Art Nouveau Triumphs!

As promised I'm adding more images of my trees today. As previously mentioned I drew each of them trying to reflect and represent one particular style of modern art. Today's first tree is actually my favourite one :), because it is an Art Nouveau tree, and for me Art Nouveau is something really outstanding and exquisite.

Image by Olga

I found this beautiful collage of Art Nouveau posters and couldn't help adding it to this post:

Image via Google

And here are some images of Art Nouveau decor and furniture, there is a whole section devoted to this in Musée d'Orsay in Paris, so if you like it - this is definitely something for you:

Images by Olga

My second tree for today is a Dada tree.

Image by Olga

Dada - although slightly less known in comparison to previously mentioned Cubism, Abstract Art and Art Nouveau - is a very important movement, because it gave birth or rather developed into Collage and Photomontage. 'Dada Triumphs' is a classic dadaist work by Raoul Hausmann:

Image via Google

More trees to come next week, stay tuned! ;)

Your Whimsical Bookshop

In Paris, opposite Notre Dame, there is a bookshop that really stands out for its history and the approach to selling books. Over the past 50 years (it originally opened in 1919), Shakespeare & Company has provided both inspiration and accommodation for more than 30,000 writers. In exchange for a night's rest on one of the beds crammed between the towering shelves, all the owner asks for is that you make your bed in the morning, help out in the shop, and read a book a day.

Image by Arek

Back in 1922 the shop was the first one and also the only one at the time to publish Joyce's Ulysses. Now the shop has two parts with separate entrances - one is selling rare first editions and the second one has a mixture of books on all possible subjects to offer - both old and modern. This shop is really a charming and magical place - you would find yourself in another world when you enter..



When I found this shop in my guide book - i put it on my 'must see in Paris' list and I didn't regret it! It is definitely worth to visit Shakespeare & Co's website, which is quite brief and to the point, but offers a lot of history, many interesting events and more surprises..

Ah, each book you buy there comes with an official stamp (and there are always copies of Ulysses on sale ;))

Images by Olga

Just Relax...

It has really been a looong day, so I have to be quite concise with my today's post. Here is another great picture from Bangalore, India. Isn't it just lovely? I think the forms, colours and surroundings really make a perfect combination..

Image by Arek

Out Of My Tree

A while ago I engaged myself into a project in order to come to understand better and learn more about contemporary and avant-garde art movements. I chose a number of different art styles and tried to use their main techniques and characteristics in order to draw a simple tree. Today I am posting two of 11 works I have in total - the first tree is based on Cubism principles and the second one represents Abstract Art movement.

Images by Olga

I also couldn't stop myself from adding these colourful mosaics - the first inspired by cubism and the second by abstract art. I especially like the paintings-elements by Braque and Łempicka on the first one. By the way, Łempicka is one of my favourite artists - I will be posting more about her soon!



And from the second one - of course the great works of Kandinsky and Joan Miro!

Images via IWantMyOilPainting

Ex Libris

I can't stop coming back to the things I saw and discovered in Venice - for example how the city is famous for its paper. I came across a number of old paper shops founded in the 19th century, which are still using traditional methods to create their paper and hand print it. Legatoria Piazzesi was founded in 1851 and was the first to invent the new art of covering objects of everyday use with refined hand printed decors. As the founders claim they try to keep their unique atmosphere, full of history, culture, elegance, simplicity, refinement and authenticity.. Here is how things wrapped in this this paper look like:

Image via Legatoria Piazzesi

And some more paper designs from Venice:

Images by Olga

Hush City

Presenting an interesting and thought-provoking sketch film about Minsk, which can be viewed at Hush City. This film is professionally made although it is not a commercial project. I like the graphics and design, which well reflect the mood of the 'hush city'. Those who know about,were/are in Minsk do check out the Concept of this project - i think the whole idea behind it is intriguing. This is a great movie, which shows Belarus from an interesting perspective and attracts attention towards it. Here are some snaps of each of Minsk seasons presented in the sketch:

Autumn:





Winter:





Spring:






Another Autumn:

Images via Hush City

Chinese Paper Cutting

This art form is very popular in China but is hard to come across in Europe - at least I have never seen anything similar to this. If you have - leave a comment, I'm very curious! It existed in China for thousands of years with a long history and different themes and designs. The oldest surviving paper cut out is a symmetrical circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang. You can visit the blog of Mr Lee - an artist carving paper cut art works. He ezhibits his works there and demonstrates the actual way he is carving on paper:

Images via Mr Lee

The blog is also full of pictures about China reflecting traditions and lifestyle and also has its Travelling in China series.

