Artist: Charlotte Mann

I'd love to take up residence in a cheeky trompe l'oeil house decorated by artist Charlotte Mann. Mann specializes in life-size drawings, and her favorite place to draw is right where out mothers told us not to -- the walls! She creates charming living spaces complete with scenic window views, cheerful knick-knacks, framed pictures, floral curtains...even wallpaper. Living in one of her spaces would almost be as amazing as living in this video...almost.

::If you could have Mann design a space for you, what would you have her draw on your walls??

The Magic of the Black Mirror and Other Optical Devices

{A Claude Glass, or Black Mirror}

My love for antique optical devices started with my discovery of the Stanhope, and it has snow-balled into a mini obsession. The Victorians certainly found clever ways to fulfill their need for visual stimulation with a plethora of odd optical toys and fascinating illusionary devices. The names of the devices alone are enough to make me giddy with intrigue. For example, doesn't the Black Mirror sound like something straight from Grimm's Fairy Tales? Despite its sinister-sounding nickname, the Black Mirror {also called a Claude Glass} was a small pocket-sized mirror used by landscape artists in the 1700's and 1800's. The slightly convex mirror had a dark surface, and when held up, it would abstract the scenery reflected in the surroundings. The image would have a soft, slightly painterly quality, which the painter could then use as inspiration for his work.

:The Camera Obscura {aside from being the name of one of my favorite bands} is an optical device that projects the image of its surroundings onto a screen using a hole. The earliest know account of a camera obscura being used was from 5th century BC. They became popular devices during the 19th century when they were installed at tourist destinations and seaside resorts -- a precursor to movie theaters!

:Like the Black Mirror, the Camera Lucida was used as a drawing aid by artists. It creates an optical superimposed image of the subject being viewed on the surface the artist draws upon. A bit like cheating, no?

:The Magic Lantern was a very popular form of entertainment in the Victorian period. Magic lantern shows were the combination of projected images, live narration, and live music. Some lanterns had up to three lenses, which allowed for the creation of various special effects. I'm certain I would be totally mesmerized by this even today!

:The Phantasmagoria was probably as terrifying as it sounds...particularly to unsuspecting old ladies! This was also called "Pepper's Ghost Effect" and it was often used in theater productions during the 1800's. Victorians were notoriously obsessed with death and the supernatural, so clever theater managers began using a modified magic lantern to incorporate images of ghosts and skeletons into their productions. The projectors were mobile, so the operator could create the illusion that the ghost was moving around the stage.




:The Zoopraxiscope was an invention by the photographic genius Eadward Muybridge. The zoopraxiscope projected images from rotating glass disks in rapid succession to give the impression of motion -- an early precursor to film!

::If you find these objects as fascinating as I do, you really must treat yourself to a visit to The Richard Balzer Collection to see an amazing collection of optical devices in action / And how about this fascinating tidbit: In 2001, artist David Hockney's book Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters argued that great artists of the past, such as Ingres, Van Eyck, and Caravaggio did not work freehand, but were guided by optical devices {via}. Shocking!

Book Crush: Persephone Press

I have a new book crush {do you get book crushes?}. Persephone Press is a London-based press that specializes in neglected and relatively unknown female prose and fiction writers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Their selection of titles is like a treasure chest of forgotten literary jewels. And each book is like a little piece of art work unto itself. The jackets are all the same from the outside -- a lovely understated gray, with classic cream labels. But, the interior of each title features a design that evokes the time and place of the words inside: Victorian, Art Nouveau, modern, etc. I want to read every single book in their catalog, from beginning to end...you know, in all my spare time...*wink*

::Check out their lovely online shop here. They provide a brief biography for each of their fascinating authors, as well!

"What are we supposed to do now? Everything is still night!"

Everyone seems to have a solution for fending off nightmares. When I posed the dilemma to a group of friends, I recieved so many varied responses -- some funny, some fascinating. Here are just a few I gathered:

• Drink warm milk.
• Or...cut dairy from your diet completely.
• Take a sleep aid, like Ambien or Lunesta.
• Put a dream-catcher by your bed.
• Keep a dream journal, and write down the dream as soon as you wake.
• Abolish guilt {perhaps nightmares are a product of guilt?}.
• Play relaxing music or a funny movie in the background.
• Keep a glass of half-full water on your nightstand -- an old wive's tale.
• Learn to wake yourself while dreaming, or train yourself to lucid dream.
• Be grateful that your dreams, rather than your life, are nightmarish!

