Everybody has a past, and if they don’t then they’re not a very interesting person. Jane Richardson Mack must have a diverse resumé filled with exotic past lives of intrigue, because there is nothing plain about this Jane or her work.
I can only speculate the roles this gifted San Francisco Bay Area artist must have played spanning time in distant existences and other worlds. She’s Michelangelo, Cleopatra, Vivian Leigh, Mary Shelley and Elvis all rolled into one.
Like Mary Shelley, the writer responsible for bringing us the Gothic novel Frankenstein in 1818, Jane breathes life into inanimate ingredients and makes something lasting.
Packed with layers of cross-cultural connotations and both natural and historical influences, her art astounds. Check out this mural on an elevator panel, above, from the 2009 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.
The sheer beauty of the pieces leaves me speechless, and believe me, that is not an easy feat. It’s no wonder the one and only, music prodigy Carlos Santana collects her art and is one of Jane’s fans, because she is so Smooth.
Chasing the Dragon
Jane was invited by Gumps’s vice president Jon Leafstedt to create art pieces for their Year of the Dragon installment. Here she is, pictured below with one of her babies. “Giving birth to dragons is a prickly painful experience. I’ve had eight of them,” she said.
Mere photos cannot capture Jane’s dragons. They are awe-inspiring.
Legendary, and Mythical
Of the 12 creatures in the Chinese zodiac, only the dragon is mythical. It’s also the only one that’s legendary. The rest of the characters are real animals–the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The dragon however, is unique and everlasting. How appropriate then, that Leafstedt would commission Jane for this job in particular.
Method Acting
Jane’s talent for role-playing has proven valuable in the process of creating dragons. As any worthwhile actor knows, you must understand the character you’re portraying and let it become a part of who you are. It’s the Stanislavski technique and without it the character you’re pretending to be is just make-believe–hollow and meaningless and devoid of true depth. It’s a shell of a person, a mere shadow of the character itself. Unfulfilled.
The pieces Jane has created reveal an understanding for the majestic beast. “When I close my eyes at night I am a dragon,” Jane told me. “I know what it’s like to see through the eyes of a dragon. You are a servant to the dragon. They like to play tricks on you,” she said.
Smoke & Mirrors
Each piece for Gump’s is Verre Églomisé–that’s French for ‘glass gilded’–it’s a pre-Roman art technique where a design is engraved into leafing on the reverse of glass for a mirror-like reflection.
Named after the 18th-century French decorator Jean-Baptiste Glomy who repopularized the method, it is used in doors and panels as well as freestanding art. Cleaning is like magic since the design is safely on the backside of the glass.
Above, Jane stands with one of her twins. She created a pair of fraternal dragons, one male and one female, $4,000 each, in this stunning jet display of Verre Églomisé.
Stage Presence
There were many, many beautiful women of all ages at the Gump’s Year of the Dragon event, but it was sweet sweet Jane who stole the scene with an effortless sex appeal and casual confident kind of glamour that was authentic and uncontrived and infinitely more appealing.
Footnote
Here is Jane with her boyfriend, above, an adorable guy who showed up to the fancy affair impeccably dressed from head to toe, wearing wing-tip Vans.
For a truly one-of-a-kind gift, Jane’s pieces are available at Gump’s San Francisco, priced from $1,600 to $5,100. Or you can do what the rich and famous do, and commission Jane to paint a mural in your home.
If you can’t cough up quite that much cash, Jane’s work is now on display at Gump’s San Francisco and makes a great date for you and your significant others.
It’s the Year of the Dragon and Gump’s San Francisco is praising the majestic beast from the 2012 Chinese New Year with their exotic exhibit now through February 26 featuring a breathtaking Asian-inspired collection of art, sculpture and decorative accents for your home.
The mythical monsters, which symbolize good luck in the Chinese culture, are the only creature that is legendary within the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac.
From paintings by Andy Skaff, Christine MacDonald, and Jane Richardson Mack, to ceramics by Carla Biondi, Darin Gehrke, Angela de Mott, Terrie Kvenild and Anne Goldman, you are sure to find something irresistible for your environment.
In addition, Gumps’s own assortment of stunning dragon-themed desireables for a variety of price points, such as contemporary glass art by Liuli, make reference to the regal legend.
“Enlightened by Auspicious,” above, $3,318, is quite an investment piece for even the beauty obsessed.
Alternately, and on a more financially friendly level, you can always pick up this pen box, made from bamboo with bronze inlay, below, for $90.
Part art gallery, part apothecary, and part millionaire’s estate, Gump’s is a stylish destination for all your gift-giving needs. Call 800.284.8677 for a gorgeous glossy catalog from Gump’s.
“It is better to live like a millionaire than to be one,” my journalism professor Bill Greer used to tell me. I didn’t understand what he meant at the time, but I never forgot his words.
Interior designer Suzanne Tucker teaches you how to live like a millionaire, whether you have the bucks or not.
Rooms to Remember is a treasure of more than 250 pages of her exquisite, inviting, color-drenched rooms, on thick glossy stock. With each page a pleasure to behold, Tucker explores bones and architecture, scale and proportion, charm and sensuality, and of course, details.
