Tete a tete c. 1880s

“If you are going to walk the walk, you should talk the talk.”

“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” –Socrates -

TETE A TETE: In decorative arts, a short piece of furniture such as a small sofa, or two chairs, intended to seat two persons, typically facing one another and often shaped like an S.  Tete a tetes  come in all styles and periods.   Perfect for having , you know, a tete a tete.  It is seen spelled with hyphens: tete-a-tete and without hyphens.

Contemporary tete a tete

WARREN MCARTHUR Rare tete-a-tete, ca. 1930

Tete A Tete By Victor Dinovi. USA, 1999.

Italian Venetian style (19th cent.) carved and polychromed double peacock design conversation seat (tete-a-tete)

American Victorian (Mission) natural wicker tete-a-tete (conversation seat) with shaped back and tapestery uphostered seat and back (HEYWOOD WAKEFIELD)

DwellStudio Harrisson Tete-A-Tete, Magnus Mineral

Tete a tete by Christopher Guy

Laurie Beckerman’s Tete-a-Tete Rocker

Victorian French Rococo walnut tete-a-tete chair

French style tete a tete

And just for the record, tete a tete also means an intimate conversation between two people.  Plus it is a type of daffodil.

Tete a Tete by Laurie Lipton

Artwork by Carina Roholm Svith

Photo credits:  Tete a tete  c. 1880s  Beige tetea tete.  Mcarthur tete a tete Peacock tete a tete  Wicker tete a tete  Dwell studio tete at tete  Christopher Guy  Rocker   leopard tete a tete  French style    Laurie Lipton daffodil

IT’S FINALLY HERE!!

Summer, that is.  On Saturday, the sun was shining, a light breeze kept things comfy and I was out on the East End of Long Island.  Finally, I could relax.

While my guys were out fishing ( if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you know how that turned out–looks like I will be learning how to cook mako shark), I went on a fabulous garden tour in East Hampton.   I have more than enough pretties to make up for my time away!

There were plenty of gorgeous outdoor rooms.  In some cases the words porch, patio or terrace seemed so incongruous-like this next room for instance.

Hard to believe that one wall of this room is open to the outdoors

Many would like to bring this outdoor kitchen, indoors.

Love the shade of blue on the ceiling and the curved wooden door

Of course,  I saw beautiful spots to dine and relax alfresco.  I wish I snapped a close-up of this marble topped table.

Each outdoor space was divinely styled.

The driftwood looks fab, and I am sure the staff whisks it away when the fireplace is used–kindling it is not!

Vignette in the indoor/outdoor living room

Pretty grouping

Beautiful colors and patina

Loved this outdoor mirror

The pools were worthy of Slim Aarons.

Pools in East Hampton, NY

And,certainly , let’s not forget the actual gardens.

Gardens in East Hampton, NY

Gardens in East Hampton, NY

Obviously an amazing day.

Oh, and this little shack included on the tour?  Oceanfront, natch.

All photos by Lynn Byrne for Decor Arts Now.  The garden tour is held annually to benefit ARF,  the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons.  I plan to mark my calendar for next year!

It’s Saturday and my plan for today was to bang out a week’s worth of blog posts for you to read while I was busy taking  my mother back to Pittsburgh and getting her settled in her own home.

It is not going to happen.

So very sorry to keep complaining–I must sound like a broken record.  Still, when I drop out a while I like to at least leave an explanation.

The last several months have really taken a toll on me, what with my son’s diagnosis of a serious neurological disease, my mother’s surgery and my own surgery, among other things…(yes there is more but a gal has to keep some things to herself).  Not surprisingly, the stress has induced a major flare in my degenerative disk disease, so I am in pain too.

Rather than research and type away, I have decided to heed the words of a very wise young woman who I follow on Instagram.  

So while I know others would motor through and get those posts done ( I can think of at least ten bloggers right off the bat.), I plan to pack for the week and, then,  sit on my porch a while.  Although I have oodles of interesting post ideas, and a part of me wants to attack the keyboard, I know I really need to relax today away from typing.