Images via Mr Lee

Here are paper cuts I found on the window of my hostel room when I was staying in Pingyao during my trip through China last September. I like how they look together with those old window frames. Will be posting more photos from China soon.



Paper cutting works sold on the street in China:

Images by Olga

El Arte de Vivir

Here is one of the greatest designer shops I came across during my trip to Ibiza. You will find live and bright colors, great atmosphere and gorgeous things inside Amore Ibiza. It seems so awesome to have your own shop with things you designed yourself right in the center of Ibiza's old town, which is so small, a bit shabby - and still very beautiful and visited by so many different people who can appreciate things you created! According to Amore's philosophy Amore Ibiza invites you to the world of color and detail and promotes creativity, ecological awareness and recycling.




Images by Olga

Images via AmoreIbiza

Orient Express

I got inspired by yesterday's video and read up a little about Orient Express. Actually there are two options nowadays - one train travels through Europe and the other one is called Eastern&Oriental Express and runs through Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Laos (these countries are on my travel wish-list!). Just imagine entering the train which has so much history and I'm not even mentioning how great its interiors are!

Images via Google

Number 5

It is getting late here in Gdansk and the weather is stormy. The wind is very strong and the drops of rain are sliding down the window of the room where I'm sitting. Have a look at this video, it gives such a nice and warm feeling of cosiness and it is beautiful in every detail - orient express, the idealized Istanbul with its spices market... I'm looking forward to the movie about Coco Chanel which is going to be out some time soon - hopefully it is as beautiful...

Video via You Tube

Islamic Design

Today I wold like to dwell on the unique features of Islamic design and patterns. As the cultural and religious implications entailed the utmost development of the depiction of patterns rather than forms, the sophistication of Islamic patterns can't be underestimated. Exquisite geometrically correct patterns would definitely capture the attention of any viewer.

Images via Google

Here are also some examples of interior design I was able to photograph during my stay in Egypt:

Images by Olga

Make Love Not War

Here are some more cards I've created recently... These two are of the same size and have some repeating elements just as the one I posted before - the circle patterns which I recently fancy. I have a little 'tool' to create them and can draw as many of them as I want with different color pens, I still lack some practice to create those really detailed and multicolored ones, but hopefully this will come. After I finished the first card - somehow it started to associate with the flower generation 'make love not war' slogan, as for the name for the second one... well, how about 'forbidden forrest'?

Images by Olga

Venice Impressions

Beauty of Venice is in its canals, bridges, old and shabby buildings, its remarkable history, art and music... Life goes on right in front of you on the water and this seems so natural you can't imagine it could have been done in any different way. Venice has public transport boats called 'vaporetto', boat taxis and ambulances, boat grocery shops, boat dumpsters and even boat catafalques... And of course - the thing I should have mentioned first - the magnificent black gondolas which are made of 8 types of wood and are covered with 10 layers of paint before they are ready to roam the canals... Still there is so much more to that! Gorgeous things are everywhere - in every shop window, in every house attire and even in every grocery shop and snack bar - just have a look at these snaps:











I have so many more photos of what I saw and couldn't take my eyes off.. - I'm sure this is far not my last post about Venice!

Images by Olga

Venezia Venezia Venezia!

It seems it has been a really really long time since I posted here last.. It feels a little weird now after all this absence, but I was really busy trying to digest all the impressions of the wonderful city and actually I still am. I can't keep my hands off posting all the pictures I took of all the beauty around! I literally have thousands of them I think! I want to organize them in series and post the best ones - I just need to try not to be too Venice-focused in every post which will follow!. I need a bit more time to copy the last photos from the camera and arrange them, so today I will just be giving this little treat.



My greatest impression from Venice was when St.Mark's square got flooded during our 2nd night there and the water rose pretty high, more than 1m! At around midnight the square was filled with live classic music played by little orchestras from cafes around it and we were running along the flooded square and dancing in the pouring rain. And then the hotel was flooded as well! The water was coming from under the floor of the lobby, but the front desk could not be bothered and so was the waiter elegantly serving drinks to people in the bar wearing his galoshes :)

Images by Arek