Hundertwasser Haus art at home ...

In the previous post, I shared my visit to the Hundertwasser Haus village in Vienna.  Because we were doing a lot of travel, I decided to buy a colourful silk scarf that caught my eye with its vibrant colours & bold, modern design.

 Our diningroom has tartan curtains in winter but lighter ones in summer. I also like to change the paintings around & add more blue China & ornaments.

Bringing in the blue & white patterns on the dining room sideboard. The two ladies are a regular feature because I don’t have another good space for them. The white linen & lace cloth is a vintage one. Bolder faux lilies look good in the blue & white vase

The tartan curtains were changed this week for my lighter ones as it look freshers with the blue orchid pots. However, the large painting needs to be changed for something brighter 

I like to change art around too; this huge traditional oil painting has presence & warmth.  The large traditional floral oil painting always looks right alongside the orchids but it does have breaks in the garage

I often swap it for this framed fabric art - I love the exoticness of it & how it fields like a family crest. However, these both need a break ...  

 I bought a silk scarf on a visit to Hundertwasser Haus in Vienna last year & today I decided it was time to frame it because something different is needed. Don’t you just love this bold design?

First step, iron the scarf creases out with a cool iron & a pressing cloth because it is silk ...

This large Ikea Nyttja frame is the right size. Because I like to frame numerous art & images, I buy these inexpensive black Ikea frames in various sizes so I always have something I can use. My last frame this size - mental note - I need an Ikea visit once they reopen & the rush is over.  This might seem daunting but it is not. I buy black Ikea frames in various sizes so I can frame off things & the frames unite the randomness.

I used very thin double sided tape at regular intervals along all the frame sides to secure the scarf; being silk, it is a bit slippery so a bit of time now makes for a better finished image. I used the paper insert as I didn’t have a large enough sheet of card & it worked just fine once the clear front & backing sheets were put back on.

This did not take long & the colours & bold pattern are a lovely change from the gentle floral painting that has been up  all winter. The orchids will soon be in flower with their bold colour too ...

Lovely colour & a bold modern print are the perfect change ...

I love colour & use coloured glass candlesticks & mismatched candles to bring interest in to this room. I love how well the bold, modern image fits in here ...

An hours work is all it took for this framing 

The Hundertwasser Haus / village in Vienna where I bought the scarf from.

Thank you for stopping by, I have enjoyed sharing how I used this scarf at home. I hope I have inspired you to  

look for art in usual places 

Dee ~💕~

Brighter colours inspired by Hundertwasser Haus

Hi all,

We are now on Lockdown day 67 and I have been keeping busy with lots of things - it is a strange  hiatus where time appears to be suspended, where it merges in to one.

Last year we visited the very unusual Hundertwasser Haus & Village in Vienna.

The Hundertwasser House in Vienna bears the unmistakable hand of the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose birth name was Friedrich Stowasser. The colorfully decorated exterior façade of Hundertwasser House in Vienna draws attention to itself almost magically. Anyone who lives in the Hundertwasser House also has the right to decorate the façade around the windows entirely to their own taste. More than 200 trees and shrubs on the balconies and roof terraces make the Hundertwasserhaus a green oasis in the heart of the city. The Hundertwasserhaus can only be viewed from outside.
Right opposite the Hundertwasserhaus, however, is the Hundertwasser Village, which is open to visitors. It was created out of a tire workshop in 1990-1991. The artist created his own shopping center here with a "village square", a bar and numerous stores in the typical Hundertwasser style.

 The apartments are closed to the public but we were told that the walls, floors, doors etc are not straight  & that they are quite unique. How I would have liked to be a fly on that wall ...

It is a celebration to colour, design, art ...

The pillars have colourful & interesting designs that wrap around the pillars, little pops of colour everywhere.

Colourful mosiac art brings pops of colour & design in the space 

Colorful and unusual

The Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna is a building designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and located in the 3rd Viennese district. The extraordinary building was constructed between 1983 and 1985. It was architecturally realized with the collaboration of architect Josef Krawina as co-creator and the implementing architect Peter Pelikan. The result is known about around the world.

Viewed from the stairs ...

The mosaics on the ground level ...

Numerous trees & plants add more colour & detail to the overall design ...

The hidden courtyard is filled with vibrant greens. It is a totally fascinating place, filled with colour, unusual shapes & can only be viewed from outside.

However, as we still had several countries to travel through on our trip, I bought a very colourful scarf in the gift shop.  It depicts the Hundertwasser Haus village very well & I bought it with an eye to frame it as I often use unusual things for art at home .

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to showing you how I used this scarf at home

Dee ~💕~

We are all in the same storm, not the same boat ....

Hi all,

In a previous post as we were all trying to process the Covid-19 storm that enveloped us, I put some of my thoughts to paper in this post.  I said we are all in the same boat, I have now come to realise that we are in the same storm, but in our own boats, trying to weather it best that we can.

We are now on day 38 of lockdown, longer for those of us who have been self isolating before that.

It is a strange storm we find ourselves in & it is an adjustment between the pressure to ‘use your time well’ or to rest & realign; to just find the way through it all with some sense of sanity.

