I am such a fan of Flickr. It's so amazing to me that such a universal catalogue of online images exists and is so easy and fun to navigate. I am adding more to my Flickr site all the time. I even came across a photo someone had posted of two prints they had bought from me and framed. What a nice surprise! Thanks, DesignPhan!
I wanted to thank my friend, Katherine Lee, of the great new design blog, URBAN FLEA, for doing a feature post on my work last week. Katherine is a great person with an eye for beautiful things and hip trends. She is certainly no snob and cares nothing for provenance, believing that great design trumps pedigree every time! She has a leg up on the rest of us as she is on staff at the happening design mag, Domino, and gets first dibs on a lot of inside info. Here is what she says about her blog-"I'm on a relentless quest to fuse the best of high and low design, bringing a global urban flea market mash-up to the masses."
Some of my work at Art Senoia, a show opening tomorrow evening. It's located in a historic, rustic gallery in the Atlanta area. (click for larger image)
The show includes the work of many fine artists from the Atlanta area.
Some of my talented photographer brother, Jeremy Harwell's work. He took all these photos in this post.
Found metal sculpture by Zack and David Moye
A few of the prints available now in my store. Lots more to choose from!
The alligator swimming not more than 15 feet outside my door. This guy was at least a 5 footer....
The beautiful tiled fountain and courtyard in "Morocco" at Epcot Disney
I thought this tea cup planter was so clever!
The gardens in "England" at Epcot. The most authentic looking part of Epcot, I think. Some of the other "countries" are way more staged looking. After all, it IS Disney.
I have been working very long hours lately, trying to complete some projects and get everything for my show done and shipped off. My eyes are tired and my hand is permanently poised as if still holding a paintbrush. With the pieces for the show finally sent, I decided to take a much-needed break and use a complimentary pass I was given to Disneyworld. I am not much for rides at this stage in life, but I did enjoy an absolutely gorgeous day outside at Epcot. Generally, I am not a big fan of amusement parks, crowds or tourist haunts, but I was surprised to find some beautiful gardens, a pretty authentic French chocolate croissant and a gorgeous Moroccan fountain. What did you do this weekend?
Just want to say a special thank you to Michelle Ginnerty of My Notting Hill for posting one of my prints as a part of a post on Fiona Newell-Weeks. My Notting Hill is a Washington D.C. based design blog that offers great content and has really taken off. Michelle is a super nice person and a great blogger as well. Thanks, Michelle! You can read the post here.
How dreamy does this look? This is the latest development by the Kor Group in Anguilla, West Indies. It looks to me like this would be the perfect setting for soul-restoring getaways in a tropical paradise. The view alone makes you want to sigh. Here's what the Kor Group has to say about their island outpost.
Hope all of you are having a good week so far! I am slightly preoccupied at the moment. I thought I was ready for my upcoming show, but as often happens, there are a few odds and ends that need attending to. Loose ends here, so I am going to leave you with this great Jordi Labanda illustration and get back to work. Ta-ta for now......
A feathery Australian Pine hanging over the bay - I can't believe how beautiful the water is..... It's been so fun learning all the names of the trees and plants here. So many interesting and gorgeous varieties!
Another depressing weekend in Florida with gloomy weather.....
Yes, yes, I know. I promise I am not trying to make anyone jealous. No, my life is hardly perfect and the weather here is not always sunny. Sometimes, even here in paradise, it gets stormy and things can be stressful. I don't take pictures when the skies are dark, tears are falling and I'm stressed with work and covered in paint (although that may be coming...stay tuned) However, I do believe in looking on the bright side and being thankful not only for the things that are going right, but also for the things that are difficult and painful, because even those trials can bring about good things. I am learning that acceptance, faith and gratitude are keys to peace. They make the disappointments and pain in life bearable and the sweet moments in life even that much sweeter. (Romans 8:28)
The poster I created for Art Senoia, a fine arts show in historic downtown Senoia, Georgia. My brother, Jeremy Harwell, an award-winning photographer, runs his studio in downtown Senoia. Jeremy left NYC in 2003, after years working with Ralph Lauren as Creative Director for his New York stores. He built a charming farmhouse with his wife, Karrie, and 3 children and refurbished the historic bank building his photography studio is now housed in. More on Jeremy, his home and studio in the future. He is one of the artists participating in Art Senoia, as well as myself. The show opens with a reception on Friday, April 25th and is open every weekend for a month. The show will feature the work of fine artists and photographers from around the Atlanta area in a gallery setting. Senoia is a unique place named after a Native American princess located about 45 miles south of Downtown Atlanta, GA. It has been the setting for several films in recent years, including Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon and The Fighting Temptations.
