A Bedroom to love...

This is one of the sweetest bedrooms I have ever seen and I wished it were mine!
The colours, the light, the lovely stencil painting on the wall, the bed itself - I personally don't like the pillows though with these ribbons - that's just a tiny bit too much - everthing is so romantic and inviting to spend a good time in this room:

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

And if this room were mine I just would have added my dearest sculpture Putri Dedes, the model for the goddess of Transcendental Wisdom, Prajnaparamita.
The original statue, by which this sculpture has been inspired, probably is the most beautiful and exquisite Ancient Indonesian statue, to be found in the National Museum at Jakarta.

The Javanese called this statue Princess Putri Dedes. She was the first queen of Singasari, from whom all kings of Singasari and Majapahit descended. One of the ruined temples in the south of Candi Singasari was called the Temple of the Princess, and it is thought that this statue may once have been enshrined there. Putri Dedes was the daughter of a Buddhist priest and an identification with the goddess Prajnaparamita would be highly appropriate. But there is no proof for this. Nevertheless - for me she is the goddess.

So in my fantasy I added a little cast iron table with a glass plate on which the goddess rests. This would make the room for me complete - just as below:



This sculpture literally carries my heart blood because carving this piece was quite an endeavour and took about 6 months - it was a full time job. Carving chisels need to be extremely sharp and more than once a little blood drippd from my fingers into this wood. Also the figure is terribly heavy - it's massive wood.

To give you an impression about the details of this figure I have added a few photos. I especially love her face for its expression of total harmony and peace. The voluptuous form of this sculpture is a tribute to Indian temple ornamentations and figurines.

"Putri Dedes"
Goddess of Transcendental Wisdom
(from the Asian Wood Carving Series)
43" x 28" x 19" - hand carved

©Petra Voegtle

You can see here that the figure's back has been fully sculptured as well by showing her full hairdress as well as her jewellery and dress.


Her throne has been carved separately. This way the whole weight was devided up and it was easier to carve the intricate pattern. The basis of this throne are stylized lotus petals.

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A Hallway and a Valley - some common Ground?

Yes - my associations between the subjects are often not to be taken too seriously but somehow I have to find a bridge beween the represented interior such as a bedroom or a living room and the piece of art I try to incorporate. And I rather do it the funny way than sounding too serious.

I am enthusiastic about my work wholeheartedly and I want to ignite this enthusiasm in other people. Maybe I am sometimes over the top but from time to time everybody does exaggerate a little bit when his/her heart is in a project. Right?

Now this classical hallway somehow reminds me of a valley, a valley with doors to rooms instead of mountains. So why not reminding the viewer of real valleys, valleys which are mysterious and where we cannot see where they are leading to. Just as you get only a glimpse of what might be at the end of this hallway...

The silk painting Canyon is actually a triptych, inspired by the many marvellous canyons in northern America's national parks. If you want to know more about it check this link.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

"Canyon"
(from the Magic Landscapes series)
Triptych, 40" x 63", silk
©Petra Voegtle
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LUCKY HOUSE: another Wisteria House...

You already know my fanatic enthusiasm for Wisteria. But this house really knocks me out of my socks. Sorry - no interiors again but the exteriors.

This seems to be an old house in a residential area in Munich - near where I live - that is surrounded by rather newer homes. I don't know anything about this house - the fact is that you can hardly see it. Even in winter it is covered somehow by some evergreens - I think it's ivy - and it is enclosed with a high fence of shrubs which are that thick that you cannot even peek through them. Very mysterious - don't you think?

As you can see during the Wisteria blooming season the whole house disappears beneath a lump of blossoms and the front is totally hidden beneath a sea of green leaves. A wonderful place. Unfortunately you cannot even get a glimpse of the garden and what is growing there. So there is nothing left for me to do than staying outside, stretch myself as high as possible and shoot blind with the camera...




As you can see in the last photo the wisteria covers half of the roof already and you can see the top of the hedge which is really high - at least 2 meters! What a decoration!

What kind of people may live in there - I often wonder. They must be nice people with blossoms like these - such blossoms do not grow in gardens where you have nasty people - don't you think? So I just call it another lucky house and it will not be the last one...
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The Minoans in the Hallway...

The painting that hangs in the original image source on the same place disappears a bit behind the plant and is too neutral for my feeling. I think this elegant hallway deserves artwork that is a bit more prominent.

Also I thought that the delicate art deco style of the entrance door and the filigree stair railing would be complemented nicely by the two delicate silk paintings which start to shimmer when light is on them. But again this is only a potential scenario and does not want to diminish the intent of the original interior designer or home owner.

If you would like to know more about these paintings, Minoans I and II please see this link and this link.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com

"Minoans I and II"
(from the Magic Symbols series)
40" x 13" each, silk
©Petra Voegtle
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Colour Coordination...

I actually do not know anything about the owner of this house, nor where it is, whether it is a private home or a hotel - as you cannot say from this photo. I chose one of my paintings just for fun and colour coordination. Maybe you like this composition - maybe not. Only another potential scenario and a simple play with colours.

Btw - this is actually one of my favourite silk paintings. It is inspired by Maui's breathtaking landscapes around the Haleakala volcano range. Additionally I tried something new with this painting, namely adding a humouresque part in form of two hikers in this painting which are so tiny that you can only recognize them if you look very close. I have painted them in fact with a magnifying glass and it was a whole lot of fun. I added a close-up of the part of the painting.

