Bloesem

Pia and her favorite artist Greg Hyde

And this is Pia's other post for the World Tour in which she introduces us to her favorite artist, Greg Hyde, please son't forget to click here to see all the images and read the whole story...{Thank you so much Pia for your wonderful contribution to Bloesem's World Tour}

“Just outside of Bathurst in NSW, Australia, a road sign on the highway points to a place called “Sunny Corner”. Turn off to find a winding dusty trail that gently separates the grassy landscape. It’s this path that leads to a magical place…

Welcome to the artist sanctuary of Australian talent Greg Hyde. No corner of this property is untouched by imaginative flair. Greg and wife Trish built this farmhouse from mud bricks and pre-loved bits and pieces. The rambling garden joins the main house to the barn, which accommodates Greg’s studio, framing workshop and gallery. Oh, and a pristine croquet lawn if anyone fancies a game.

The greenhouse is a most intriguing space– it hardly holds a plant yet comes complete with “Vincent’s Yellow House.... CLICK HERE FOR MUCH MORE>>>

* * *Pia Jane Bijkerk
* * *contact Pia  

Maditi reporting from Traunstein, Germany

We're almost at the end of the Bloesem World Tour in May...but the tour wouldn't be perfect without making a stop in Germany at my dear friend Maditi, who has been my blog friend from the beginning of Bloesem...Maditi lives in a little village called Traunstein and the artist she would like to introduce us to is a her own very talented and creative sister Eva...'talent' obviously runs in the family...Maditi herself is well-known for her beautiful photographs and she is a 'polaroid specialist'!

:: meine schwester eva - my sister eva ::

"I live in a city called Traunstein, situated in the province of Bavaria, in the southeastern corner of Germany.
My home is surrounded by lakes and mountains and I enjoy capturing its beauty in my photography.

When it comes to art and design though, it can be challenging collecting ideas or finding visual input in my hometown. My main personal inspiration is my sister Eva. She has an ecclectic taste in design and is an avid collector of vintage ceramics. You can see some of her finds on her blog here. Eva has modeled for many of my polaroids and her vintage objects are frequently featured in my still life photography.

Recently I photographed a series for "Lines and Shapes" Vol. 2 using only some of her geometric and bold colored thrifted treasures."

I admire Eva's style and hope you will also enjoy some of the things she likes:
:: wood art by Ernst Gamperl 
:: ceramic design by Lubna Chowdhary
:: vintage design furniture at demosmobilia
:: Copenhagen Street Style
:: avant-garde fashion photography
:: photography by Dirk Mueggenburg

* * *Maditi's blog
* * *Maditi Photography

Victoria and Angie Cao

And here is Victoria's second gorgeous post ... one of her favorite San Francisco photographers for interior design, Angie Cao...



"Angie Cao is one of my very favorite lifestyle and interior design photographers. Based here in San Francisco, I met Angie when she photographed designer Eszter Rabin of Emma Rose Papery's home and I  fell in love with her work then and there.
 
I then invited Angie to shoot my apartment for Apartment Therapy's House Tours book,

and then again for an article on my place in Australia's Real Living magazine.
 
She manages to make everything look so sublime, calm and peaceful, with just lovely natural lighting. Angie shoots commercially, but her photos don't look commercial and I find them completely inspiring. Angie says she began her love for photography while attending an all girls Catholic school, where without boys as a distraction, she focused all her attention on her photography.

She eventually found herself with a degree in advertising photography from the prestigious Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. I hope that one day Angie compiles a book of her work, as it is certainly one that I would want gracefully displayed on my coffee table. For more about Angie and to see more of her work, you can take a look at her online portfolio on her website."

{Thank You Victoria  for these superb posts}

* * *sfgirlbybay
* * *contact Victoria

Victoria reporting from San Francisco

It's truly fun to go from place in the world to the other in just a second via our marvellous internet...yesterday we visited beautiful Denmark today my dear blog friend Victoria from the wellknown sfgirlbybay blog is introducing us to a great store in San Francisco...I've only visited SF once in my life and it may not come as a suprise to you but that city really touched me...if you ever have a chance...then GO but before you do, don't forget to visit sfgirlbybay, Victoria writes with so much passion about her city and seeing her images will get you in a even better mood...

"Nest is one of my very favorite places to visit in San Francisco. It's quite like a French flea market with lots of multi-cultural, cosmopolitan flair. The shop carries gorgeous home decor accessories with a unique, vintage look, all found under one Fillmore Street roof.

Nest has great coffee table books, the most beautiful vintage furnishings, delicate etched glassware, soaps and candles, colorful, bohemian and luxurious bedding, quilts, pillows and hand knit throws, in French, Moroccan, Indian, Chinese and a variety of other ethnic styles.

