Gardens
WHAT IS: Arts and Crafts
In England, during the second half of the nineteenth century, painter, writer, textile designer and social activist William Morris (1834-1896) became the spiritual leader of a revival in arts and crafts that encompassed all the visual arts, including architecture and interiors.
WHAT IS: Modernism
Modernism is a term the art and design community of the contemporary western world has adopted to describe a diverse range of architectural and interior decorative styles, as well as applied and graphic arts, which were created between 1880 and 1940 on an international scale.
Modernism demands that there is a distinction between interior architecture and [...]
Tiptoe Through The Tulips
“Come tulip come and take color from my cheek” said Eastern Philosopher Mevlana in the thirteenth century when shrubs, bulbs and flowers were flooding into Europe from the near East. They went wild for them, especially Holland, who would make the tulip that grew wild in Anatolia in western Turkey an integral part of both its culture and economy
Finding Paradise on Earth
From the earliest times gardens were associated with shade, running water; fragrance and fresh produce and therefore represented peace and prosperity. Each visit to a garden is a unique experience because its plants, ornaments, views and garden buildings appear in a sequence that can never exactly be repeated ever again. Another quality, not possessed by [...]
Châteaux in the Garden of France
In France the châteaux of the Loire are mostly connected in many people’s minds with royalty. This is because the men who built them were scarcely less wealthy than the king, often richer and usually heavily involved with him. The fine limestone the châteaux of the Loire were built from occurred naturally in a vast retaining wall that runs all along the right bank of the Loire Valley from Blois to Tours, where it is mingled with sandstone, millstone grit and potter’s clay.
FREE – Six Online Videos – Evolution Art, Design & Style
We’re delighted to announce that for a limited time only, we’re offering the first six parts of our acclaimed course of study, the EVOLUTION OF ART, DESIGN & STYLE to you and your friends absolutely free. We invite your participation and welcome your comment. You can watch them on your computer and enjoy the sumptuous imagery and beautiful music.
Threads of Destiny – Tapestry Tales
A commission of six tapestries for William Knox D’arcy’s Dining Room at Stanmore Hall in Middlesex illustrates the story of the Holy Grail quest, as told in Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. They took five years to weave and are considered among the most significant works made during the nineteenth century when romanticism was at its height and they paint a beguiling picture of lovely maidens and dashing knights in a style that was very appealing.
Online Video Course
Adapted for Online Video Presentation, the groundbreaking course the Evolution of Art, Design & Style is illustrated by sumptuous imagery and backed by marvelous music. This unique course of study looks at how western culture its attitudes and philosophies, its fashions and passions developed for over two in relationship to historical events, intellectual and spiritual ideas, other cultural influences and societal change.
In Pursuit of the Perfect House
A villa by architect Andrea Palladio was a place where the owners could feel happy, secure and content, which is after all, what most of us still require and aspire to, a place where one can cultivate the head, heart, body and the soul.
St John’s Rose at Brisbane – Planted by an Optimist
The Rose, delicate and ephemeral, represents the frailty of the body and the transitory nature of human life. The rose chosen for the gardens of St. John’s Cathedral at Brisbane to celebrate its completion is a rich red rose….the rose triumphant.
