Saturday, February 26, 2011

de gustibus non est disputandum





















For the love of all things Roman. 






















I have always been fascinated with the Mummy portraits or Fayum mummy portraits which is the modern term given to a type of realistic painted portraits on wooden boards attached to mummies from the Coptic period. They belong to the tradition of panel painting, one of the most highly regarded forms of art in the Classical world.
A few years ago I painted a series of modern portraits of friends in the Fayum style.






Artist, Eric Parnes, cast Roman oil lamps with resin and inserted LED lights.





















Mini Amphora Vases

These tiny and timeless vases are based on classic Amphora shapes.























Roman themed, antique photogravure.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Hanging Terrariums, Pumice Planters and Tillandsias




















Hanging Terrariums
Made with recycled materials, these terrariums give a whole new meaning to the concept of hanging plants. The graceful glass hangers can provide a special home to your air plants. Or, add some soil and grow a small succulent in the space. In fact, don't be surprised if all your plants want to live in one. Hang these glass bubble terrariums where they can catch the light, but not in direct sun.






















Pumice Planters
These planters are hand-crafted of natural volcanic rock. Each one is unique.






















Tillandsia On Driftwood Wall Garden Panels
Inspired by Parisian wall gardens, modular panels paired with easy-care tillandsias to create a living wall.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

EcoSpheres: Life in a Bubble





















Here at Still Life we love design that is directly inspired by nature!
My first encounter with this ecosystem was at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where one will find the world's largest EcoSphere. I was privileged to meet the founder and developer, Joe Hanson a few weeks ago. 
Now, a little of that world can be seen at Still Life, where art meets nature.





















Inside each EcoSphere are active micro-organisms, small shrimp, algae and bacteria, each existing in filtered sea water. Because the EcoSphere is a self-sustaining ecosystem, you never have to feed the life within. Simply provide your EcoSphere with a source of indirect natural or artificial light and enjoy this aesthetic blend of art and science, beauty and balance.

A Glimpse Into the Future

The EcoSphere is the result of technology developed by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA was researching self-contained communities for space explorers to live in during long-term space flights. Out of this research came the EcoSphere - an ecosystem of animal and plant life in perfect balance.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Lotus Collection














Just In!
Lotus Nesting Tables
Beautifully hand-etched sheets of German silver- a silver colored blend of copper, zinc and nickel-
cover hardwood nesting tables.  Set of three.





















Lotus Stems
An organization dedicated to preserving the traditional arts of India,
works with the local artisans who craft these lovely buds.
Carved wooden lotus stems are carefully hand-painted
in delicate shades of pink and green.





















Vintage Bloomingdale's wool rug from Kashmir, India
3' x 4'





















Antique doll