Our Den is located off the kitchen and dining room and it's where the two of us hang out when we're watching TV. I love this room. Not because of TV watching, but rather because it's so colorful, cheery and cheer, bright and cozy. I make a point of walking through here several times a day even though I can get to the dining room or kitchen without ever going through it and I don't watch TV ever during the day time. It's where some of my favorite art is, and, for our visiting children and grandchildren, it's where the beloved candy jar shelf is housed. It's just a happy room. The other morning when I noticed that the amaryllis had finally bloomed, I took a picture of the flower, looked around at the room's pleasantries, and decided that I should blog about it. When you look at the following pictures, please note the large picture over the white radiator. Then, later, look again.
 |
| I love color, I love original art. We have some good art in here (as in not cheap) and some from local antique shops and flea markets (as in extremely reasonable/inexpensive) collected over the years. It's all mixed together - I enjoy and study each one often. |
 |
| I also like old transfer ware plates very much - they are smattered throughout the house in just about every room. |
 |
| Our parents and all of our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren are on these shelves |
 |
| That bottom picture was my first full water color attempt. We thought it was cute enough to hang - mostly because the boat looked like a boat and the colors were pleasing and fit right in this room. |
 |
| The view from this room into the butler's pantry. |
 |
| Our Brittany painted the poppy picture for us for this Christmas. We love it! I adore poppies! The Van Gogh is some amateur's attempt to copy. It's not a print, it's someone's "work" - I found it at an antique shop in Newburyport MA and thought it was kinda charming. I had just recently seen the real one at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Now we have a Van Gogh! Ha Ha. |
 |
| So pretty - such richness of color. Thank you Brittany! |
 |
Grandchildren make a bee line to this room the second they walk in our door.
Now the surprise!
|
 |
| Remember the picture in the Paris gallery with which I was smitten? And visited every day? And then it was gone? A Fed Ex truck pulled up to the house yesterday morning with this! I am bursting with happiness as I stand holding this gorgeousness. I've already emailed a letter to the artist in France to tell her that I am the lucky person who got this picture for Christmas - and she wrote me back! |
 |
| It's called La Chambre by English artist Karina Knight. I absolutely love everything about this picture; the colors, mirrors, light and reflection, and the art hanging on its walls. I just can't stop gazing at it. |
 |
| Le Chambre looks right at home in our Den. |
 |
| From a snap shot through the window at first sight (to always remember it) ... |
 |
| From this gallery DDG in Paris (the picture was hanging on the bottom right where another one now is in its place) - |
 |
| To our Den in Rye NH!!! |
There is a little more to the story. On Christmas Day when I went to see the picture in the window as we were walking by and then noticed it gone, I lamented to my husband that someone must have bought it! I was hoping to visit it everyday until we left Paris and I felt deflated when it wasn't there. Dan expressed how sorry he was that I couldn't see it anymore and stated that some lucky person was probably receiving it today for Christmas and repeated how sorry he was at my disappointment. I had neither noised nor indicated in any way that I wanted the picture - I was just drawn to it and enjoying each encounter. Owning it, in my mind, wasn't even a remote possibility and I wasn't thinking like that. Later in the day, we were sitting in a cafe and Dan gave me a piece of paper as I was getting ready to put a forkful of food in my mouth and declared, "that lucky person is you". I looked at the paper and it was a print of the picture and purchase receipt. I was stunned! The fork didn't make it to my mouth. I couldn't even form words so I just stuttered my incredulity and gratitude. Then I blubbered a bit. I didn't taste the rest of my meal. Our whole week had been so perfect I couldn't imagine more happiness and I even felt embarrassed by the hugeness and generosity of the gift. I asked him when he had had the opportunity to buy it because I thought we had been together the whole trip and he replied that while I was at the Monet museum, he finished his business lunch meeting and took a taxi to the gallery to quickly arrange the purchase and shipment before I got back to the hotel. I'm still blown away by his kindness and generosity.
Art, like decorating or style, is very personal and individual. You might be wondering what the big deal is, but to me, this is. Yay!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment