SUNFLOWERS

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? –Vincent Van Gogh

There are a few artists that I love, but whose work I am afraid to try to recreate.  (Matisse is one of these artists.)  When the thing that inspires you is a masterpiece – something so beautiful and famous and even spiritual – it is unbelievably frightening to think that you may not be able to do it justice.  In preparation for my visit to Amsterdam, I began working on a jacket inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece, Sunflowers, 1889, which resides at the Van Gogh Museum.  I agonized for weeks before even starting the process, wondering if I’d be able to capture the essence of such a well-known and loved work of art.  In the end, I spent more time creating this piece than any other Artfully Awear project before.

On the day I was set to meet the painting, I arrived at the museum before it opened.  There was already a line of people outside waiting to get in.  Meri and I went inside, straight to the second floor, where the painting lives.  When the second door opened, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  There, on a wall to itself, was my inspiration in all its glory.  It was larger than I had pictured, even though I knew the measurements, and the colors and textures were even more vibrant and detailed than any photo could have shown.  I was overwhelmed.  After an emotional moment, we spent some time taking photos with the piece.  After the photoshoot was finished, with a museum employee before exploring the rest of the museum.

We discussed the way that social media has impacted the museum experience, and provides visitors and staff a multitude of new ways to engage with art and to share their experience with others.  I marveled at how I was inspired by a work of art that was three thousand miles away from my home, and how I was able to connect with it through digital images – but how important and meaningful it is to actually see the painting in real life.

Thank you to Meri for taking the photos, to the Van Gogh Museum for having me, and, of course, to Vincent for inspiring us long after his time on the earth.  

Photos by Meri Feir.

THRIFTED: Cafe Terrace At Night.

This vintage dress is possibly one of my most exciting thrift finds to date.  I remember plucking it off of the rack at a local thrift store and squealing with delight, as I imagined promptly leaving the store and heading directly for the Netherlands, where Vincent Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night (1888) lives in the Kröller-Müller Museum.  Alas, I still have not seen this fantastic painting in person (which, coincidentally is not signed by the artist), but I spent an afternoon with the Van Gogh pair at MoMA, reveling in the swirls and undulations of the paintings and my outfit.

Dress: Thrifted

Tights: Joe Fresh

Boots: Delman

Bracelet: Vintage Givenchy (via Goodwill)

Photos by Kathy Paciello; Cafe Terrace image via prweb.com.

ART TO WEAR: Boyarde Messenger x Charlotte Olympia.

I'm not sure how this project has eluded my attention for so many months, but I just came across these painted shoes by artist Boyarde Messenger.  Messenger hand-painted Charlotte Olympia pumps to look like famous works from Art History, and they're just beautiful!  Now I have a serious desire to make my own.

What do you think: would you DIY?  Which shoes are your favorite?

 Via.

BOOOOOOOM REMAKE

Sacramento recently alerted me to this inspiring remake project happening on Booooooom.  Above are a few of my favorites.  I also noted the multiple versions of Man in a Red Turban.

View the updated gallery or submit your own here.

[Matisse's Femme au Chapeau by Stella Vula, van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles by Joshua Louis Simon, and Renoir's Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary by Marianna Oboeva.]

SUNSETTING

I almost always take context into consideration when deciding what to wear. When the landscape was covered with snow, I felt it important to wear outfits that contrasted with the white background. Now that the snow has melted, I'm back to having a bit more freedom to dress according to my surroundings.

The flecks of color in this vintage cardigan brought to mind Van Gogh's infamous brushstrokes, so I decided to emulate some of his landscape paintings in the colors of my outfit and my choice of location.

It always strikes me how the sun in Van Gogh's paintings really looks like it's on fire, exactly how it appears in the last few moments before it sets, which is when these outfit photos were taken.

Van Gogh was a brilliant colorist, and I adore the way he used contrasting colors to establish space in these paintings. For example, in the work below, the highly saturated yellow versus the pastel purplish-blue give the illusion of an entire field of depth.

Although Van Gogh's life and work has been highly romanticized due to his untimely death, there is no denying that he incorporated a sense of beauty into his works that is unparalleled by scores of other Expressionist paintings.

My very favorite aspects of Van Gogh's works are the brushstrokes. As I said before, hundreds of thousands of these make up each work, and, insignificant though they may be in isolation, together they create the masterpiece of a Van Gogh painting.

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

--Vincent Van Gogh

I can file this quote under my New Year's resolution to live my life like an action painting, making each stroke an important part of the whole.

To keep with the Van Gogh theme, I wore cool colors against the fire-like reflection of the setting sun, with the addition of fuchsia, which was particularly reminiscent of Red Vineyards (the first painting in this post).

My entire outfit is vintage (metallic mohair cardigan, silk blouse, belt and belt buckle, hammered leather purse, and Levi's bell bottoms) except for the suede Zigi SoHo booties.

Also, thank you to Mode. who nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Award!

Don't forget to follow Artfully Awear on Tumblr if you're interested.

[Van Gogh images from mystudios.com, silouanthompson.net, artinvest2000.com, and nonprints.com, respectively.]

AUTUMN AWAKENING

For the entire month of September, even after the official first day of fall, I'm unwilling to give up summer. It may be that I'm in denial about the coming winter, or just that I'm not ready to put away my maillots or jeweled sandals. But by the beginning of October, I acknowledge that it's time to embrace autumn. In honor of the first day of this month, I decided to wear one of the most fall-like pieces in my wardrobe. This vintage skirt always makes me think of Van Gogh's Cornfield and Monet's Haystacks, two paintings that undoubtedly evoke the autumn aesthetic.

Luckily for me, my Aunt's decor is decidedly fallish as well, and proved to be a perfect backdrop for my ode to the season.

I'm so happy to wear these pumpkin-colored boots again!

I'm wearing a vintage skirt with a vintage crinoline, a Liz Claiborne blouse, belt from Urban Outfitters, Rodarte for Target stockings, and burnt orange suede Lovely People shoes.

Happy Autumn!