Her seductive book is a visual feast of rarities that can be applicable to even a restricted budget, because the greatest thing about Tucker’s book is her ideas.
Bursting with page after page of utterly decadent details and whimsical touches and opulent accents, Rooms to Remember analyzes ways to achieve tranquility and teaches the reader the importance of harmony and balance combined with interesting visual juxtapositions, all while remaining remarkably practical.
Tucker explores the concept of unexpected color combinations. “Contrast creates visual energy,” Suzanne says. “Cool colors jolt warm ones. Matte finishes bring gloss finishes into higher relief. Textured fabrics play off against smooth. Every room needs to have its own proper balance of like and dissimilar elements. A bedroom where everything was highly-reflective, hard-surfaced, and shiny would be jarring rather than relaxing. A bedroom needs some texture, a certain softness, and, yes, some sparkle or shine, but not as much as a living room does,” she explains.
Turning her brilliant creative mind to textiles, Suzanne states, “If I design upholstery in very neutral tones, it will often be with the intent to use it as a foundation for establishing a subtle or bold play of colors, forms and finishes throughout the rest of the room.”
“To create the symphony that is a beautiful room, the designer has to coordinate and orchestrate all these elements in perfect harmony,” she says.
What this woman can achieve with outdoor spaces is just as impressive as what she does with interiors. It’s amazing.
Whether you want the perfect gift for a dear friend, or if you are looking to spruce up your own pad for the holiday season and its parade of guests, this book is a must-have for the stylish millionaire…or for those who just want to live like one.
For brides-to-be or just women and gentlemen with refined taste…or if you’ve never been to a Gump’s occasion, now is the time because this bridal event is the largest of all their famous fanfares.
Gump’s will be showing the finest in tabletop decor (designed by gifted in-house stylists), as well as the best from the Gump’s Wedding and Gift Registry during an elegant cocktail party.
Gump’s specializes in modern yet classic furnishings, accessories, dishes, bedding, jewelry, fabulous gifts and luxury items. This event is for everyone.
“We have unique things that are a little more challenging to find in other stores,” stated Kathleen Mailliard Rende, manager of gift registry.
“Brides like the ‘Juliska’ crystal and dishes. ‘Match’ from Italy is really popular. It’s a combination of pewter and ceramic and it’s very beautiful,” she continued.
“There’s a trend now toward more informal crystal and dishes,” Kathleen explained.
Gift-givers are guaranteed to find something meaningful, or “lifetime objects,” as Kathleen calls them.
There are the softest cashmere blankets in a rainbow of saturated colors, iconic lamps, plush robes and a myriad of gorgeous flatware and tabletop accessories for the discerning shopper. Candles and candleholders make perfect wedding, house-warming or Valentine’s gifts.
A word of caution, however: it can be heart-breaking to pine over all the beautiful things you will see at Gump’s San Francisco!
Gump’s is located at 135 Post Street in San Francisco. Please RSVP to 415-984-9250 or email specialevents@gumps.com.
To order a glossy Gump’s catalog filled with desireables, call 800-284-8677.
We are at a loss for words to describe the amazing skill, talent and imagination of artist Ray Villafane and his creepily gorgeous pumpkin carvings, just in time for Halloween.
These are not your average jack-o-lanterns. Each piece is uniquely innovative and outstanding.
Check out his pumpkin carving tutorial, where Ray reveals his tools and techniques for these funny and ghoulish creations.
Ray uses clay ribbon loops in various sizes for different purposes in the remarkable creation process. Painstakingly shaving the pumpkin gradually and then adding detail with small gouging motions, Ray also employs the use of a paring knife for deep grooves and an xacto for detail work.
His website illustrates, step by step on a real pumpkin, how he concocts the eerie faces.
“Picking out the right pumpkin is very important,” Ray cautions, telling the reader to look for “thick walls” and to “avoid perfectly round pumpkins. Opt for ones that have a protruding ridge that sticks out on one side,” he says, adding that odder shapes make nice faces and are easier to carve deeper for a cooler, more 3-D effect.
“Be brave, go deep,” he says. “Unfortunately if you go too deep you’ll break through and have to get a new pumpkin and start over, but if you don’t go deep enough it just will not look as impressive. After a few hundred mess ups you will begin to know just exactly how thick your pumpkins are. The grain will become more fibrous as you approach the center. Every year I accidentally break through a few. Typically I put my fist through the face, throw it out to the deer and start over.”
Ray began carving pumpkins on a lark for his art students in a small rural school district in Michigan. The hobby changed his life as he gained a viral following online and unlocked his genuine love of sculpting. These are some of the images of pumpkin carvings he created over the past five years.
Ray has been published in Society of Illustrators Annual of American Illustration, HOW Magazine, Reflex Magazine, Problems & Solutions, and Upper and Lower Case Periodical.
His pieces are shown at the New York Art Directors Club, Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, Spaces Gallery and Jordan River Arts Gallery. His clients include Sideshow Collectibles, Reflex Publications, DC Direct, McFarlane Toys and Bowen Designs.
