Penelope Bianchi

happy

A lifelong collection of a "Happy Bird"!!!

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I was minding my own business, (yes working!)  looking for furniture for clients in my favorite antique store in our area;  and this bird;  this happy little bird caught my eye!

What a delightful, fey,whimsical, little bird!  I was captivated!

And look!!!

Shelves all over the store filled with them!

plates,bowls. platters of all sizes, cups, saucers,  espresso tiny cups and saucers!  Oh my heart!!!

There had to be story about all this;  I could see subtle differences in the  glaze color, in the application of the trims;  and even slight differences in the bird!

I asked the owners, (twins who know everyone and everything about Santa Barbara County for the last 100 years!)

“Oh yes, Mrs. Flood collected this pattern for 50 years or more!”

Oh happy day! …

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Surprise!! Surprise!! Chinoiserie Paintings & Prints by Harrison Howard

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I am running this post again!

I just bought another of his beautiful “giclees” for my granddaughter Poppy’s birthday!

I thought many of you hadn’t subscribed to my blog yet;  and would love to see these!

I have always loved, loved , loved Chinoiserie!! I have been planning to do a post on it!  It is all through my house;  and has been in all of my houses!

In many different forms!

However, I have never found a contemporary (as in “alive” today)  artist who painted paintings that captured the particular idiom I adore!

Imagine my surprise when I fetched the following out of my “SPAM FOLDER”!!

(I DON’T THINK I HAVE EVER EVEN LOOKED AT MY SPAM FOLDER.  THIS MESSAGE CAME THE DAY I OPENED MY SPAM FOLDER!!)

THIS IS THE MESSAGE WITH THE PICTURES ATTACHED.

I am an artist in San Diego, and one area of my focus is chinoiserie themes that depart from the most traditional sort of interpretation. I’ve inserted a handful of images below with sizes and prices. I have other work, and if you are interested I hope you’ll get in touch. These images are available as limited edition prints also.  Price lists and images of all 38 chinoiserie prints are available as well as an overall line of 104 prints and other original paintings. Some images, (mostly chinoiseries), are not yet on my website.
Best Regards
Harrison Howard     619 222-1561 (direct line)  San Diego     www.harrisonhoward.com.
WITH THE FOLLOWING IMAGES:

Print7

I START TO SCROLL DOWN!

BE STILL MY HEART!!!

LOOK  AT THE COLORS!  LOOK AT THE SCALE OF THE BUTTERFLY!  AND THE SNAIL!

THE TASSELS!

HONESTLY, NEVER HAVE I SEEN ANYTHING SO “ME”!   I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES!

(SERIOUSLY, I HAD TO GET UP AND WALK AROUND, BREATHE DEEPLY, AND CALM DOWN.)

BEFORE GOING ON!

Print3

HOW ABOUT THIS ONE!!

THE HERMIT CRAB IN A “STOLEN SHELL”! WITH THE CHINESE FENCE!  I AM BESIDE MYSELF!

 
Print2

 HE IS GOING TO CATCH THAT BUTTERFLY!

TO ADD TO HIS “COLLECTION

IN THE BIRDCAGE……THE FEATHERS IN THE CHINESE VASE!

THE INCREDIBLE PLAY OF “SCALE” SLAYS ME!

THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WHIMSY;  BEAUTIFUL COLORS AND DETAILS.

 

print5

I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY ” SECRET MESSAGES” IN THESE PAINTINGS!

I SERIOUSLY COULD NOT ADORE THESE MORE!

 

print6

 HE IS RIDING ON A CRAB!

LOOKING AT SNAILS CRAWLING ON CORAL!  (WHO COULD THINK OF THIS?)

THE ONES ABOVE WERE IN THE INITIAL EMAIL.

THEN I WENT TO HIS WEBSITE!

I NOW REALIZE I HAVE BEEN HIDING UNDER A ROCK!

HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED HIM, I DON’T KNOW!

HE HAS BEEN FEATURED ON SEVERAL OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS!

HE HAS SEVERAL CATEGORIES ON HIS WEBSITE BESIDES “CHINOISERIES”!!

HERE IS A “SAMPLING”!

UNDER “FLOWER AND SHELL LADIES”:

h18

 THIS ONE IS CALLED “SEA OF POPPIES”

IF SHE (WHO “IS A POPPY”) ISN’T THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING “SAILING AWAY”!  GOOD

GRIEF! SHE IS MANNING THE TILL……SAILING HER CHART!

KINDA SCARY, REALLY!  MY “POPPY” IS GRADUATING FROM 8TH

GRADE IN A WEEK;  AND IS OFF TO BOARDING SCHOOL!

(MORE LATER ON THAT!)
…

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