GREEN // The Color of Spring

In New York, it's trying very hard to be spring, it feels like it's taking a long time to warm up and change seasons.  In my last post I talked about organ donation, at the same time I sent an eblast with various artworks that to me, represent spring. Green is the color that symbolizes spring.

I received lots of great comments and compliments about the art I selected to represent spring, so I wanted share some of the artworks and acknowledge the artists. I was drawn to nature when thinking about spring, and when I worked with my good friend and graphic designer, Sandy Shekel, to edit the images and create the layout, the greener the better...and there's a reason. Green symbolizes life, new growth, the environment , ecology, recycling and nature.

The lush foliage in COBAMONG BOAT, by Stuart Zaro 

LAUGHTER, by Elena Lyakir

It also represents tranquility, health and luck. We used it for the Share Life logo, to inspire good health and sharing, through organ donation.

Green is also thought to reduce stress and is recommended for a work environment. I'm not sure I'm ready for a return to green walls, but I would love to look at these paintings,

LINE-ING_12"x12", by Xanda McCagg 

and combined with warm colors that evoke a combination of nature and calm, WATERFALL_60"x48", by Anne Raymond   

Christine Wexler's photograph, THE WAVE,  of 3 boys waiting to surf, captures the warmth and spirit of the spring and summer seasons.

There are other artists that come to mind when I think color, and light and spring. Wolf Kahn creates beautiful paintings that evoke nature. I pinned SPRING GREENS on my Pinterest board recently, and it was 're-pinned' and 'liked' many times.

Photographer Bonnie Edelman captures the extraordinary colors of nature in her SCAPES series.

Color theorist Josef Albers explored the relationship of colors and perception in his series of over 1000  geometric paintings, HOMAGE TO THE SQUARE.  One of his green paintings, SOFT SPOKEN,

We will be seeing a lot more green in 2013 since Emerald green was selected by Pantone as the Color of the Year. Versions of emerald will find its way into many products this year.

The spring RE eblast, with the variety of inspiring green artwork was created and sent in support of National Donate Life Month. Thanks to President Obama for making it official and acknowledged throughout the country. My family and I are involved in a number of events during the month to help raise awareness and the profile of the dire need in New York State and throughout the US to increase the organ donor registry. Romanoff Elements will be donating a portion of sales to the New York Organ Donor Network and their work on behalf of increasing the donor registry.

I'm hoping that the sun starts to shine more, and we can all enjoy spring;  the warmth, the natural and beautiful colors, and the new energy that comes with it!

Romanoff Elements // Providing Access to Art & Artists

RE works with clients to find art that appropriately reflects them and suits their space. We work with both designers and clients to select art and design elements that work within their budget and are an extension of their taste and the way that they live. Everyone has their unique taste and style, a vision for their home and work environment. There are a number of reasons why they may choose to work with a consultant or designer. Time is a huge factor today. With time limited, days of visiting galleries and shopping in general, is less than it used to be. It's helpful to bring someone in to help realize their particular vision. Mara Solow of Mara Solow Interiors was familiar with Bonnie Edelman's photography after seeing several of RE's exhibitions of Edelman's work . Solow and her client worked with RE to select this abstracted landscape photograph to provide color and contrast in a quiet and serene master bedroom.

LETT by Heiberg Cummings selected these three mixed media artworks by Andrea Bonfils to compliment the elegant living room and incorporate the long wall into the beautifully designed space. The selection was made after the designer visited  the artist's studio.

It's helpful to look at digital images, and narrow down selections online, but following up with home and office visits provides our clients the option to see the artwork in person, see the colors, textures and experience it in their home or office.

Painting by Anne Raymond in a Hampton's home.

Paintings on paper by Anne Raymond

We also work with home furnishing retailers to provide artwork for customer’s to see in the context of a home decor environment. When shopping for furnishings and accessories, a customer can relate to seeing a painting or fine art photography above a dining table or within a beautiful vignette.

Xanda McCagg's striking abstract canvas provides great color and composition among the artisanal furnishings at Comerford Collection in Bridgehampton.

McCagg's Blue Moment, was recently  featured in Elle Decor in a beautifully designed Hamptons home by Robert Stilins Interiors.

Interior designers work with RE to bring art and artisanal products that are selected specifically with their client's in mind. We come to understand a project and how the art will compliment the design and the rooms and suit the client.

At times a project results in a commission specifically for a client. We are currently working on a site-specific representational landscape painting for a panelled wall. Due to the dimensions and design of the panels in a client's grand foyer, an artist is creating a custom painting based on her work that our client likes.

This horizon image was selected by a client after a long search, to compliment the natural stone wall and running creek in her country home. It looks beautiful and suits the organic environment.

