January Warmth and Inspiration

There is something about January and the adjustment of being so busy in December and the holiday tempo that makes it seem a little forlorn. Leaving my grandchildren is always hard and it never seems to get any easier even as some of them are reaching their teens. It was a nice boost this year to return to my fairly new location and shop and plunge right into a workshop with inspiring and energetic women. What a fun way to begin a new year.

What I love best about workshops is the mingling of mutual passions and ideas and ways to hunt for bargains whether it be furniture or hardware. There is always someone in the group who has a secret way to find the best deal. Everyone talks about design, color, and technique in a refreshing and sharing manner. We all love paint and being creative, but we also love a chance to share and know we all belong to a mutual group that loves design and improvement and recycling neglected pieces of furniture.

After we were done painting our wood samples, we decided to try painting some metal hooks. This is what I love most about Chalk Paint™. You can paint on absolutely anything and these decorative hooks took to the paint as any refined hook would do given the same opportunity!

How about Florence with Antoinette and a little distressing and some dark wax?

And then there is the regal beauty of a Primer Red with some dark wax and a distressing.

A Fleur-de-lis with Chateau Grey, a little distressing and softening with dark wax is pure elegance.

And who does not love Provence in any form? Here it is ready to hang in the warmth of a little distressing and dark wax.

And here is Antoinette in all her beautiful subtle refinement. I love the warmth of the dark wax and a little distressing to give this piece an extra charm.

At the ending of the workshop we all shared our information on Pinterest and Facebook. There will be more pins to pin and more friends to add to all of our pages and isn't this the best way to begin a January that at the onset seems a little calm and remote from families and friends where the miles may seem a bit long. I am warming up to a wonderful year at The Purple Pear. The wind may seem cold and the temperatures chilly but there is much to warm our hearts and keep our creative pulses beating.

Work Book Inspiration

The lights were dim, but I was waiting and ready for the launch of Annie Sloan's newest book, Work Book!

I love this little book on Doodling in French by Anna Corba's. It seemed a perfect match for Annie's book too.

We are just beginning here....

There is something about the Rococo style that captivates me. I think it is because the palette is so soft and serene.

I guess I am a little hesitant to categorize a style other than what it is, Classical, but when I look at this palette, I think immediately of something a little more complex, sophisticated, and thoughtful. I want to pick up a book and read or simply sit and think within this palette. I find it invigorating as well as introspective.

When I page through Annie's Work Book and I arrive at the page that says "Asian style" I am immediately transported to my brother's home in San Francisco which has the most wonderful collection of Asian art and furniture. These are the colors that you see when you enter his world, the colors of Imari, Chinese reds, beautiful greys and golds. It is a world that gives one balance and peace and a sense of the earth.

I have to admit, I am not one to lean toward a Modern style in furniture. However, I appreciate the artists whom I am familiar that have stimulated my thinking and allowed me to go beyond my predictable palette. Annie knows how to introduce a person to another style, another way of seeing. I love her for this. I don't want to live a warm and cozy life in my secure corner of the world. Occasionally I want to see other designs and be exposed to other ways of thinking. This is why I have had this fascination with Annie for a very long time. She is an artist who will nudge you toward another way of seeing and feeling and interpreting. And so this is why all of her books are so inspiring and prolific and perennial.

In the weeks ahead and into the new year I will be spending a little more time with her fabric and working on my new Work Book with doodles, paint swatches, magazine clippings, and my own stylistic explorations!

Annie Sloan's Work Book Launch

I am really excited about the Work Book Launch Party tomorrow night. All the Stockists in the US are going to join Annie Sloan in celebrating the publication of her newest book. She will be celebrating in her own shop in Oxford, England while we are having our own parties. This is such a fun book and one where you can actually paint swatches, draw or sketch inspiring ideas, collect fabric swatches and magazine inspiration, and share what you love on Pinterest at the same time!

Today in my shop, I spent some time painting in the swatches for the different styles that Annie has designated in this delightful, useful, and fun workbook. What I discovered as I was painting the various pages was that I was drawn to a specific palette. I love all of Annie's colors, but I have never sat down in this way and categorized them in terms of periods or style. What I was strongly drawn to was the colors of the Rococo Style. These definitely resonated with me in so many ways.

