Avenue Magazine Style Q&A
When it rains, it pours, as they say. Back in May, I was asked to be a part of Avenue Magazine's Style Q&A. Before I go into the details, I first want to mention what a great deal of respect I have for this magazine. I'm proud that our city has a forward thinking, intelligent, stylish publication like Avenue....(and it's free!)
At the time of the shoot, my home was in the midst of a home reno. There was flooring a-muck, dust galore, and stranded in the living room were several kitchen appliances! But looking at the pages you would be none the wiser thanks to the savvy team of photographers and stylists who swept in and literally worked MAGIC in the space. Unbeknownst to the Avenue reader, the messy details were skillfully omitted, and in it's place was left order and simplicity.
The vision and talent of this team was amazing. Pivotal to this was Lori Andrews who photographed the shoot. She has a excellent eye, she's very talented, she's got smarts, and she's a total hoot! Also on set was stylist Phaedra Godchild of Styleista who brought along her great style, as well as makeup artist Lucy Morris, Art Director Vanessa Brewer who masterminded along with Lori, and of course style editor Ricky Zayshley, whose energy and bright blue eyes brought definite panache to the shoot. :)
Overall the entire process was so fun! I especially loved working with the wonderful people who were involved, and I feel grateful both for the opportunity itself, and for the chance to make some new friends!
P.S. if you'd like to read the full article, click here.
My little guy also made a little cameo appearance, which was the highlight for both of us! Thanks again Avenue, and thanks Universe.
Flare Magazine
Waaaaay back in April....(Errr yes, I haven't really gotten the hang of this blogging business), a friend texted these two photos to my iphone...
Needless to say, I was surprised and pretty excited. It's a little blurb about the cool space that the Phil + Sebastian is housed in (as designed by the ever-so-talented-minds at McKinley Burkart). It may only be a few sentences long, but the fact that my little paintings have been included within Flare's pages, felt like quite an honorable mention to me! Thanks Flare, and very cool!
Studio gets the limelight
My studio had a good day in the blogosphere yesterday. It was featured twice, on two blogs. www.sfgirlbybay.com and www.the10centdesigner.com. What studio could ask for more??
So, I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about it.
So, a little history on my studio space. It used to have beige walls. Yes, beige. And although it was my little painting space and I loved it, it definitely needed some loving. It had part of a home office crammed into one corner, while another corner served as storage for all kinds of electronic devices and portfolio cases. The remaining space was where I worked.
Then, enter stage right. A talented woman, Lori Andrews, part stylist, photographer, and interior designer, comes in waving her magic styling wand....and POOF! transforms it into something bright, airy and lovely. She styled it like a pro, using stuff that I already had - transforming the banal into the cool and noteworthy. Truly, like only a pro can.
I read once that if you want to inspire creativity in your life, then you paint your walls white. I can vouch for this. The space is now my haven. Stepping foot through the door brings a wave of calm and creativity. Plus it's super pretty. :)
Here is a pic of the studio 'before':
And the 'After' photos:
My favorite thing about the space is that there are books are all over the place. On the shelf, on the floor....and the spines don't always face out! There's something super liberating about this. I also LOVE the light. I Modge Podged white tissue paper to the windows, eliminating the need for blinds. In doing so, it also made the light diffused, soft, and perfect for painting! My previous impression of a studio space was that it didn't need to look good. It was a place of practicality and it would inevitably get messy. Very pragmatic. The difference between my previous attitude and my current attitude can be summarized by this: "I'm going in the studio to paint" vs. "I'm so excited, I can't wait to go into my wickedly awesome studio to paint!!!" Two very, very different things.
It's amazing how you don't realize the true nature of something until that something changes. I didn't realize how much my space needed improvement until it actually improved. I love my little space now.
And now you'll have to excuse me. The studio calls. ;)
My Blog
It's about anything and everything.
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Maya's Blog
t's about anything and everything.
The good stuff.
The intriguing stuff.
The fun stuff.
The beautiful stuff.
The curious stuff.
The stuff that makes you smile.
The stuff that get's you pumped to DO, BE, LIVE.