Raggly

"Raggly Flag" by Thornton Dial

Today is Flag Day.

When I was in school we had to write a composition entitled "What Does The Flag Mean To You". It was a lesson in civics and history.

When you are a child you don't really think about the meaning of flags. You might learn to identify flags of different countries, maybe a first visual association with a world larger than your own.

In the 1970's I was fond of the saying "Let your freak flag fly".

Flags get all wrapped up in politics, self identification, emotion and pride for sure. Who doesn't get a lump in their throat when the national anthem is played and the colors are trouped out?

So I give you an image today of a painting by Thornton Dial called "Raggly Flag". Thornton Dial is an excellent example the American dream. He is an artist, self taught, who started painting later in life. Today he is considered one of the most important artists of the 21st century. I love his work.

People all over the world reinvent themselves during their lifetimes. Ditto for self made women and men. But somehow this idea of having the freedom to be anything you want at anytime in your life rings truest and perhaps the loudest when people think of the USA.

So today I salute my flag, and let my freak fly, grateful and proud.

I encourage you to check out Thornton Dial. If you live in Indianapolis the museum of art there is doing an important exhibit of a life time of his incredible work. Read more HERE.

Get this book on Thornton Dial HERE

This is a new Thornton Dial book HERE

And if you are one of those blessed art collectors you can buy this work of art HERE. If I had the money I would buy Thornton Dial for love and for the investment.

For sale: Thornton Dial oil on paper - 30 x 44

Remembering Audrey

Remembering Audrey HERE

Every year around this time I especially remember Audrey Hepburn. Her birthday is on January 20.

Audrey Hepburn with Bob Willoughby 1958

Bob Willoughby was a photographer to the stars, and he took many wonderful photographs of her.

Audrey Hepburn with Bob Willoughby in 1963

I can never look at too many photos of her. "Audrey 100" is a book that Audrey's family has compiled with 100 stunning images. Paying strict attention to aesthetic beauty, artistic expression, and personal significance, they have lovingly selected these photographs to represent the qualities Hepburn herself stood for throughout her life and career.

Audrey 100 HERE

I collect images over the year, that I hope to use for my annual Audrey birthday post. I always seem to find a couple I haven't seen.

Richard Avedon took this photo of Audrey Hepburn

I especially love to see "at home" photos. There are a few of Audrey Hepburn's homes in the earlier years of her career.

Architectural Digest used one from the 1950's for a cover in 2006. Does anyone have this issue? Are there more photos of her home inside? I didn't find much on the AD web site.


The house photographed is the Beverly Hills home she shared with then husband Mel Ferrer in the 1950's has all the trendy trappings of the day.

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer at home in the 1950's

Audrey was an animal lover and kept a pet fawn in her home for awhile in the 1950's.

Smoking and a boomerang print on the couch were en vogue in the 1950's

Mel and Audrey also had a Malibu home.

Audrey playing ping pong at home

Malibu home of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer

Why do so many of us girls love Audrey? As a young girl about town in New York, I of course fancied myself as my own version of Holly Golightly. And of course Audrey was so elegant, so funny, so chic. Later she became a role model for all her charitable work for UNICEF. What girl didn't love her?

One of my treasured possessions is my own personal photo of Audrey. She's posing with my a dearest friend. They are at the Museum of Modern Art. There was a party for Audrey honoring her films that night. I did the flower arrangements for that party.

I was longing to see her, just a glimpse of her. My friend loved her even more than I did. And then there he was with her!

He worked at MOMA and secured an invitation that night. He waved me over, and whispered "get a camera".

This was in the days way before cell phones, much a less cell phone camera, and it was pre-blog days where we have acquired the habit of photo documenting everything to the point of numbness.

I didn't even photograph my own work that night, I didn't even own a camera! But I did as I was told, and found a a man with a camera, and brought him over to my friend, who was still standing next to Audrey!

He said, "Miss Hepburn this is my dearest friend Valorie Hart, and she arranged the bouquets on the tables tonight".

"Lovely," she said, "Everything is so pretty and perfect and my favorite color. How did you know my favorite color?"

I told her she was too kind, and asked if I might have a photo of her with my friend.

They both passed away.
And I am an old lady with a faded photo and great memories.

My photo of Audrey Hepburn with my dearest friend

The Paintings of Claggett Wilson

Why am I so fascinated and admiring of Claggett Wilson, an artist, perhaps an obscure one, whose heyday lasted from the early part of the 20th century into the 1950's? I stumbled upon him while researching Swedish interiors, and fell in love with what I found.

