struggling with kitchen lighting

Well we have an ugly old recessed kitchen flourescent bank (hate it so much I am not even going to find out how to spell fourescent).  Any ideas on dealing with this would be highly appreciated.

What I should have done was take the drop ceiling up to its original line when we were starting out - but I didn't ,in the meantime I will continue to experiment with whacky ideas. I am thinking of stretching taught scrim silk and making a circle pattern with embroidery hoops. Another idea is just running wood beams along the length or a kind Nakashima screen but nothing seems right.

 UGLY

What mom does when she should be making breakfast

Cool mom it looks like a Selena Gomez backdrop - Plan B

California Cubsit modernist mid century mosaic

Well after much patience and being told this was not for sale, was for sale, was not for sale, will be for sale, cannot find the keys, cannot find the keys again,  etc and 2 very patient and reasonable movers.  I finally have this stunning mosaic. I bought it sight unseen. The mosaic work is a bit rougher than I had anticipated but in a strange good way that does not matter. At parts there are actual crystals sticking out.

Many of the small tiles ( in excess of 300,000) are  sticking up on their side to create visual effects like clothing fringe and an argyle pattern.

Ok of all these thousands of tiles one is placed incorrectly. There is a tile around the central figures nose area that should run horizontally not vertically. It makes him look as if his nose is a bit beakish from certain angles. I am so tempted to gouge it out and perfect it? should I?   Does anyone know who this may have been made by?

It came from a mid century home in Beverly Hills by architect William  Stephenson.  IT is slated for demo. Actually the house is not really all that, and I was surprised to find once I entered it I was not that outraged that it was being torn down.


http://www.redfin.com/CA/Beverly-Hills/1705-Angelo-Dr-90210/home/6822604

I do not think this is an Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman or Millard Sheets mosaic.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Ok now how do we hang this puppy 103" x 46"

Ivan Terestchenko sculpture - really mine? I feel so lucky

I was lucky enough to purchase these two wonderful ceramic sculptures from the excellent photographer and artist Ivan Terestchenko. He  also makes time for  a great inspiring blog.
http://itopus.blogspot.com. 

I think his eye  is so refined becuase visual balance is like breathing to him. It simply is and must be. Thanks Ivan I will treasure these and thanks to David John of http://youhavebeenheresometime.blogspot.com/ for introducing me.

These pieces have all the presence s of large works. They have a  potential energy and gravitas that confounds their size.  As close as  I will ever get to having a little Calder on my table top. I am surely happy.

Home is finally happening

Unpacking mid century treasures of sentiment more than value

Well home is taking shape - putting out mid-century bibs and bobs. It still lacks a bit of a sense of humor but hopefully that will come with time. 

Oak wood floors

We bought the worst quality cheapest wood floors. Thanks Luis for listening to me and trying endless color samples you did a great job.

Memorial for abstract sculpture

Oh well things happen - but only when my husband transports them!  this sculpture is the only casualty of our move it fell over and broke in half so this is a little memorial post.

Oscar our trusty helper and Oscar of all trades is going to try to fix it - what would we do without him - I am sure it will change slightly

our store at the Rosebowl - mainly mid century

 I was terrified to sell at the Rosebowl but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Things went well and we made a bit of money. The strange thing was we made it from the small stuff and I still have most of the furniture. My worst sale was I sold a Raku plate that I thought was mid-century studio potter to a Japanese man for $10. He and his friends then took out a loop. I asked them if they could tell me anything about it and I quote. " It  1850's Japan ,very good, you loose , you loose"  Kinda funny. glad I made their day but wish I had know what it was.

Farewell - economy version Kagan and Grossman for sale

Well the time has come to say goodbye to some of my favorite pieces that no longer work for our family. Today I posted my old Kagan feel dining table and two chairs on Craigslist. I love the chairs they give me that really early modernist feel. ( weirdly enough made by a Japanese co.  called Maruni)

the wrong tile - bait and switch

Do not use Stone and Tumbled -  they ship a different tile to what I ordered- this has happened before but I thought because I mentioned this problem  and had them write down the type of marble they would get it right - now I realize it is bait and switch. Our bathroom was supposed to be pure white marble ( see my sample) by the time I got home and what had come in the boxes was laid this is what I got, a lot of grey off cuts in there.  Ok...need to rethink wall tile and pretty much everything in the bathroom.

abstract cubist composition fleamarket painting

I bought this little painting off ebay - I love the composition and weight of form.  I could not read the signature I think it reads Cummings.

