Design Diary: Living Room by Meredith Rodday

Boston area interior designer Meredith Rodday, who you may know from her blog View From My Heels, transformed this formal living room into a light and airy space. I wrote about it here, in a recent issue of Boston Globe Magazine. I’ve included more about Rodday’s design and sources below. Photo by Jessica Delaney.

White Living Room With Colorful Art By Boston Designer Meredith Rodday

Jessica Delaney Photography

“I’m not known for formal rooms,” Rodday told me. As such her signature style of light colors with a coastal touch, was just what the homeowners were looking for.

They started by painting the room Benjamin Moore “Navajo White” to tie it together with the home’s family room. Using the warm, creamy white as a base, Rodday added soft white upholstered and warm wood pieces, a dark grounding coffee table, and pretty artwork for a pop of color.

All the fireplaces in the home had awful green marble, which Rodday replaced with classic Cararra marble. The blue/grey veining is reflecting in the gray striations of the Restoration Hardware Nahla rug , which adds a touch of interest but keeps things neutral.

The Lee Industries sofa is upholstered in Serena & Lily washed linen in sand. The McGee & Co. Blaine armchairs have a wood frames with a driftwood finish that adds a bit of earthiness. The baluster profile and finish tie into the Arteriors Everett table. Its oxidized iron-clad surface and base connects with the dark color of the large cocktail table, custom covered in navy Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute grasscloth.

“The room is very large,” Rodday says, “We needed an anchor on the fireplace, which is off-center, and this worked well.” The Visual Comfort Morris chandelier with polished nickel finish further establishes the center of the seating area, without blocking the artwork.

The colorful artwork cements the focal point for the seating area and is the jumping off point for the accessories which bring color into the room. The piece is “Sapling Grove” by Peter Batchelder, an oil on canvas from Powers Gallery in Acton, Mass.

The indigo leafy vine pattern of the Belgian linen drapery, Novella by Massachusetts textile designer Ellisha Alexina, stands up to the painting without overwhelming it.

Rodday used the fabric for a throw pillow too. Other throw pillows include, from left to right, Susan Connor New York in Madu, Zak + Fox in Postage, Peter Dunham in Kashmir, and a cognac leather McGee & Co. pillow. The brushstroke lamp is by Jana Bek.

ARTmonday: Reynolds Gallery PopUp

There’s a pop up art gallery on Newbury Street this week. Reynolds Gallery will be open at 91 Newbury Street through Thursday, November 17th from 11am to 6pm, with a closing reception on Thursday evening from 6pm to 9pm.

Based in Richmond, Virginia, the 39-year-old Reynolds Gallery, founded by Beverly Reynolds, has exhibited national and international contemporary art. In addition to well known artists, Reynolds Gallery represents regional artists from professors and students from Virginia Commonwealth University.

In 2014 Alice Livingston, Bev’s daughter, and Julia Monroe, former assistant director, took over as co-directors of the gallery. This pop up is a partnership with Bev’s son and daughter-in-law Quentin and Sarah Reynolds of Wellesley, Massachusetts.

The show includes works by Isabel Bigelow, Nell Blaine, Nancy Blum, Sally Bowring, Richard Carlyon, Ben Durham, Tara Donovan, David Freed, Meghan Gerety, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Alison Hall, James Hyde, Ron Johnson, Wolf Kahn, Jason Keith, Ellsworth Kelly, Matt King, Sally Mann, Jiha Moon, Richard Roth, Robert Stuart, Leigh Suggs, and Donald Sultan.

Here is a sampling at what you’ll find at the Reynolds Gallery pop up art gallery on Newbury Street this week.