Wish me luck next week.  My mom refuses to drive up here, so we don’t know if she is capable of it.  A huge worry, on top of the general concern of her being home alone after 11 weeks with us, since it is impossible to manage life in the suburbs of Pittsburgh without a car.

I will be back soon.  Hopefully to some peace.

xxoo,

Lynn

First photo. Last photo.

Can you be a little loosey-goosey?

I hope so, because that is what it is going to take to make my chili.  When I first posted pictures of my chili on Instagram, a number of you asked for the recipe.  I didn’t comply because I don’t have one.

While I am generally a recipe cook, chili is one meal I throw together.  Yesterday I made it again, and tried to quantify the ingredients.  I did my best, and while the ingredient list is complete, the amounts of the spices are approximate guidelines.  If you make this, you will need to rely on your own tastebuds.  I hope you can deal.

But first, let’s talk about the kitchen.

I am completely seduced with the idea of using black cabinets in a kitchen and I love it paired, as it is here, with Carrara marble countertops.  When it comes to marble countertops, I am squarely in the camp who thinks that stains and etching are desirable patina. I actually like the look of wear and tear.  I find that the Carrara marble counters I inherited in my Montauk kitchen actually hold up  surprisingly well.

In this kitchen, I am on the fence about about the pendants hanging from the cabinets above the windows.  It is an interesting solution.  However,  if it were my design, I would at least consider eliminating those cabinets and installing a roman shade in a splashy fabric (hello Moon Blossom from Beacon Hill’s Midnight Garden collection) ,  up by the ceiling with the pendants in front.  What do you think?

I can’t resist showing you a couple more kitchens with sexy black cabinets.  I am strongly considering this for my future NYC apartment  (I am not moving for at least  18 months, but that doesn’t stop my dreaming).

Now, onto what’s cooking….

Lynn’s Chili 

This makes a giant pot that could easily serve 10–perhaps at your next Super Bowl party. I typically freeze half for a second supper.  Folks who follow me on Instagram know that I employ the “make extra for a rainy day” strategy often.  It is so nice to pull your homemade meal out of the freezer, and have it ready to roll on a busy day.

Ingredients

3 pounds ground sirloin (less fat than other ground meat)

1 large Vidalia onion

1 large garlic clove minced

1 large green pepper

1 large red pepper

2 15.5 ounce cans of kidney beans

2 15.5 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

chili powder (I use about 4 tablespoons)

cumin (I use about 1 teaspoon)

cayenne pepper ( a sprinkle )

salt and pepper to taste

Shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese as a condiment.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips

Method

1. I use the food processor to finely chop the onion and peppers.  I pulse till the vegetables are almost a puree.  Others might like their veggies chunkier, but I find that my boys leave the chunks of veggies in their bowls, while they eat the veggies when their presence is practically hidden.  It doesn’t take much to fool the male teenage mind when it comes to filling their bellies.

2. Saute onion until it begins to sweat, add garlic. Saute 30 seconds more.

3. Add finely chopped peppers. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of chili powder over the lot.  Saute a few minutes as they release their liquid.

4. Add the ground meat and brown.   Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1 Tablespoon of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of cumin.  The meat will throw off some liquid.  If you have used ground sirloin, there will be very little, if any, fat.  Cook to boil off some of the liquid.  Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to your taste.

5. Add the tomatoes.  At this point, I begin taste testing.  Yesterday, I added 3 more teaspoons of chili powder and about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, plus some additional salt and pepper.

6. Add the beans.  For the kidney beans,  I open the cans and toss them in–liquid and all.  I drain and rinse the black beans before adding.  After I put in the beans, I added a pinch more cumin.

7. Taste everything and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind that as the chili simmers, the seasonings will become more pronounced.

8. Let the chili simmer for about an hour.  Taste and correct the seasonings. I usually only need to add a bit of salt and pepper at this stage, but do whatever tastes good to you.

9. Serve with the cheese sprinkled on top and some tortilla chips.

Photo credits: first image, Kitchens from my kitchen pinterest board.  Food images from my Instagram

“If you are going to walk the walk, you should talk the talk.”