I personaly like Nietzsche's bit of snarky wisdom on what to do when you wake up after a nightmare: "You ingrates! You should go to sleep again and dream better!"

::The images above are from the Coma pool on Flickr. Also check out Coma Magazine, to see more work from these amazing surrealist photographers...who seem to have a bit of experience with nightmares.

An Ode to Frida's Eyebrows

{by Iris Schwarz}

One of Frida Kahlo's most striking features was -- without a doubt -- her full and fearless eyebrows. It always bothers me when I hear people say: "Oh, she would have been pretty if she had done something about those brows." What??? No way. Her eyebrows were a part of unique beauty, and honestly, I've been feeling a little jealous of her thick mane of of eye-hair lately. Alright, I would never have the confidence to pull off a full-on monobrow {nor does my hair even grow between my eyes}, but I could really use a little oomph in the eyebrow area these days. During my many years of plucking, waxing, and torturous string treatments, I never once stopped to consider the fact that one day thick brows would be back in fashion...and that all that hair pulling would eventually make them stop growing. I don't care about any of these new-fangled eyelash growth treatments, I want something that will make my eyebrows come back!

::Where do you stand on the eyebrow issue? Is anyone having this dilemma?? What I wouldn't give to have this America's Next Top Model contestant's brows! Oh well, Here is a bit of Frida to make you smile...

The List: 5 Things to Get This Slimy Jellyfish Off My Head

{image by Zhou Fan}

Folks, I'm in a hardcore rut {otherwise known as a funk} right now. I think this dilemma is fairly normal for people who read and write for a living. Does this ever happen to you? I start feeling guilty for not reading or writing the "right" things {i.e. for my dissertation}, so I just stop doing anything -- I feel guilty for not doing what I'm supposed to do, so I just stop doing all the things I like. What a bad idea! It's a bit like having a big jellyfish sitting atop your head and sucking all of the motivation out. Slurp! I think I need to change up my routine and try some new things for inspiration. One cannot go around bound by a sea creature. Here are a few rut-fighting activities I'm going to try:

1. Costume movie night! After watching the Oscar's, I decided I needed to see every film nominated in the costume category. I am going to try and watch all of them over the next several weeks...and maybe write some reviews here? The nominees are: The Young Victoria, Coco avant Chanel, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Bright Star, Nine...and I'll add A Single Man for good measure.

2. Eat at a new restaurant. There is a new Indian restaurant {Kolam} here I've been meaning to try.

3. Go on a hike. If you know me, this might sound a little...out-of-character. But, seriously the weather is so lovely, and I'm just dying to wander through the woods. OK, so maybe it will be less of a hike and more of a stroll.

4. Go to free yoga. The Yoga Room here in Tulsa has free yoga every Monday. Ask me why haven't gone. I have no idea!

5. Write my F*cking dissertation prospectus! There, I said it. We all know this is the real reason I'm in a rut. My boyfriend compared my dilemma to the Clash's "Guns of Brixton" lyrics: "How you gonna come?/ With your hands on your head / Or on the trigger of your gun?" In other words: I need to decide if I'm going to come out fighting or just give up. The fighting option sounds much more exciting {and yes, my boyfriend makes strange, wonderful music analogies}.

Readers, please share, what do you do to get out of a rut??

A War to Remember?

Until recently, I always found war re-enactors to be a bit...well, strange. They confounded my sense of living for the moment: why would you want to pretend to live through something horrible and traumatic from the past? After coming across artist Jim Naughten's moving portrait series of WWI and WWII re-enactors, I now feel I can relate a bit more sympathetically. These men and women step out of their daily lives to briefly become characters from a time long gone -- people who committed brave deeds and became a part of history in a tangible way. They give great attention to the details and nuances of costume and character. In a way, this is not so very different from what I do every day: it is the job of people who study and teach literature to keep the characters of the past alive. I guess I am more like a war re-enactor than I initially would have admitted!