What can improve a Bertoia design

Amy

I love these sculptural handles

I love the handles on this record cabinet that is for sale on Craigs List

Industrial modernist garden sculpture

This is a piece of garden art by a local artist Paul Owen.  His sculptures usually move in the wind and chime. On this one he did not have time to  add the swinging gong and I kinda like the simplicity. My kids always hit it with spoons anyway and it sounds great

Vintage School letter charts - sorry for my spelling

I just reviewed my posts oh my - sorry for the typos and spelling errors. I have a collection of old school reading and writing charts.  I had better start using them. Here is my favorite -

latin modernist mid century cubist mosaic gotta have

I have found a mosaic from a house that is being torn down. I really want it but it is very large.102" x 46" Click on image to see  full - incredible

What do you think? Any info would be greatly appreciated I don't think it is Ackerman.

our new modernist post and beamish sort of house

Sorry for the lack of posting but the last month has been nuts here are some photos of our house in the middle of renovation on a shoe string

 

oil spill oil painting

Oh my lord I am such a lazy blogger well not really we are knee deep in renovation - but I finally found I have a follower that is not a family member. How exciting. So here is some updating. I bought this oil refinery painting about 3 months ago it has turned out to be so apt. The photo really does not do it justice. It is less brigh and the painting almost looks like an oil pastel but you really cannot tell from this shot.

I promise to post again soon.

Lynn Foulks Brewery Art Walk

Every year I go to the Brewery Arists Colony art walk. The absolute highlight for me for the last 9  years has been Llyn Foulkes, Church of Art.  He has created the most amazing one-man-band machine using old brass car horns and many other instrument including irreverence. While this may sound cheesy...we are not talking about anyone here we are talking about Llyn Folkes, a man of incredible intellect and gut.
His music is incredible and I ignorantly went on raving about it, not know that he is a greatly respected visual artist http://hammer.ucla.edu/newsblogs/?p=460

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAC6DyDhz6M&feature=related

The art grapevine told me at times he as been out of favor with the usual patrons and galleries for  not towing the line. His fellow artists respect and love him though (same grapevine) Well he is certainly wonderful and generous with his talent to  little fish like, and it is clear his interest is art and not the scene.  Oh I could go on, but next art walk go and see and meet him... you will be glad you did.

Love this Bauhaus meets Danish chair

I saw this great chair at the Brewery art walk. It belongs to a very talented Batik maker - but I wanted the not for sale chair. I am not sure what state the original wood was in but I loved his use of tomato orange and black. Chairs they really are my weakness.

modernist steel sculpture curtis Jere

This is  a sculpture I had a few years ago.  I wish I had more info on it.  I kinda wish I had kept it now that I am working on  a space in the Caltech astronomy building, I think it would have been fun. People have thrown out that they think it may be Curtis Jere. I don't think so. Any clues?

New house no modernist kitchen

We are in a pretty bumpy escrow on our hopefully new house. We love the area and the schools. There is too much work to be done and we do not have the money but we think it is the right decision.

Keep you all posted. 

Here are some pics from our old kitchen our new one will be much more challenging.
 The corner area was a clearance ikea sectional sleeper and them I used the facric from clearance Ikea Tise Curtians to make cushions. and there is the Dorothy Schindele desk (mark 1) mentioned earlier.

The linoleum was new vintage linoleum fron Linoleum City (incredible place). Alas we bought it all - Wish we had kept it for the new house

Happy birthday my Darling Julia you are 7

You are a wonderful kid retrospective

You never played with plastic bags,, or ate the dirt

You put modernism in it's place... but never broke a thing. I love you