The Empathic Civilisation

more about "RSA Animate - The Empathic Civilisation", posted with vodpod

New look to an ancient chair

This chair dates from the early XX Century. British colonial style, I used to be told when I was a child.  It surprised me to see many of them, exactly alike, at the Governor´s Palace in Jamestown, Virginia, USA. I could then understand what "British colonial style" ment.


Of course at the time my grandmother was decorating her summer apartment in Rio de Janeiro, on the second building to be built facing Copacabana Beach, there were not furniture stores. Families ordered from catalogs and had them handmade. It probably took artisans a long time to get them done, but time ran slower by then, I guess. 


Most people would go for Portuguese or French style but not my grandmother. She was  way too independent to follow the main track. I myself have never, ever, seen anything similar in Brazil.  Maybe it´s been popular in Commonwealth countries. I don´t know.


Today I decided to give it a new look, different from the traditional upholstery renewed from time to time.  New make up, starting with blush, shadows...

And it came out like this.

I´m not sure I like it, though. 

It seems sort of a heretic thing to do, doesn´t it?

I decided to think it over.

I´ll appreciate your opinion and comments. 

Spring all year round

By this time it´s getting chilly in South Brazil, where I live. Orchids and pansies love the cold weather and, along with many other kinds, provide colour to the streets gardens.

I´ve be working on Nancy Halvorsen´s Garden Party panel and thinking how fortunate we are, in this corner of the world, to have flowers all year round. And also how exciting Spring is to those who live in snowy countries.

To all of you in the Nothern Hemisphere I wish a Merry Spring and a Happy New Year! Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac, the one that gets the astrological year started. A time for renewal, getting new projects going or promoting a revival of the dormant ones. A time for hope and confidence.

So... lets enjoy the energy of Aries and get it all going. Fast, as Aries demands.

Look at this!

Paper cutting!

A single red sheet of the finest paper, manually cut. 

(Made by hand....)

This was my own choice for the entrance of my bedroom

which I thought was lacking some colour. 

I´ll soon be showing more of this artist´s (pacient) work

and how he does it.

(Totally amazing!)

Let the mice in!...

The mini quilt is ready but, the "real" one is waiting for me to sew borders to it... That´s the worst part for me. The hardest one. Feel like quiting...

I´ve let the mice in... 

Hope they get the job done.

Cinderella complex, maybe...

A morning finish

And there it is, an "araucária" apliquée panel, a kind of pine tree typical of Southern Brazil. 

This wall hanging will be sent to a friend´s daughter who was born and raised in Curitiba
and has become a Swidish citizen.

I like the way it came out.
I´ll probably carry this idea on to other works.