Posted tagged ‘printing’

Shades of Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration

December 10, 2010

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8821 © christine matthäi

Artist Photographer Christine Matthäi has created an alluring and intriguing series of images inspired by the changing shades of blue and blissful reflections of what surrounds and supports us most—water.  Her travels to Grand Bahama Island and watching the wind and waves create motion, reflecting the sunlight on our gorgeous clear sapphire seas, is certainly part of her ongoing inspiration and fascination with water—that life-giving source vital to us all. Take a look at these modern, contemporary art works:

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9589 © christine matthäi

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8789 © christine matthäi

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9587 © christine matthäi

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9592 © christine matthäi

Blue.Bliss.Water.Inspiration.8908

Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8908 © christine matthäi

If you are interested in prints for your home or office, write to the artist at christinematthai (at) mac (dot) com and note the image number in the caption.

Or take a look at all Christine Matthäi’s gorgeous contemporary portfolios by clicking here.

I am fortunate to call Christine a friend, and am posting this because I admire her incredible talent and brilliant work. As with all things I enthuse about here, it’s simply because I enjoy it and like to make the world a brighter place by sharing the good stuff!

That said, I DO have a vested interest in my husband’s printing company—Freeport Advertising & Printing—a Grand Bahama-owned full service printing and graphic design business here since 1973. If you would like to win a big beautiful 24″ x 36″ inch, fomecore-mounted print of one of Christine Matthai’s images (your choice of the ones shown above), just click here to subscribe to their free Printer At Work newsletter. You can see a sample issue by clicking on the Printer At Work button on the bottom left side of the screen. The newsletter is a quick read, with great tips on marketing, design, technology, and ways to save money and  increase business sales. It comes out every two weeks, so you won’t be getting tons of email or anything. There are even a couple fun cartoons in each edition. (And of course, your email address is safe with us and will be kept private.)

Okay, that’s it. If you’re already a subscriber or have an account at FreeportAdvertising.com, you’re already entered and eligible to win. Subscribe by January 1, 2011 to be eligible to win the print. A random entry will be drawn by over-caffeinated gerbils, or some objective technological wizardry, and the winner announced the following week.

If you want to leave a comment here letting me know you’ve subscribed, or which print is your favorite, or just to jump in and say the water’s fine, that would be wonderful, but is completely up to you.

And if you need some last-minute Christmas cards printed, or little notepads with people’s names on them as thoughtful gifts, I know just the place! (that was the last commercial plug–but aren’t imprinted personal things so cool?—okay that was it, really … I get on a roll and can think up all kinds of fun goodies to print!)

Enjoy the blue bliss of water that surrounds our wonder-filled island and makes us all fortunate in business … in beauty … in life … each and every day. In gratitude for the time and tides—Paula.

It's about the water. It's always about the water. Southern shore of Grand Bahama Island.

 

 

 

 

 

Art Challenge Fun: Playing with Complementary Colors

May 10, 2010

It’s fun to play with color. I created this collage playing mostly with shades of deep blues and various orange-reds as part of this week’s ARTchix Studio challenge about exploring the fullness of the color wheel …

… this pinwheel is a simplified version of the full color spectrum, but it nicely illustrates the pop and zing you get in your artwork when you pair up colors that are opposite each other on the wheel to command maximum attention … like yellow and purple …

… orange and blue …

… or pink and green (or red and green!)

Color wheels can be sweet and simple with primary colors like the pinwheel, or hugely detailed with all the multi-shaded variations of color that printers, designers, and artists use …

… either way, it’s a wonderful visual reminder of how contrast gives you the most impact and why some pairings automatically appeal more to the eye than others. And when playing with color—whether in art, graphic design, fashion, food, or decor—it’s all eye-candy!  Play away — it makes you feel like a kid again with a new box of crayons!

“Create Art. Share Happiness.” — ARTchix Studio

Let’s Dance!

August 4, 2009

flamenco.heart

Oh, sweet life.

Swaying to a samba beat.

A sheaf of smooth writing paper.

Eclectic embraces of everyday exquisiteness.

Aqua ocean vistas.

Chilled mangoes.

Basil and tomatoes plucked from the garden patch.

Succulent stories.

White sand beneath my feet. Movies screened on a moonlit beach.

Books. More books.

Veni. Vidi. Visa. (I came. I saw. I shopped!)

Luscious Italian everything.

Abundant wispy plumbago plants.

Gardenias. Night blooming jasmine.


Mary Anne Radmacher’s word gardens of inspiration.

Anne Lamott’s writings.

A freshly sharpened bouquet of pencils.

The Beauty & Truth Laboratories of Rob Brezsny.

Daffodils.

Dallying.

The light in my husband’s eyes.

That little inside joke that makes my daughter laugh every time.

Seriously silly stuff.

Long, deep kisses that last three days. (And the movie, Bull Durham, where that line came from!)

Playing with words and images and impressions and ideas.

Dreaming.

Having fun making art. Supporting art.

The steady thrum of a printing press.

Grey’s Anatomy.

iPhone ingenuity.

Vintage wines. (And whines!)

Memorable martinis.

Movie therapy.

Extravagance.

Exuberance.

President Obama!

My dear, dear wonderful family and deeply fabulous and funny friends,

(each enchanting in their own way).

Merrymaking.

Meandering.

Merengue.

Making a difference.

A lot of alliteration!

High tea. High heels.

Serendipity.

Passionate purposes.

Time and tides.

Into-me-see.

Soft landings.

Deep breathing.

Gentle lessons.

A tender touch.

And writing. Yes, definitely writing!

Those are just a few of my favorite things. (I really did start out to make a succinct list of just a handful of things, but then one happy thought leads to another, doesn’t it?) It’s hard to stop once you start to put a list like this together … so many pleasures and inspirations to ponder. I love it all. And I want it all. And writing that down helps me remember that I already have it all when I take a breath and really look and sit still long enough to simply enjoy and reflect on the swaths of sumptuous blessings that flow both through me and to me every day.

That’s what starting this blog is about for me.  I am inspired by the wisdom, wit, and whimsy that wing their way through the web and keep us all connected when we’re brave enough to open our hearts and share all the things we love about life, as well as all the things that haven’t quite made that list just yet! We can talk about those another time; right now I’m just pleased to be giving this blog a first twirl ….

The mysteries and marvels, musings and music, are tuning up. Let’s dance!


%d bloggers like this: