Lobra of Sweden

Autumn is on it´s way and we are all about to get more cozy here in Sweden. Knits are soon to get on and around. It´s all about treasure hunting in the forests for mushrooms and picking apples to make pies…taking care of what nature gave to us this season. One of my favorite artists is Ernst Billgren that is one of Sweden’s most noteworthy contemporary artists.

Eget Land

Over the years he has become renowned for his outstanding artistic work, in which mythology, nature and national romanticism have been significant sources of inspiration. Besides painting and sculpture, Billgren has also expressed his artistic diversity in fields such as scenography, literature, film, music, furniture design and glass design.

Konsthandlarna

Slott

Utsmyckning Mosaik

Ernst Billgren’s oeuvre is characterized by breadth and diversity that is unique in the Swedish art world. His artistic output includes such diverse disciplines as painting, sculpture, stage design, literature, films, music and furniture design. Right through these various activities are a continuity. The motive spheres that are recognizable from Billgren’s artistry is especially his studies of nature painting, the national romantic and mythological. With unmistakable craftsmanship, he is working with different materials such as mosaic, wood, bronze, cement, tile and glass. The works of art often combines historic character system and references and popular perceptions of art in a willingness to explore the contemporary and artistic conventions.

Grön, Brun, Vit, Svart och Grön målning

Ernst Billgren is designing collections of glass for Kosta Boda

New Friends tumbler Fox

New Friends Jug

Ernst Billgren

To all nail design lovers!! Here is some inspiration from New York Fashionweeks designer shows.

It´s all about the details!! Everyone needs beautiful nails to match the outfits, shoes and bags.

Diego Binetti’s Spring 2012 -“Harlequin and Hardware” design by CDN’s Candice Manachio

Diego Binetti’s Spring 2012 -“Harlequin and Hardware” design by CDN’s Candice Manachio

Nail art love for this look by Wanda Ruiz for Jen Kao

Norman Ambrose Spring 2012

Lutice Lace Nail Art is one of the freshest trend in nail art design.

You can find more inspiration here:

naildesigners.net

Nail tutorials on youtube

Sophy Robson is a great international naildesigner now making a collaboration together with Sephora for OPI, see pics below

She has her own nail studio- Sophy Robson Nails at Hari’s Salon on The Kings Road in London’s Chelsea. Go visit for some magical nails!!

Sophy Robson for Sephora

Sophy Robson for Sephora

Sophy Robson for Sephora

Sophy Robson for Sephora

Find more great inspirations from Sophy here

See the Sephora by OPI details, tips and photoshoot here

A sudden flash of bright, vivid eyes. A toss of exquisitely styled hair. These are timeless moments when we encounter high fashion, and artist Anja has caught them all and more in her truly remarkable new body of work mixing both classical and contemporary ideas of fashion. Anja specializes in large-scale portraiture featuring beautiful, expressive women, and her images have the power of enticing viewers and leading them to interpret a variety of meanings in each expression.

You can find more about Anja Van Herle works here

Mallory Morrison is a passionate underwater photographer that loves the anti-gravity enviroment.
She has been a dancer for 23 years mostly focused on classic ballet. That helps her to coreograph the models and understand how the body can move. She mostly uses dancers as models in her pictures to get this anti-gravity expression.
You can find more about Mallorys works here

Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe (1927-2004) is the most internationally celebrated silversmith of the post war period. Using assymetric, fluid forms in silver combined with semi-precious stones and pebbles, she created jewellery that strongly broke with tradition. Her early hand-made jewellery from the 1950’s became an instant success in Paris where she lived at the time. She earned clients such as Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, Ingrid Bergman and Billie Holiday, who all were fascinated by her innovative designs of sculptural forms tracing the contours of the wearer’s body.

In the mid 1950’s she started a long relationship with the Danish company Georg Jensen. At Jensen she was involved with a company who’s founder had as great a passion for silver as she herself had. Like her, Georg Jensen, originally created his jewellery for people who valued the beauty and the design of a handcrafted objects more than a luxurious material. Torun used rock crystal, moonstone and quartz instead of more valuable stones. Torun designed Jensens first wrist watch in 1962. This today world famous model was the first of it’s kind, a simple, open-sided wrist watch with a numberless mirror dial, stripped of all but the bare essentials.
During the sixties, Torun lived in Biot, France. She installed her workshop in the family villa and employed several assistants. During these years she achieved many orders and commissions, and was extremely productive. Many young Swedish silversmiths came to Biot to work with Torun, among them Urban Bohlin and Bengt Liljedahl. Her home was also a meeting point for contemporary artists, intellectuals and jazz musicians.

In 1978 Torun set up a new workshop in Indonesia. There, she undertook a wide range of projects including textiles, baskets and lamps, while continuing to create jewellery. She lived in Jakarta until her death. She received numerous design awards during her long career and exhibited all over the world for over 50 years.

You can read more about Torun here
Modernity
Torun Silver
You can buy some of her amazing designs at George Jensen

Fashion photography has perhaps captured the times like no other genre. In the suite Northern Women in CHANEL, photographer Peter Farago and stylist Ingela Klemetz-Farago have realized their dream of photographing classic creations by CHANEL.

This is a modern, contemporary staging of the classic garments. Farago’s personal style is prominent in the pictures, inspired by opera, dance and art. A unique universe is created, and every suite becomes a fashion fairy tale. In the images Scandinavian meets French. The result is an interesting meeting between timeless clothes and melancholy in a barren Scandinavian landscape.

This Exhibition you can visit in Stockholm Sweden at Fotografiska until 11 september

© Peter Farago & Ingela Klemetz-Farago

© Peter Farago & Ingela Klemetz-Farago

© Peter Farago & Ingela Klemetz-Farago

Read more here

While in Rome last month I went to Dorothy Circus Gallery that are specialized in Pop Surrealism art only. Dorothy Circus was recently selected by Juxtapoz magazine as one of the 100 world’s most important galleries and best museums. It is definitly a Gallery to visit.

Here is some Pop Surrealism artists that I find very interesting.

Natalie Shau

Natalie Shau - Flowers and Flesh

Natalie Shau - Storm

Natalie Shau - Art Book "Tangled Tales"

Natalie Shau - Hollis

Ray Cesar

Ray Cesar - Totentanz

Ray Cesar - Day Trip

Ray Cesar - Returns of the Day