Leigh Wells
My Honors Art class spent their final weeks of school working through an abstract painting project. I came to find that I actually don’t have a clue how to really teach abstraction. Something magic has always happened in the past, where something instinctual kicks in for the kids and happy accidents led to goodness in the end. Midway through I got myself together and re-approached my usual method, finding loads of eye candy along the way.
That’s where the work of San Francisco based artist Leigh Wells comes in. I first came across her drawings a couple years back (check out her Tangled Series- amazing right?) and recently stumbled upon her more recent work, pictured above. Using mixed media on paper, I love the way these collages hover over the line of representation and abstraction.
Find more work on her website, right here.
Johnny’s Latest Collection: Barnacle Rings
From left to right, top to bottom:
1- 14 kt White Gold, Black Diamonds
2- 14 kt Yellow Gold, White and Black Diamonds
3- The Collection (the bottom two are 18 kt Rose Gold)
4- 14 kt Yellow Gold, Black Diamonds
5- Oxidized Sterling Silver, Sapphire Stones
All of these pieces can be seen and sold at Love & Luxe in San Francisco (more on L&L here and here). In addition, every stone Johnny uses is certified conflict-free. Good stuff!
Looking to make a custom order? Email Johnny at: johnnyninos@yahoo.com
Color Theory + Hiatus + BIG NEWS !
Yikes! It’s been an entire month since my last post. Sorry for the hiatus. Life has shifted in the craziest yet best of ways: we are expecting a baby boy this fall! I am 21 weeks along and all is well.
It’s funny how much priorities shift with a game-changer such as this. The notion of sitting in front of my computer for hours on end went right out the window as soon as I found out I was pregnant. My daily fix of Pinterest even dwindled- no shakes, no withdrawal (cutting down on caffeine, however, is a different story)! Now that I’m halfway along and gaining energy back, Wholesome Scraps will start to get more attention. Posts on the daily are doubtful, but at least once a week is do’able!
I’m eager to get back into the swing of things and to share some of the latest developments from Johnny’s studio. Brag alert: his latest series of barnacle rings are really something! Check back tomorrow for photos of his latest.
1 (JMW Turner’s Sunrise with Sea Monsters) / 2 / 3 / 4 (artwork by Susan Dwyer) / 5 / 6/ 7 (watercolor by Luli Sanchez) / 8 (vessels by Up in the Air Somewhere)
As you can see, Johnny’s been a slave to his bench these past couple weeks. Here’s a taste of his latest work (from right to left, top to bottom):
1- Riveted Steel & Sterling Rings
2- Conflict-free Rose Cut Diamonds with Handmade Casted Bezels in Rose, White, and Yellow Gold
3- Steel, Yellow Gold, and Diamond Neckpiece with Magnetic Clasp
4- Sterling, Steel, and Yellow Gold Casted Eucalyptus Earrings
5- Barnacle Rings in Yellow and Rose Gold with Rose Cut Diamonds
6- Steel and Yellow Gold Earrings
7- Grey Rose Cut Diamond with Handmade Bezel in Yellow Gold
And this just a sampling…there’s another post in the works which is accompanied with some exciting news! Stay tuned.
Just some photos of a lovely home, all in monochrome.
I’m loving the warm light mixed with shades of white, black, and grey. Get me in that kitchen! Or even better, get me in that tub!
Later in the week we’ll be posting another studio update from a casting Johnny did last night! This casting produced a total of 20 new pieces, ranging from rose-cut diamonds, components for broaches and earrings, and more for his latest series using the combination of steel and gold. Good stuff! Stay tuned…
(Found via Nordic Design, photos by Daniela Witte for Skona Hem)
Last week was like a little slice of summer around these parts: we had a break from school and the weather was unexpectedly spectacular. On Friday the March issue of Bon Appetit arrived in the mail and I made this recipe that same day (looked too good to not make immediately, plus it was a perfect day for feasting out on the porch). Fast forward to Monday and the weather totally shifted, complete with snow in the mountains and hail down here (not complaining, though I’m ready to retire the ol’ down jacket into storage for the year).
Whether you’re in the dead of winter or in the thaw toward spring, I recommend giving this recipe a go, especially if you’re in the need for a little pick me up. Bon Appetit calls for using more sugar (1/2 cup rather than 1/3) and honey (3 Tbsp. rather than 2). I found both to be a bit overpowering in this recipe; the taste of roasted pineapple alone is sweet enough, in my opinion. I used Greek Gods brand yogurt (obsessed with this stuff) on the side. If you try creme fresh let me know how it turns out!
