Pyrex loves the Amish!

I don't collect Pyrex but when I came across two little vintage Amish Butterprint Dishes it was love at first sight. What's great about collecting vintage Pyrex is that it displays well as a collection and is also very functional. 

The two little containers perched above the larger one is what I found today at The Goodwill.

image via here

 

via my blessed life

via here

Years ago I found a Canadian made Pyrex Corning dish in the Spring Blossom pattern in a content sale. It was in it's original green packaging complete with instructions (similar to the one shown below).

I have yet to use it...

via here

They get around.

via GQ

Seems like everyone's gone collab happy. I like some, others not so much.

What do you think?

Karl's List.

image via Style Sight blog

photo by Karl Lagerfeld via Harper's Bazaar

In an article in Harper's Bazaar Karl Largerfeld shares his schedule. Folks this is Karl frickin' Lagerfeld with a capital "KL" so you know he's got a pretty spectacular routine, with all the idiosycrasies and particularities of a major icon. 

"I actually have two houses. This house here, it's only for sleeping and sketching, and I have another house two-and-a-half meters away for lunch and dinner"  Read more: My List: Karl Lagerfeld in 24 Hours - Harper's BAZAAR 

I love his space. From what I can see it's looks comfortable and usable not at all austere or over-designed. Gotta love KARL!

photo by Karl Lagerfeld via Harper's Bazaar

Modernism in Effect.

Rosti is a classic example of modern design at it's best. Good design with beautiful form and pure function, oh and the colours,WOW!!!! My fav the 'Margrethe' bowls were designed by Prince/industrial designer Sigvard Bernadotte for Georg Jensen back in the 1950s. I also love the pitchers/jugs designed by Soren Andersen (for Rosti, Netherlands). Oh and I gotta get me some of those great utensils( my fav is the long handle spoon with the hole in the middle) in a bunch of different colours. It's relatively easy to find vintage Rosti Mepal or you can also buy it brand new, that's the great thing about Rosti, it's accessible.

Sigvard Bernadotte, image via Nordic Rooms

via Margrethe here

via Etsy here

via here

via Etsy

via Apartment Therapy

via here

via Amazon here

Fantin's flowers.

images via wikpaintings

My last post was guns! today I'm posting flowers! weird I know but while I was at the antique market this morning I came across a book on Fantin Latour.  It's somewhat difficult to find books on him although he's pretty well known. A few years back I did manage to find a catalogue from a retrospective show but I had to order it online from a museum in Europe. So I was very happy to find this one, and for a mere 3 bucks!

No one, and I mean NO ONE!!! paints still life flowers like Fantin Latour. His colour palate is so refined, his compositions pure exquisiteness, and his brush strokes effortless. He is A MASTER!

Check out this excellent Wikipaintings link to see what I'm talking about, it's an excellent resource.

The Gun show

I like this series of drawings by artist Robert Longo. They are from a show called Bodyhammers and Death Stars almost two decades ago.

Bodyhammer: .38 Special (open chamber) via Robert Longo site here

Bodyhammer: .357 Magnum (Long Barrel) via Robert Longo site here

Bodyhammer: .9mm Colt 45 via Robert Longo site here

and look at how great the gun drawing looks on a wall

 Elle Decor found via Automatism blog here

A few more great drawings by the artist that I also love.

Untitled (The Sound of Speed and Light) via Robert Longo site here 

Untitled (Starfield #5) via Robert Longo site here 

Pure Junko Mizuno

found via Narwhal Projects

Last weekend I checked out the opening of Junko Mizuno's solo exhibition "Venus Cake" at Narwhal Projects in Toronto. I'm enchanted by her playful, imaginary world of the sweet, dark and twisted. Although the show was pretty busy she was very kind to take time to draw on my little DIY Foomi, I treasure this little guy.

Images by ©J. Dias

I also met Junko when she was in town for her show "Red Tresses and Freckles" back in 2009 at Narwhal. She signed my little Pure Trance toys with such care and detail.

Images by ©J. Dias

Here's an original I own from her Gallery Nucleus show Cinderalla. It's ink and pencil on paper from a page of her graphic novel of the same title. LOVE IT!

oh I almost forgot she's done Dunnies too!!!

via Vinylcreep

via Vinylcreep

Needless to say, I'm a FAN!

Figure painting.

View From Above - Stephen Andrews

View From The Street - Stephen Andrews

I dig Stephen Andrews paintings currently at Paul Petro. It's been a while since I've been inspired by contemporary painting, so seeing these large paintings in my city (Toronto) was a welcome surprise.

These paintings are reminiscent of Daniel Richter's style (shown below). I like figurative work especially when the narratives are somewhat ambiguous. I also like large scale layered paintings with multiple figures, it's something I find challenging to achieve successfully in my own work.

Jawohl und Gomorrah - Daniel Richter

Horde - Daniel Richter

There's no place like Venice.

photos by ©J. Dias

As commercial as Venice is it's still the REAL DEAL!

Give me Glamour.

Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot for Vogue

photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue

Two of the best things I saw today are in the April issue of American Vogue. First, the alluring cover with Jennifer Lopez, seductress alert!!! this woman is beyond STUNNING!!!. The second is a FABULOUS editorial, by my fav fashion photographer Tim Walker, of Kate Moss shot at the Ritz Paris before they close for renovations. Thank you Vogue! This is the stuff that dreams are made of!

The Surface.

found on Angell Gallery site

This past weekend I  was enticed by artist Daniel Hutchinson 'dark' paintings. I like painting and painted surfaces in general, I also like optical illusions, minimalism and black so I guess it's no wonder I responded to this work. I sometimes discount works like this as a gimmicky or as "look what I can do" type of art, which upon closer inspection offers up very little. However in this case I found the play of light and texture to be quite engaging.  It was an opportunity for thoughtful meditation which I found quite rewarding.