Recently, I have begun working with representational artists, after a number of years with primarily abstract works and fine art photography. Mother and Daughter and seascape pastels by Tracy Burtz were suitable for a Mother's Day event at Table d'Hote, a tabletop and home accessories store in Armonk, NY.

We work to bring in artworks that suit the space, whether it's a home, office or a retailer and their customers. Encaustic mixed media works compliment the classic contemporary home furnishings at Nest Inspired Home in Rye, NY.

Consultants are used to provide access to artists that a client, designer or retailer wouldn’t otherwise have. There are many remarkably talented, creative people producing work that isn't out and visible - isn’t in stores and galleries or online. Some artists show at local or regional art shows, some in galleries - many have developed a group of collectors over the years, both private and corporate, who return periodically to add to their collections.  RE and other consultants spend time finding and learning about many artists and their bodies of work to introduce to their clients.

I have always been surrounded by artists and creatively inspired people.  I enjoy bringing them and their artwork together with those who will love and appreciate their work and enjoy living with it.

Heiberg Cummings Design // Elegant & Koselig (Cozy) Style

I met Bernt Heiberg and Bill Cummings of Heiberg Cummings Design at an event they hosted for one of their projects in December.  I quickly felt their warmth and style, both from the design partners themselves, and from their interior design work. They describe their aesthetic concept in their recently published book, White Light. It's about "koselig", which "literally translated means cozy in Norway, the word is used to describe everything from a room’s hospitable warmth to the pleasant feeling one gets in running into an old friend."  Koselig, is how Bill described their Chelsea apt. in a magazine article that was featured in their book - and it's how I would describe meeting them and seeing their work. This is their third book,

Their interiors are comfortable, and easy

also refined and elegant

The partnership began in 1990 in Oslo doing interiors in Europe and the US. They moved the center of their business to the NYC's West Village, but retain an office in Norway. The duo blend Bernt's Scandinavian minimalism with Bill's artistic and business background with an appreciation for traditional American design. This has come together into a modern design business with clients and residences from Manhattan, the Hamptons, throughout the Northeast, corporate projects to country homes in Norway.

The core of their philosophy and technique is Conceptual Design. Each project starts with a framework, a concept that is driven by the client and their close relationships. They want to understand what a client is looking for, how they live and how to best reflect their family and traditions. The core concept evolves and it then prevails in each space of the home providing the framework for the physical design which follows.

Each project differs in personality, but the foundation is consistent, warm neutral and natural colors and textiles, continuity throughout the project, which comes from the concept. Warm and quiet, yet a recurring description is 'tension', and it varies from project to project. The tension is a surprise, it may be accent colors, art, the antiques and accessories - and this is where each project suitably reflects its owners.

Naima Boger, a designer with the firm sought me out for artwork for a LETT, by Heiberg Cummings project in Rye, NY. LETT, Norwegian for 'Light" was introduced last year to provide another way for Heiberg Cummings to provide their design services and aesthetic to more clients. The LETT team is hired to provide interior design services on a room by room basis. They provide a beautiful boxed presentation containing customized floor plans, drawings, and tear sheets of recommended items. The client receives a shopping list to execute and manage themselves. The design firm will come in to style and accessorize when the client is ready and the furnishings are complete.

Naima worked on the Westchester project and assisted her client in sourcing artwork and accessories. When she saw Andrea Bonfils' Underwater Mixed Media artworks, she knew immediately they would provide the living room with the balance and the contrast to complete the room and compliment the photographs on the opposite wall, by Katie White Photography.

Ophelia, another Bonfils' piece is in the adjacent foyer.

Xanda McCagg's abstract Tete-a-Tete brought tension, color and contrast to the dining room. The strong modern painting is a counterpoint to the traditional furnishings, and the color balances the sofa, pillows and window coverings.

LETT is a timely and exciting new direction for Heiberg Cummings Design. It is a concept that will make their services accessible to many more people and introduce a new direction in interior design. The firm has an international reputation for the quiet, refined and personalized aesthetic they have created. They have a flair for details that reflect the homeowner, whether it's artworks, accessories or incorporating family items that are lived-in and worn. The spaces they design are contemporary  - yet they're classic and comfortable, a style that creates liveable spaces that at the same time are elegant and koselig!

The Neue Galerie // A NYC Gem

An afternoon spent walking through the collections at the Neue Galerie  was a real treat, a glimpse into another era. My daughter Alexis and I had a few hours recently and chose the small collection of Austrian And German Expressionist art in the beautifully restored Beaux Arts mansion just off Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile. The museum showcases early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. The collection reflects the intersection of various creative disciplines at the turn of the century, the "New Art", (source of the museum's name) of this period was represented throughout Europe to capture the innovative and modern spirit that was emerging. Examples from these early days of modern design; in the decorative arts, painting, sculpture, furniture, lighting and the very new field of photography are all represented in this thoughtfully edited collection and inspired design and book stores within the museum. The collection has work from the fine artists from Vienna, including Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.

and the decorative art of early modernists, such as Wiener Werkstatte and Josef Hoffman.

