I can feel a craft day coming up of getting cosy with some rocks and channeling my inner childhood nerd.
Next week on this roshambo journey is paper - and as you know paper beats rock!
Friday, 6 July 2012
Rock My World - Painted Pets
My final 'Rock My World' is a nod to the age old art of painting on rocks. These beauties are a far cry from the slap of colour and boggly eyes of the pet rocks I remember from my childhood though.
Rock My World - THE Rock Ladies
I also don't buy into the need for a ring to be expensive, it's what it represents that counts. I mostly think it should reflect the wearer in an impressive way.
I find these impressive. Just 10 of my favourites!
And don't worry I signed my partner up to receive my blog posts ages ago on his behalf (he would have done so anyway but I just made sure) so if we ever we both change our minds I have saved him some time - tee hee
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Rock My World - Gardens
There are something shifts in scale and location throughout this post - from the grand, impressive and no expenses spared rooftop of a a bank in Washington to a small to a Hawaiian small house courtyard each of these gardens make me appreciate the artful placement of rocks in their natural setting - outdoors.
The 17th-floor of Washington Mutual Bank features this roof garden.
I first featured this bushfire resistant home (and garden) of architect Chris Clark in my Australia Day post Oz it Up Day.
I love the mix of materials with the timber, brick, rusted metal and great boulders and slabs of rock.
I was drawn to this image by it's simplicity and sense of peace. It is just enough for a small house. When space is limited any outdoor space gives you a chance to claim some back by bringing you back to nature - uncluttered simplicity does that well here.
I am increasingly convinced by the idea of making a native Australian garden and I don't just mean plant selection. I do love a meadow looking flowering European garden and grass and lawn but trying to replicate that here just doesn't make sense. Something like this with native plants, wandering paths, stones and timber sleepers would do just fine. Reminds me of a bush walk down to the beach.
The 17th-floor of Washington Mutual Bank features this roof garden.
I first featured this bushfire resistant home (and garden) of architect Chris Clark in my Australia Day post Oz it Up Day.
I love the mix of materials with the timber, brick, rusted metal and great boulders and slabs of rock.
I was drawn to this image by it's simplicity and sense of peace. It is just enough for a small house. When space is limited any outdoor space gives you a chance to claim some back by bringing you back to nature - uncluttered simplicity does that well here.
I am increasingly convinced by the idea of making a native Australian garden and I don't just mean plant selection. I do love a meadow looking flowering European garden and grass and lawn but trying to replicate that here just doesn't make sense. Something like this with native plants, wandering paths, stones and timber sleepers would do just fine. Reminds me of a bush walk down to the beach.
Rock My World Day - Art Rocks
Debra Baxter's eye catching 'Let her have her glory' sculpture of Celestite, glass and quartz crystal
Ramon Todo's beautifully juxtaposed sculpture 'volcanic bomb of Mt. Asama' (approx 20cm in size) using volcanic rock and glass
Jürgen Bergbauer's simple and elegant photographic series 'Studien nach der Natur'
The amazing ephemeral and prolific work of british nature scultptor Andy Goldsworthy - I struggled only showing these two and sticking to the theme as there are so many beautiful ones including snow and ice
Edward Burtynsky's Photography of quarries - beautiful ugliness
The muted tones of Danish landscape and architectural photographer Kim Høltermand work in the Tuve series 'A quiet morning with lots of fog at Lake Tuve (Tuvesjöen) in Sweden'
I think you will agree - Art Rocks!
Ramon Todo's beautifully juxtaposed sculpture 'volcanic bomb of Mt. Asama' (approx 20cm in size) using volcanic rock and glass
The amazing ephemeral and prolific work of british nature scultptor Andy Goldsworthy - I struggled only showing these two and sticking to the theme as there are so many beautiful ones including snow and ice
Edward Burtynsky's Photography of quarries - beautiful ugliness
The muted tones of Danish landscape and architectural photographer Kim Høltermand work in the Tuve series 'A quiet morning with lots of fog at Lake Tuve (Tuvesjöen) in Sweden'
I think you will agree - Art Rocks!
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Rock My World - Rock Pool
This natural pool installation 'Bathe' by Phillip Johnson Landscapes won Most Sustainable Garden & a Bronze Award at the International Flower and Garden Show 2011 in Melbourne.
