Window shop

Whenever I need new ideas for floral creations, I look to window displays. In college, my favorite art classes were Color Theory and Exhibition Design...so no surprise that I find new color trends in their retail settings down right fascinating. Some people watch gobs of TV (my husband refers to this gizmo as the box with the little people inside), I watch out for color relationships -everyday! Yes, I totally agree, nerd alert.

One of my favorite places in Southern California to go "window shopping" is Anthropologie http://www.anthropologie.com/ . For those not familiar, this is a women's apparel/home furnishings store specializing in the modern-bohemian-chic aesthetic...amazing textiles, fashion designs, unique jewelry/accessories and inspired store displays. Beyond the impressive use of color, their merchandising gurus often focus attention on repetitive textures and shapes. Last week when I saw their recent display utilizing two other of my favorite things - recycled products and bicycle wheels - I blew a micro chip getting super snap happy with my little green camera (ask my pretty gal pal, Dawn - think I may have embarrassed her!). The tops of plastic water bottles were cut into flower blossom shapes, then airbrushed and splattered with mixed pastel colors , then layered and mounted on to chrome rims and spokes of old bicycle wheels. And then lastly, layered upon themselves...so damn clever!!! Check this YouTube video to get the gist of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBmXMol9Qus

I have always wanted to teach art. Perhaps someday my crazy class will be called 'Color Theory - Recycle Scratch and Sniff 101' - a course combining light industrial design, recycled goods, methods & materials and lots of glorious colorama! Are you in or are you out?

Auf Wiedersehn,
Adrianne