quiet – artist at work

a really good friend of mine, rosalia weiner owner of home art designs,  has told me several times that i don’t just design, i make magic. ( if she says it again, i’m going to start believing her.)

artist, muralist and color expert rosalia weiner. charlotte, nc

well she is the magician.  everything she touches is in living color and filled with love and a passion for art.  she is primarily self taught – art is in her blood.  when we work together on projects, i’m always confident that my clients will love, love, love the end result.  i never worry.

this is a project rosalia and i collaborated on for a client. the owners are big jazz fans

whenever i visit the weiner family, i feel like i’m in a place with no worries, a non stop party just celebrating life.  her color selection for her home is so exciting and energetic. everything works wonderfully well together. her native country is mexico and this is her way of bringing a little bit of mexico to charlotte.  recently,  i grabbed my camera and told her i’m coming over to take pictures because knowing her, she could change every wall within a weeks time.  she graciously agreed and i’m excited to share them with you.

the close up of her foyer entrance details the beauty of the colors. i've known rosalia and her family for at least 6 years now and the foyer has been recreated around three times, maybe four. i love it each and every time.

without a doubt a dining room filled with love.

close up of the walls reveals paint over a venetian plaster

view her dining room wall before this latest up date.  it reminded me of spring. check out additional images of dining room walls she has completed for her clients.

who would have thought to paint the kitchen area pink? rosalia! and i love it! this space too has been many other designs and she's telling me she may repaint it again. i'm tempted to throw myself in front of it and camp out if she tries too

she stores her treasures, created and found, in her think tank

a mix of goodies to inspire her

there's something calming about an artist studio. rosalia cleaned it up for the photos and i was so disappointed because i wanted to capture the process of how ideas go from imagination to canvas. oh well, i'll have to catch her in action another day when it's a beautiful mess!

close up of a friends portrait and a smaller replica of a painting she did for a church

not only does this area serve as a studio for rosalia but also as an office for her and her husband. personal completed projects, family photos and resource books find a home here.

currently, this wall serves as a place to view completed work, or work in progress

very effective use of color saturation. painting was done on a canvas approximately 18"x 24"

often she creates a piece in what seems like a matter of minutes. children's art is especially fun because you can let your imagination run wild

florals are not just florals anymore

i must confess, i am not inherently, nor have i ever been a floral kind of gal. i was not aware of this until years ago a really good friend of mine made a dress for my birthday.  i was so touched by her thoughtfulness and her talent; however, my first thought was…i never wear cloths with a floral pattern, how am i going to wear this?!  it just went against everything that i stood for (o-ka, a little over the top but blame it on my youth)

well, months pass and she finally asked me if i ever wore the dress.  i had to confess that i had not.  when i told her that i never wear floral patterns, she said that’s e-x-a-c-t-l-t-y why she made it for me.  we had to laugh.

now i find myself with several floral designs in my wardrobe.  most of them have a funky little twist to them but nevertheless they are floral.  i also find myself presenting versions of floral patterns to my interior design clients that ordinarily say don’t show me anything with flowers in it.  and more other than not, they surprise  themselves when they fall in love with the piece.

moral to this story – don’t knock it til you try it. embrace the girly side of you. take liberty to tweak the style to a modern fun version or go all out country style with flowers in full bloom color if you dare.

here are some new improved floral designs in area rugs from Company C. the designs are fabulous!  what a bold statement to be made in any room.

Oversized chrysanthemums

most of their rugs are 100% wool, tufted and natural.  if you want to play up the fun factor use these vibrant graphic designs.

A floral rug inspired by an early 20th century Mexican embroidery

i noticed the same fun off beat floral pattern targets  zinnia square dinner ware . i  love love love this design.  i so want to use the dinner plates as a decorative wall motif for a client. i’m just waiting for the right application.

it kind of has that vintage anthropology vibe going on, don’t you think?

anthropology cook ware

the colors are so vibrant, festive and energetic.  they remind me of  mexico.  by the way, my next post will feature Rosalia, a dear friend and local artist in the charlotte area.  i can’t wait to show you images of her home, which is a celebration of all the colors found in her home country, mexico.