Some are self isolating on their own, with pressing financial & family needs - with pressures to home educated & to juggle many things.

Some are living in fear of domestic violence & new reports hint at teen violence towards parents who are trying to enforce lockdown at home - very frightening & isolating.

Some are loving the isolation, others are social beings who hate being alone - all of these scenarios are valid, none are right, they are all forms of the crisis we are living through.

I love the inspirational words of Edgar A Guests ‘Don’t Quit"

When care is pressing you down a bit…
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit!

I am unused to having so much free time on my hands without any form of commitment.

I have spent my entire life in education & I love the feeling of achievement it brings,  the feeling that what I am doing is worthwhile. Too many of us women would just be lost in the mundaneness of doing house work. That does not feed my soul; I like the feeling of achievement, to be appreciated for what I bring to the table & to know that I make a difference, to be appreciated.

This is the same for many working women where we have a sense of self that is built entirely on our own efforts,  without reference to our marital status or home situation. This feeds our soul - even if it is an ordinary occupation, it is something that completes us, especially once our children fly the nest & they have their own lives to live; we have to complete our world so that they are free to explore their own world.

This is how it is for me - I know that I am a really good teacher / tutor & I have made a difference in my work & it is largely appreciated.  I love how excited my students are to see me & to share their news. I love how parents make room in their homes for me to work & how they make sure I have a hot cuppa on a cold day & an iced drink in Summer.  I love how they openly include me in their lives ...

I also have many hobbies & skills that I love doing so I am using some of my time to do that.

So my boat is different to your boat,  I am a self employed, now unemployed person who does not know when they are going back to work. There is uncertainty in my storm even if it is not in the same boat as you - the storm is rocking us all.

Life is as it is, not as we wish it to be. We cannot do the things that we want to do, but we can do the things that we need to do.  How are you all coping with life under lockdown? Look after your friends, check up on each other & take care of each other - even the strong ones.

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to your company & comments, 

Dee ~💕~

Our Easter at home ....

Happy Easter everyone

We might be separated by distance but we are together in each others hearts & thoughts.

 A simple table for just two of us - a bit of blue & white which is a change for us - my great grandparents always look down on us at mealtimes, a connection to those who have gone before. I think I would have liked them very much ...

I decided to put up the white tree that I use for various occasions - all these decorations were in my Easter box in the garage, all used in previous years. 

 The dining room sideboard has my two  lady statue / busts & they often wear headdresses to match various decorations. I only had 1 bunny headdress - no chance to get any Easter things but you know what, it is just fine to enjoy what we have already.

Blue chargers & white plates (the blue chargers are usually used for small pancakes) and an Easter tea towel with blue patterns became a table runner. The two rabbits hopped through from the conservatory for our lunch ...

 This was the only Easter thing I bought - an Italian cake that is similar to panettone but with a lemon centre - quite tasty ...

Even though we are in lockdown, we are allowed 1 walk a day near the home. This is our local lake & it is a pretty walk with the swans & coots nesting. I also saw the two terrapins for the first time today. The banks of daffodils are quite spectacular ... life is good when you appreciate the simple things. 

Our parish church always puts up two crosses on the road running through our suburb & this year, members of the same family did it (observing social distancing rules) and it always feels like Easter when the familiar observances appear. 

However you celebrate Easter, may it be a peaceful & blessed time.

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to your company & comments, take care, 

Dee ~💕~

Easter blessings in challenging times

We find ourselves in very different times this Easter & in some ways, it has made us more appreciative of the frailty of life & an awareness that the world can change dramatically & very quickly.

We are at home with our daughters several hours north & south of us so instead of doing Easter baking with the Godsons & a family lunch, it will be a quiet time with just the two of us.

This post has some previous Easter blogs from my home

However, we are all healthy, self isolating & keeping busy & positive & for us, that is enough this Easter.   Easter marks the end of Lent & when we gathered with the Godsons & cousin at Shrove Tuesday for a meal & to make pancakes together, we were not to imagine that Covid-19 was stalking us so closely.

So this Easter, give thanks in a quiet moment at home or in nature - thanks for blessings received & those we still hope for.

Our sideboard has had favourite Easter things out on it for a while, but it will not be the family & friends gathering;

However, the favourite things are still out for us to enjoy, the lovely running hares by John Atkinson of Bell Pottery in Oxfordshire are setting the colour theme with their gorgeous earthy tones.

The two little little bunnies were bought in Graaff Reinet in the Cape, South Africa. I carried them back in my hand luggage - they are so sweet.

These are from Dunelm Mill shops, bought locally. They are the perfect size for a piece of cake

The girls bought me this from the talented Marguerite Beneke    , a contemporary kiln fired glass artist in Aberdeen in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. I have several pieces of her stunning work.

The large, heavy metallic bunny sculpture was a birthday gift & it gives nod to my love of my house bunnies who shared our space.

My collection of crosses from Ethiopia that I personally selected & bought are a strong reminder of my faith - private & interesting ...

Have a blessed Easter, sincere wishes from our home to yours,

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to your company & comments, take care, 

Dee ~💕~