les ordres bancaires.

Un peu plus loin, se déroule la conférence de presse sur l’inflation. Dans une salle d’un tout autre genre ornée de beaucoup beaucoup d’ornements qui rappellent les églises de Prague légèrement chargées, les journalistes (déjà là depuis 20 minutes puisque je suis très en retard), sont attablés autour du responsable de la gestion. Ce dernier est entrain de parler de variations de prix et de faire une analyse contraire à celle qu’il a faite au même endroit il y a six mois, mais la même que celle d’il y a un an. C’est très rassurant.

Horreur ! Plus de place pour moi, l’inflation fait un tabac ! On me met donc dans un coin face à un portrait de barbu en costume du XIXe siècle que j’imagine être le grand oncle de l’orateur … Je tiens mon café sur mes genoux, ça sent le drame, je refuse le jus d’orange.

Je discute pendant ce temps avec moi même sur l’histoire de cet endroit, les guerres qui ont du se dérouler sous ses 4m40 (à la louche j’ai hésité à écrire 12 m 30 mais vous ne m’auriez pas cru) de plafond pour la défense des livrets A. Les chevaux qui ont traversé la cour après  s’être battus pour la révolution du PEL. Je fantasme sur la biographie des individus accrochés sur les murs qui sont probablement les ancêtres du banquier moderne à l’aise dans sa cravate. Aght,  il faut y aller , la conférence est finie. Le musée ferme ses portes, c’était super.

Prochain rdv : je vais à la plaine Saint Denis demain mais je pense que vous vous en fichez, vous n’aimez que le bling, alors ce sera mardi pour un cocktail !

OK so this is a bit different from what I usually post, but much of last weekend was devoted to food so I thought I would do a short post on my foodie weekend.  As i’ve mentioned before my brother Edd is a real foodie, so when he comes to visit we tend to focus a lot on food.  This weekend was no different and this time we focused on chocolate, as it is currently National chocolate week.

The main event was “Chocolate Unwrapped”, essentially a chocolate fair at the May Fair Hotel.  The event showcased some of the UK’s greatest chocolate companys, including the London based Rococo Chocolates and Paul A. Young.  It should come as no surprise that we left the hotel with a fair bit of excellent chocolate, including a marmite chocolate from Paul A. Young.

Now this doesn’t sound very nice, and frankly it wasn’t.  It was pretty awful if i’m honest, but when you see something like that you just have to try it.  While the marmite might not have gone down too well, Paul A. Young’s other chocolates were spectacular, especially his Salted Caramel.  While we were at Chocolate Unwrapped we also met Louise Thomas, otherwise known as The Chocolate Consultant!  Does that not sound like the perfect job!!  Do take a look at her website which launches today as it sounds like a very interesting venture.

The other food highlight of the weekend was without doubt brunch at The Breakfast Club in Soho.  I’m not saying this is the place to go for fancy posh food, far from it, but if you want a really great meal in a great atmosphere then this is the place to go.  And it’s all reasonably priced as well.  I had the “The American” which was brilliant, while Edd had the pancakes which he loved.  I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning than this place.  I will definitely be returning!

You can find the Soho Breakfast Club at 33 D’Arby Street just off the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford Street, and they also have other locations in Hoxton and Angel.

Most of the French antique furniture Frenchfinds supplies are from the late 1800s or early 1900s.  Almost all of these items are made in certain in style harking back to definitive earlier periods of French furniture design.

From the 1830s, starting with Gothic and Rococo revivals, it became more and more popular to reinvent these styles to fit the tastes of the day. As tastes blended and fashions became more mixed up, motifs from eras cross-fertilised the craftmanship changing furniture from true reproductions to interpretations to please clients of the time.

In order to help understand these categories we have put together a quick guide to the antique French furniture styles we sell. Below are the first 3 categories in the series – Rococo, Henri II and Louis XVI.

Provencal, Napolean III, Empire, Louis XV, Louis XIII, Breton and Louis Phillipe styles will be covered in forthcoming posts.

Rococo

Rococo style furniture, is mimicking furniture of the time associated with the Régence and the reign of Louis XV (1715 – 1774). It is recognisable by its almost Italian flamboyance, a signature roceille or Rococo shell crest, cabriolet legs that curvaciously kick out and spiral escargot (snail) feet. Wikipedia has a great overview of the Rococo period here.

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Henri II

Harking back to Henri II reign of 1519 – 1559, these revival pieces are an antithesis to the Rococo style. Usually, very straight, simple, block like with geometric patterns and often with some kind of column, the carving is heavy as is the type/colour of wood used. Some revival pieces combine more decorative carvings such as a simple crest with the masculine square shape of the French furniture, the torch and quiver is a familiar motif within this style.

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Louis XVI

Aping furniture from approx 1774-1792 the Louis XVI style is a balance between the square lines of Henri II, the decorative flurries of the Rococo style and sometimes the romanesque/greek like Empire styles. Swags, flowers, bows and delicate carvings are framed by strong symmetrical box frames, simple lines and repeating tessellated patterns. A variety of our beds come under the Louis XVI style banner and can vary from using cane and intricately molded plasterwork to upholstered to wooden beds. A central theme appears to be the use of a carved flower within a square usually on the join between the foot or head board and the side rails.

