We’re thrilled to share a third installment of guest posts by our favorite cold weather friend, Tracey Smith. You can read her first guest post here and the second here. As you may know, Tracey is lucky enough to reside in the great snowy state of Colorado, which is where she finds inspiration for today’s [...]

Filed under: Art, Events, Exhibits, Inspiration, Nature, Travel on February 11th, 2010 | No Comments »

I grew up in Minnesota. As a kid, I remember seeing scarecrows in fields. They were quite basic, but I thought they were fascinating.
In recent years, it seems people are getting much more creative with their scarecrow designs. Now they are often used purely for decoration in yards as opposed to actually being put in fields to scarecrows away. They [...]

Filed under: Design, Travel on November 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

Josie Martin is an internationally known artist who resides in Akaroa, New Zealand. If you see her standing amidst her art, it may be difficult to determine where she ends and the art begins. She has a colorful personality to match her hair and wardrobe. A few years ago, my wife Nancy and I had the great fortune [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Travel on June 29th, 2009 | No Comments »

The 53rd International Art Exhibition is well underway in Venice. Every other year, the world descends on the city of water to take part in this Contemporary Art experience. The title of this year’s exhibit is “Making Worlds”. Daniel Birnbaum, the Director, explains why:
“A work of art represents a vision of the world and if taken seriously it [...]

Filed under: Art, Events, Exhibits, Travel on June 26th, 2009 | No Comments »

I had a fun surprise the other day when I was in Seattle. While wondering around downtown, a huge pig came driving down the street. I had to blink and look twice to make sure I saw what I saw. It was still morning and I had not imbided in anything stronger than orange juice so I [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Design, Green, Inspiration, Style, Travel on June 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »

Last week, I was in Seattle on business. One morning I went for a walk and ended up at Pike Place Market. I have been there numerous times but it is always enjoyable to see it again. One of the big entertainment attractions at the market is fish throwing.

What really caught my eye this time, though, were the cool neon signs, both at the [...]

Filed under: Art, Travel on June 17th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Ready to Spring into Summer during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend? Come along with me as I go on a virtual journey through the Biltmore House Gardens in Ashville, NC. I love to explore the seasonal blooms and multiple gardens! Thankfully, it just so happens that the Biltmore is practically in my backyard…
Designer Frederick Law Olmsted, the father [...]

Filed under: Art, Artaissance, Events, Floral, Holiday, Inspiration, Nature, Travel on May 22nd, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Do you ever truly think about all the different ways people express themselves with art? All day long we encounter art, but often we aren’t thinking of it that way.
For example, it wasn’t too long ago when food was simply plopped onto the plate and dinner was served. Today, in many restaurants, and not just the 5-star [...]

Filed under: Art, Pop Culture, Style, Travel on May 18th, 2009 | No Comments »

Celebrating Mother’s Day for the very first time as a brand new “Mommy” is pretty exciting for me. I’m amazed how my new perspective has enhanced my outlook on life, even art. I’ve always heard that motherhood would change my life - who knew how incredibly so? Not only do I now have a previously undetected radar [...]

Filed under: Art, Artaissance, Artists, Exhibits, Floral, From the Road, Holiday, Inspiration, Travel on May 8th, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Tony Foster is an extreme adventurer, avid protector/educator of the environment, and believe it or not…a dainty watercolor painter. Tony was born in England in 1946 and for the past 25 years, he has traveled to and lived in the world’s great wildernesses, including: rainforests, deserts, mountains and canyons; as well as the Arctic and the tropics.
Tony [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Green, Inspiration, Nature, Travel on March 31st, 2009 | No Comments »