Fresh from the Studio
Johnny’s been logging many hours at the bench these past couple weeks. He started a new series using a combination of steel and yellow gold, which he used for the earrings in the photos above. The gold ring in the center photo is one of my all-time faves. The textural nugget was made using a left over sprue button from a previous casting. I love the way it looks when stacked with a diamond: the organic quality really takes off when next to a tightly crafted set stone (conflict-free, of course).
Another new addition are the wax bezels Johnny has been milling with his new-old lathe. These thicker, more substance filled stone holders are completely custom and uniquely built for each stone. Expect to see a handful of new rings sporting these one of a kind bezels soon!
In 2010 Italian designer Cizak Dalmas launched La Clinica, a collection of furniture and housewares with a story. What you see here are all handcrafted pieces produced by artisans located in three parts of the world: Brazil, Italy, and Spain. This collection is “based on the interaction between young designers and experienced artisans, which combines new ideas with centuries-old know-how”. According to local traditions and resources for materials, the result is three different collections based around the same basic design. Visit La Clinica’s website for more info and photos!
The combination of being uber busy with work for the past couple weeks, being summoned for jury duty this week (ugh), and feeling under the weather today has left me in a bit of a daze. This collection of photos is the work of artist Cecilia Paredes. (Far more lovely than my pity party, no?) Click here to see more of her inspiring work!
In much brighter news, Johnny’s been busy creating a new collection of rings and earrings using new techniques with wood, steel, and gold. Can’t wait to get together pictures to share with you in the coming weeks…stay tuned!
I’ve been finding loads of gorgeous imagery on Pella Hedeby’s blog STIL inspiration, this home in Singapore being no exception. I’m loving the minimal and simplistic approach to the design and decor. And that top photo (by Rupert Singleton) might just be my favorite interior shot ever…
See more photos right here. Have a great weekend!
I’ve had these photos floating around my favorites folder for a couple weeks now, and everytime I revisit them my reaction is the same: whoa. The series, titled Stamen, is the work of photographer Nicolas Alan Cope in collaboration with art director Dustin Edward Arnold. They feel so thick, humid, and almost as if longing for a breath. Downright beautiful.
(via Honey Kennedy)
Everytime I get around to posting blues on Wholesome Scraps 2, I always come back to Pia Pasalk’s gorgeous porcelain vessels from her ‘Perfect/Imperfect’ series. Though her clay work is featured here, her design label, Content & Container, reaches beyond into other realms:
Launched in 2008, Pia Pasalk’s design label Content & Container celebrates the beauty of the inconspicuous, of that which lies concealed beneath the everyday surface. It turns the everyday into an element of style, the blemish into the focus of design. Ignoring the boundary between jewellery, product, and fashion, Content & Container creates concept-based works that are at once objects of utility and multi-faceted sites of sensual experience combining look and feel in equal measure. Content & Container produces small series, limited editions as well as one-of-a-kind-pieces.
Click here to visit Content & Container (the design of her site is fabulous as well)!
I can’t help but share this house tour from yesterday’s Design Sponge. This is the home of Jason Gnewikow and Jeff Madelena (owner of Williamsburg’s Oak). Located in the Catskills, their home fits everything I’m into aesthetically lately, to a T: the white tiled bathroom, hearty wooden details, glossy black doors, and neutrals set off with a pop of vibrant color (still working on getting up the guts with that last one). I’ve seen bits and pieces of these photos floating around Pinterest but didn’t realize they’re all from under one (amazing) roof. Click here to see more photos from the tour.
On Wallpaper…
Growing up it was so very uncool. With all the beautiful designs out there these days, I can’t help but think about adorning some space with wallpaper, even if just an accent wall or the inside of a closet. These designs in particular are catching my eye:
1. Polka Polka, Abigail Borg
2. White Moth, Timorous Beasties
3. Lush Wallpaper, Makelike
3. Pineapple, Timorous Beasties
4. Seascape Wallpaper-Winter, Abigail Edwards
5. see #4
6. Succulent Wallpaper, Makelike
7. see #6
8. Ms. Ward, Grow House Grow
9. Ms. Treat in Pineland, Grow House Grow
10. Hotel Fantome in Absinthe, Grow House Grow
I love handlettering. And I love timelapse videos. Here’a a little of each rolled into one, featuring graphic designer Dana Tanamachi for The Ace Hotel NYC. I wish I had the patience to create something like this! Find more videos of her chalk work here.