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"Pink Espresso" painting - Anne Harwell on ETSY
"Villa Borghese Gardens" painting - Anne Harwell on ETSY
"Studio Interior" painting - Liza Hirst
My grandmother with her white gloves and bold floral head gear- 1967
Painting - Kaffe Fassett
Jan Showers Design
Painting - Kaffe Fassett
House Beautiful
Pink is one of my favorite colors and I thought I'd include a few selections from my files. Some of them I have had for quite a while, and so am not sure of their source, but wherever possible, I have labeled them. Hope you all have a nice, relaxing weekend!
St. Armand's Circle, Sarasota, FL. I don't know about you, but oftentimes I get so busy with work and life in general, that I forget to take time to enjoy the place I live and appreciate what the community has to offer. This past weekend I took a day off and spent a little time pretending to be a tourist in my own town. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with some great friends followed by a leisurely stroll around St. Armand's Circle, an outdoor shopping area with loads of little pastel hued boutiques, restaurants and galleries set around a picturesque central landscaped park on Lido Key. For a few hours, I felt like I was on vacation and got a much-needed recharging. After that, I spent a while at the bookstore, browsing to the accompaniment of some horribly out-of-tune Bluegrass performers. They could have made even a Tennessee granny want to pluck her chin whiskers out! Sad to say, I was strangely relieved when the lead performer started whistling the larger part of a couple of tunes. Well, needless to mention, I couldn't handle that for long. I seriously think bookstores should consider banning vocals. Anyone agree? A trip to the beach at sunset topped off my day and I went to bed thinking,"I need to do this more often!" Minus the bookstore bluegrass, of course!
A view of The Met - an upscale clothing store, day spa and salon.
One of the gorgeous flowering Orchid trees indigenous to the area.
I love all the potted palms and beautiful flowering plants everywhere.
The fountain in front of The Met
One of the many statues dotted around St. Armand's Circle
Another gorgeous flowering tree, the Tabebuia, or Gold Tree. I am a big botanical/horticultural nerd (from my parents dragging me to nurseries as a kid and my grandma, Lula, a HUGE gardening buff!)
Hemingway's Hideaway - a popular local eatery in shades of tropical sherbet.
Some of the many colorful French linens at Decor de France, a charming local boutique.
I love these quilted French table linens and the lime green iron baker's rack in the background.
Decor de France sells these colorful indoor/outdoor rugs that are great for porches and lanais.
A statue of Christopher Columbus. All of these beautiful statues ringing the circle that were once donated by circus magnate and former resident, John Ringling, have just recently been restored to their former glory.
The Columbia Restaurant's adjoining gift shop that features many unique and colorful pottery pieces imported from Spain.
I think this traditional ironwork partition between the restaurant and shop is a perfect place to display some of the gorgeous Spanish ceramics.
I absolutely love the clever incorporation of traditional Spanish tiles everywhere!
The Columbia Restaurant is a legendary Florida establishment. The first restaurant was opened by the Casimiro Hernandez family in Tampa in 1905. Since then, they have expanded to a family of 7 restaurants throughout the state. They are known for their authentic Spanish dishes and tapas. Another signature is their "1905 Salad" and the individual loaves of their paper-wrapped crusty warm bread. I could eat nothing but these two items and come away completely satisfied! It's truly a worthwhile place to visit with not only great food and ambiance, but outstanding and friendly service as well.
