striped awnings

There is a certain charm to that of an awning.

Striped awnings certainly are chic.

Twin striped awnings, twin lanterns and twin topiaries.

I love the storefront of Timothy Corrigan.

So elegant, classical and welcoming.

 A flat striped awning seems so modern to me.

 I would love to have a ladies lunch on this porch.

Is it me or do striped awnings just seem cool?

Winners of the "pet command" -Springer Spaniel pve note cards are;
Debbie Carr
Kelly B.
I decided to select two.
Both ladies have Springer Spaniels.
Congrats to you both.  Contact me where to send the notes to!

around the corner

 It is always nice to know that there are places near and dear to me just around the corner.  I think of these spots when I am sketching.  Here is a corner shop that I illustrated for J.McLaughlin.  They told me that I "nailed" it right away meaning I got it right.

This Holiday, I plan to support many spots just around the corner as well as make items for giving.

Do you have a place you love to go just around the corner from you?  

collectors collage

Years ago, I illustrated this work of art for the cover of a press kit for J.McLaughlin of the stores that they had at that time. I believe the store count was around a dozen. Currently, there are more than 40 stores scattered up and down the Eastern United States from Boston, New York, Nantucket, Palm Beach, Princeton, Charleston, Georgetown and The Hamptons and many more posh locales.

I began wondering about working on a collage of collectibles. I love collages, montages, decoupages and piecing things together. Then I thought suppose you had a collection of objects and you needed to take inventory, what about having them in a work of art. (Jewels, antiques, watches, wine, ribbons, medals, snuff boxes, silver, and the list goes on.)

What sort of brilliant collections do you have that would make a creative collage?

she sells sea shells

J.McLaughlin's newest shop located in Sea Island, Georgia

pve design illustration

As a child, I have fond memories of a few trips to the beaches of the Carolina's and shopping little shops with my Mother and Aunt. Do you remember those little shops full of crafty shells, ladies in shell dresses. I would love a little shop to sell artful creations and souvenirs here.

I would have clean crisp paintings and always something fun on display.

Welcome to my "virtual" sea side cottage with my studio on the left, lots of natural light and natural beauty all around me.

Notice, I love clean lines.

Although I have never been to Sea Island, I would love to have a spot like this with this entrance.

This would be my art studio, lots of white, lots of light and a chandelier. I could easily transform the space for dinner parties. Nothing like a fire with the doors open for fresh cool air.

I could prepare dinners here in this lovely kitchen.

What sort of spot would you own and what would you sell in your Island shop?

villager

This swell spot is in a nearby village, just a "stones throw" away from me. We have smallish villages all neighboring one another without actually running into one another. Some villages are planned a little bit more carefully and can accomodate parking along with pedestrians. There are shops, dentists, bakeries, produce markets, pharmacists, hardware stores, coffee houses, a luncheonette or two, a florist and then if one is lucky, a clothier and even a second hand or consignment shop.

Growing up, I have the fondest memories of riding my bike to our village in Louisville, Kentucky. "St.Matthews." There was a fabric store that I loved to go to, the smell of the fabric dyes was so strong, I can remember my eyes burning and loving seeing all the new seasonal prints. I would plan my trip to "Woolworths" carefully. My Mother said one can always find something one needs in our village. We had "Chism's Hardware" and then above "Nanz and Kraft" florist, was my art teacher, Marie-Louise Schrodt. On the corner, was and still is "Top hat" liquor. The organic hippie food shop, "Rainbow Blossom" moved to a larger shop.

Mrs. Schrodt painted scenes of our village. She painted every sign, every puddle, everything as I remembered about my village, the way that it was. She was a realist, a single parent, an incredible teacher and she knew how to plan her palette and her paintings in her village studio. It was there in her studio that I heard stories of her Fashion days, she showed me her illustrations and she was very much apart of my village people. The last time I saw her, she had a showing in the building that used to be my elementary school. She had cancer and I knew it would be the last time I saw her but to me, she will always be one of my village people and I the villager.

awnings

Locust Valley, NY - J.Mclaughlin shop, pve design illustration

Candy striped awnings add a sizzle to a village shop.

Sunny Richmond, VA - J.McLaughlin shop, pve design illustration

Sunny striped awnings make me smile.

Boston, MA. - J.McLaughlin shop, pve design illustration

Canvas stripes in french blue remind me of the shops in France.

Do you love striped awnings as much as I do?

What color would your band of stripes be?

Thank-you to J.McLaughlin for being a sponsor, I love knowing that I illustrated the first three shops and now they have over 40 shops. More shops to sketch are on my drawing board. I truly never get bored with my work!