Retail Design Inspiration

On the weekend I decided to take a trip to the high-end retail area of Vancouver as sometimes you can find surprising inspiration. Jacob was also looking for shoes so that didn't hurt either. We walked along the Robson street area and had a lovely day enjoying the city.

Not only is the retail interior design of all Aritzia stores great, they also have really creative window displays as well. These ones were so inventive in theme and the colour palette was lovely.

We stopped in at The Bay which has 6 floors I believe, these shots were taken on the floor that is called The Room. This Boutique section of the Bay can only be found in Toronto and Vancouver and it is Sooooo amazing! The interior design was stunning right down to the fixtures and the flooring.  There was also a lovely floral wall installation that added to the art gallery feel of the space. The clothes and accessories were like sculpture and I almost had sensory overload from the fantasticalness of it all. Another great thing is that this area of the bay features many great Canadian fashion designers which is awesome.

This fabric was probably one of the most stunning I had ever seen. The most delicate lace that had been printed with a lace pattern on top! So beautiful.

Recycled bottle vase/planters

I finally decided to take some pictures of the recycled bottle planters on their own without any plants in them and some new shots of them with more minimal plants . I also thought it would be cool to show them being used to hold flowers as that is also an option. As a result I changed some listings on my Etsy store and added these items to my Cargoh store!

Happy Valentine's Day! I don't really subscribe to all of the commercialness that can come with Valentine's Day but I don't think having an excuse to tell people you love them is all that bad either. On that note I leave you with an acoustic version of one of my favourite songs, just when I thought Hey Rosetta couldn't get any better :)

Young Glass

Time Capsules

As a continuation to my Cultures Series I have been working on some seed inspired pieces. Seeds are amazing as they really are time capsules containing the past present and future information pertinent to a plants survival. I have taken some design elements that are essential for the dispersal of certain types of seeds and created these free formed collages of shapes and textures.

Treasury

One part of Etsy that I really enjoy is the curated treasuries. If your not familiar with this they basically are a way for other sellers or members to create vignettes of items that have some sort of theme. I thought I would share one that was sent to me that I thought as quite lovely and includes my recycled planters. Happy Friday! To view click HERE!

Spring/Summer 2012 mini catalogue

Here is a sneak peek at the marian+hazel new spring/summer 2012 jewellery collection!

You can view the mini catalogue HERE.

Collected Heritage

I have been working on some pieces that follow a theme which has been rattling around my head for a while. There is a show coming up that will highlight some members work who belong to GAAC (glass art association of Canada) and the curated theme fits in with the work that I have been exploring recently. I am not sure if these pieces will be in the show but regardless I had so much fun making them :) 

Collected Heritage Series #1

Collected Heritage Series #1 (detail)

Collected Heritage Series #2

Collected Heritage Series #2

These pieces are comprised of layers of screen printed glass that is layered in a shadow box. The shadows become imagery themselves when the light passes through the glass and the ink.

Here is my artist statement regarding these pieces.

In this unsure and often concerning present, there are some things that transcend time giving us comfort and reminding us of that special person or occasion from the past. An old postcard that was sent to your great grandmother during the war telling her everything would be okay, even if it really wasn’t. A crocheted doily made lovingly, each thread meticulously manipulated into an item that is often overlooked or kept in a drawer. Pictures of ancestors highlighting that distinctive nose on your mothers side or the kind eyes that your grandfather had. All of these images transcend the turmoil that is happening in the world reminding us of the importance of familial history and to cherish it. In archeological terms, textiles and paper have a limited life span degrading over time and often disappearing altogether. Rendering these works in glass gives them an archival quality while also using the inherent properties of glass to highlight characteristics such as fragility and transparency. Putting these images and items in a new context gives them a layered meaning that surpasses the actual memories themselves.