art design kitsch ...: July 2008

Jul 31, 2008

lovely surreal creatures - Johan Nieuwborg

Johan Nieuwborg makes these sculptures with lead and glass.

the charming creatures bring a smile on my face, I'd love to invent stories with these characters

all posts on art tour - Kunst op het Hof : HERE

Jul 30, 2008

delicate lights - animal sculptures

Pure ceramic porcelain becomes translucent when baked on very high temperatures (+ 1.250 °C). This characteristic permits Sandra Vanspauwen to design and execute these delicate lights.
Her partner Stef Jacobs makes sculptures in foam, polyester and metal.

all posts on the art tour - Kunst op het Hof : HERE

Jul 26, 2008

back on monday

we're off to a worldmusic festival

Olga Dengo - colourful painter, charming hostess

Celebrating the 1st anniversary of her Studio/Gallery/Waterfront Art & Guesthouse in Antwerp with her latest works.

Set in a quiet and unique location at the old docks very near the city centre, worthwhile a visit or stay in the stylish house Olga Dengo has decorated herself.

The artist from Mozambique, living in Antwerp - Belgium, next to a piece that I could not resist. I already had made up my mind to buy it when Wouter, her husband, told me that it was made from part of a broken African chair (being in the broken and rebuilding chair-business this really convinced me I wanted it in my house). It symbolises a Zulu lady with rings around the neck. So now I'm the proud and happy owner of this piece, I have the perfect spot for it and will update the post with a picture of its place once I put it up properly.

and the sign she probably puts up when at worksmall detail of one of her large paintings

two previous posts I did on Olga Dengo before HERE and HERE, or use the 'search this blog' on the top right of the page.

Jul 25, 2008

empty head, sore knees and new floor

Being focused for months on the art tour - exhibition, and neglecting my house and husband, people had warned me about the period after the event; ... the pressure gone ... the emptiness ... What were they talking about ?

The head was finally empty, what a nice feeling. The hands had washing and ironing and cleaning and washing and ironing and cleaning to do the first week.

And the second week I decided it was time to clean up the studio. What do I see that is definitely in my way? ... the whole set of pebble tiles we bought 11 months ago to put in our downstairs bathroom. Empty head, nothing important to do in the coming days, no visitors in the coming week ... it is time to do this.... with a delay of a year.
A gift to my ever so patient husband.

sealing the concrete floor before ...

... glueing the water tight fleece before ...

... trying to work out the best way to put the pebbles tiles before ...

... glueing the pebble tiles before ...

... well ... still glueing the pebbles before ...

... grouting the pebbles before ...

... well ....

The look this morning, the floor is drying. In a few days I will be able to put a sealant on top to prevent dirt getting in the floor. Almost finished, still can't believe it.

and the sore knees and wrist and back and legs are not so bad after all, this is finally done !!!

The studio ? ... still messy.

Jul 24, 2008

Design with a smile - part 4 - the other stuff

The exhibition Design with a Smile at the Design Museum in Ghent. Most of the objects displayed I had seen before in magazines, on blogs or in shops, but put together this way is quite fun.

Mop Flip Flop - 2005 - Marie-Louise Gustafsson - Sweden

a joyful way to clean the house

White Stiletto Hooks - 2006 - Susan Bradley - GB

Hang - 2007 - Seletti - Italy

Moose - 2005 - Big Game - Grégoire Jeanmonod & Elric Petit & Augustin Scott de Martinville - Vlaemsch - Belgium

Puzzle Carpet - 2005 - Satyendra Pakhalé - Magis - Italy

Flatpack Carpet - 2006 - Big Game - Switserland

Mouton Retourné - 1996 - Hans Weyers & Klaas Borms - Belgium
to improve the apetite in the dining room

Hanger - 2007 - Front Design - Sweden
so clever

Bike Rack for Car Space - 2006 - Adrien Rovero - Switserland
I think this is brilliant

Wounded - 2008 - Christophe Coppens - Peacock - Belgium

Tank Yoy - 2006 - Thierry d'Istria - La Tête au Cube - France

Frou Frou - 2008 - James Van Vossel - Belgium
glasses !?! with real hair

Maria USB - 2006 - Luis Eslava - ABR Produccion - Spain

That's all Folks !!!

hope you enjoyed this with a smile

(there is more at the exhibition, I just did not take pictures of everything)

all posts on Design with a Smile : HERE

Jul 23, 2008

Design with a smile - part 3 - furniture

The exhibition Design with a Smile at the Design Museum in Ghent. Most of the objects displayed I had seen before in magazines, on blogs or in shops, but put together this way is quite fun.

sorry, I missed the inormation on the seat

Pig Table - 2007 - Front Design - Moooi - Netherlands

Donuts - 2004 - Dirk Wynants - Extremis - Belgium

Bougez les Meubles - 2007 - Noé Noviant - Oulalab - France

Wrong Woods - 2007 - Richard Woods & Sebastian Wrong - Established & Sons - GB

Bullsit - 2000 - Hans Weyers & Klaas Borms - Belgium

Showtime - 2006 - Jaime Hayon - BD Ediciones - Spain

Comunistar Designers - SK Bookinist - 2007 - Nils Holger Moormann - Germany

Ding 11 - 2004 - Richard Hutten - Studio Hutten - Netherlands

I've made a few duo chairs before, I had never seen this one

Illusion - 2006 - John Brauer - Essey - Denmark

Highboy/Maid - 2007 - Peter Jakubik

Tag'liatelli - 2004 - Quinze & Milan - Belgium

(part of ) Be Your own Chair (comes with a suit) - 2002 - StauffacherBenz - Switserland

how does it function? have a look at the video HERE

all posts on Design with a Smile : HERE

Jul 22, 2008

1st anniversary

only yesterday did I realize it's the 1st anniversary of my blog today, so I will light a candle with the following post

Design with a smile - part 2 - lighting & candles

The exhibition Design with a Smile at the Design Museum in Ghent. Most of the objects displayed I had seen before in magazines, on blogs or in shops, but put together this way is quite fun.
the lighting part and let's start with the most impressive one, a life size ...