Something Old, Something New
An International Wedding
Enjoying Preservation & the Arts
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Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend the wedding of my dear friends Yoko and Stephan at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The English countryside and the college were the perfect magical backdrop to their storybook wedding. The Wren Chapel and the private rooms of the college were breathtaking and full of interesting history. It was a magnificent weekend spent with family and friends, celebrating the love of this delightful couple.
On the way home to London from the wedding my little London family and I stopped at Audley End House. Audley End was the site of Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that was granted to the Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley in 1538 by Henry VIII. The abbey was converted to a domestic house for him and was known as Audley Inn (how very Downton Abbey of him). It is a largely early 17th-century country house outside Saffron Walden, Essex, England. Audley End is now one-third of its original size, but is still large, with much to enjoy in its architectural features and varied collections. One of the highlights of the property are the Kitchen Gardens. My Godson, his brothers, their parents and I were completely fascinated and inspired by the beautifully ordered rows of plants growing glorious food. It really makes one think about our relationship to the food we eat.
Recently the house and grounds have been used in popular television shows. During 2017, scenes were filmed at Audley End for ‘Trust’ produced by Danny Boyle and based on the life of John Paul Getty III. On 7 September 2018, scenes were shot for ‘The Crown’.
I could not help but think of the Lagro House and the Wabash River Valley Artist in Residency Program I have been working to build, with the help of my hometown friends and family. I hope Wabash County continues to be a mecca for artists and thinkers for years to come, the same way Audley End House attracts history, art, gardening, and design enthusiasts.
Fall Art & Antiques 2018 THEME
THE SUN, THE MOON, & THE STARS
Celestial Imagery in Art, Antiques & Design
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Putting all of our heads into the clouds, the Fall Antique Show kicked off this week! As Florence Welch so boldly sang to us in the fashion of San Francisco’s very own Grace Slick, “The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out”. They were blown out by the beauty of another perfect year of fine Decorative Objects showcased at the show to benefit Enterprise for Youth. The show never ceases to amaze me with how it is able to make the history of decorative objects relevant for new generations of collectors. What is old is new again.
The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart
I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you.
~ Florence + the Machine
IS Fine Art
“Safe People”
New Paintings by Casey O’Connell
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I have had the privilege to show many fine artists at IS over the last few years and this season
I had one of the biggest honors of my career thus far. The story begins years ago when I met a muralist and fine artist by the name of Casey O’Connell while she was painting a commission for a mutual friend of ours. If I had ever doubted it before, I knew never to do so again: Love at First Sight is real. Seeing the subject matter of the commissioned piece she had finished for our friend, knowing the recent romantic developments in his life after the mural was completed, and seeing this powerful creative force standing before me I knew this woman was someone I had to be close to for the rest of my life. I could tell she was going to be one of my “Safe People”. One of those special people you can trust to lead you down a path of joyful introspective bliss. Casey is a seeker who shines through her work. She is a kind, insightful, vulnerable, genuine person that makes us all smile. It is impossible to have a bad day around Casey, or her work. “Safe People” is a collection of skillfully rendered and well thought out figurate paintings that would impress the likes of David Hockney, Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse, and Georgia O'Keeffe. In the political climate that we find ourselves in at this moment, these joyful paintings and our “Safe People,” are more important than ever.
All of this season’s glorious experiences of Art and Design find a special place in my heart. I have shared them all with my dearest friends and family, which adds to their importance. Sharing different perspectives and creating memories in inspired spaces is the driving charge and reason why designers and artists produce culture. We are trying to mold, shape, and enlighten our audience to see the world for not only what it is, but what it could be.
(Click to Scroll Through the 200 Photographs)
