This winter I created a whole festive tableau in lavender. I was inspired by an amazing sea urchin I had found that matched the tones of a wonderful old tuscan pitcher I own with a rare glaze of dappled lilac. It was an unusual choice perhaps, but I peppered it with snowy whites and tarnished silvers to give it a glimmer.

I just love mixing lavender tones with  natural raw linen. I actually painted my living room wall the palest tint of lavender, as seen here with my linen drapes. The mouldings are all white and you can’t quite even tell if there is color on the wall or just warm rosy light bouncing off of it. It is very uplifting yet soothing. That’s the great thing about lavender, it acts as a neutral [ I once said lavender is the new grey! ] mixing so well with greys, browns, taupe and creams yet is also is such a  compliment to other colors such as blues and greens.

Lavender is kind of like the more mature or masculine version of  pink. Lavender has gravity to it, yet is still undeniably pretty.

In nature it is found everywhere, you would be surprised. Not just in seashells and flowers, this tone surfaces like a velvety cloak on many natural forms.

The sophisticated depth of lavender  [ it can range anywhere from a greyish tone to mauve, lilac to rose or even almost an indigo ] is a fabulous choice to mix into an earthy palette.

It sort of elevates a still life or room to something beyond just ‘natural’. Look how well this antique satin ribbon plays off the patina of the antique silver and livens the little bird nest scenario. In my book I will further explore the use of color and all the wonder it evokes. Even purists who love only whites know that within the palette of white there is a myriad of shades to explore, with undertones of grey, cream, charteuse, blue or yes even lavender!

Perhaps the heat of the day is making me feel more delirious about all this than it should be….but that ‘art is in the heart of earth’ feels like a profound discovery! Earth makes chalk, ochre,  gold to gild and lapis lazuli to illuminate with boldness. From earth springs indigo to form the deepest, saddest inky blue. Lichen for lively lemon green.

Mix the elements of earth with water and fire you get terra cotta.

Strike sand with lightning heat and it transforms to glass.

While all artists have ideas, concepts, inspirations, metaphors and messages in their heads, they must choose the medium in which to express themselves. For us artisans the material itself is part of the story. Yarn is spun and dyed, clay molded, paint mixed, cloth stretched, marble carved, bronze cast. Of the earth.

 ’Subterranean’  by Heather Ross

Of course in modern times we have the allure of some pretty exciting man made ‘synthetic’ materials too… acrylic, plexiglass etc.
But it is the earth derived materials that excite me most. This is not to say that the materials cannot be sophisticated, elegant, opulent, refined…especially once transformed, altered and manipulated into another form.

A Venetian mirror came from grains of sand.

 The most delicate Chinese eggshell porcelain  & loveliest of pigments came from a rivers edge. The tallest Swedish armoire from limbs of trees.

In the Baja earth abounds. It gets between your toes and into your soul. Red earth, dry earth, dusty white earth, sandy soil, charred smoky dirt.

When I was younger I was a potter. I would cut huge slabs of clay with a fine wire and knead and knead the air out of it [ the opposite of making flaky pastry when you want to add the air into the dough ] Then I would wet the clay and form it round and round on the wheel, feeling it’s rough yet slippery texture course through my fingers. So tactile, so sensual. Round and round till a pure simple form would emerge. Then it would dry. Then it would cook. Then it would be dipped in glaze [ more earth, water & minerals combined to a perfect formula ] then it would bake again in a kiln so hot the silica in the glaze would melt to glass and create it’s silky casing on the pot. The process was arduous but so satisfying. So hands on, and yes so earthy.

So the next time you are choosing tiles, windows, mirrors, beams, vases, bowls, stop for a moment and reflect on where they came from. What elements were brought together to make them so? What it is about them that you like, love perhaps? The matt texture of terra cotta, or the deep bronzed hue?

The glassiness of the mirror, the silver itself, or just your lovely countenance? Materials do resonate with us for different reasons, and each has their own inherent properties and purposes. As I write my feet rest on the stone path, my hips rest on woven raffia, my eyes look upon adobe, plaster, cement, iron, wood and foliage.

As I  breathe I take in the smell of the heat rising from the clay terrace, the hot soil and the fires burning in the distance. All around me there is the texture of life called earth.

