Have a Lovely Weekend....

I give you this beautiful shot that I have just taken as I say goodbye for the weekend...I have some serious celebrating of summer I need to get to! Now get off your computer and go enjoy!!

Where Tourists and Locals Meet In Seattle

I went to the market a few days back on the way to check out a gallery, and wanted to share with some of you who may not know, a few places around our famous Pike Place Market you have to hit the next time you are here...

You have to go through the madness and stinky smells just for the experience of what an old fashioned market experience is like...There is huge, fresh caught salmon, local (for the most part) veggies and fruit, flowers, handmade cheese, and a great Italian Market that sells everything you would need to make a delicious dinner. ( De Laurenti )







Here we have some giddy nutbags playing Grunge covers.There actually have been some amazing musicians that have played here...These guys were not one of them...

This is one of my favorite little joints in the market. They have super traditional crumpets with authentic toppings that are melt in your mouth delicious...The teas are fantastic too...



Always just coming out of the oven...

This traditional French bistro, Le Pichet is a must if you are near the market.






Tenzing Momo has been a cult favorite that is sort of a hidden gem in the back of the market...If you want amazing smelling oils, or herbs, come here...

REALLY nice and helpful people working here.

If you are a Globe or Map nerd like myself you must pay a visit to Metzger Maps...



The background Peninsula is called West Seattle and is where I live. There is a little ferry boat that will take you back and forth every couple of hours for your market fix. Come and visit me and I will meet you for a crumpet...


All Images by Jennifer Ament.

Artist and Home

This is the work and beautiful home of Artist and Blogger Lisa Borgnes. The pictures are from her show in May at The ACME Gallery in Los Angeles. On a wall with mixed art I would love one of these humorous, yet traditional and homey looking pieces. They could also stand alone in a cozy room like a den, or library, or in a modern environment as a juxtaposition. Her blog is one of my all time favorites and her house is amazing.





One of my favorite entries ever.

The guitar on the chaise makes me know these peeps know how to have a good time.


LOVE the hanging light...and the windows.

The gold horseshoe chair and the sheepskin make this scene pop.



OK, these 2 pieces are apparently older work, but I am so in love with them...The bottom one is apparently her old Manhattan apartment.






And the back yard? Where do I start?

Here is how Lisa describes her work...

I have always been fascinated with embroidery; my mother and grandmother were huge stitchers. What never appealed to me, however, was following a pattern. I wanted to sew my own life, my own obsessions and my own truths. I taught myself traditional methods of embroidery and then used them as the medium to bring my thoughts kicking and screaming to life.

I stitch onto burlap instead of fine-weave linen or cotton because the coarseness of the fabric feels modern to me and I wanted to use a fabric that visually felt a bit confrontational. My samplers aren't dainty little creatures under glass; they're not shy or retiring. Plus, the loose weave of burlap gave me the freedom of scale I was looking for. I think of my pieces as being "exploded" in the sense that they're blown up in size and freed from the limitations of historical subject matter.

As opposed to most of the work performed with a needle and thread in this town, my stitches show. They're black sutures which reveal inner truths.- Lisa Borgnes

You can click here to see her fabulous blog-
abloomsburylife.blogspot.com

Thankyou Lisa!

The Artful Lair

This office/art studio is my idea of heaven...Inspiration in every corner.

Bedroom art. Peaceful, Cozy...


The most interesting, art filled hallway EVER...One of my favorites for sure. It epitomizes what Art & Lair means to me. Have a great weekend!

Via-Flickr/Vogue/Elle Decor

Artist of the Month : Harold Hollingsworth

We are so amazingly lucky to have the insane amount of creative talent we have here in Seattle.
Local Seattle artist Harold Hollingsworth is someone I have been wanting to feature for a while. Not only is he an amazing talent, but also is as authentic as it gets. The talent gene runs in the family, his brother is a longtime friend, the fantastic photographer John Hollingsworth, (who I will do a post on soon). Here is some of what he told me about how this piece was created.It is hard for me to choose, but I think this piece titled "Loose" is my favorite.

"This inspiration for that piece you liked was basically two fold. One is I've been sketching lots this spring and summer, with pen and ink. It's loose and very invigorating. The bigger picture is how when I take these drawing and scan them, and run them through photoshop, and basically mess them up, how excited I am again at how they look once more, in a different light. I get to then project them onto large canvas's and see them all new and different, both in scale and context, and they become another thing altogether.
I'm inspired by a myriad of differing forces, philosophy, artificial and natural objects, science, pop culture. I think each medium and interest opens a new aperture into another life inside a painted picture."

The above image is a drawing from his sketchbook.
"Detail", Acrylic on Canvas.
"Scopa", Acrylic on Canvas.
Above image is a work in progress.
Local Artist and hero, Harold Hollingsworth. Thankyou Harold!
More info here-haroldhollingsworth.blogspot.com/

The Art Of Shoe.

One thing I will never understand is America's disdain for originality. When Bjork wore the "Swan" dress to the Grammy's years ago, my first thought was that she was the coolest person on the earth...I LOVED it . But mostly I loved that she did not take herself too seriously. To some, they might think you have to have a huge ego to pull that off, but I think the complete opposite. I think it has to do with self assurance not ego. Many people just dress the part because they can't let go of their "Fabulousness".

Anyhoo, I might have a hard time pulling these off, and I try to avoid major trends, but I say go for it, Cher, Bjork, Lady Gaga. How boring it would be without you!

Berlin artist Iris Schierferstein's new shoes. Above is Hoofs (2005) with horse hooves and zippers. Below is her more recent Vegas Girl (2009) with cow hooves and toy pistols and Temptation (2009) with pigeons.

These crack me up...What would you wear with this? Maybe a top hat and suspenders?

Animal Shoes by Iris Schieferstein.
See More-
http://froschportmann.com/

On the Lake.

This is what we will be doing this weekend (and pretty much every weekend this summer) We are big water nuts. I hope you all get out somewhere to refresh and recharge your bodies too.
These modern dinosaur birds make me happy, and love the lake livin' as much as I do.
Exploring the mysterious backroads of Washington's lakes...

Have a great weekend!