The Soft Dimension

Inspiration? You never know what will touch you enough to reinterpret your own work, or see things anew. I was reading through Vogue about a year ago and came across an article about a makeup artist based in New York that has been leaving her mark on the run way and in fashion magazines with her bold color choices and beautiful collaborations with hairstylists. In the article she was generous enough to share one of her favorite books, Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa. A few photos from this book were included, and in a moment I was bewitched by the floral decorations that were sprouting like trumpets from children’s mouths, sitting atop heads like crowns, and cascading over shoulders like capes.

I wanted that book.

Now that I’ve had it in my possession for more than a few months I’ve started posting a few photos to Facebook for friends just so they can be really appreciated. These kids play with the natural materials at hand to create new persona’s and characters that are real master pieces in design. It tears down the walls that we sometimes build between ourselves and the beautiful. It’s a testiment to the powerful combination of intuition and spontaneity inside each of us!  Thanks to Hans Sylvester for concocting such an incredible document.

The beautiful display of Winter wonder at the Volunteer Park Conservatory has now transitioned into Spring. There are little signs of growth everywhere outside but when you step into the seasonal display house Spring in all it’s glory is on display. The white Narcissus we potted up this fall and the pink Azaleas held in our temperature regulated greenhouses have been brought into bloom simultaneously. Something new is invariably being brought in and arranged every week. It’s a time of enormous change out in nature, and we get to experience a sneak peek into the seasons progress by stepping inside! Enjoy!