Art for Art's Sake

Venice, 12 August 1949

Peggy paces back and forth in the salon of her newly acquired home.  “Where are those painters?”  She looks around at the curls of paint clinging for dear life to the plaster walls, taking notice of their less fortunate comrades lying on the cold stone floor below.  There is an air of neglect one would expect in a three hundred year old palazzo, but all Peggy can see is her masterpiece.  

She checks her watch again, “10 a.m.  They’re two hours late.”   She crosses the empty foyer from one corner to the other, then thru the soon-to-be dining room and finally steps onto the terrace off the back.  Fifty yards away she spots two men dressed in white overalls paddling a small boat down the busy canal.  “Finally!” she screams, knowing that they can’t hear her.

“You’re late!”, Peggy snaps.  She rushes the painters from one room to the next recounting how each is to be finished.  She is several rooms ahead of them when one of the painters whispers, “I hear she’s going to hang some ugly abstract paintings in this old place.”  Peggy pokes her head around the corner and quips, “Those ugly paintings need a beautiful place to hang, so I suggest you get started”.

1.  Photo by Tria Giovan

2.  Photo by Pieter Estersohn

1.  Thomas O'Brien's New York Apartment

2.  Kate Spade's New York apartment, design by Steven Sclaroff

1.  Axel Vervoordt

2.  Michael S. Smith

1.  Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna

2.  St. Petersburg art studio of Kuijni, photo by Pieter Estersohn

1 & 2.  Milan residence, photos by Melanie Acevedo

1.  Donald Judd sculpture, photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna

2.  Miles Redd

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Tricky Wickets

Cruising down a winding country road with Mother Nature as our only escort and our beloved summer getaway the only destination, we’re finally free from summer’s grip.

A refreshing breeze blows through our hair as we enjoy the scenery through the tint of our sunglasses. After an hour (or two.. because who’s counting?) we approach the crest of a hill and catch a glimpse of the picturesque cottage peaking through a cluster of lazy willow trees.  It’s exactly as we remembered it, crisply painted with all the enchantment one expects from a country house.  Birds chirp and squirrels scatter as we’re greeted by the hydrangeas that have been patiently waiting all season for our arrival.

Once inside, each creek under foot from the wide-plank floors scares away the tension of the past few months.  Just as we’re sinking into the linen sofa, there’s a knock at the door.  Anxiously awaiting our arrival, our friends from down the road have popped in and brought us a basket of freshly picked vegetables from their garden that we’ll happily work into tomorrow’s dinner menu.  This evening, however, our annual Shirts vs. Skins croquet match is on! But before any of the extreme sporting begins, we’re all in need of some light refreshments.  After selecting our favorite color mallets, we sip on Pimm’s cups putting some of those freshly picked cucumbers to good use! Several rounds (and some missing balls) later, we make our way back towards the house avoiding the tricky wickets, as lightning bugs fill the evening air.

1. Karin Blake

2. 1953 Chevorlet Corvette

1. Mariette Himes Gomez

2. French Country Log Basket by Cottage Home

3. Charles de Lisle Workshop

1. Steven Gambrel

2. Lyre Wall Light by Hector Finch

3. Boston Tumbler by Villeroy & Boch

1. The Adventures of Tartan Scot

2. House Beautiful

3. Pimm's

1. Brown Swirl Porcelain Doorknob

2. Fenwick Chair by Mclain Wiesand

3. Karin Blake

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