ALL IN THE FAMILY

I wanted to share some photos taken by my incredibly talented brother, Jeremy Harwell, of his brand-new studio.  You may have seen his creative space featured yesterday on Decor8. He's a creative dynamo and a great guy in general. I just feel blessed to have him as my brother!

You can check out Jeremy's site that includes a portfolio and links to his blog here! 

Have a great weekend!

(re-post from 3-16-12)

FLORIDA STYLE

via Gulf to Bay Sothebys

via Shorely Chic

via Palm Beach Sothebys

I hope that you had a nice weekend. I had a very nice one myself and was just thinking how blessed I feel to live in Florida. 

Moving here over 5 years ago was one of the best things I have ever done. 

We have a perfectly sunny, warm Winter and then, even in Summer, we experience cooler temperatures than many parts of the U.S.  I never grow tired of the lush vegetation, beautiful beaches and laid-back lifestyle. It's a place full of green and color year-round and being expressive with color in your dress and decorating is not frowned upon, so I fit in perfectly.

 It's definitely not a place where the chromaphobic mentality reigns! 

Viva Florida!

SPRING BULBS & CHEER

Ever since I can remember, I have loved the scent of hyacinths. From the days of long Winters growing up in the North, they have represented to me the promise and hope of Spring and warmer weather. The scent triggers a sort of euphoria in my brain and takes me back to those crisp sunny days as a preschooler, tooling around in my windbreaker on a tricycle, stopping to sniff the hyacinths planted in beds along our driveway.

To this day, hyacinths still give me a thrill....even if I am blessed enought to spend my Winters in a sunny subtropical climate now. This is just a snapshot of one I bought at my local store that I have been enjoying thoroughly. I love the way it picked up the color in my "Patchouli Seas" canvas print (available here).

Do you enjoy Spring bulbs in your home? Which flower is your favorite?

MOMENTS CAPTURED

Did you have a nice weekend? I just wanted to share this piece I painted for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. It's from a photo taken of us last year on the beach in Hawaii. Contact me here for info on getting your own special memory immortalized on a canvas!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Aren't these paper fortune cookie valentines adorable?

Hope you have a wonderful day & thanks for all of the love and support you guys show me.

I truly appreciate it and love my readers. Hope your Valentine's Day is a great one! 

PALM BEACH PERFECT

** This is a re-post from a couple years back as I am currently winging my way across the country!

I will continue to post - so don't go away!! Have a terrific Monday.

I never squeal. Never. However, when I turned this page of the March issue of Coastal Living and saw this room, I think I squealed internally.  I went nuts over designer Meg Braff's Palm Beach apartment.

(click image to enlarge)

I don't think I've ever seen a home (vacation or otherwise) that embodies my personal style as well.

And to think this woman is married with 4 sons.....gotta love everything about it. All the beauty and softness balancing out all the testosterone she lives with.

This proves that guys can live without black leather and thrive.

She is amazing!

(photos via matters of style)

THANKS, EVERYBODY!

I'm sorry for being so MIA lately.  I've just moved and it's been quite a chore. The results are well worth it, though. I love my new digs and this is my shipping storage area. It's organized and everything's visible and accessible. I am a happy camper.

Trying to keep on top of my business and shipping orders while moving all of my earthly goods required some juggling and some healthy snacks to fuel me. These Trader Joe's pineapple chips are my new fave. Once again, Trader Joe's comes through. Have I mentioned that I love that place??

In the midst of my moving insanity, a local reader of my blog got in touch because she wanted to buy my Veranda magazine stash. When we met for the magazine drop-off, she surprised me with this because she had read that these salads were my favorite. Can you believe how thoughtful this lady is?? 

It really made my day - thanks so much, Irene!  One of those instances where you are reminded of how refreshing it can be to meet a truly nice person and what a joy blogging can be when you are able to interact with readers and fellow bloggers.

Speaking of nice, I also wanted to say thanks to fashion blogger Maggie Philbin for this mention of my matchboxes last week. Very sweet. You can read it here:

Mag's Rags to Riches

Well, that's a short update and I will try to catch up on commenting & posting fresh content very soon.
Thank you all for your patience & loyal support. You guys are the best!
Enjoy your weekend!!

ETSY BAZAAR

Great pillow here

Terrific tape here

Funky photo here

Class act card here

Scrumptious cookies here

Pretty pendant here

Etsy has been a great venue for me to sell my work for the last 6 years. I also try to support my fellow Etsy sellers anytime I can. If only Etsy could stop the rip-off artists who steal my work and market it as their own, I'd be perfectly happy. In the meantime, I need to send a cease and desist letter to some unscrupulous copycat who is somehow ignorant of the immutable fact that you will definitely end up reaping what you sow in life and if you're a dishonest thief, that doesn't bode well for your future. 

