Inspiration Part II: Russian Splendors

INSPIRATION PART II:

RUSSIAN SPLENDORS

As I wrote last time, I mentioned that for this post on inspiration I would write about Russia. Not in the context of today's terrible news cycle, but in terms of it's beauty and history and inspiring art and architecture. I am not Russian nor have I ever been to Russia, but ever since I was a little girl there was something about it that fascinated me. It seemed so exotic and old world, rich with culture and history. It always seemed to me like a wilder Europe with many extremes. There were rulers that varied from Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great; and architecture that ranges from Neoclassical palaces to spires topped with exotic onion domes. I always loved the fairytales and folk stories that my mother read to me from the illustrated books that always filled the shelves. Throughout my life it has been an unexpected influence that has permeated my life in many ways.

(Amazon Stock Photo)

Beautiful Book of Russian Fairytales by Lucy Maxym illustrated with traditional black lacquer box paintings

As a teenager I traveled with my parents to Dallas for the Catherine the Great exhibition which was absolutely breathtaking. Finally being able to see the gilded opulence of the Imperial carriage, and clothing and the beautiful enamel decorative arts for which Russian artisans are so famous....in short... it left a huge impression. Later on the mid-nineties I was able to see the Treasures of the Czars exhibit (twice) 😊 and again was so captivated by the decorative arts and the exquisite craftsmanship of all these treasures that had never before ventured out of their homeland.

My mother and I began collecting Matryoshka nesting dolls and Russian eggs about this time and loved the beautiful intricate patterns  hand painted on the outside. My mother Caroline, had the most gorgeous little breakfast nook which she transformed into a magical place filled with Russian nesting dolls, black lacquered boxes and dollhouses. It was a fairytale room, filled with late nights of her teaching me to draw and make little treasures that would go into her Russian and Bavarian inspired dollhouses.

A corner in my mother's breakfast room with part of her collection of Russian nesting dolls

                  

 A few of my mother's incredible dollhouses

Russian egg display

My love of Russian arts and interiors has always stayed with me. in 2012 I had the opportunity to do a new solo exhibit and knew immediately I wanted to do a Russian inspired body of work. I think my recent purchase of  the book, "The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge" also played a roll in this, as there is a chapter on their gorgeous Russian Dacha (country house) that the two decorated that captures all the beauty and mystique of Russian art and architecture that I adore. As a lover of pattern and design, Russian colors and themes lent themselves perfectly for the borders that I always love to incorporate in my own work. The beautiful thing about Russian arts is their range of styles and how unique they are to the country. They range from simple lines of painted flowers found in wooden folk art to priceless jewels and enamel found in the Imperial treasures designed by Peter Carl Faberge in the 19th century for the aristocracy.

"Russian Snow Scene" from my exhibit, Russian Splendors in 2012

 "Ural Moon" 2012

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Here is a link to the book! Private-World-Saint-Laurent-Pierre Berge

More paintings from my exhibit in 2012 

That same year, I had a friend who was going to be traveling to Russia and my friend Carolyn and I decided to host a Russian themed dinner party in her honor, which was so much fun to plan! The menu consisted of blinis with caviar, cucumber salad, stroganoff (we took a little leeway with this) vodka cocktails and fruit tarts.

One of my favorite parts in the planning was making the place cards.

(Our names were in Cryllic and were probably all wrong, but they were such fun to make!)

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One of the quickest and easiest ways to find Russian inspiration either for a menu or interior is to peruse the website for the iconic restaurant, the Russian Tea Room in New York City. It is such a magical place and I am so happy its doors are still open!

http://www.russiantearoomnyc.com

Today it's easier than ever to incorporate Russian decorative arts in the house. With sources like Ebay, one has lacquer boxes, matryoshka dolls, icons, and Russian enamelware at their fingertips, and you don't have to wait for the next Catherine the Great exhibit to come to town!

If you love these things as much as I do you will have a wonderful time perusing these favorite books and sites that I have listed below. 

Thank you again for stopping in!

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Beautiful Book On Faberge (Amazon Stock Photo)

Russian Houses (Amazon Stock Photo)

Love this set of books by Lucy Maxym!!
Click here for Part 1
(Amazon Stock Photo)

Here for Part II  

Searches to follow on Ebay:

Russian silver or enamel:  http://www.ebay.com/bhp/russian-enamel?_trksid=p2045573.m2388

Russian Lacquer: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=russian+lacquer&_sacat=0

Russian Lomonosov (Gorgeous blue and white porcelain tea and coffee services):
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=russian+lomonosov&_blrs=spell_check

Russian Icon: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=russian+lomonosov&_blrs=spell_check&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=russian+icon&_sacat=0

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG!

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Welcome to by new blog, Old World Reflections!


I am so happy you're here. I have tossed around the idea of a blog for quite sometime and only recently felt like the time was right. As stated in my introduction I am an artist (painter) and lover of classic, old school interior design and art history, as well as cooking and entertaining, all loves I inherited from my mother.
I have come to discover how I am truly inspired by so many things and how all of these loves cross over and influence my everyday life.

 Two years ago I started my online store: www.oldworldreflections.com, which is where I have my art, stationery and original trumeau mirrors for sale. However, I wanted a space that provided an outlet to discuss all the things that are so influential and be able to share ideas, pictures, sources and inspiration.

As this is just getting started I want to start with the theme of "inspiration." People are inspired by anything and everything which is so wonderful as that is what makes us all different and gives us the ability to learn form one another. It is what sets us apart in how we dress, how we live, decorate and cook. 

As a painting and art history major in college, I was in love with so many different art forms, styles and periods in art history. It was virtually impossible to choose a favorite. This has carried over in to how I decorate, cook and produce art, etc. Whether it be the Far East, Neo-Classical France or Renaissance Italy....I love it all.

This first posts will be dedicated to some of these inspirations and how I try to integrate them into my everyday. What inspires you? Travel, Art, Cooking? I'd love to hear!

Thank you again for stopping in and sharing this creative journey!

Inspration 1: India

I am fascinated with the history and intricate architecture and art found in India. Although I've never been, I have poured over books and studied the shapes and patterns found throughout the country. The richness in the silks, carpets and brocades is unmatched and the delicate architecture is so majestic. These, paired along with the spicy exotic flavors of their cuisine are so indicative of a rich and vibrant culture- how could one not want to bring this into one's home in some way!?

One of our favorite dinners- homemade chicken curry and basmati rice
(I will post the recipe next time!)
So much fun to play with table settings: this is an antique Burslem plate, the pattern is Madras.
Paired with traditional silver and fun straw mats, I love combining formal and very casual pieces.

These two paintings are from an exhibit I did 6 years ago called

"East Meets West"

I loved doing the research for this! Think India, the old silk route, China and the Near East

Bringing a bit of India into the home. I have so much fun playing with the decor of our tiny library. It started out as a Moroccan room (the lanterns are barely seen in the window). Then I added birds after falling in love with
Carolyne Roehm's bird room in Charelston. Now after rediscovering my old passion for Indian block prints, I am incorporating those in with everything else. As long as nothing clashes, I am a huge fan of layers upon layers of pattern and texture!

Thank you so much for stopping in, next time I'll write about one of my all time favorite inspiration- Russian decorative arts!