Get it HERE

Claggett Wilson's Swedish design for Ten Chimneys

So I have picked out a few of his paintings and drawings for all of you to peruse and enjoy.
Claggett Wilson is my kind of Renaissance man.

Boudoir of Madame la Comtesse H...
by Claggett Wilson

Claggett Wilson was one of America's first "Modernist" painters. Early in his career (1915), he was a teacher of painting and drawing at Columbia University. Claggett Wilson was born in 1887 in Washington, DC, eventually made New York City his home. He died in 1n 1952.

In his teenage years he exercised his equestrian skills as a cowboy in Arizona...


... and in England riding to hounds.



After abandoning a short stay at Princeton University, he spent four years in Paris (1906-1910) honing is artistic skills which won him a place in the Paris Salon.

Broadway's acting team, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, engaged Claggett Wilson's talents in 1935 to design the costumes and sets for "The Taming of the Shrew."


In 1938 he began a two year project at the Lunt's home in Wisconsin, Ten Chimneys, painting murals throughout and contributing vastly to its interior design.

The dining room Claggett Wilson painted for the Lunts

Claggett Wilson painted this grand piano as well as the murals at Ten Chimneys -
this piano became known as The Noel Coward piano
Noel Coward was a great friend of the Lunts and spent much time at Ten Chimneys


Clagget Wilson painted these stunning figures
Julie are you loving this sconce?

When I saw the other work Claggett Wilson does, his paintings and sketches, I was so overwhelmed with emotion experiencing the incredible breadth of talent of this man.
Claggett Wilson’s sketchbooks are filled with colorful creations from all over the world.



He was a portraitist and a muralist. He also did a number of commercial illustrations for magazines, posters, and theater programs.
Matisse, upon seeing a mural-painted room designed by Claggett Wilson to exhibit an extensive art collection said, “It is perhaps the most ideal background for my paintings I have yet seen.”



Claggett Wilson was a designer and decorator, as well as a costume and set designer. You can read more about this HERE




New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art own a number of Claggett Wilson’s paintings. I certainly wished I owned one!



See more of his fantastic work HERE



Claggett Wilson was also a war hero, and while serving made many sketches and paintings.

First Lieutenant Claggett Wilson, France 1918

Claggett Wilson served in World War One as Brigade HQ chief in the 2nd (Indian Head) Division and later, because he spoke fluent French, as aid-de-camp to Brigadier General Wendell Neville.



He was wounded twice and never shook the debilitating effects of mustard gas. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, the Croix de Guerre, and ended up with the maple leaf of a Major.




His war paintings (see Town & Country article) were bequeathed to the Smithsonian American Art Museum by Alice H. Rossin.



His highly acclaimed war paintings were recommended for the Nobel Prize.


You can see many more war paintings and sketches HERE



All material from www.claggettwilson.com/

Javier Bardem - What Can I Say?

He is so hot! So talented! And Always In Style!
The New York Times has a nice interview
and some beautiful photos of him HERE
Take a Javier break - you deserve it!

Patricia Fields Always In Style

Patricia Fields has won mass market fame by being the stylist for Sex And The City and The Devil Wears Prada, but to me she was the cool chick around the corner with the cool shop on 8th Street near University in the Village. New York City for those who don't recognize the streets.
Sometimes we shared the same hair color. Sometimes I bought something from her shop, though it had upscale prices. But I did manage to snag a then new designer on sale, like Steven Sprouse, or Vivienne Westwood.

Like so many other smart and savvy maverick design icons, Pat is moving into the mainstream market even further. She has three lines out, one in England, and two in the US.
She's doing a line for Home Shopping Network. You can pre order now. Perhaps you'd like this turquoise dress that looks like it came off her back.
On Tuesday September 16, you can pre order the famous corsage dress Carrie (aka Sarah Jessica Parker) wore in Sex And The City, made for HSN in a more flattering and practical black color way. You can go to HSN and look at a photo of it HERE
I've never been one for the one shoulder look, but I might try this dress for a tango party, or maybe this good looking trench coat for my Winter coat here in New Orleans. HSN is doing a nice promotion: If you pre order now they'll throw in a year's subscription to VOGUE with your order. Price points are from around $100. -$149.
Pat has also launched a line of red carpet shoes at Payless. Most of the Summer line has sold out at around $35. a pair. I saw a Payless commercial today on TV showing her new Fall line, but it's not on line yet, (and it looks yummy).
Pat looks happy at the Payless launch back last Spring. The gold platform was her best seller...
...and here she is actually wearing it on the red carpet somewhere, looking just fabulous.