Ok, off my soapbox now....deep breath.

ARTIST'S PORTRAIT * CAROL GILLOT

Artist, Francophile and blogger Carol Gillot at work

Even before I first started blogging, I read about Carol Gillot and her charming watercolor paintings on Rita Konig's Domino blog. I have since been an ardent admirer of her work. She sells originals and prints of her work on her blog and in her Etsy shop. She also authors a charming blog that features all sorts of interesting photos and information on French life and culture from her frequent trips to Paris. Her posts are filled with fascinating tidbits of information, all imbued with her affection for the City of Lights. Today, she has taken the time to give us a peek into her own background and life.

Where were you born?

Abbington Hospital in Pennsylvania at 3 AM

What would you take if your house was burning down?

My favorite old black watercolor paintbox (it was my mother's), my favorite brushes and my passport.

Best childhood memory?
Going with the family for ice cream cones every Sunday and going by myself to the 5 &10 in Jenkintown to browse and comparison shop for my dollhouse.

Your favorite book?

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

If you could have only 1 last meal, what would you want on the menu?

Burnt marshmallows, popcorn, coffee ice cream, milk shake, caramel macarons from Laduree, a bacon sandwich and an apple.

Do you prefer hot weather or cold?

Cold weather always!

Favorite artists?
Wayne Thiebaud, Delacroix drawings, Steinberg.

Pet peeve?

People rustling candy wrappers in the theater

Favorite travel destination?

Paris of course, then Rio...

Favorite shop?
Fauchon, when it was open in New York- I used to go religiously every Sunday to worship.

Most visited links?
Laduree

Mes Vitrines

Simon Says

Easy Fashion

What is the best thing about being an artist?

You get to paint 24/7. It's also the worst thing about being an artist - extreme focusing.

Thank you, Carol! Don't forget to visit her blog here.

ARTIST'S PORTRAIT * HARRISON HOWARD

The talented artist, Mr. Harrison Howard

AS I AM MOVING THIS WEEK, I'VE DECIDED TO RE-POST SOME FAVORITE POSTS FROM THE PAST FEW YEARS. I WILL BE BACK WITH FRESH POSTS ONCE THINGS HAVE SETTLED DOWN A BIT! THANK YOU! THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN 2007.

A couple of months ago, I was reading one of my favorite design blogs, Peak of Chic, and came across a post on the work of artist Harrison Howard. His style, use of color and obvious talent left an indelible impression on me. I left a comment on the post and was surprised to find that Harrison himself emailed to thank me for it! Sometimes, I find that some talented people can be a bit prone to be impressed with themselves or exude an attitude of entitlement or lack of consideration for others. I sensed none of this from Mr. Howard and was so pleased that he would take the time to acknowledge my comment. He seems to be a very warm and genuine man, seemingly unaware of the talent he possesses and completely unaffected and down to earth. This is certainly one of those instances where you admire or respect the work of someone more established and developed and think, gosh, I'd love to attain to that level of professionalism! Mr. Howard was kind enough to let me "interview" him and feature the man and his work as one of my "Artist's Portraits" here on Annechovie.

Harrison's lovely wife, Lou Ann and son, Alec,
at Harrison's show opening at Thiele and Sons Gallery, La Jolla, CA

"The Greeting" from his Shell and Flower People Series

"The Letter Writer"

Harrison's resume boasts commissions from some of America's most prestigious decorating firms, such as McMillen, Irvine & Fleming and was hired by Pamela Banker (later of Parish-Hadley). His work has appeared in Architectural Digest and also graces many prestigious residences, such as those of the Vanderbilts, Firestones, DuPonts, Goodyears and stars like Kirstie Alley, as well as the Royal Saudi Embassy in Virginia.

"Beautiful IV" from his Shell Series

"Yellow Tree" from the Shell Series

Shells By The Sea

Scripps Park, La Jolla, California

Harrison says that much of his professional career has been devoted to mural work in private houses, and has included screens, panels, easel paintings, and watercolors. Primarily, his work has focused on decorative themes including architectural subjects, chinoiseries, and scenics, often with bird, animal or floral motifs. He has worked extensively with alkyd paints, oil paints, and to a lesser extent, acrylics.

His father, Wing Howard, was also an artist, and is known to many in San Diego, where Harrison now lives, through the murals he painted in the Whaling Bar of the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. Harrison started his career at the age of 19 with a one-man exhibit at the upstairs gallery owned by Ross Thiele & Sons Interiors, then located on Prospect Street in La Jolla. All but one of the 24 available watercolors were sold. Since that time Harrison has worked primarily as a freelance artist. Today, Harrison has returned to a focus on smaller paintings, and is now producing limited edition giclee prints of many of these paintings as well.

