Too much Contrast

Although I like clear lines and a minimalistic decoration in a room depending where it is and what the surroundings are, I find this one to contain too much contrast. In tropical landscapes you have plenty of light and the abundance of vegetation often needs a counterpart of simplicity. In this case though the contrast is too harsh in my opinion and the placement of the two additional colour spots increases the contrast even

This could easily be softened by different artwork above the bed such as this wall hanging and the silkcarving on the opposite wall.

The wall hanging above the bed is an art quilt made entirely of silk and handquilted with silk. The small wall hanging on the opposite wall is a silk carving, also made of silk and hand stitched with silk. Both have been painted with silk dyes and metallic pigments.

"Apsaras"
52" x 69", silk art quilt
©Petra Voegtle

You can read more about this art quilt here. There are also more detail photos to see.

 

"Apsara"
( from the Angkor's Faces series)
silk carving, 14" x 14"
©Petra Voegtle

The above silk carving has been mounted on stretcher bars and is ready to be hung with or without additional frame.

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An Indoor Pool with the Refulgence of Heaven

When I saw this photo I was absolutely fascinated by the luminance and the colour of this indoor pool. As if heaven had come down to earth. At the same time I thought if someone is using this pool for relaxing with his family or friends why would you want to look at walls which are extremely bare and cold?  The problem could be solved easily...

(original image source: homesolute.com)

Now don't tell me that adding this painting to the wall would not transform the whole interior into an even more breathtaking roomscape:

The original painting has been painted on silk, belongs to the Magic Landscapes Series and depicts a motif from the Hawaiian Islands. The image shows the view from the Northern side of the Haleakala region where the lava fields were running towards the sea. Details of this paintings you can see under this link.

Btw - instead of hanging the original I would hang a fine art reproduction print on heavy canvas in this case because of the humidity.

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

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A Living Room with a Landscape

The colours of this living room are lovely. The light through the French window is wonderful and turns the room into a serene and calm scenery. The classical carpet is just the right counterpart for the dark wooden floor. The plant in the corner adds a very nice lively component. And although I like the art piece on the wall which matches the colours of this room beautifully I find it could need a bit more movement, a bit more focus, something that draws your attention. Otherwise this room looks a tiny bit too bourgeois...

The following painting (I would hang instead) came into my mind when I saw this room. It adds a whiff of mysticism and adventure to this room, opening the view into something distant.

The painting I have hung here virtually as an alternative to the original art piece is a silk painting from the Magic Landscapes series and is called The Valley - inspired by the breathtakingly green valleys of the Hawaiian Islands.

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

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Bonjour Tristesse - but not in the Bedroom please!

Please do not get me wrong here - I find this bedroom extremely elegant, stylish and very well designed. All the elements complement each other perfectly. But it looks really depressing. There is something important missing: a piece of colour!

I know - a bedroom should be kept mostly in  "neutral" colours, because it is meant for relaxing, getting a good night sleep, yadayada. But I would not want to sleep in a room with depressing colours such as these. Yes - depressing because that abundance of greys and blacks would rather remind me of a funeral parlour than a bedroom in which I could feel well.

A single piece of bright colour would do the trick: f.e. with this brightly coloured silk scroll, mounted on a simple stretcher frame without the upper and lower part as can be seen in the original scroll (please see below). But check for yourself. It would not change the design of this room but add a tiny bit of life and friendliness, warmth and excitement and keep off depressing feelings...

The original silk scroll was handpainted and additionally quilted with silk thread to add texture and depth.
This kind of scrolls is reminiscent of ancient Chinese or Japanese scroll paintings - their construction yet is completely different and has been developed by myself.

While traditional Japanese and Chinese silk scrolls are made from very thin painted silk, that is glued to paper which again is normally covered by patterned silk, my scrolls consist of 3 layers of fabric and no paper at all.

The middle piece is constructed like a quilt with a layer of very thin batting between the top layer which is the painted silk and the back. Headpiece and footpiece are normally made from silk as well, which has been fused to a thin layer of rayon fabric.

"Desert"
48" x 24", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

Finally top and bottom part of the scroll are sewn with a narrow tube at the end to be able to push a dowel through the fabric which is used for hanging. But as I said already - top and bottom part could also be removed in order to mount the middle piece on a stretcher frame.

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Hanging Art in an unorthodox Manner

First thing I noticed when I saw this photo was the wonderful light in this bedroom.But as usual I missed some art on the wall. As you cannot see in this vignette whether there is more space in the room besides the place  above the bed I decided to suggest to hang a silk painting in a different way than it had been painted for:

Not very often you have the opportunity to hang a realistic/representational motif other than it was meant to hang but in this case I thought it would work. Especially the colours of the silk painting with the sparkling of the mother-of-pearl pigments in the paint would match the light in this bedroom beautifully:

Here is the silk painting in its upright format (from the Magic Creatures series and one of my favourite paintings in general):

"Nautilus"
(from the Magic Creatures Series)
silk, 40" x 13"
©Petra Voegtle

But it wouldn't be me if I had not found another example for hanging this painting horizontally - in one of the next post...

