PAINTING RELIEVES TENSION
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| Alessi Kettle; 10" x 10", watercolour |
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| The Portland Building for all you artists living in the Portland area. |
The Alessi Kettle was designed by Michael Graves, Architect and designer for Poggenpohl cabinetry, which our company represented in the Detroit area and I specked often when designing contemporary kitchens and baths.
I fell in love with the little red bird whistle the minute I saw it. I had to have one for the my cooktop in the galley kitchen in our new apartment on the twenty second floor where aquariums weren't recommended. The water sloshed out of them on windy days; the building swayed. So much so, that once a year I had the maintenance man named Phil come up and rehang my chandelier, which was suspended from the ceiling with four airplane wires. After a year of swaying in the wind, one wire could be counted on to disconnect. I loved having a guy named Phil around.
I gifted my kitchen clients with the Alessi Kettle when their kitchen renovation projects were completed. They loved the little red bird as much as I did and still do.
I love that kettle, Linda, and you did a brilliant job of it in watercolor!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathryn. It was fun. The kettle is fun. The whistle could wake the neighbor. LOL
Deletejust want u to know that when i took enabled 3rd party cookie, I can post a comment here...
ReplyDeletebelow where it says 'comment as'.... it shows : Kalei's best friend (google).
whereas before it says: Google...
weird...
Got it. Another Blogger oops perhaps? I'm always surprised when I make a comment on someone's blog not from the US and I have to open the "reply as" menu. It catches me off guard--or did. Now I check it out.
DeleteKinda Fauvist and quite cool. Your 22nd floor apartment sounds scary.
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought about the Fauvist for a long time. I've thought about Matisse often, but forgot his connection to the Fauves. Thanks Dan, nice compliment.
DeleteThe twenty second floor as home was a very interesting way to live. In heavy winds, the building swayed as it should, and with the sway, the vertical blinds and my one chandelier swayed too. I guess it was sort of like living on a boat; you had to have your sea legs.
Then there was the compressors in each room for HVAC that went on periodically to drive you mad. On the upside: the view was spectacular particularly on the 4th of July celebrations when the city's fireworks were right outside our windows. The four years we were there, I gave a party. Then there was the doorman named Emit and the maintenance wonder named Phil,two of my favorite guys who I miss to this day. There were a few celebrities around too. They were very tall guys who wore odd clothing with signs all over them--like Niki and Adidias. I didn't have a clue who these giants riding the elevator with me were till Honey told me they played basketball for the Pistons. Bill Bonds, the local news station's hotshot, also lived in the building. He looked a lot older in person than he did on TV. Nothing really scary going on there till the building went condo and the thought of permanently living with compressors going on and off all day and night plus the regular surprise fire drills in the wee hours of the morning scared us into looking for a home that was more down to earth.
Kettle! Did someone say, kettle! Am I too late for coffee and cookies? (we call cookies, biscuits! You use biscuits in another context I know).
ReplyDeleteLove the red bird! Love your painting of it.. it's so dynamic and treats kettles as things of importance!... and quite right too.
How are the eyes? It must be awful for him (and you).
Hope the neighbour from hell gets tinnitus!
I don't like biscuits, I do like cookies and my red bird. When he whistles, I come running just like Lauren Bacall.
DeleteHoney's eye looks good to me today. All those trips to hospital for procedures are scary--even when you know there's nothing to them. Thank you for inquiring. Sweet.
I have tinnitus! Got it a year or so ago along with a cold. The cold got better, the tinnitus stayed on. Happily, mine sounds like crickets singing in the cool of evening. And that's only when their singing is noticeable. Wouldn't wish it on her. So far all is quiet on that front.
The kettle is gorgeous and I love all the Alessi items in general, great design ! Wonderful happy colors in this watercolor.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane. It was a fun watercolor. With me, they all are. I don't take myself too seriously as a watercolorist. You are the master with that medium.
DeleteAwesome teapot, great shapes, great color. Very interesting design quality to this piece. And of course you gotta love the little red bird, nice touch.
ReplyDeleteThe little bird, the ball knob, the blue permanent heat protector on the handle, plus the shape are charming Michael. Graves designs some very spiffy stuff. And he's nice too boot. Signed my book of his drawings. And I think he took my criticism well. At a party, (that's my excuse for having the nerve to offer a suggestion to a great designer), I told him the kettle was way out of proportion for the coordinated creamer and sugar. I just noticed he's come out with a small kettle of the same design. Now, I really don't know whether he listened, but I like to think he did. I would have.
DeleteHi Linda, I like that Alessi kettle! I must say that your way of work and the colors you use, are very in line with my way of understanding and approach the watercolors. Ciao!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tito. At first, I was worried about my free approach with no pencils, no masking liquids, no salt, no cellophane for special effects, nothing but a Plexiglass pizza dough board, 140 lb. paper torn to size, a decent number of colors in tubes and a set in pads (for lazy days), some toweling and plenty of water. I just like going into it and letting the subject dictate the handling of the medium. Your work has that sense of freedom too. Comes from a lot of years working with a T square, angle and scale.
DeleteThe painting is delightful, as is its subject.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read things are going well at home. Keep up the eye-drop duty.
About the identification on the image (name, year). I've noticed a lot of bloggers now doing this. Purpose(s)?
I used to be friends with a Portland Architect who used to have a couple Michael Graves watercolors hanging in his kitchen. He (Graves) couldn't do anything bad. You do a mean T kettle too!
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