DavidsonNews.net Guide » Lisa Jewel

Niki de Saint Phalle at The Bechtler

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:46:31 +0000

In the early 80’s I took a “break” from college. Much to my mother’s displeasure and my delight, I moved to Chicago. There, I rented a bleak basement studio and worked at Marshall Field’s during the day. In the evening and off hours, I pursued my creative interests (What they were exactly, I’m still not sure?) and did the requisite partying that a 20 year old does. It was all quite independent, fearless and stupid. I lacked any specific direction, I only knew that I was getting to know myself and explore possibilities. I guess I was trying to grow up.

While working at the department store, I laid eyes on a bottle of exquisite perfume. There were two colorful intertwined snakes on the cap. The bottle was cobalt blue. The smell was exotic and mysterious with notes of amber, musk, jasmine and vetyver. The scent was called Niki de Staint Phalle. It was named after the French artist who created it. Of course, I had to have it. It was expensive and more than I should have spent, but with my employee discount, I managed the purchase. I felt very sophisticated in this perfume. It seemed to have a history that I clearly did not have yet and was sexy in a way that I could hardly understand. I thought that the snakes were some sort of biblical reference. I thought I was bold and daring in this perfume, but I could hardly live up to the artists talents and inspiration. It was only years later that I began to learn about de Saint Phalle and her exploration into feminism.

Niki de Staint Phalle

De Saint Phalle is a woman who grappled with her own life choices and societies roles for her. Much of her work deals with the beauty and conflicts of being a woman, a mother and an independent life force. Her works include, painting, sculpture, film and literature. Imagine my delight just a few months ago, while driving through uptown Charlotte, I see a gigantic sculpture by de Saint Phalle in front of the new Bechtler Museum. There it stands in all of it’s sparkly and bold glory, “The Firebird” (l’Oiseau de Feu Sur l’Arch). I love how patrons need to touch it’s mirrored surface and pose coquettishly next to it to have their pictures taken. Everybody loves this sculpture. Men, women and children. It has an earthiness with its wide firm legs, open wings and a blazing sun heart. The sculpture was completed in 1991 towards the end of her life, as she died in 2002. It seems that De Saint Phalle found a spiritual inner peace with who she was and confidence to share it with us.

"The Firebird" (l'Oiseau de Feu Sur l'Arch)

If you’d like to visit the statue and museum go to: bechtler.org

Art Around Town,” by Lisa Jewel, appears Fridays on DavidsonNews.net’s Guide page. Lisa is keeping a sort of “visual journal” of interesting objects she finds in the area. Some are items for sale at local galleries, others prized possessions in our homes. Have an object to share? Email Lisa, lskjewel@aol.com. See her previous columns in the Art Around Town category

From NASCAR to Design Star

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:10:01 +0000

tolulu

I know this is blasphemy to say in this town, but I don’t know a thing about NASCAR. Even though I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where everybody else’s parents worked for one of the “Big Three,” my parents owned a pharmacy. At the pharmacy, I had access to hundreds of magazines. My favorites were Vogue, Entertainment Weekly and Art In America. Ask me about Nielsen ratings, who’s Jasper Jons or why an animal print is always a neutral and I’m your gal! So it came as a surprise to me that former NASCAR driver Shawna Robinson had morphed her career from racing to home design. Seems like a big switch to me!

sunflower

While Shawna was pregnant and unable to race, she let her latent creative impulses come to the surface by painting murals and faux finishing walls for friends. Word spread and so did the scope of her projects. Clients from the track and beyond wanted her to design residential and commercial properties. Design seemed to be a good way of balancing a young family with a fun career. One day, while shopping at Anthropologie, she fell in love with a really interesting upholstered chair. The cost was in the thousands. She knew that she could create one just as interesting for herself, at a fraction of the price. When her creation was a success, she found that she enjoyed the process so much, that she wanted to make more. A lot more! She dubbed it, “The Happy Chair.” These colorful chairs are all are one-of-a-kind. She mixes contemporary and vintage fabrics on stripped down vintage chair frames and builds the chair from scratch, filling and all. I saw the Happy Chair over at Bebe Gallini’s in Oak Street Mill. There is a design style for every homes esthetic. The chairs are comfortable too. It’s all a winning combination. Now maybe Shawna can teach me something about racing? See more Happy Chairs on ShawnaRobinson.com.

trina

Unlocking your inner artist – Dave Phillips

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:47:23 +0000

When my family moved to North Carolina, Dave and Sally Phillips were our first friends. They were so welcoming and full of great stories. Sally works for Mariner, a Charlotte-based data intelligence firm and Dave owns Anchor Security and Locksmith in Cornelius. I bet many of you see Dave’s vans running about town helping people back into their locked cars or re-keying new homes. What you probably don’t know is that Dave is an accomplished stain glass artist. See, Dave just doesn’t give off the “artist” vibe. Dave is retired from the Navy, where he worked on aircraft carriers, submarines, and even in the White House. He still even looks like a Master Crew Chief! As a bonus of being in service to our country, David got to travel the world. During his travels, he developed a deep appreciation for art and stained glass, in particular. He likes the way that the light constantly changes the appearance and mood of the glass.

This fish was Dave's first piece

About ten years ago and after a loving nudge from Sally (She signed him up for his first class!), Dave started to produce stain glass work.