All photographs copyright Heather Ross.

Shot on location at the lovely home of artist Patricia Larsen in El Pescadero and at the Hotel California in Todos Santos plus  the gorgeous beaches of La Paz.

A simple post about simple vintage glass ornaments & all the charm that they behold. I love these peridot green mercury glass ones! I love the simple fat round shape with the slightly elongated elegant neck. I love the frosty opaque nuances where the color has gone milky. I love the green that echoes the tones of a tree itself. A lovely peridot shade which happens to be my birth stone. I love the shimmery flaking silver that shines through. I love that they have history & nostalgia, & that their fragile forms survived though so many seasons. I love them in silver bowls, in glass vases, dangling on branches or simple resting on a ledge.

They embody all the qualities I find most appealing in human beings actually…strong yet still fragile, beautiful yet humble, elegant & serene, unique & shining from within. Full of stories, memories & offering more moments to cherish. They give me joy.

I know for myself I have the gift of seeing. Seeing in a bigger sense then sight. If someone were to take a walk with me I might likely annoy or enthral them with my observations of ‘look how that tree has one yellow leaf!’, ‘look how that feather is floating on that puddle!’, ‘look how the cloud is casting that shadow on the sea!’

Through my photography, painting and words I take pleasure in sharing this gift with others. But the greatest gift of all, is that this seeing pulls me out of myself. Pulls me out of my stuck thoughts, or heavy moods.

I can be walking along deep in a story in my mind, heavy and burdened with life woes when Voila! a leaf calls out to me. A rose peeks out beneath the snow. A weed is winding through the sidewalk. A yellow breasted bird is hovering overhead. Before I know it, before I even realize that I have been transported from my thinking to my seeing, I am uplifted. In the moment. Full of grace. Silence. Awe. Reverence. Hope. Resilience. Beauty. I took this image above on a sad day. I was late for work. It was dreary outside and the world felt heavy. I stepped outside and made my way through the wet bamboo of my front path, turned the corner. Something caught my eye but kept going. Then I halted, returned and captured this image. It made me late for work. I didn’t care because those 3 minutes reminded me of just how resilient I am, and just how beautiful this world can be. Often I find objects such as this magnolia pod which make their way with me back to the boutique to become part of a still life.

While everyone may not have the natural gift of ‘seeing’ once you truly open your eyes and pay attention it is quite possible you too will be taken in, comforted or inspired by the simplest of forms on your daily routine to work. Just as a leaf captures heavy drops of rain, nature can lift & support your spirit and offer a meditative moment to bring you back to the present. Nature is anywhere and everywhere, even in an urban setting.

Today is the first day of November. The sky is overcast but bright. The leaves are scattering yet some hardy green ones hold on. The earth is damp and vibrant still. Spiders build silvery webs everywhere. Chestnuts are falling on the sidewalk, glossy rich seedpods that feel heavenly in your palm. Spiky casings splay wide open like starfish, urchins, sundials of the forest.  If you do not feel you have the gift of seeing naturally, then try to nurture it in the same way you may lend your ear to a song. Attune yourself to your surroundings and allow yourself to be beckoned, serenaded and nurtured by nature. If nothing else, it will allow you a few poetic moments of wonder.

As you can see from the image below, Suzanne’s off-the-grid space designed by her husband Arriz Hassam is what natural eclectic is all about!  Great care and respect was shown for the natural surrounds of the ‘treehouse’ they built overlooking Drag Lake in Ontario, creating a beautiful personalized place that’s connected to nature, earthy and grounded yet still  luxurious.This spread shot by Michael Graydon for the H &H October 11 issue shows a wonderful selection of found objects & simple tactile items brought together in the relaxed atmosphere of Suzanne’s retreat.

After this inspiring talk about design that is in harmony with our great Canadian landscape, I scurried off to to try to find a few of my favorite creative folks! With the talented Michelle Morelan in tow, off we raced to grab a few flashes of inspiration before heading off to BLEND 2011, a post IDS WEST celebration created just for fellow bloggers like us!