I am guessing this just might be the experience of many who buy this gem of a book and find themselves immersed in the ideas and colors and how they are represented in this unique and inspiring way. Hope you all are able to find a class close to one of the stockists in your area so everyone can participate in this fun and exciting event!

A City Store Window

Last night my husband and I went to see a movie, a rare event these days. On the way to the parking garage, we stopped in front of a store window display selling some very unusual painted furniture. It was in one of those "pop-up" stores right in the heart of the city near Pioneer Square.

I kept staring at this paint and the application....

But when I turned to look at this bedside table I was really stumped. It looked like it was a piece that had originally been painted and someone had decided to strip it, but tired of the project and left it as it was. My other thought was that the whole set: screen, table, and coat rack were designed to look patinated. Hmmmmmm, it could also be a very avant garde look, a trend, something that is weathered by years in an old castle with musty interiors.

I love the colors, but the look seemed contrived. The other side of me says it is an expression of what is a popular style with a sort of advanced or over-the-top expression. Should we take this seriously or is this a tongue-in-cheek adaptation?

Work Book Launch Party!

I am so excited about Annie Sloan's newest book!! I am hosting a launch party at my new location on NE Glisan Street in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, December 13 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We will paint swatches, jot down design ideas, cut fabric swatches and magazine clippings. This latest book is sure to bring you lots of inspiration as well as remind you of all your ideas that you might explore in the middle of the night. It will be a keeper of dreams and doodles. What fun!

Construction Crunch

Welcome to my kitchen!!! When there is remodeling going on in your place of business, it tends to sometimes transfer chaos to one's home life too. This Sunday my husband and I decided to take advantage of the store being closed and planned a one night trip up to Mt Hood, one of my favorite places to visit. However, before we left, I actually took several hours and cleaned my kitchen out of Chalk Paint and a little madness.

We did not arrive on the mountain until nearly dark, but in the morning the sun was on the mountain and it was majestic!

Yesterday I finally got around to painting two tables that I will finish today. It felt so good to pick up a paintbrush again and dip into a quart of Chalk Paint™ decorative paint.

After closing my store last night, I had to run out to Home Depot for a few items, metal stripping for the corner of a wall.....

And some joint compound. Unfortunately, the one that I was looking for was completely gone so I had to go to another store. Funny how one can be so oblivious to certain items in a store until you have to purchase them. I had no idea there were so many kinds of joint compounds out there. Some even come in a box already mixed and for some odd reason, it made be think of boxed wine!

Now I am busy getting ready for Plucky Maidens. This is always a fun show to participate in and equally fun to attend. Hope to see many of you there. I will be selling Chalk Paint™, painted furniture, pillows I have made, Christmas stockings and lots more!

Peggy Del Rosario's: An Autumn Open House

Welcome to the world of Peggy Del Rosario, an amazing artist that has created a world enveloped in beauty, elegance, and old world style. Peggy opened her home for five very special hours today and invited people to view her immense talent, experience her warmth and flair for living, and visualize a space that achieves balance, beauty, character, and comfort in every single corner of her surroundings. Included were special offerings of collections from various women who share Peggy's love of luscious surroundings and special finds.

Peggy's back garden is an oasis of privacy and serenity and elegance. Amidst this in the foreground is the most wonderful Asian pear tree abundant with fruit. One wonders if it is really Oregon or could it be France or Italy, the European feel is so pronounced and rich.

As you enter through the front, you would never have any idea what is beyond awaiting you in the house and the back garden.

There were lovely items for sale in the garage....

I brought some of the Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan.

Even Mia, Peggy's adorable cat, stole center stage in front of the cozy fireplace.

This is one of the pieces that Peggy has painted, decidedly magnificent and breathtaking!

Details....

I love the way that Peggy handles the hardware on each piece.

And the way she mixes and applies her colors of paint.

Soon this piece will be displayed at The Purple Pear in the front window.

Peggy has such a rare and exquisite talent. It will be exciting to see what else unfolds in her palette of color and beauty.

And how fortunate we are to have someone so inspiring and talented in our midst. Please see what happens in the months ahead with this creative and incredible talent of a woman!