Date Archives 2010

Olga

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Last year Leif sent me some wonderful shots of his stylish Swedish grandmother Olga. I recently asked him if he had any others to share and he sent me the two photos above and one of his mother Gunilla at 89. He told me that Olga, “had an artistic talent and painted and loved to go to flea markets and create things (long long before it was fashionable),She knitted the purple outfit herself. Check below for some more photos posted last year, and some background information on this fabulous woman. I’d love to post other relatives with Advanced Style. Email your photos for consideration to Advancedstyleinfo@gmail.com

Leif described his grandma in a previous post “Glad you liked the pictures.My grandmother Olga was born 1890 in New Mexico, grew up in Florida and married my Swedish grandfather when only 18. They met in Paris where he romantically proposed on the Eiffel tower. She was most innocent and had no idea how children were conceived.She had 9 children. Her wisdom: Always be kind to other people. Never be afraid of anything. Be original.”

Great advice to live by!

Advanced Style Artist: Aline Smithson

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[Paintings by Aline Smithson]

I came across these fantastic works by Artist Aline Smithson and immediately fell in love. She explains how the idea for this series came along below from her website:

“This series incorporates traditional photography techniques yet, becomes richer with the treatment of hand painting. It is my intent to have the viewer see the work in a historical context, with the addition of color, and at the same time, experience Whistler’s simple, yet brilliant composition formula for the composition. My patient 85 year old mother posed in over 20 ensembles, but unfortunately passed away before seeing the finished series. I am grateful for her sense of humor and the time this series allowed us to be together.”

What a beautiful testament to his 85 year old mother!

Mary

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Mary and I had a lovely lunch and walk through the east village together. She always teaches me something new about the area, including places to get great bites for a good price. We had lunch at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant and then had dessert at Venieros. When I complimented her Giraffe print socks she told me, ” You never saw a plain sock on Fred Astaire”.This is how Mary connects with Fred and adds some even more spice to her ever fashionable appearance. Check out some pictures of Mary from previous posts below.

A Wall Full of Memories

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[Photos by Arturas Valiauga]

These awesome photos were taken by Lithuanian artist Arturas Valiauga from a series entitled, I Dropped in on Stepas House, We Talked about Life; Still Identity. I find the collections of photographs and clippings on the walls of this couple’s home very inspiring. A catalogue from a show where these photos were featured describes their environment as “Home becomes the map of the inside and outside world.” Many of the people I meet and talk to have collections of photos and scraps of papers they have saved over the years. Some collage them into artworks, others place them into scrapbooks hidden in cabinet drawers. I love the idea of filling one’s home with visual memories and inspiring words. Debra writes on her walls, Mimi Weddell’s refrigerator was full of her favorite quotes, like ” Rise Above It” and I have a drawer full of clippings that are just waiting to fill my walls! What better way to wallpaper?