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What Walls are meant for...

A lovely room, extremely spacious, with a gorgeous terrace, a great city view and a large wall. A large wall? Why on earth would one choose two tiny pictures which are even partially hidden or overpowered by lamps?
There is so much art out there that positively cries for a place like this one. I would have had a nice option...

What strikes me most in this room are the warm colours which turn the space into a cozy place. Without being too reminiscent of an old farmhouse the wooden beams add only some accents to a modern environment. And then I would have chosen this artwork for the wall above the bed:

Originally this is a silk scroll, painted and hand beaded with hundreds of small glass beads which sparkle in artificial light. But you could also remove the upper and lower part of this scroll and mounted horizontally in a sophisticated frame as shown in the photo below.

"Sun"
55" x 23", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

Instead of the original silk scroll I can make this scroll available as a fine art print on heavy cotton canvas in my Etsy Shop in nearly any size.

The image part of the silk scroll contains hundreds of tiny glass beads which were hand sewn and which imitate the tiny crystals within an agate geode.
The image has been inspired by real agates and is therefore a kind of blown-up imitation. The clear glass beads will reflect the light the same way as the tiny quartz crystals. The mother-of-pearl pigments in the silk paint heighten the gloss of various light parts in order to imitate the creamy white calcite parts you would find in nearly any agate.

Here are some details of the original silk scroll:

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A Bedrooom with two Alternatives of Fine Art

When I saw this image of a bedroom I immediately thought - oh how could they leave this huge wall above the bed without any art!

Especially in rooms where you have very high ceilings you need to be careful that the ceiling does not "escape" completely. In this case you have a lovely space to fill with something pleasing and reassuring...

My first suggestion would be to hang a silk scroll such as this one above the bed. The filigree pattern more or less repeats the pattern on the wooden ceiling, the colours are warm and fresh at the same time and the modern style fits into the overall scheme:

This silk scroll was inspired by one of the typical sceneries you can find in southeast Asia - rice farmers harvesting their crops. While we as Westerners find those landscapes simply beautiful, especially when the rice is ripe and turns into that golden colour, we often forget that the rice farmers in those countries belong to the poorest people who have no eye for the beauty but rather fight for their pure survival. These are the different perceptions in our lives.

Ricefields is an abstracted image of these landscapes and the embroidered red triangles represent the farmers with their typical wide straw hats. The patterns of the rice crops have been created with dye paint resists in several layers just similar to the batik techniques only that instead of wax a water soluble gel has been used. The decent use of metallic pigments was only for highlighting the rice crop patterns.

"Ricefields"
53" x 27", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

The second alternative is a silk painting from the Minerals series called Spheres.

The original artwork is a silk scroll and is normally hung with two handmade wooden dowels or any other similar device. But this silk scroll could be mounted on a stretcher frame as well without the black silk top and bottom part.
Additionally I can make this scroll available as a fine art print on heavy cotton canvas in my Etsy Shop.

The image part of the silk scroll contains hundreds of tiny glass beads which were hand sewn and which imitate the tiny crystals within an agate geode.
Doesn't the landscape here remind you of a large mystic cave, found beneath the surface of the earth?
When I saw the image of this agate I was fascinated by its spherical quality. It looked as if it were from a landscape of an outer world.

How can this be? The image has been inspired by real agates and is therefore a kind of blown-up imitation. The clear glass beads will reflect the light the same way as the tiny quartz crystals. The mother-of-pearl pigments in the silk paint heighten the gloss of various light parts in order to imitate the creamy white calcite parts you would find in nearly any agate.

 "Spheres"

34" x 34", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

Here are some details of this scroll:

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Please - add more Excitement to the Living Room

The first object that caught my eye in this vignette of a living room was the small tv - not one of these pretentious huge screens that just jump unpleasantly into your face everywhere. Instead it nuzzles decently into one corner of the room. The first time where I feel that the tv does not disturb the whole interior. Very nice!

 with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com

The second object that caught me eye were the panels on the wall and I thought - no - this is much too dark and boring. What a shame. This room needs a bit more excitement. The chandelier though is breathtaking - therefore I felt the silk painting, I would hang instead of the 2 panels, would add the mystery that complements the crystal chandelier.

And this is the complete silk painting Underworld from the Magic Landscapes series:

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

And check out this post if you like - with quite a few photos of real caves.

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A Bedroom with blank Walls - oh no!!!!!

Now - even if this were only a guestroom - the blank walls would be an "abomination". To be honest - I really don't like overstuffed rooms, especially not bedrooms but this is a bit too minimalistic. Although the bedspread and the little folk art side tables add a certain feeling to this room it still looks bland and cold. Not really inviting. And that's what we normally do with guests - don't we? Unless the unloved mother-in-law is rummaging through the house....

 with courtesy of http://www.livingetc.com

I would add some mystery to this room - an apsara face for heavenly dreams, a kirtimukha mask to face off all evil and one of those devine Buddha faces as they can be seen in Cambodia to protect you and keep your soul in perfect harmony:

"Lucky Dragon, Apsara, Buddha"
( from the Angkor's Faces series)
silk carving, 14" x 14" ea.
©Petra Voegtle

I would even add some sheers (very few) loosely draped over the frame of the bed just to match the colours of the silk carvings.