CARTOUCHE:  a decorative ornamentation that represents a sheet of paper with scrolled ends or a shield, oval or abstract form with curled edges.  Sometimes bears an inscription.  Often used on Renaissance, Baroque or Rococo furniture.  In archaeology, it refers to an oval or oblong shape enclosing Egyptian hieroglyphics that typically express divine or royal names.  

19th century cartouche with greek key ornament

Cartouche in the Rococo style

Cartouche with the monogram of Jean-Baptiste Amelot de Bisseuil, by Thomas Regnaudin (French, 1622–1706). Carved wood, ca. 1660, from the door panels of the Hôtel Amelot de Bisseuil, 47 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4th arrondissement of Paris.

Panels decorated with cartouches

Cartouche back chair

White rimmed boards in the shape of a cartouche

Cartouche bracelet

Doorway with cartouche surround

Vase with handpainted cartouche

Cartouches of Caesarion in Dendera Temple, Egypt.

Photo credits:  first image  19th century cartouche  Rococo  Paris cartouche   architecture  Panels    boards   bracelet     doorway  vase  Egyptian cartouche  chair

A drop of ink may make a million think.”
― George Gordon Byron

Flower photo, my own shot at the Dering Hall booth at ICFF.  And, btw, I am with you Oprah. That is how I feel about blogging!

Michelle and Asher Edelman’s Elegant Living Room with a Sculpture by Frank Stella

This is an “only in New York story” spiced with a pinch of blogging kismet.  Settle in for a long post, because I have recently had a fascinating day.

It all began more than 4 years ago when I first started Decor Arts Now.  At that time in my blogging life, I wondered if anyone was reading me.  Unexpectedly I got a comment (Eureka!) which led to a tweet (I had to google twitter to find out what it was) from a woman going by the pseudonym of Eloise Moorehead.  Joy!  She liked what I wrote and seemed to read each post.  I think she may have been my first loyal follower.

Fast forward several years.  Eloise came clean as a young woman passionate about art and design with the real name of Eden Cayen,  and she was still reading my blog.  I love this girl, obvs.

Then about a 2 weeks ago, she sealed the deal.  Eden, who now worked at well known gallery, Edelman Arts, emailed me with a fabulous invitation.  Would I make room in my schedule for a private preview of the first solo exhibition of noted Brazilian painter Paulo Laport at the gallery?  The artist, himself,  would be there discussing his work.  Oh, and Michelle and Asher Edelman would love to have me to lunch at their townhouse (packed with the finest art!!) afterwards.  Plus (insert smiley face) Eden and I could finally met in real life.

Um, yes please. I think I could squeeze it in.

I didn’t know the artist, but given the exquisite taste of Edelman Arts I knew it would be a worthwhile show and I was not disappointed.  Paulo Laport’s work is elegant and nuanced.  His manipulates paint by means of both brush and paddle strokes using tools of his own design to create extraordinary texture  and luminous light effects.  At first glance, he seems to work with a highly neutral palette, but that is misleading.   Looking more deeply, one sees layer upon layer of emerging tones that shimmer like pearls and marble.

SPINO 2011, oil on cotton
Paulo Laport

The artist explains, “The calibration given by the paddle and the brush, the width and the pressure , are done to pull out the undercoat in the coat being applied over it.  That’s why you see both dimensions at the same time. It should create a visual collision.”   The true intricacies of this work are most apparent on first hand inspection, but take a look at these detail snaps that I took to show the layers of color and  tone, and the amazing texture.

Paulo Laport

Paulo Laport

I think the paintings have the appearance of a weaving, and, indeed most are done on fabrics like linen and cotton.  I was shocked to learn from Asher Edelman that to achieve his desired layered effect, Paulo must complete any painting done on cloth in 24 hours.

The other guests attending the preview thought my outfit toned well with the paintings and asked me to pose in front of one of the larger canvases.  Hard to believe Paolo can paint something like this in a day.

Painting by Paulo Laport

Where would I hang these works?  Any one of them would look great in the Edelman’s living room opposite the Stella.  I see them in a “white” space, any setting where colors are neutral and natural materials like stone and wood add texture.  My guess is designer Mariette Himes Gomez would love them.  (Eden, perhaps you should suggest that the Edelmans invite her over!)