Most materials are reclaimed including the large piece of granite at the top of the pool which was salvaged before being crushed up for road base - nice save. Unfortunately this was temporary but it is inspiring. It is too cold here right now to full indulge in the imagining of a dip in this gorgeous little billabong, bring on summer I say and bring on one of these of my very own.
Most materials are reclaimed including the large piece of granite at the top of the pool which was salvaged before being crushed up for road base - nice save. Unfortunately this was temporary but it is inspiring. It is too cold here right now to full indulge in the imagining of a dip in this gorgeous little billabong, bring on summer I say and bring on one of these of my very own.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Rock My World - New York Park
I really don't need another excuse to visit New York, I have always wanted to go and hope to sooner than later, but if ever I was to be further convinced it was on seeing this park in lower Manhattan. The Teardrop park by Michael Van Valkenburg Associates is a public residential park surrounded by buildings higher than park’s width but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in visual impact.
It has been built using sustainable principles and with the urban child in mind "the park is designed to address the urban child’s lack of natural experience, offering adventure and sanctuary while also engaging mind and body".
I love that so much careful and clever design has gone into this public space - too often I see parks of catalogue ordered furniture and playground equipment just plonked there with little thought to how people will use the space, it is tired looking before the ribbon is cut. This park looks well utilised and will, like nature, develop and age gracefully. It looks like a community and in cities we need more spaces like this to reconnect with each-other and with nature 'a shopping centre is not a community'.
I can't wait to have an itinerary to add it to.
Images via landezine.com/
It has been built using sustainable principles and with the urban child in mind "the park is designed to address the urban child’s lack of natural experience, offering adventure and sanctuary while also engaging mind and body".
I love that so much careful and clever design has gone into this public space - too often I see parks of catalogue ordered furniture and playground equipment just plonked there with little thought to how people will use the space, it is tired looking before the ribbon is cut. This park looks well utilised and will, like nature, develop and age gracefully. It looks like a community and in cities we need more spaces like this to reconnect with each-other and with nature 'a shopping centre is not a community'.
I can't wait to have an itinerary to add it to.
Images via landezine.com/
Rock My World - Bathrooms
The bathroom from yesterday's Cliff Face House post is hard to beat but these two bathrooms featuring stone and pebbles also caught my eye this week.
Below is Casa San Miguel De Allende in Mexico designed be David Howell architecture and Interior Design. The pebble wall is made all the more special by the ceiling height - impressive, and the stone basins, the larger of which reminds me of an agricultural trough, are unique and tactile.
Reminiscent of the Cliff Face House from yesterday this Swedish villa bathroom was designed by Wingardhs design studio (image via interiorarcade.com) and the entire house has been carved into the solid rock of the hillside with a big chunk featured in the bathroom - another great example of a building having a solid connection to it's place and a bathing space having a real sense of being in nature.
Below is Casa San Miguel De Allende in Mexico designed be David Howell architecture and Interior Design. The pebble wall is made all the more special by the ceiling height - impressive, and the stone basins, the larger of which reminds me of an agricultural trough, are unique and tactile.
Reminiscent of the Cliff Face House from yesterday this Swedish villa bathroom was designed by Wingardhs design studio (image via interiorarcade.com) and the entire house has been carved into the solid rock of the hillside with a big chunk featured in the bathroom - another great example of a building having a solid connection to it's place and a bathing space having a real sense of being in nature.
Monday, 2 July 2012
Rock My World - Not Animal or Vegetable
OK scientists I know I know a mineral is technically not a rock. Science hats on as we consult the scientific
oracle i.e. wikipedia
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties.
By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not have a specific chemical composition.
Yeah yeah - let's look at the pretty rocks, I mean minerals.
For me these make me think that in all human artistic endeavour we have to work pretty hard to compete with nature then it makes me think - how inspiring.
Titanium Coated Quartz Crystals
Hematite with Quartz
Fluorite cubes on a Sphalerite coated matrix
Fluorite with Calcite
Flourite from Arizona
The lovely scarves below are silk featuring scans of rocks and minerals. It was hard to find an image that does them justice, when folded out they are quite unique and breathtaking. I came across the company Weston Earth Images via a show on ABC called Britain's Next Big Thing. The creator takes minerals and the inside of rocks and digitally scans them at a high resolution and creates these scarves, among other things. The second image is of their scanned Elestial Quartz.