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Isabel Bigelow

Isabel Bigelow, Overhead Tangle, 2015
Oil on panel • 28 x 24 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Isca Greenfield

Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Dock Girls, 2016
Mixed media oil on canvas  •  35 x 35 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Richard Roth

Richard Roth, Speed Bump 2, 2016
Acrylic on birch plywood panel  •  12 x 8 x 4 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Leigh Suggs

Leigh Suggs, Rolling Triangles, 2016
Hand-cut, acrylic on yupo  •  30 x 30 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Ron Johnson

Ron Johnson, Let the Meaning Sink, 2016
Acrylic on panel  •  24 x 24 x 3 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Robert Stuart

Robert Stuart, Rhythm & Blues, 2016
Oil, wax, and collage on canvas  •  22 1/2 x 22 inches

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Sally Mann

Sally Mann, Nottoway, 2010-2015
Platinum print  •  20 x 24 inches  •  Edition 1 of 5

Art Gallery Pop Up On Newbury Street Wolf Kahn

Wolf Kahn, Blue Violet Everywhere, 2006
Oil on canvas  •  22 x 30 inches

All images courtesy of the artists and Reynolds Gallery.

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Pick frames online, mail them off, get them back in just a few weeks.

ARTmonday: Hilary Tait Norod

I first learned about Boston-based artist Hilary Tait Norod through her dad, an architect at Elkus Manfredi when I was working on a story for the Boston Globe about transforming old buildings into home.

Since then I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on the  Webster Art Project at Boston Design Center. There are currently three of her paintings in the Webster & Company showroom (one sold!)

Hilary Tait Norod’s solos show “Are You Crazy With Me?” opens this weekend, Saturday, April 16th, 5pm – 9pm at Jerome Street Studios in Medford, Mass. Hilary’s new body of work is inspired by studies of the human mind. The series focuses  specifically on the theories behind the correlation between insanity and creativity.

Norod presents a series of mixed media paintings that evolved from portraiture studies of brilliant minds who have walked the line of insanity into more abstract pieces of her own theories, experiences, and explorations.

Here is a preview of her new paintings:

Come and Rest Your Bones with Me

Come and Rest Your Bones with Me
Oil, Charcoal, Graphite, Pastel, Mica and Gold Leaf on Panel  •  48″ x 72″

Something Beautiful Painting By Boston Artist Hilary Tait Norod

Something Beautiful

Painting of David Bowie By Hilary Tait Norod

Bowie

Painting of Edgar Allen Poe By Hilary Tait Norod

Poe

Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound– does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect. —Edgar Allen Poe

Boston Artist Hilary Tait Norod In Her Studio

Hilary Tait Norod at work in her studio.

ARTmonday: Winter Works Show at Bromfield Gallery

Over the weekend I went to First Friday in SoWa, an arts district in Boston.  Mainly I went to meet Sydney Licht, who was in town for her solo show “Canned and Contained,” beautiful contemporary still life paintings at Chase Young Gallery, a top Boston art gallery.  The works are wonderful, and  gallery co-owner Sarah Young is so lovely.

I wandered through a number of other galleries, including Bromfield Gallery which has a very appealing (and crowded) exhibition called Winter Works. It’s a  juried show with lots of small pieces by many artists, all priced from $100 to $1,000. (There are many affordable artworks here.) There were several I was very tempted to purchase, and I may go back for at least one. These are perfect holiday gifts. All the pieces are worth a look and there are enough styles ad mediums (abstract & still life, collage & encaustic) to suit many different types.

Here are 32 artworks from Boston art gallery Bromfield Gallery’s Winter Works show.