I had a short list of booths I wanted to take in. On the way we bumped into Louvre-trained sculptor Marie Khouri at her booth for Collaboration. A friend of a friend, Marie is one of those quintessentially french women that is just so elegant, understated and beautiful with everything she puts together including herself. her organic forms are hand sculpted for interiors and landscape design. I loved these forms set amongst a blanket of fresh moss – the French really just do know how to do it! 

Next we ran into Judson Beaumont whom I have known since art school days. He is such a warm, funny & talented guy! I was thrilled to see a bit of a departure in his work, something a little new & different from his signature [and very clever ] work of whimsical anthropomorphic furniture. Keeping on trend with the whole ‘forms from nature theme’ that was very strong at IDS WEST in general, he had these fabulous stumps lit from within. I loved the mix of the techno feel with the organic, a home can always use a bit of surprise and a little sleek edge!

While I tend to be a bit serious in my design sense, & rather neutral in my  palette, the colorful playful hit of these creations was right on the mark fro me!

Next stop, I wanted to see the boys at Provide. I love their store & if I had a sister shop [ well I guess that would be brother ] this is what it would look like. I love their sensual materials, tie died pillows, felted items, great ceramics, plus the warm & supportive attitude that owners Robert & David have shared as fellow retailers. Their booth did not disappoint! Last stop before our soiree I wanted to see Tanja & Michael of MTH Woodworks. They just recently won the WL designer of the year award for furniture design.They do great things with sandblasted organic wooden forms and a resin made from soy! Again, liking the juxtaposition of sleek & raw materials put together in a way that is modern yet still soft.

After the whirlwind of a tour in less then two hours total, Michelle & I headed off to the swanky Loden Hotel. En route while rushing through downtown on foot, this glorious spectacle caught my eye….a water fountain glimmering in the sunlight, sleek sheets of water flowing over turquoise and silver, with autumn leaves hovering on the edge caught up in the flow. I had to take a shot of course! A reminder to all that beauty is found in many forms & we must always keep our eyes open to what’s around us. This natural event was just as visually enthralling to me as all the booths I had witnessed inside the show.

Finally we made it to the party for the ‘Canadian Design & Lifestyle bloggers West’. A lovely group that I was just recently invited to join. Talented people, sharing blogs, ideas, inspirations & stories of everyday life & living. This was their first big bash & they put on a great party that sizzled with chatter & great ideas. Suzanne Dimma & Mark Challen of H&H stopped by, as did Kelly Deck, plus reps from  Ikea that were generous enough to sponsor our event! What home wouldn’t be complete without at least a few clever design solutions from Ikea! As I always say, it’s all about the mix, the balance, striking the right note, combining functional & practical with beautiful & found. New with old, tactile with smooth, areas of layered depth and quiet openness. So, all in all, I was “framed by nature’ & also  by friends, happy to have an evening of celebration after the unexpected curve that life had thrown at my that week!

Earlier this month while on a road trip to Kelowna with Craig, we stopped by a yard sale in the very odd little mining town of Hedley. A chance to stretch my legs and treasure hunt! Amongst the bric a brac of china and glass, I found a vintage ceramic owl.
 He was slightly kitsch but I was so endeared by him. With subtle blue grey tones  feathering around his wide eyes, and a branch of rustic pine cones for him to perch atop….how could I resist? So I scooped him up and pronounced to Craig perhaps he would be like my mascot for fall in the shop. I knew I had already ordered in some other hand carved little wooden owls as ornaments, so thought I could get a little theme going. As we journeyed along and set up camp along the Kettle Creek Valley, I thought it would be funny to capture images of the owl at the various locations of our trip, much like the travel gnome.

So I perched him over the river we dipped our toes in that morning, captured him nestled in the long grasses, shot him with our lugagge, all a rather silly and atypical endeavour for one who typically does not take goofy shots like this. But I was having fun and becoming rather fond of my little guy.

Not long after that we stopped by and visited a client/friend of mine Kimberley, who has a cottage on the lake in Osoyoos [ very often my clients become friends - I love that!  ] She asked “ooooh what did you get?” when I told her we had stopped at a yard sale en route and so the show and tell began. When she saw the owl wanted to buy him then and there, but I realized I couldn’t part with him! Then she said, “there’s an owl that hangs out around here sometimes, and lead us down the dusty drive that leads back up to the road.