But the day was not near finished.

We headed upstairs to the Edelman’s home for a delicious lunch where I was hit over the head  in their dining room with one of the most monumental works of art I have ever seen in person, Doug Argue’s Genesis.

Genesis, oil on llnen, 160 x 230 inches, 2007-2009
Doug Argue

Michelle Edelman explained that the painting actually is made up of all of the letters in the book of Genesis, pointing out the letter G.  Phenomenal.

Genesis, detail
Doug Argue

I could go on and on. And on and on.  How about just a few more snaps of this incredible afternoon?

Unidentified artwork behind desk in gallery; the tabletop for lunch; inside the Edelman’s elevator, Homage to Teenage Boy beer can sculpture by Pruitt Early and detail of same.

If you are in the NYC metro area, treat yourself to seeing  Paulo Laport’s elegant paintings in person.  They will be on view until July 12.  Edelman Arts is located at 136 East 74th Street.

Gosh I ♥ my blog.  The doors it has opened!!

Artist, Paulo Laport

Photo credits: Rooms in the montage used as an example of a nice setting for Laport’s paintings sourced from June 2013  Elle Decoration and June 2013 Living Etc.  All other images, my own,  except for the image of Laport’s SPINO which came from Edelman Art, and the image that I am in.

What makes this country kitchen fresh?  

It is the pairing of white cabinets with the black range and island and those gorgeous concrete countertops.  Matte brass with a patina is in, and  the cabinet hardware and light fixture in this kitchen deliver the trend.  The bird cage collection adds texture and whimsy.  The addition of pewter keeps the look from becoming  too formulaic.  And, of course, the open shelving gives it a down-home feel.

So what’s cooking?

Baked Chicken with Onions, Potatoes, Garlic and Thyme

Baked chicken with onions, potatoes, garlic and thyme

This chicken is in regular, weekday rotation in our house. There is just something so convenient  about having most of your  meal cooking in the same pan.  It takes about 10 minutes to prepare.  Just add a salad and some crusty bread to spread the roasted garlic on, and you are done. It smells great while it is cooking!

Super easy.  Serves 4 with plenty of leftovers to please my sons.

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 pounds of your favorite chicken pieces. My guys like white meat. I use my kitchen sheers to cut the chicken breasts in half.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved or quartered if large

1 large red onion, cut into eighths

1 head garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled

6 large sprigs thyme (I have sprinkled over dried thyme in a pinch, but it is not as good as fresh)

1 lemon quartered

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

coarse salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Arrange chicken, potatoes, onion , garlic, thyme and lemon on a 13″ x 18″ jelly roll pan.

3. Whisk together oil and vinegar and drizzle over chicken and vegetables.

4. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken skin side up in the pan.

5. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 50 minutes.

Credits: Kitchen, Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.  Food photos my own, snapped with my iPhone, while cooking.

Feedback wanted please. You all are so kind when I instagram my cooking photos. Do you want the recipes??  (I am a real recipe cook–no chef hat here).  Please let me know if I should continue to run the Foodie Friday column.  Thanks ever so much. 

Woman in the Tub, 1886
Edgar Degas

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”  Edgar Degas

Five things to know about Edgar Degas:

1. Degas loved the Louvre.  His parents took him there when he was small  for Sunday outings  where he would study the paintings while his brother slid down the halls.  Later Degas would copy some of the paintings  in homage.

2. Although he is well known for his paintings of ballet and horse races, Degas also made hundreds of studies of the female nude, painting them in every angle, in every pose and in all different lights.  This is ironic, as he never had a female partner and is renowned for his sexual abstinence.

3. Degas hated the term Impressionism and preferred to be called a Realist.

4. When he made his studies of woman, Degas was battling blindness.  From the 1880′s onward, he could actually see very little, and had a large dark spot in the center of his visual field.  It was at this time, that he began using pastels instead of oil paints, because he felt he could achieve his desired result quicker with pastel than oil.

5. Degas turned to sculpture when he was nearly blind, creating a series of figures in wax, some of which were cast in bronze after his death, by relying solely on his sense of touch.