Hello all out there in Internetland! I am starting my blog. Officially. Today. Why am I doing this? It all goes back to an experience I had when I was working on a printing press! While I was in high school, I took a job as an apprentice for a company in Butler, Wisconsin. The company’s name was Western States Envelope Company. I would go to school during the day and after school, would drive to work for a few hours. I was assigned to work on a printing press for six months to completely understand how the press and the printing process worked. Now, this was a little boring for me, as I was a “jogger” most of the time. What’s a jogger? They “jog” the paper before it gets sucked into the press. One shifts the sheets and ensures that they get filled with air. This prevents them from clogging the printing press. Anyway, while I was working this job, I, of course, daydreamed. All I can remember dreaming about was starting a newsletter of my own. Now, I know that a blog is not a newsletter, but I remember how cool I thought it would be to be able to write stories and journalistic experiences, and have many people actually read my words! It was invigorating. It was exciting. It was idealistic. It was in my head, and it helped me get through that experience! I always told myself that I would somehow start a “newsletter”-like production and get it out there for people to read. After all, I think I have some great things to share with you. So, it is in that spirit that I officially start my blog today. I hope you are positively impacted by it.

Sampling some of the world’s finest chocolate in Mayfair sounded like a glorious way to spend a Sunday afternoon, so I headed down to the May Fair Hotel for Chocolate Unwrapped, the first show dedicated solely to delicious cocoa goodness.  It was like entering Marie-Antoinette’s boudoir, with an intoxicating scent of chocolate and tables laden with exquisite morsels and pretty, shiny wrappers – I was in heaven!

Part of the UK’s Chocolate Week, Chocolate Uncovered featured exhibits from 25 of the country’s most respected and innovative chocolatiers and talks from Rococo founder Chantal Coady, the MD of Hotel Chocolat and Visit Mexico.  Samples were unlimited and plentiful and aside from atempting a full-on sugar coma, you could peruse dessert cookery books from Foyles and admire the incredible chocolate sculptures by renowned artists and chocolatiers.

I adored Rococo’s fragrant earl grey and rose scented chocolate bars, Paul Wayne Gregory’s salted caramels, Pacari’s cocoa nibs and Paul A. Young’s gooey ultimate chocolate fudge brownies.

Being the geek that I am, I had to make it an educational trip, so I attended the talk given by Visit Mexico and the co-founder of the authenic Mexican restaurant Mestizo, on the history of chocolate and its importance in Mexican cuisine.

I discovered that cocoa was drunk by the ancient civilisations of Central America, including the Aztec and Maya communities from as early as 2000BC.  It was taken back to the court of Spain in 1527AD and eventually reached England in the 1650s and, like gin, was used for medicinal purposes.

But the main part of the talk was the celebratory role that chocolate plays in Mexican culture – chocolate skulls are exchanged like Valentine’s roses on the Day of the Dead and mole (pronounced ‘molay’) is laboriously prepared for weddings, funerals and religious holidays.

Mole is an aromatic sauce that usually accompanies different kinds of meat and is created using a blend of onion, garlic, tomatilla, dried chilli, nuts, seeds, spices and of course, chocolate.  There are many different kinds of mole originating from various regions in Mexico, all with different colours and flavours.

We sampled the brown Mole Poblano, slow-roasted with chicken and it was one of the most complex, flavoursome sauces I’ve ever tasted.  It reminds me a lot of my favourite Iranian dish, Fesen Joon – a textured sauce made from ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses and served with chicken.

Chocolate Unwrapped’s chocolatiers will be hosting a series of talks, tasting sessions and demonstrations around London for Chocolate Week.  There will be also chocolate-themed afternoon teas and set menus at selected restaurants as part of London Restaurant Festival.

Chocolate Week runs from 12-18 October and events will be held at venues across London.  Check out  www.chocolate-week.co.uk for more details.

So another week another PR push. Yes, I know I know, I did say that I wasn’t exactly a fan of National This or National That weeks. But this is chocolate and well…isn’t every week chocolate week, or is that just me? The event has been around for six years now and it aims to promote and support British Chocolatiers and producers. There are events and promotions across the country but the main reason I’m posting about it is that I attended the big launch event – Chocolate Unwrapped.

The event was held at the May Fair hotel and featured the top Chocolatiers from across the country as well as talks from a mix of different people. During the session we attended, the talks were from Sara Jayne Stanes, Director of the Academy of Culinary Arts and Chairman of the Academy of Chocolate, who gave a great talk about the history and cultivation of chocolate specifically around Mexico. The second talk was from Chantal Coady the founder of Rococo Chocolates who covered some of the same material but also talked about the plantation and chocolate company they support in Grenada, she also demonstrated a recipe for an emergency chocolate dessert. Of course the main draw was to see all those different chocolatier’s in one place. We tried chocolate from Rococo, Melt, Paul A Young and Gorvett and Stone  amongst others. We bought a little, okay maybe a lot of chocolate but it was all in the name of research of course.

First up was Paul A Young, a shop I have been meaning to try since they opened in 2006. They are well known for a number of things but are famous for they’re Salted Caramels and the Marmite Truffle. We decided to film our responses to the marmite because it could well be a bit of a car crash because we don’t like marmite. I was just so intrigued with the flavour that we had to try it, knowing we probably not like it. (I know I come across a bit odd in the video but I promise in real life im perfectly normal)

I think I may have found my new favourite thing with Paul’s caramel, it was heavenly, and ill definately be back for more next time I’m back in London. We also bought a few bits from Melt and Rococo Chocolates, which we haven’t eaten yet but there are plenty of pics to get those taste buds going.

Whilst we were at the show we tried some of the wafers from Rococo along with their new Raspberry and Violet, which was a real success. The chocolate was balanced really well against the bright blackcurrant and  violet which wasn’t so strong that it reminded you of an old fashioned violet cream.

Whilst we were at the show we also tried Melt’s caramels, which I have to say were simply the best I have ever had. The plain were soft and melted on the tongue, full of cream and flecked with vanilla, simple yet perfect. The chocolate were even softer and had the same melty texture but with a serious cocoa hit but with not even a hint of bitterness.