Harrison resides in gorgeous San Diego, California with his lovely wife, Lou Ann, and teenage son, Alec.

"The Yellow Sail" from his Chinoiserie Series

"The Departure"

Where were you born?I was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to the west of Philadelphia a few miles.

What is your artistic background schooling?
I spent three years at the School of Fine Arts at Boston University in the early seventies studying painting, and later I received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design at Art Center College in Pasadena, CA. That program involved a lot of drawing and industrial model building.

What are your earliest memories of being involved making art or wanting to be an artist?My father was a professional artist, although largely self taught, and I never gave any serious consideration to doing anything else. Drawing and painting were a very big preoccupation from the age of five onward, but the results really were rarely anything to suggest that I would choose to be an artist. In hindsight I think I was very close minded about considering alternatives, because there are a lot of other interesting things to do. However, at my present stage of life, I have no more regret about my choice than a parent feels about having their children. I would say my father influenced me more than any formal art training, and the interests that both my parents had in art and traveling.

What inspired you most as your subject matter? Does living near/on the Coast influence your work a lot?
I’m interested in fashion illustration, stage set design, children’s book illustration, decorative and fine art in general, and all of those subjects are sources of inspiration, but in the final analysis I think there’s nothing more dependable than your own imagination, and the things around you in every day life. We have mostly antiques in our house, and they have repeatedly served as props in my paintings. Many of those things conjure ideas that would no doubt seem a big stretch to another person. I do live very close to the Pacific Ocean, and I enjoy that very much, but I don’t really think it has influenced my frame of mind a great deal.

What are some of your favorite things that are essential to your success/well-being as a person and artist?
I think the fact that you ask that question is particularly a reflection on your own personality Anne, which strikes me as exceptionally happy and upbeat, and that shows in your paintings. My wife and seventeen year old son are without question at the core of my well being, as well as my recollections of my parents, who are no longer alive, and my friends and other family members. The fact that I make my living as an artist gives me great satisfaction, because I enjoy immensely what I do. Contrary to the stereotype of artists as tormented souls, I am convinced that artists must enjoy what they do if they want to produce worthwhile results, even if in some cases they may not be particularly happy the rest of the time. The only things that really torments me are all my bills.

Where would you live if you could live anywhere?I would move back and forth between Europe and this country.

What are the most challenging things for you about being an artist?
I think I could speak for the overwhelming majority of full time artists in saying that making a living that meets my family’s needs is the biggest challenge. There’s also always that sense that the next painting is going to be better than the one before it.

Which artists have influenced your work the most?What I find odd is that some of the artists I like the most are not necessarily the ones, who have always influenced me the most. My father, Wing Howard, who taught me to use watercolor, was the most influential, although my paintings are quite different from his. I’ve been influenced by Jean Pillement, Lisbeth Zwerger, (the Austrian illustrator), Kay Nielsen, Charles Doyle, (father of Arthur Conan Doyle), Helen Dryden, (the art deco fashion illustrator), Jean Hugo, and J. J. Grandville. There are many others, not necessarily widely known.

I want to offer my most sincere thanks to Harrison for sharing more about himself and his work with us and encourage you to visit his beautiful site where his museum-worthy works and prints are available for purchase. He also accepts commissions!

STRAVINSKIJ BAR - ROME

Garden Courtyard of Hotel de Russie

I've had the joy of visiting Rome several times, so it was fun to take on this commission from a wonderful client in the fashion world. She wanted me to capture the Stravinskij Bar at Hotel de Russie near Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy. I actually stayed just down the street in a flat on there on Via del Babuino about 10 years ago and had a very memorable time. The Hotel de Russie is a very chic and historic hotel that has long been known as THE spot to stay in Rome, from as far back as when the "European Grand Tour" was in vogue for the jet set.  

Please let me know if there's a special place that you'd like me to capture in a custom painting - you can contact me here for details & pricing.

Have a GREAT Monday - I am packing and moving this week!!   Some sore muscles here...

IPAD & ANNECHOVIE

I wanted to find an attractive case for my ipad that wasn't too common and came in a pleasing hue.

I admired this Smythson sleeve from afar, but at $280 it was way out of my budget (how I do love their signature blue hue, though!)  Hmm, what's a girl to do? Well, you design your own!

Here's the end product and it's for sale here and can be personalized.

front

back

inside

and don't forget my Hermes bag design is available here also!

Have a nice weekend, Everyone!