Tortoise

I saw this picture in House Beautiful while pregnant with my daughter:

I am a huge Miles Redd fan but being a painter of course I noticed this table, love.  Miles is great at directing a finish in a beautiful but unexpected way.  I love that of course we know a table made entirely of tortoise could never exist in nature but the quality of the painting is excellent and so unexpected.

Well, my parents had this table hanging around and they gave me the go ahead to take it over.

At the time I thought I would paint this for Alice's room but I had her 2 weeks early and here we are.  After seeing the Miles table I became obsessive about tortoise shell and scoured the internet and various books for pictures of antique boxes.  The ones that I liked best I found on 1st Dibs in the shop of none other than Karla Katz who is a local antiques dealer and neighbor.

So these pictures have been pinned up in my studio ever since and when time/insomnia presents itself I would work on said table.

And here we are 2 and a half years later.  Tortoise table in it's finished form.

Miles and Miles of Inspiration

Miles Redd.  

I don't think he needs an introduction.  Honestly, as "blogged about" as he is, the more I read, the more I am intrigued.  A man and his work rooted in tradition, with a very effortless yet intentional yet unexpected way of using color, layers, objects, and furniture that are high and low, and a design that is perfectly timeless; in my eyes, quite an achievement, and I am a painter, NO designer.  Mrs. Blandings did a fantastic interview with Miles, here that I enjoyed a lot, a must read.   

What I love about Mr. Redd and his work is he doesn't see decorative painting as a trend.  In his work he uses decorative painting to enhance something ordinary to make it extraordinary.  The finishes that he employs are in fact decorative and not "faux"(no sponges or tissue paper involved).  From my perspective, he seems to really appreciate the craft and artistry of it all.

I did some research on this particular room because I did in fact recreate it for a client about two years ago.  So subtle but, so striking.  Something that I really try hard to achieve in my work, if I hit it, I don't lose sleep. 

From House Beautiful:

How did you get the inspiration for ivory walls and horn trim?

Givenchy, the old couturier, has a little low horn table in his house on Cap Ferrat that I've always loved. I always thought it would make a great decorative paint finish. And I've seen faux-ivory boxes all my life — I just borrowed the technique for the walls. I take so much from history, but the way to create fresh decorating is by using it all in a new and different way.  

Painted Ivory square walls and horn trim
via House Beautiful

Horn trim
via House Beautiful

Faux Tortoise painted table
via House Beautiful, April 2011

This table is from my parent's storage unit.  This could easily be a flea market, garage sale, thrift store or estate sale  find.

The real question is why can't it be as fabulous as the Miles Redd Tortoise table?  No reason!  With a little imagination you can make the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

I hope you are enjoying some corned beef and cabbage this evening!  May you have the luck of the Irish not just today but all year! 

Miles Redd
via House Beautiful