From the monthly archives: October 2009
Cooler weather is bringing some cool, new custom wall finish samples from Imago Dei. Just imagine how great these would look for your next design project.
Moroccan Market (#828)
Moroccan Market features earth tones in a Moorish tile design that can be used as a single medallion or repeated as a border pattern. This mixed glaze treatment is new from Imago Dei’s proprietary stencil collection Bella Stampino. Applications: Moroccan Market is best for a ceiling focal point but can also be scaled down for a dramatic border effect.
Cool Morning (#812)
The cool stillness of an autumn morning is the inspiration for this Bella Stampino multi-layer treatment with a metallic glaze finish. Warm and cool tonal complements partner to create a soothing and peaceful organic motif. Applications: Cool Morning can be the just-right finish for domes, ceilings and bedrooms.
Sunlit Path (#829)
A pleasant walk in nature is suggested in this soft painterly glaze treatment. Applications: Sunlit Path would be a warm welcome in any dining room, foyer or powder room.
Imago Dei is pleased to announce a new painting from Jeremy Wells. Ephemeral is an original work in mixed media, 64″x 33″. Characterized by expressive, heavy brushstrokes applied vertically, it is reminiscent of an impressionist technique.
Ephemeral is a representational landscape that emotes the grandeur of Texas stormy skies and open land. Jeremy found the process of painting and layering to be the driving force of creativity. Much like the awesome power of the gathering stormclouds of the subject, the elements of weather and land inspired the elements of paint and gesture. Working from memory, he felt inspired by the natural beauty of the grasslands of north Galveston County that is part of various bayou watersheds. Much of this land is disappearing with Houston’s urban spread and some are making an effort to save some as public lands.
The texture was built up layer over layer, creating a surface that allowed Jeremy to work color into color, blending to achieve subtle yet complex tones. Jeremy shares, “The idea of painting clouds for me is more about capturing a fleeting moment of beauty. Clouds can be so magnificent to watch, but if you look away for too long they will have completely changed from the moment that struck you originally. The color, form, texture and size are so dynamic and move ever so quickly. This painting was more about recreating a memory before it fades into the atmosphere like the cloud itself.”
Ephemeral is currently on display at the Imago Dei Gallery in northwest Houston. The original is available for purchase as are Custom Giclee prints at the online store where there is a full gallery of fine art.
by Jeremy Wells
Jamie and I recently spent 10 days covering some of our favorite land in the world. The central coast of my native, golden state of California.
We love traveling, whether it’s a Hill County refresher trip a few hours away or an exotic getaway half way around the world. But like many people lately, we’ve been watching our budget and the exchange rates and decided to stay close to home for this summer’s vacation. We set our sights on California and decided to make it an À la carte vacation of sorts by renting a car in San Jose and making our way south stopping at various spots along the coast until we reached our final destination at Terrenea Resort. This is a brand new five star accommodation in Palos Verdes that we recommend to anyone looking for a luxurious retreat.
One of our first stops was San Jose where we had a great time staying with some artist friends. (shameless plug: she makes amazing plush animals which would make perfect Christmas gifts.) Doing art full time has its drawbacks and its benefits. A photography research trip to Big Sur is definitely on the list of benefits. And so we proceeded south along the infamous Highway 1. We had no reservations, no agenda, no commitments — but we were on a mission. Our clear objective for the day was to search high and low for beauty. We started our photographic journey in the lovely coastal town of Carmel. If you have never been to Carmel, we highly recommend it; amazing shops, world class golf and historic-eclectic architecture. The architecture of the town is as unique as the people who inhabit it. It is perfectly congruous with the land itself, new buildings on top of old, modern next to arts and crafts, Spanish next to English — all with the global and time-worn influence one would expect of a quaint little seaside village.
We continued driving south along the breathtaking Big Sur coast. In and out of fog and blue skies, every corner of the highway brought stunning vista after stunning vista. It truly seemed like we had rediscovered some ancient Eden. Other than the highway and a few telephone poles along the way there is almost no trace of development. We immediately found our travel groove where Jamie would drive and I would check the land, keep good music playing, meter the light and prep my camera. Scarcely 5 or 10 minutes would pass without a sudden swerve to the shoulder for me to hop out and scramble down a 300′ cliff to get my shots. This whole routine is a bit more tricky than it used to be now that we have a two-year old in tow, but to her credit she’s been accompanying us on trips like this since she was three months old and is a trooper.
At one point, I came across a hidden cove that I think may be one of the most beautiful landscapes my eyes have ever beheld. The water in the cove was a full range of deep denim and eggplant blues in its deepest colors to a tropical turquoise and bright white where it crashed on shore. As I looked closer, I noticed a small waterfall cascading down a cliff landing idyllic on the sandy shores. Truly a small slice of heaven.
Rounding out our trip was a stop at the amazing Hearst Castle with all of its world class architecture and collection of antiques. We experienced so many beautiful moments on our journey. We eagerly anticipate the wonderful task of re-telling these stories on canvas.