Eventually, He converted his home garage into his studio. When a stain glass store in Mooresville went out of business, he bought out almost their entire inventory. I was shocked to learn about the cost of the glass itself. Dave says that a single sheet of colored glass runs about $50. And there is a lot of waste – as cutting glass is a delicate matter. Breakage happens and money goes out the window – literally. Dave says “Doing stain glass is labor intensive. I get about 8 pieces of glass cut in a good night. It’s relaxing and challenging at the same time.”

Work in progress

This dragonfly piece is a work in progress for a clients home. From a small drawing as inspiration, Dave customizes the transom to fit the size and shape needed for the clients space.

El Capitan

Dave’s favorite works are pieces he produces for his own family. Dave’s son gave him a photo from a trip he took to El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Dave created this Waterfall as a gift to remember the trip by.

One of Dave’s largest pieces he created for Sally for the entry of their home. It’s is so large that he had to construct a special scaffolding just to lift it up and install it. Every time I enter their home, I sigh with admiration and appreciation. I love it when you have art in your home and it can change your mood just by gazing at it. When I see Dave and his work, I realize it’s never too late to let the artist inside you shine through.

Phillips residence entry

If you’re interested in commissioning a work from Dave, you can contact him directly at 704-902-8136.

The home of an artist, Dee Beard Dean

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:52:13 +0000

Diana Beard Dean's Davidson studio.

Part 2 of 2

There’s a magazine at Barnes and Noble in Huntersville called “Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women.” It covers the studios of all different types of artists. I love eyeballing this magazine because it inspires me to be more creative with my own environment such as my home, office, clothes, jewelry, and my own artwork (so amateurish, I can’t tell you). I bring up this magazine, because last week I told you I was going to share with you the home of Dee Beard Dean, the portrait and landscape artist here in Davidson.

Bankhead portrait.

Every nook and cranny of this house has been exquisitely decorated with her collection of artwork (both her own and other masters) and fabulous antiques and “found or re-purposed” objects. This is a traditional home decorated to produce an experience from the minute you walk in the door. It’s full of travelscapes, personal mementos and get this – “fun!”

The slam dunk of the house has to be the professional artist studio that lies beneath the entire upper floor of the house. (See photo above.) This is no basement; it has high ceilings and lots of windows. You could easily fit two race cars and a pit crew in here, and still have room for an office or two.

The prominent item in the room is the 10-foot tall weighted easel. I’ve never seen one so big. Dee said this was custom made by a guy in Tennessee. The easel can move with the touch of a finger and stay put without loosening and tightening a bunch of bolts and screws. She said it was worth every penny. Check out the grand piano too.

When you come into the foyer of the house. It is a portrait of the 1930s/1940s film star Tallula Bankhead by the acclaimed Irving Sinclair. She adds an Empire chair and a crystal sconce. You want to see the rest of the house don’t you!

Front room.

Now, here is the front room. There are so many styles represented here – but it is put together with such panache it seems there could not possibly be any other way these items should be displayed. It features a portrait of a beautiful and mysterious Moroccan girl by the artist Scott Burdick, another nationally known oil painter. The Victorian couch and the zebra stripped Italianate chair just make the room feel like you’ve been transported to a hunting lodge in Northern Africa.

Now for the fun. Here is Dee’s guest bath. Every possible inch is covered with paintings. You sit quietly doing your private business and your eyes are in for a special treat. How civilized!

The bathroom wall is covered in paintings.

Last is the outside of the wine cellar. (Photo below.) Yes, my readers, the home has a wine cellar. The “turning racks” are imported from France and the french signs and artwork enhance your oenology euphoria.

P.S. Just to let you know, Dee’s home is for sale, if your interested, just shoot me an email. I’m so ready to move in myself, but the hubby says, “Sorry, no, honey.” Can’t hurt to ask!

See Part 1 of this 2-part series, CLICK HERE>

Wine cellar

A picture of the Champs Elysees

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:15:43 +0000

A. Tucker painting

Being a die-hard Francophile, I never get tired of seeing beautiful pictures of France. In the home of Jessica and Johnathan Donahue, in River Run, is this “tres belle” painting. Jessica said she picked up this oil by A. Tucker at a charity auction. I love the flags, the faces and the celebratory mood. The picture melds well with her traditional home that is sprinkled with east coast antiques and contemporary comforts. Vive la France et les Donahues!

At Sanctuary, little bit of L.A. cool

Lisa Jewel — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:23:46 +0000

Deborah Carter painting

Before I moved to North Carolina almost five years ago, I lived in Los Angeles for 27 years. One of the biggest art stars to come out of the area is David Hockney. You can see his works in major museums across the globe. He does magnificent landscapes, but he also does these cool, ethereal portraits. When I found this small painting hiding amongst the other treasures at The Sanctuary on Main Street, I stopped and reflected on the young teens. This looks like a mini-Hockney I thought. Its detail was so fine and the colors so serene. I turned the nicely framed mixed media painting over to look at the name of the artist and its cost. The painting was by Deborah Carter and it was at the bargain price of $75! I called Deborah, who lives across the lake in Denver. She said she works with a photographer Sean David. She takes his work and then reconstructs new pictures out of them using whatever medium suits her at the time. Although, her painting suited me just fine – I left it there for you to enjoy or purchase!

“Art Around Town,” by Lisa Jewel, appears Fridays on DavidsonNews.net’s Guide page. Lisa is keeping a sort of “visual journal” of interesting objects she finds in the area. Some are items for sale at local galleries, others prized possessions in our homes. Have an object to share? Email Lisa, lskjewel@aol.com. See her previous columns in the Art Around Town category.