The beautiful art print below is called Gemz and it is by New York artist Amber Ibarreche. I would love to see this expanded into a full wallpaper - it would be magic.
As an aside I cannot be held accountable for the accurate naming of the pretty rocks, I mean minerals, and if you haven't had enough of them I came across this tumblr blog dedicated entirely to minerals - a visual feast mineralia.tumblr.com
oracle i.e. wikipedia
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties.
By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not have a specific chemical composition.
Yeah yeah - let's look at the pretty rocks, I mean minerals.
For me these make me think that in all human artistic endeavour we have to work pretty hard to compete with nature then it makes me think - how inspiring.
Titanium Coated Quartz Crystals
Hematite with Quartz
Fluorite cubes on a Sphalerite coated matrix
Fluorite with Calcite
Flourite from Arizona
The lovely scarves below are silk featuring scans of rocks and minerals. It was hard to find an image that does them justice, when folded out they are quite unique and breathtaking. I came across the company Weston Earth Images via a show on ABC called Britain's Next Big Thing. The creator takes minerals and the inside of rocks and digitally scans them at a high resolution and creates these scarves, among other things. The second image is of their scanned Elestial Quartz.
The beautiful art print below is called Gemz and it is by New York artist Amber Ibarreche. I would love to see this expanded into a full wallpaper - it would be magic.
As an aside I cannot be held accountable for the accurate naming of the pretty rocks, I mean minerals, and if you haven't had enough of them I came across this tumblr blog dedicated entirely to minerals - a visual feast mineralia.tumblr.com
Rock My World - Cliff Face House
I came across this house, called the Cliff Face House by Fergus Scott architects with Peter Stutchbury Architecture, in architectureau.com's announcement of the 2012 NSW Architecture Awards winners. I was checking out the winning entries at the same time as researching all things rock for this week - one of those serendipitous moments.
The house is built on a sandstone cliff face in Palm Beach, Sydney. It is not just built on a cliff face though it is actually built in a cliff face with the rock of the cliff forming one of the walls of the house (and parts of the floor). It is more than aesthetically pleasing as from an environmental position it also contributes to the natural cooling system for the house.
What impresses me most though is it's connection to place - a literal thing sure but also a feeling.
Images via
fergusscottarchitects.com.au
entry.housesawards.com.au/gallery/2012/2/225
The house is built on a sandstone cliff face in Palm Beach, Sydney. It is not just built on a cliff face though it is actually built in a cliff face with the rock of the cliff forming one of the walls of the house (and parts of the floor). It is more than aesthetically pleasing as from an environmental position it also contributes to the natural cooling system for the house.
What impresses me most though is it's connection to place - a literal thing sure but also a feeling.
Images via
fergusscottarchitects.com.au
entry.housesawards.com.au/gallery/2012/2/225
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Rocky My World - Kitchens
A kitchen is the heart of a home and these kitchens have a whole lot of heart.
I love the rustic charm of the stone but I also love the raw timber and the grand scale of them. The modern furniture and lighting in the first is a beautiful contrast (images 1 and 2) and I love the modern lines of the cabinetry in the second (images 3 and 4). These touches stop the stone from being too country twee and make the kitchens modern but still cosy, tactile and charming.
They make me want to cook up a huge roast with all the trimmings for all of my family and friends followed by apple and rhubarb crumble and homemade vanilla custard.
Now my heart just needs to find a french country farm house kitchen of its own.
Source of images
1 & 2 via pufikhomes.com
I love the rustic charm of the stone but I also love the raw timber and the grand scale of them. The modern furniture and lighting in the first is a beautiful contrast (images 1 and 2) and I love the modern lines of the cabinetry in the second (images 3 and 4). These touches stop the stone from being too country twee and make the kitchens modern but still cosy, tactile and charming.
They make me want to cook up a huge roast with all the trimmings for all of my family and friends followed by apple and rhubarb crumble and homemade vanilla custard.
Now my heart just needs to find a french country farm house kitchen of its own.
Source of images
1 & 2 via pufikhomes.com
3 via e-magdeco.com
4 via decordir.com
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