EDGAR DEGAS
“Intimacy and Pose”

More of Degas’ female nudes:

Edgar Degas

Degas said that his female figures were unique.  He claimed that, prior to his work,  painted nudes presupposed an observer.  He said his figures, on the other hand,  ”portrayed the human animal self-absorbed” and he described his women as “simple, honest folk concerned only with their physique.”

I have chosen to pair Degas’ female studies with Teil Duncan’ s nudes, because Teil’s female figures also have a certain air of self absorption. They too seem oblivious to any onlooker.

Degas rarely showed the face of the women he portrayed.  Teil does depict a frontal view at times, but the facial features are often not developed.

Here are more of her nudes.

Teil Duncan

In my opinion, Teil Duncan’s paintings are an absolute steal.  I didn’t click on every painting on her website (she is prolific), but it appeared that  prices  begin at $140, with her largest works selling in the range of $1100.   Paintings sell quickly but she posts her latest work on her tunblr.  This gal is going places!   Do pay a visit to her website, where I  sourced these images.

Teil Duncan’s Studio
The more you look, the more you know.

The idea behind my column, Art School, is to give people more confidence when purchasing art.  It’s true that you really can’t go wrong, if you buy what you love.  Still, studying famous artists and works of art from the past does help you recognize emerging talent.  With Art School, I will feature 5 things to know about an artist or work of art in art history and suggest a contemporary artist whose work is complimentary.  

]]> http://www.decorartsnow.com/2013/05/30/art-school-from-edgar-degas-to-teil-duncan/feed/ 4 http://www.decorartsnow.com/2013/05/29/new-and-now-midnight-garden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-and-now-midnight-garden http://www.decorartsnow.com/2013/05/29/new-and-now-midnight-garden/#comments Wed, 29 May 2013 05:00:56 +0000 Lynn http://www.decorartsnow.com/?p=19096

Moon Blossom, from the Midnight Garden Collection by Beacon Hill

“Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.”  William Wordsworth

Dreamy, seductive, mysterious, opulent, fantastical.  Suddenly, down you drop through Alice’s rabbit hole to a magical world, where nature’s beauty is enhanced beyond your wildest dreams.

The leaves and flowers are hugely lush.  You come upon a lion stalking the woods.

Lioness from the Midnight Garden Collection at Beacon Hill

Suddenly, you find yourself encircled by vines, but rather than trapped, you feel one with your surroundings.

Enchanted vine from the Midnight Garden Collection at Beacon Hill

And then you stumble upon an ancient temple for refuge.

Hidden Temple from the Midnight Garden Collection at Beacon Hill

We are talking about fabric here.  You can bring this magical world into your own home with Beacon Hill’s new textile collection, Midnight Garden.

The collection is inspired by a movement, called Romantic Naturalism, that celebrates nature itself as a work of art.  The concept was first made popular by 19th century artists and tastemakers and continues to inspire creatives to this day.

Indeed, the designers of Midnight Garden scoured estate sales and antique markets in search of  historical documents from that period to inspire their designs, eventually settling on four patterns from France and England.  They then reworked the scale, motifs and coloration to arrive at today’s collection.

The historic documents that inspired the Midnight Garden collection.

What a pleasure to have strolled in this garden.  See the whole collection here.

The designers of Midnight Garden

“The flowers, the gorgeous, mystic, multi-colored flowers are not the flowers of life, but people, yes people are the true flowers of life; and it has been a most precious pleasure to have temporarily strolled in your garden.”  Lord Buckley

All fabric images from Beacon Hill’s Midnight Garden collection.  The collages include art, photography, fashion and handiwork that reflect the concept of  Romantic Naturalism.

First collage: painting by John Constable, Moon blossom fabric garden.  Second collage: paintings by Rousseau.  Lioness fabric in emerald and teak.  Third collage: enchanted vine fabric, Alexander McQueen, house, handiwork.  Fourth collage: Stephanie Zobrist.  Samuel Palmer’s in a Shoreham Garden (1829).  Hidden Temple fabric.  Temple.