bromfield-gallery-carol-e-moses

Carol E. Moses

bromfield-gallery-sarah-b-shallbetter

Sarah B. Shallbetter

bromfield-gallery-carol-moses

Carol E. Moses

bromfield-gallery-nage-suzuki

Naoe Suzuki

bromfield-gallery-felipe-miguel

Felipe Miguel

bromfield-gallery-susan-coley

Susan Coley

bromfield-gallery-joshua-brennan

Joshua Brennan

bromfield-gallery-sarah-kahn

Sarah Kahn
bromfield-gallery-tamar-etingen

Tamar Etingen

bromfield-gallery-monique-scalfo

Monique Scalfo

bromfield-gallery-tim-mcdonald

Tim McDonald

bromfield-gallery-nancy-marks

Nancy Marks bromfield-gallery-veronique-latimer

Veronique Latimer

bromfield-gallery-ronnie-komarow
Ronni Komarow

bromfield-gallery-susan-palladino

Susan Paladino

bromfield-gallery-nancy-wood

Nancy Wood

bromfield-gallery-sasja-lucas

Sasja Lucas

bromfield-gallery-saco-o-savalovski-2

Slavco Sokolovski
bromfield-gallery-scavco-o-socolovski

Slavco Sokolovski

bromfield-gallery-saco-o-savalovski-3

Slavco Sokolovski

bromfield-gallery-virginia-fresina

Virginia Fresina

bromfield-gallery-stephanie-todhunter-pink

Stephanie Todhunter

bromfield-gallery-stephanie-todhunter-green

StephanieTodhunter

bromfield-gallery-assorted

bromfield-gallery-ruth-daniels

Ruth Daniels

bromfield-gallery-patricia-busso

Patricia Busso

bromfield-gallery-lisa-cooren

Lisa Goren
bromfield-gallery-nina-earley

Nina Earley

bromfield-gallery-otto-laske

Otto Laske

bromfield-gallery-bredt-hardy

Bredt Handy

bromfield-gallery-maggy-allen

Maggy Allen

bromfield-gallery-jonathan-stangroom

Jonathan Stangroom

bromfield-gallery-andrea-sparks

Andrea Sparks

ARTmonday: Jealously Curated in Kendall Square

If you like my ARTmonday posts you are likely a huge fan of the Jealous Curator blog by Danielle Krysa

Now a collection of work by East Coast artists who have all been featured on  The Jealous Curator Cambridge are participating in Jealously Curated, an exhibition at Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall Square. The show starts today, November 23, 2015 and runs through January 22, 2016.

Here is a sampling of work by nine artists taking part in the East Coast edition of Jealously Curated.

Portrait By Anna Jensen Jealous Curator

Anna Jensen, I Feel Too Much Thy Blessing, 2012
Acrylic on canvas
Anna Jensen describes her paintings as psychological landscapes that combine references to art history, pop culture,, natural science, and personal chronicles.

airco-caravan-1

Airco Caravan, Possession of a Deadly Weapon, 2012
Oil on canvas
Airco Caravano lives and works in Amsterdam and New York. This painting is part of a series called “Crime Scene” and depicts a room at the Delaware Riverview Motel where an employee discovered a murder victim.

Floral Anatomy By JennY Brown Jealous Curator

Jenny Brown, Heavenly Organ
Ink, pen, and found collage on paper
Boston-born artist Jenny Brown earned an M.F.A. at the School of Visual Arts in New York and is currently based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Bicycle Painting By Taliah Tempert Jealous Curator

Taliah Lempert
Brooklyn-based artist Taliah Lempert studied at the New York Academy of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lempert combines her two passions: painting and cycling.

Contemporary Abstract By Zin Helena Song Jealous Curator

Zin Helena Song, Flat Polygon #2, 2015
Mixed media on wood
Korean-born, New York-based artist Zin Helena Song paints sharp-edged abstract wooden sculptures.

Divers Poolside By Jessica Brilli Jealous Curator

Jessica Brilli, False Start
Quincy, Massachusetts-based artist Jessica Brilli is  inspired by slides found at yard sales and in basements in New York and Massachusetts. She scours flea markets and antique shops for everyday objects.

Floral Lawn Chairs By Leah Giberson Jealous Curator

Leah GibersonFloral Pair, 2013
Acrylic over archival pigment print on panel

Leah Giberson was raised by artists deep in the woods of New Hampshire, but tends to depict scenes from suburbia.  She earned a B.F.A. in painting from Massachusetts College of Art in 1997 and has lived in Boston ever since.

Wood Pile By Jeremy Miranda Jealous Curator

Jeremy Miranda
Jeremy Miranda, who was born in Newport, Rhode Island and earned a B.F.A. from the Massachusetts College of Art, paints out of his studio on the coast of New Hampshire.

Portrait By Erin Fitzpatrick Jealous Curator

Erin Fitzpatrick, Sarah, 2013
Oil on birch panel
Baltimore native and graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art,Erin Fitzpatrick, began her current series of portraits in 2008.

All artwork courtesy of the artists. 

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