This is the final week and your last chance to see Chinoiserie table settings at their best, at Gump’s in San Francisco.
The always-creative, tireless team at Gump’s are showcasing six Bay Area interior designers and their vivid visions of a magical China seen through the eyes of the artists.
An Air of Hermes is distinctly present in the installment by Scavullo Design, where inspiration is spawned from the majestic horses on the Hermes plates.
Bringing to mind images of old military campaign tents where officers were catered to like guests at a dinner party, the design team re-imagined such a scene, bringing in elements that combine comfort, whimsy, “and our special twist on modern elegance,” said Marysia Rybock of Scavullo Design.
It was by chance that the design team, which included Jr. Designer Evalani Washington, (“who was a huge part of this,” according to Rybock) chose both Hermes china and silver. The flatware is the Hermes Grand Attelage collection.
“We were first drawn to it because the harness motif (“attelage” in French) has a distinct equestrian feeling to it. When we found out it was Hermes we knew it was meant to be,” Rybock said.
Things started to fall into place due to this coincidence, which ultimately determined the color palette. The design team decided to use the iconic shade of orange that is so identifiable with Hermes.
“We searched high and low for the right shade of teal to balance out the luxury and strength of the orange color, and thus ended up with our color palette of teal and Hermes orange,” Rybock explained.
The Parnassus Dining Table on loan from Studio Workshops, has a starburst veneer pattern and luxurious finish which permits intense pops of color to showcase the beauty of the china.
The ceramic horse sculpture from the Gump’s collection is a reproduction from the Tang Dynasty and is dated to 618-906 A.D.
“Once we saw it, we knew it had to be a part of our display. It just carries the theme so well,” Rybock stated.
The succulents, chosen for their subdued shades of sage and purple, are placed around the prancing horse sculpture “almost like a field through which he is marching or galloping,” Rybock mused.
The colors draw in the beautiful antique world map, on loan from Arader Gallery.
“The idea is that your eye is drawn from the horse to the map, and you’ll ask yourself, ‘Where is he going next?’”
Read about the installments of Fisher Weisman and Tucker & Marks in the article, “Dinner at Gump’s;” and Ann Getty & Associates in the article “Ann Getty at Gump’s” only on Beauty Shall Save the World.
Ann Getty and Associates redefine traditional Chinoiserie in their stunning vignette, ripe with visual poetry and symbolism, steeped in respect and elegance.
A table of rarities is presented with restraint in an almost ceremonial way, as Getty draws from her personal collection and her design team for a creation that is uniquely their own.
Nothing is left to chance in Getty’s vision, where each artifact represents Chinese values, history and heritage.
Stout, commanding Buddhist Lions from Getty’s own collection guard the table adding a pop of Chinese terra cotta and an element of whimsy and authenticity.
“They are from the nineteenth century, Chein Lung period,” stated Senior Designer Maria Quiros. “And they are actually incense burners. The lion is a potent symbol in Buddhism, associated with regality, strength and power.”
The color palette, a rich and eclectic mix of burnt sienna, moss green and cornflower blue, takes its cue from the Royal Crown Derby dinnerware supplied by Gump’s.
“The Hachi pattern was designed by Peter Ting, who took elements from three classic patterns and reinterpreted them into something a bit more playful and contemporary. The rest of the table took on a similar vision of taking traditional elements and reinterpreting them into something more modern,” Quiros explained.
Miniature blue and white porcelain salt and pepper cellars from the Ann Getty House porcelain accessory line add a hint of cobalt to the serene display.
Dried leaves from the prehistoric Asian gingko appear to be tucked into crisp white linen napkins on layers of impeccable fine china. But in fact, the delicate leaves, which look completely authentic, were cut from silk taffeta after the Getty team found that obtaining the leaves proved to be a challenge.
“The gingko tree is the national tree of China and represents longevity,” Quiros explained. “We wanted to use gingko leaves in our floral arrangements but could not find any available at the flower market. We do have them growing outside of our offices,” Quiros continued, “but did not think it would be appropriate to harvest the city trees.”
Not to be derailed by such a technicality, one of Getty’s talented staff members cut and fashioned the silk leaves by hand to be placed in the decoratively folded napkins.
Even the table’s flower arrangement has meaning in the Chinese culture, where orchids represent fertility, perfection and abundance. Pepperberries and cockscomb are incorporated to offer a variety of texture and playfully offset the delicate nature of the orchids.
A staff artist made the gold leaf verre eglosime placemats and the hand gold rubbed leather chair cushions which add a beautiful reflective element to the design.
Defining the table space is a lacquered pagoda lantern–a simple piece–supplied by Forgotten Shanghai and embellished with Jute tassels and antique beads which were handmade in their offices.
For a sentimental touch, “We added place cards to the table settings each with the name of a well-known Chinese individual from different areas of the artistic community,” Quiros said.
The final detail, a garnish of gold leaf fortune cookies which beg to be cracked open, are a fancy surprise that represent Western views of Chinese culture.
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This is the final week and your last chance to see Chinoiserie table settings at their best, at 
