Ritva Coffron – the Joie de Vivre Artist
A Ritva Coffron handkerchief can’t help but make you smile. Light and playful, cheerful and heartwarming, Coffron designs welcome you with joyful exuberance. Like many staff artists who worked for a corporation, Coffron’s work went unsigned, and we might never have discovered her identity without the help of her niece Marja. Luckily, Marja found this blog, and generously shared her handkerchief collection and stories about her aunt. As we know, some textile designers like Tammis Keefe, Carl Tait, or Tom Lamb, had exclusives for their designs with large retailers – B. Altman, Neiman...
Read MoreAntique Signs and Weathervanes
The short but succulent season of fall is upon us, and as we head to the country to sip sparkling cider pressed at the mill, we invariably pass a barn or village “shoppe” brimming with antiques. With a nip in the air and a skip in our step we’re ready for adventure and a little sly sleuthing. (I know someone who wears a fanny pack equipped with jeweler’s loupe, tiny flashlight, black light, bic lighter & needle for the hot pin test, thin plastic gloves, baby wipes, cotton balls and more.) Collecting seems to bring out that primitive instinct for the hunt in some of its devotees, who...
Read MoreTaking Flight
“Nothing will ever equal that moment of joyous excitement which filled my whole being when I felt myself flying away from the earth. It was not mere pleasure; it was perfect bliss.” Jacques Charles (Said after making man’s first ascent by hydrogen balloon in 1783) These delightful dirigibles evoke the action adventure movie Around the World in 80 Days. Winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it piqued the imagination of all who have ever dreamt of flying. In the film, Londoner Pileas Fogg wagers £20,000 (£1.6 million today) that he can circumnavigate the...
Read MoreParasols & Summer Sun
Ah, the ubiquitous umbrella – from British Bumbershoot to Parisian Parasol – one shelters from the rain; one shields from the sun. We reviewed their rainy day renditions in April Showers. It’s now time for the sunny side of summer with its plethora of parasols. Rather than ducking and dodging sleet and showers, we flirt and flutter with carousels of color. Just being in the sun evokes smiles and happiness. A parasol seems less of a shield, and more of a sidekick, protecting us while joining in the fun. The Latin word umbra means “shade” and historians claim the cooling canopy formed by...
Read MoreA New Year’s Greeting
I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time. I’m your next chance at the art of living. For many of us the thought of a new year contains the elements of both sunshine and shadow. Most of us hope for new beginnings, but no one wants to encounter the disappointment of unmet resolutions. Certainly it’s wise to take stock, but must we dwell on improving and perfecting yet again? For the moment, let’s just be grateful that we’re here to turn the page, and welcome with open arms whatever adventure lies ahead. Let’s celebrate the gift of twelve months of wonder, surprises,...
Read MoreJoin the Conversation