There, in the trees overhead, looking too majestic to be true, was an amazing horned owl looking down at us! The second one I have only ever seen in my life. A magical sighting indeed, backlit in the shimmering trees, he just calmly watched from above as enthralled I grabbed my camera and shot away. At one point he was relaxed enough to close his eyes. Through my long lens I was amazed to see that even with his eyes closed they looked open! As a survival mechanism to allow for daytime naps, the owls feathers have adapted over time to mimic the markings of his bright eyes wide open, take a close look at this image below!

It really was a very moving experience, I felt so fortunate and blessed to have this sighting that probably never would have occurred if my mascot had not triggered Kimberley to point out her resident owl.

Since this sighting the owls abound everywhere I look, in murals, on TV commercials, in shops including mine!  For a while in my life this happened with elephants [ though I never got to see a real one! ] Then it was butterflies. Perhaps this is like animal totems, that enter into ones life as a guide, bringing a message or meaning or some form of protection or wisdom?  All I know is anytime I am honored to have the presence of a wild creature looking upon me I feel blessed. The motif of a bird has resonated strongly with me for quite some time, I find it to be a timeless  charming image that is universally appealing in both graphics and design. The symbol of a bird can represent peace, freedom, fragility, beauty, song, flight & fancy. Feathers adorn my mantle, as do found robin’s eggs. I suspect that sometime soon, my mascot owl will find his way home too.

I distinctly remember my first antique find…I was just a young teenager and came across an old bentwood chair at a garage sale for $2. I bought it with my first apartment in mind. I was just 14. My peers were thinking about saving up for cars and school trips, and I was already planning my first place. Next was an old painted chest of drawers with solid oak underneath and charming decorative handles. What I remember about this was that my father was shocked that I paid $75 for it and did not believe it was solid oak { he was a lumber broker and rather emphatic about this } He underestimated just how stubborn and purposeful his young daughter could be, and what a great eye she had too! I stripped and scraped that thing down so fast, working away in my parents dark damp basement, and sure enough revealed the nice solid wood. I redeemed myself that day and set the course for many years of plentiful picking!

This weekend as Craig and I headed out for a leisurely warm Sunday excursion, I promised my sweetie ‘don’t worry, no antique shopping  this weekend’. Then I made a slight disclaimer…..’unless there’s a literally a French armoire  for sale in the middle of the traffic circle’. HA! We stopped by by our favorite Marche St.George for coffee and a visit with the owners { a very talented family of artists, designers and pickers themselves -this is more than just a cafe } and enjoyed some lattes on the benches outside in  the warm dappled  sun. En route back home, trying to figure out our next destination for the day, Craig pointed down a lane way and said ‘what about that?’ I turned to see an old desk, some tables and lots of shimmering bric a brac. YES I said, of course with a big grin on my face, STOP. I was drawn in and it was too late for Craig to take it back.

At this point I should clarify that Craig is always very helpful, does all the lifting, loading and most of the restoring and fine tuning when something needs a little TLC. Through osmosis he is developing a passion for picking too, and is developing a keen eye of his own from observing my methods. It is not rare now to get an email with a photo from his iPhone and a subject line ‘what about this?’ with some object depicted that clearly he has just come across. He has come to know the allure of finding the hidden gem, and actually fondly calls me the miracle merchant for my find, seek and flip techniques. He’s made  fabulous floor lamps out of old authentic tripod bases which are  a hit in the shop! We’ve also been restoring lots of lovely unique vintage table lamps, as everyone is always looking for that perfect bedside light!

So…. back to the sale, I did not leave empty handed! We found a quirky chair that was  strung with a raw hide seat and had been stripped down to a bottom coat of chalky pale pink paint { love the masculine/feminine juxtapositions in that find! So perfect for a summer cottage }

I also found a crystal and silver inlay bowl, a retro Californian vase, a long narrow wooden trough perfect for a baguette of bread, an old lawn bowling ball, an antique french tile,  a low Indian table with great carving and patina, and an old Japanese woven trunk brought over years ago on a ship, with fabulous faded old woven cloth trim on the edges.