In the early 1900's in Germany, the Bauhaus movement was growing and included artists like Wassily Kandily and Paul Klee and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer. I have Breuer kitchen chairs based on the same tubular steel design of this bar cart and lounge.

The Neue Galerie grew out of the passions of two men who collected Modern German and Austrian art and design. Leonard Lauder, a businessman,  philanthropist and art collector and Serge Sabarsky, an art dealer and museum exhibition organizer. In 1996, after Sabarsky's death, Lauder began to create the Neue Galerie, to realize their shared vision of opening a museum for their respective collections. He bought  the former William Starr Miller House, on the corner of Fifth Ave and 86 St. Seldorf Architects renovated the mansion to appropriately display their artworks.

In 2006, Lauder purchased Gustav Klimt's 1907 gold-drenched Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer l for a record price (at the time of $135 million).  The painting is in the main floor gallery, it is really wonderful, and worth the visit to the museum.

Cafe Sabarsky, the intimate restaurant in the museum was designed to replicate the Viennese cafes at the turn of the century. The furnishings are correct for the period, light fixtures are by Josef Hoffman, furniture by Adolf Loos and the banquettes in a 1912 fabric by Otto Wagner. I began by saying the museum and cafe are a treat, a quiet and lovely space. We didn't eat here that day, but will plan to on our next visit. The museum and cafe are beautifully done, a wonderful break from the usual NY pace, an environment to feel immersed in the period it represents.

We saw the current exhibit of Ferdinand Hodler's paintings. Hodler is considered the most influential Swiss artist of the period. His landscapes are beautifully executed, and I loved how their rich colors looked on the vibrant blue walls in two of the gallery rooms.

Color was a key component to his work in his female figures - particularly blues and reds.

The museum website has photos from a number of magazine layouts that were recently photographed at the museum. How apt that the  elegant setting was used as a background for fashion and style in the 21st century. Diana Taylor, "New York's First Lady", in Harper's Bazaar, 2011, in patterned black and white, echoing the stunning grand staircase.

and from Quest Magazine, patterns and colors reflecting the detailed Klimt painting

To view the collection and the current exhibit, (Ferdinand Hodler: View to Infinity, is through January 7th) only takes a short time. Both the museum space and exhibitions provide a glimpse into a period in history that informed a lot of change in the creative arts and influenced a great deal of modern art and design.

Her Haven // Designing a difference for others

Her Haven grew from Carey Dougherty’s vision to combine her interior design skills, and business experience with her desire to help women in need. With the driving passion that a “home can enhance one’s well-being and bring families together, and the recognition that women are often selflessly serving their families and their communities with little time for themselves, she wanted to give these women the gift of a ‘haven’.

Her Haven is a nonprofit organization that performs volunteer design services for deserving and inspiring women in the community.

Carey then brought her organizational and networking skills to coordinate the efforts of various people and organizations. The first two Her Haven projects were a partnership with Fairfield University's Interior Design Program and Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County.  11 design students from the program worked to redesign and furnish the living and dining rooms of two new Habitat homeowners, Nordia Black and Elizabeth Bosques, both of Bridgeport, CT.

The projects have elicited strong community support, from local businesses, supplying materials, trades, design skills and volunteers who have all helped see the projects to completion.

Another outcome of Her Haven's beginnings was a course at Fairfield University , developed by Dr. Catherine Giapponi, associate professor of management at the Dolan School of Business (DSB).“Managing Nonprofits Organizations". The course introduced students to careers in nonprofits, while helping to develop a business plan for Dougherty.  “There are many connections between entrepreneurship and starting your own nonprofit,” Dr. Giapponi explained, “And with entrepreneurship gaining interest around the world, this class gives students the skills to put together a complete plan that could be applied to nonprofits and for profit ventures.”

Her Haven has plans to expand its partner programs with additional design schools to provide both hands-on practical experience for it’s students with meaningful community work.

I was moved when Carey described a response to both projects. The women, who's home was renovated and furnished,  separately said, the best part of their new spaces was having, for the first time, “a dining table, a place to sit with their family”.

Her Haven is realizing Carey Dougherty's mission, helping women to create homes for their families that they would not otherwise have. Carey has in the process been bringing together diverse groups, from other non-profits, to  businesses, designers and educators.

Table d'Hote , table top and home accessories store, and Romanoff Elements are hosting an event Dec. 5th, with the artwork of Andrea Bonfils and Tulah Jems jewelry.  A portion of the evening's sales will help support the mission of Her Haven, Designing a Difference!