These three faces are the Angkor Faces, Apsara, Lucky Dragon and Buddha, a small series of silk carvings. Faces and Figures of Angkor is a series about the ruins and remnants of the temple area of Angkor Wat. The reliefs are all worked in silk, inspired by carvings in stone. They are a reminiscence of all the unknown artists of the past of whom we have neither memory nor documentation - only their unbelievably beautiful and sophisticated works, works that have survived hundreds of years.

Silk carvings are silk sculptures or reliefs created with a technique that I developped out of the trapunto techniques you can find in quilting. Instead of a single layer of stuffed material it consists out of multiple layers.
These works are all mounted on wooden stretcher frames and can be used as is or additionally framed.

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A cheerful Bedroom could be too nice

The colours of this bedroom are cheerful - there is no doubt about it. They are reminiscent of lazy sunny summer days spent near a lake with nothing but a natural panorama, serene and soft, no noise that tortures your ear besides the one or other bird that quarrels with his neighbour, a place simply to doze off.

Maybe this is the meaning of a bedroom but sometimes we also spend some time there without sleeping and it would be nice to have something in the room where your thoughts and inspirations could focus on - a piece of art is certainly such a focus.

If this were my room I would add this silk scroll. It is not enervating to disturb the calmness but it sends enough vibes to fill you with dreams of a different world and possibly some inspirations and ideas...

The silk scroll is part of a small series about the workmanship of southeast Asian artists and artisans.
The Weaver belongs to a series which portrays the most striking characteristics of people and cultures of the world. These characteristics should not be reduced to common prejudices but simply reflect an impression through the artist's eye: undoubtedly you can find some of the most beautiful people among Indian people combined with the abilities of outstanding craftmanship and artistry for thousands of years not only in the textile category but in many other areas too.

The means of the portrait is a medium which has been used for hundreds of years in countries such as China and Japan: painted scrolls made from paper or silk but another component has been added to this modern and personal version: quilting. The materials used here are silk top, poly batting, viscose/poly backing; painted, machine quilted with silk.
Additionally the patterns on the top and bottom of this scroll have been hand painted and are reminscent of the batik techniques in Indonesia...

"The Weaver"

65" x 21", hand painted silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

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A small Bedroom with a spectacular View...

Although I am not so very much a fan of dark rooms I loved this one from the first moment I saw it. I cannot even really explain why. Maybe it's the perfect disposition of this really small room because what you can see from this vignette there does not seem to be much more space available than for the bed itself.

The only downside of this room is the art on the wall, which - for my understanding - is not suitable for a bedroom. Although it perfectly matches the colours of this room (possibly the latter have been chosen because of the art) the figures displayed in this work look a bit creepy, reminiscent of emaciated models which is not really the perfect theme for a good night sleep.

My personal alternative would be this triptych painting on silk Ayutthaya which leads you gently into a world of meditation, dreamlike state - certainly more suitable for a bedroom:

Btw - I am going to make this painting available as fine art print on cotton canvas also, so that it can be used in different sizes. I'll let you know when it is in my Etsy shop.

 "Ayutthaya"

(from the Magic Landscapes Series)

40" x 39", silk triptych

©Petra Voegtle

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Wrought Iron Bed and a Golden Nymph

I really love this little bedroom. It is incredibly sweet and full of romantic. And of course the wrought iron bed. I never had one but I find these kinds of beds wonderfully oldfashioned and somehow I always associate a feeling of happy childhood with them. Strange isn't it? Wrought iron beds are definitely not for kids only...

This could be a gorgeous bedroom in a cottage. I could imagine a scenery with an old rose garden and many large old trees around the house and and ...

...and of course I would not leave this room alone, without a single art piece on the wall. I have one that would complement the bed, the colours perfectly:

The silk wall hanging has been entirely hand quilted with silk thread and painted. Even the intricate patterns on the figure's dress is painted with metallic pigments.

"Golden Nymph"
50" x 26", Silk Art Quilt
©Petra Voegtle

Normally this is hung with hand made wooden dowels but the wall hanging could be also mounted on a stretcher frame and additionally framed - see link.

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A Touch of Exotic in the Living Room

My attention was drawn immediately to the gorgeous window arches of this room and the amount of light that would be guranteed by this fact. I absolutely love large windows because then you have a plethora of possibilities for decoration, even converting half of the room into something like a sunroom - especially with plants. But this is not the theme here.

The room has been kept very simple - what can be seen from the photo section here - which leaves the opportunity to add some major objects and of course a  sophisticated piece of art such as this large silk scroll rather than the original picture which looks a bit depressing in this context (see below). The scroll would definitely add an exotic touch to this room.

 original image source and with courtesy of 

http://www.livingetc.com

The silk scrolls has been inspired by the dramatic stone architecture in India. If you would like to read more about the "making of" this extravagant piece and see a lot of large detail images please check this link.

"The Palace" 

( from the Ornaments series)

75" x 23", silk scroll
©Petra Voegtle

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