Thursday, April 25, 2013

Putting a lid on it

Hand dyed Coiled Rope Basket with Matching Lid by SquareCircleWorks


Goodness! Where's April gone?

I've been busy in my studio working on new designs for my Etsy shop - baskets with lids!

Hand dyed in Indigo Blue by SquareCircleWorks


Friends wonder at my limitless passion for basket making. This is the thing. Basket making is like gardening. Would you ask a gardener, Don't you get tired of gardening? Probably not. There are enough plants on this earth to last a gardener a lifetime.

It's the same with basket making. There are so many forms and textures and materials! It would take a lifetime to discover them all.

Baskets with lids in the Boudoir Collection by SquareCircleWorks


Here are more of my latest discoveries…

Basket with Lid - Fiesta Azul - Blue Festival by SquareCircleWorks

Arts and Crafts inspired baskets by SquareCircleWorks


Enjoy spring and happy gardening!


Thursday, April 11, 2013

A Leiter view


Harlem by S. Leiter

Saul Leiter, the New York based photographer and artist, has come to one of my favorite Viennese museums, Kunst Haus Wien. Yesterday some friends and I paid a visit.

It's hard to describe Leiter as his work spans 60 plus years and covers many genres of photography - from street photos and still life shots to portraiture and fashion. Leiter not only takes photos, he paints.  His paintings are whimsical and unashamedly pretty.

Many of the items you see here are from the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Painting by S. Leiter


Leiter's photos are often provocative, like this street shot of a man facedown on a metal staircase.

Street photo by S. Leiter


Or this fashion photo...  one of my favorites in the collection.

Fashion photo by S. Leiter


Leiter's paintings offer a great contrast to his photos. The paintings, often created with gouache and watercolor, are light, fluid, and playful.

Painting by S. Leiter




Perhaps most interesting is Leiter's fusion of painting and photography. It's exciting to see the two mediums come together to create something that is both seductive and fun. Here is an example...

Leiter's painted photo

The Saul Leiter exhibit is at the Kunst Haus Wien until May 26, 2013. I encourage you to experience this inspiring collection! Now it's time for me to take some photos of my own... :)

Many thanks to Karen for inviting me to join her on this visit and to Kunst Haus Wien for allowing me to take these flash-free shots.