You can see more details under this link.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com/Cynthia Aiken Interiors

"Haleakala"
(from the Magic Landscapes Series)
silk, 21" x 40"
©Petra Voegtle

Haleakala-detail
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Just passed the 10000th Viewer!

I just realized that more than 10.000 viewers came to visit this little blog. I am really happy and celebrating!
I started this blog in November last year and never thought of having more than 5 readers per day.
There are so many gorgeous interior design blogs out there, about home decor and decoration that I feel honoured to have a small, steadily growing readers list.

A big Thank You to you!!

A Niche with a Longing...

The original photo contains quite a few empty golden picture frames on the wall which are supposed to be filled. I thought this silk carving may be another potential complement for this lovely niche. Colours would be perfect including that little gold pigment that has been used in this silk carving called The Longing.

If you would like to see details of the silk carving use this link.

original image source from http://www.getdecorating.com/Taurus Homes

"The Longing"
silk carving
©Petra Voegtle
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Dining Room and Ricefields...

Interiors and deco need not be excruciatingly expensive in order to be chic and elegant. I think this dining room is a good example. Also if you refrain from buying only brands but instead look for quality no matter who's made it you can save a lot of money.

I don't know who designed this little dining room with an adjacent kitchen, nor do I know the products which have been used here but I think this place looks light and easy, with chic and style and I love it. What I miss here (of course) is a piece of art, so I chose the silk painting Ricefields (no pun intended) from the Magic Landscapes series for the white wall as a potential scenery here.

This link leads you to details of the painting.

with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com
click here for the original image source

"Ricefields at Dawn"
40" x 21", silk
©Petra Voegtle
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ECCENTRIC DISCOVERIES: Sleeping in Ice

Might this belong to your most eccentric fantasies - to spend a couple of days like an ice princess in a crystal clear chateau? Wrapped in furry blankets to keep you warm, listening to some ethereal music coming from nowhere, lights which seem to glow from within that crystal clear substance you call ice? A magical scenery that carries you into another sphere...

Quite a while ago I found this about an amazing hotel in Sweden, the ICEHOTEL, near the Torne river.

"The company Jukkas (now ICEHOTEL) has been a tourist operator in the region since the 1970s. For many years the company focus was on the summer season and the magnificent outdoor experiences offered by the land of the midnight sun. During the dark winter the river was frozen and the people of the small village of Jukkasjärvi went into hibernation. Read more"

What attracted me most on their website, was the incredible art that was carved from the ice and the interiors that were created in and from ice, each room by different artists and each year this had to be done anew. In 2009 you could find these rooms among others:

main hall

where you sleep under stars

the Mush room - a psychedelic experience

Recaptured - where fragmented fractures of frozen memories are recycled

the Queen's room

the Art room

From the years before I specifically loved the following rooms and other sceneries. I truly recommend scrolling through all the images of ICEHOTEL. It's magic!

the Taonga room - with Maori symbols

the Russian art nouveau room

the Recurrence room - from Japanese artists

the Dreams room - what could be a more magical environment...

the Cupola room - sleeping under a the cupola of heaven

a dreamy landscape - relegated into a different era or planet?

(all images with permission from ICEHOTEL, photographed by Big Ben Productions)

And in case you would like to be part of next season's designs - ICEHOTEL is calling for artists:

"We hereby invite artists from around the world to send us your ICEHOTEL suite design for 2009/2010. We need your proposal no later than July 15th 2009."
for Application form click here .

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My own fantasies about iceworlds have been created on silk, a scroll that depicts the fantastic colour hues of the artic landscapes. More under this link.

"Iceworld"
79" x 25", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

Crocheted Lace on Floor, Lamp and Wall...

This is such a cute little bedroom - maybe for guests or rather for yourself? I absolutely love this composition of the carpet with the crocheted border and the lamp that repeats the pattern and the colour hues. Both elements deliver lovely counterparts for the straight bed without gadgets.

I have added virtually a painting in an ornamented frame that repeats a lacy pattern as well, that could be another addition to this ensemble. The acrylic painting is White Wall from the Reminiscences series. Please check this link for details.

with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com
click here for the original image source

"White Wall"
(from the Reminiscences series)
26" x 18", acrylic on cotton
©Petra Voegtle
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Living Room in Black and White

Rooms in black and white can be très chic. But I think "missing" colour should be compensated by something spectacular - you need an eyecatcher to focus upon - possibly this drawing if you have a faible for grotesques.

If you would like to know more about the drawing Vanity from the Deadly Sins series then click here.

with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com
click here for the original image source

"Vanity"
43" x 27"/58" x 32", drawing mounted on silk
©Petra Voegtle

LUCKY HOUSE: dipped in lilac and violet

I know - I'm walking a fine line again because I leave the track of the interiors and walk straight away towards the exterior. And again I'll show art but not made by me but Mother Nature again. I simply could not resist to show you this wisteria which I think is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen growing in a garden and overgrowing the garage.

Now what does this tell you about the people living in that house? You could assume that they apparently rather walk than taking the car because you cannot pass the garage with a sea of blossoms such as this one. Very sympatico! Isn't it? I wished I had such a wisteria tree in front of my home. It was simply breathtaking and I hardly could make myself going away again. What a lucky house and what lucky people!

Btw - more blooms and blossoms can be found here.

"Wisteria"