Its been wonderful to learn more about Carey's vision and organization that is effectively reaching out and bringing together resources and people who understand the value of a well-designed and comfortable space for all women and families.

Janet Mait's Recent Paintings // on exhibition in NYC

New Shoes, a collection of vibrantly colored paintings by Janet Mait is on exhibition in a striking modern office space in Manhattan.  Janet's abstract work has been evolving since she debuted the collection at a Chelsea exhibition in Fall 2010.  Mait describes her recent paintings as, " ... more spontaneous and the brush strokes more definite. I want an unstructured and spontaneous expression on the canvas...to reflect a sense of freedom”

The Art Student's Leaguein NYC, where Mait paints, works with corporate and community spaces throughout Manhattan interested in exhibiting artwork. The artist has an opportunity to present their work in a public space and the host has the benefit of rotating exhibitions in their hallways and offices.

Squire Sanders, a global law firm is hosting the exhibition of Mait's work. The NY experience begins at Rockefeller Center,

and continues as you enter the classic Art Deco building, 30 Rockefeller Center, which opened in 1933.

The elevator opens to the entry of the sleek and modern office space, which is a great backdrop for modern art.

Mait's work lines the office's long hallway of conference rooms.

 The blue grey walls, the open space and light, all make the work stand out

The employees we spoke with enjoy having the artwork, from the halls to each of the four conference rooms.

Mait's work is about color and composition, she "thinks a lot about color combinations but so often that changes and the beginning does not dictate the end." In talking about her work and the way it has evolved, the artist likes the freedom that abstraction provides. After studying and spending time as a sculptor of bronze figures, Mait feels she can express herself  in abstraction in a way that a structured composition or sculpture doesn't allow.

The exhibition will be at Squire Sanders through October 1st.  It's an enjoyable walk through the classic NY architecture of Rockefeller Center, and a modern office space filled with Mait's lively abstract paintings - people tell me that Janet's color drenched paintings 'make them smile"!

Welcome to RE // new artists & their work

I launched the Romanoff Elements site 6 months ago, wanting to share some of the talented artists who I have come to know and work with. Recently, I updated the site to include several new artists as well as adding new pieces to existing collections. The RE site is a beginning - there is much more to look at, and to talk about regarding each artist who is represented. I am drawn to their work, to their stories and want to follow and share the progress of their art as it evolves.

Andrea Bonfils is a very creative and multi-talented artist.  She works with and explores various media;  from painting, to encaustic wax, photography and mixed media.

Regardless of medium, Andrea's artwork all begins with nature.  She renders interesting compositions from what she sees and experiences around her. Her colors are rich and layered and the final work is always textural and beautiful.  I have blogged about Andrea before, when Nest Inspired Home exhibited her work in April.

I was recently re-connected to Tracy Burtz, we hadn't seen each other for many years. Tracy is an accomplished artist and teacher who has exhibited extensively.  She works from life; she creates still lifes in oil, charcoal drawings and oils of women, pastels of seascapes and summer life.  I blogged about Tracy as we prepared an exhibition of her work at Table D'Hote recently.

The depth and range of Tracy's colors are beautiful, whether she's painting a floral arrangement or a portrait. We spoke about her varied subject matter, and the thread through her work is always the same, regardless of the subject, it's "...all about picture-making, and what makes a great painting; composition, color, darks, lights, value, line and texture.”

I first saw Elena Lyakir’s work at ABC Kitchen, the Jean-Georges restaurant in ABC Home in NYC.  I loved the ethereal quality and compostion of Elena’s naturally - inspired work and how it enhanced the farm-to-table restaurant's decor.  I met Elena shortly after that and saw the variety and depth of her work.

Each image, whether birds, foliage or landscape, evokes a quiet, a calm - that I find simple, serene and beautiful.

A mutual friend introduced me to Christine Wexler, wanting me to see her Bramasole photography, but also knowing we had similar backgrounds as textile designers. Turns out Christine and I sat down for coffee that could have lasted for many hours as we talked about how and where our creative interests began and the paths we have taken.

I share Christine’s love of the ocean, particularly Montauk. Her photos taken on the Eastern end of Long Island, throughout the Hamptons and other beautiful spots, in California, Mexico and in Italy, capture the natural beauty of the ocean - you can feel and sense summer life in her images.  Christina has exhibited in various venues in the Hamptons. It's the perfect time of year to introduce her photographs to RE and we'll be bringing a collection of her work to exhibit in Westchester at Nest Inspired Home in Rye in June.

More work from each of these artist is on the RE site.  I'll be showing a selection of new work by some of the original RE artists in my next post.