A wonderful spot to pick up unusual, one of a kind gifts. Nest is definitely one of those places that's truly unique and just a great place to visit, even if it's just for the eye candy and the loads of inspiration you'll find.

There's everything you weren't expecting, including lots of kitschy Parisian knickknacks and souvenirs, girlie jewelry and feminine clothing and accessories, from around the world including Paris, London, the Far East and even our local flea markets, all gathered on buying trips by mother and daughter team, Judy Gilman and Marcella Madsen. Definitely a must see on your next visit to San Francisco."

{Nest, 2300 Fillmore Street, San Francisco , CA 94115, 415.292.6199}

* * *sfgirlbybay
* * *contact Victoria

Sidsel and Søren Benhcke

...Sidsel's favorite artisist is Søren Benhcke...and I completely understand why...

"Inside my dinning room you will see this painting by Søren Benhcke, called Team Amour, from 2007, which I bought in the beginning of this year – it was love at first sight and I just had to own it eventhough I had never spend that much before on one single piece…

Søren Benhcke alias papfar (1967) works and lives in Aarhus. He works with cardboard - painting, -sculpture, -installation, -action and –streetart and has a background in graphic design and comics – which may explain why I like his work so much – another reason could be the playfulnes and humour that runs through all of his works. Like in his street actions where he adds cardboard faces to sculptures in public spaces or his most famous action which took place in 2005, when he smuggled a giant cardboard-slingshot into Aros - Aarhus Kunstmuseum for  Ron Mueck´s famous sculpture "Boy". 

Søren Benhcke has within few years won great appreciation as an original artist taking streetart into new dimensions – and his cardboard sculptures of oversize pink tools and a complete Ferguson tractor 1:1 is pure craftmanship.

Søren Behncke is presented by Charlotte Fogh Contemporary – and at this local gallery´s website you can see more of his work – like this painting, titled No more walks. Enjoy!

Søren Benhcke is presented by Charlotte Fogh Contemporary – and at this local gallery´s website you can see more of his work – like this painting, titled No more walks. Enjoy!"

{Thank you so much Sidsel for writing these great posts and introducing us to Aarhus and Søren Benhcke}

* * *Spagat blog
* * *Spagat website

Sidsel reporting from Aarhus in Denmark

Sidsel is one of those ladies that always brings a positive and warm feel to you when visiting her blog, Spagat, which means doing the splits in Danish...and it´s also the name of Sidsel's Graphic Design Studio...today she is taking us on a tour trough her hometown Aarhus in Denmark...enjoy!

"First of all I would like to thank Irene for inviting me to take part in her project here at Bloesem.
Bloesem has been one of my favorite blogs since the beginning – and I appreciate this opportunity to share my local favorites with Bloesems´ readers.
I live in Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city, with a population of 300.000 inhabitants.
It´s one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia, but today one of the ”youngest” due to the averange age of the inhabitants - at the University of Aarhus alone there are nearly 35,000 students, and there is a total of 25 educational and research institutions in the city. What I enjoy most about living here is it´s location by the sea and forest and it´s cozy city center. It´s a city which has a lot to offer - and if you were my guest here in Århus I would make sure to share the following 2 things with you.

LYNfabrikken (the lightning factory)...best stop in Aarhus is LYNfabrikken and the first places that popped up when I had to choose a special place here in Aarhus. Because LYNfabrikken combines a lot of good things – like a clever concept, an organic café, a roof terrace with a view – creative people and a shop that displays and sells great products. It´s also a spot you will not easily find as a tourist – since situated in an old industry building - but it´s one of those little gems you would love to stumble upon when visiting Aarhus. In 2002 the building was converted  into design studios and the attic became a café with a shop. The studios are now working spaces for 32 creative people of diverse fields of work: Architecture, industrial design, furniture, writers, graphics and interactive design.

The café and shop was build around the idea that a kitchen is not only a place for eating and drinking - but a meeting point for exchanging news, discussing and talking about all sorts of things.To transform this “kitchen situation” and make it public was one of the basic ideas
for the foundation of the platform LYNfabrikken. A place for casual exchange
for designers - a place that encourages creative communication and networking within the design scene. And they have managed just that + the food is good, the design magazines are plenty, the internet is free and so on. And in the shop you will find some of my favorite young danish designers/ceramicists  like Joan Hoegh, Helbak, Tanja Moeller Jensen, Louise Kragh – so by picking Lynfabrikken I also had the chance to sneak in a few more names. I´ll leave you now on their roof terrace and recommend that you go for a walk in the forest afterwards – or go shopping in my hood the ” Latin Quarter” or have a look inside the Cathedral of Aarhus. Thanks for the visit – hope to see you again!"

* * *Spagat blog
* * *Spagat website