How’s that for an eclectic jumble of items on a day I promised not to ‘pick’ anything. I forgot to mention a slightly charred end table too!

Pickers have become popular on TV as of late. Old gruff bearded guys trolling through farmer’s fields for old gas pumps and such. Crazy old ladies scanning estate sales for tea cups. Big old bikers fighting over storage containers. Show after show. I had been pitched for TV show of similar ilk, albeit a slightly more elegant version. Who knows, may still happen. I lived in Paris and came to know the narrow aisles of the flea markets  there very well. Where to find old textiles, enamel ware, botanical prints, dainty wall sconces, where the bargains were and where things were tres cher. I have scoured the South of France for linen sheets, wandered Portobello Market in London, survived Brimfield too in the United States which is an antique fair the size of 6 football fields. Seriously. Overwhelming even for me. I am thankful I had my mum with me to help carry all the bags of goods and aid in the packing process too. Big, small, fancy, junky, local, foreign, grungy, shiny – I love them all!

I think the real sign of a picker is that pulse racing, quickening feeling, the surge of adrenalin and delight when you come across a find or a diamond in the rough. The irresistible pull from a garage sale sign, the allure of some object beckoning from the corner of thrift store. The imagination of how you will use it, display it, improve it or flip it!

Usually, at least for me, there can also be some pickers remorse. You get so excited and buy something and then afterwards think…should I have bought it. Did I pay too much? Is it kind of junky looking? Then of course when you bring it out into it’s glory or sell it right away you get the fabulous pickers high of a picker payoff.

So, there it is, I am a picker. Does not sound eloquent, and for the most part it isn’t. Typically it involves spider webs, musty smells, haggling, nasty sticker removing, cleaning, polishing, gluing, lifting, moving, and arranging until everything finds it rightful place and purpose. I am so fortunate to have a boutique that I love hunting for…as I am not sure what I would do otherwise with this passion of mine. My clients love that there is a constant flow of finds coming into the store, and they always ask “how did you find this? where did you get this?” I share my stories but of course can’t give away all my secrets. They enjoy seeing the new presentation for an object they themselves would have admittedly overlooked had they not seen it displayed or ‘curated’ as has oft been described in my boutique. I love this feedback and also knowing this is good for the environment too! Re-Use, Recycle, Up-Cycle. If this story resonates with you then I suspect you are a picker too. Perhaps I’ll meet you in a farmers field one day, or we’ll unknowingly rub elbows in a charming flea market in a little remote French village….wherever the thrill of the find takes us…..

The very word staging suggests something false like  a hoax. Let me be clear I respect and understand the value of hiring a good stager to make your home presentable when going on the market. The key word here is a ‘good’ stager. Someone who is not going to run to one big box store and replace every nuance with mass produced cheap generic accessories. The trick is to remove clutter and allow the space to breathe, so that prospective buyers  can imagine their own life within those walls. Their own momentos that they will carefully place with fond affection.

Having a boutique myself it is interesting to note how people respond to objects with history and what I call ‘authenticity’. I was helping  a client shop the other day and had a rare cruise perusing through many decorating stores. Truth is I am usually too busy with all my own interests to actually spend much time checking out other shops.

I was really struck by how much ‘faux flea market’ product was out there. Everywhere. A version of dad’s old funky metal basket from his workshop…only these ones were not made with the same materials, craftsmanship, nor had they been lovingly used and worn down to a fabulous patina. I am a big promoter, of new to look new, and old if it it really is old, but not new to look old. Otherwise, what’s the point. Now of course sometimes we find something made in a way that it reminds us of a nostalgic item, and we can cherish it and enjoy along side our treasures as that. But again, when it becomes a formulaic knock off of a trend of some old fashioned look, it just feels fake and forced. Which actually it is! I don’t mean to sound critical, this blog is about affirming beauty and joy and creativity. It is more that I hope to encourage others to seek out the truly meaningful, special items..they don’t have to be expensive! Better to leave a space quiet and neutral with a simply placed single item, some fresh flowers or a stack of great books, and leave the plastic sanded down to look old trinkets at the store!

Moments of Requisite Silence ~ acrylic on canvas July 2011 24 by 48