And on the topic of fascinating characters {or real-life people with novel-worthy lives}, I was completely overwhelmed with pride and inspiration after watching the story of the WWII women fighter pilots {WASPS} on the national news last night. President Obama signed a bill to award them the gold medal of honor this week -- more than a decade after their service. It's about time!! I have officially decided that if I ever have a chance to participate in a WWII re-enactment, I will definitely be invoking the spirit of the classy, sassy dames from the U.S. Army Air Forces. See their amazing stories here.

The Blogger Manifesto Project.

Manifesto #2

Manifesting Darkness
By Seraph + Splendor / Chintz of Darkness

{Virgin with Corona by Odilon Redon 1898}

Ok, dear readers, we know that we are guests here so we will try to be on our best behavior. We will wipe our feet on the doormat upon arriving and turn off the lights when we leave. We will refrain from sharpening our claws on the sofa and promise not to root through Tara’s sock drawer or peak into her diary…With that stated, we must take up the glove and accept the challenge, which is to simply vindicate darkness itself…

We believe in darkness in all of its many forms. Darkness is to wear the cool night upon your skin, to shun the sunlight, to crave the illumination of the stars. It is to drown ones senses in languid pools of indulgence, to drift upon velvet seas and feel the sting of satin…

{Inferno by Franz von Stuck 1908}

Darkness is the language of crows and ghosts. It slithers through one’s mind whispering of forgotten realms and lords of old. One must listen for its eloquence in ice and stone and the rustle of wings, for darkness is fey and wild and belongs not to the land of now…

We enfold ourselves in shades of darkness and paint it upon our being. It is the shadow that accompanies us on our daily tasks. Darkness is the color that covers our walls and drapes our doorways. It is the obsidian stain that drenches our carpets and chairs in a swathe of inky blackness. It is an altar to decadence and a shrine to beauty…

{Death at the Ball by Felicien Rops 1875}

{The Derelict by John Pryde}

Above all, darkness is the taste of freedom, of turning way from society’s norms, to embark on the path less taken. Fear not the dark, dear ones, and take to heart the words of Albert Camus… “There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.”

::I want to thank S+S for being kind enough {and brave enough} to tackle the first guest manifesto. I am so thrilled to finally get things underway, and what better way to start than with their unique blend of the dark, strange, and surreal!? If you would like to learn more about this project, you can read about it here and here. If you would like to participate, please don't hesitate to contact me. I look forward to the upcoming manifestos!

To-Do Lists: Works of Genius?

A detailed, color-illustrated packing list?? If I could draw worth a damn, I'm pretty sure this is the direction my obsessive list-making habit would be headed. For all of us who who understand the cathartic and relaxing effects of a good list, the new exhibit entitled"To Do" at The Archives of American Art in Washington is a revelation! Apparently we are in good company: Picasso is just one among a number of artists who were avid list-makers. Dare I say list-mania is a sign of brilliance? Despite the fact that some psychologists believe list-making is an illusory and pointless attempt to control our chaotic lives, I prefer to believe the words of the American abstract artist, Charles Green Shaw: "Real happiness consists in not what we actually accomplish, but what we think we accomplish {via}." I think I can accomplish a lot! Just let me live in this illusion for a while...

Blog it Forward: What Inspires Me?

French fashion bloggers! Pandora and The Cherry Blossom Girl use fashion as an expression of their love of history, art, and their beautiful city -- Paris.

It's time for the "Blog it Foward Mashup." This project was started by the talented San Francisco Girl by the Bay as a way for bloggers to share what inspires them. It's a bit like a chain letter for blogs, and today it's my turn. Check out the links at the end of this post to see who is coming up next...I'm pretty sure you'll be addicted {like I am!}. Or, you can find your favorite bloggers on the full schedule here.

Traveling to strange, out-of-the-way destinations. I've visited some bizarre places, like the Surrealist Folly Gardens in Xilitla, Mexico, and the desert art communes in Marfa, Texas, but there are so many unusual spots I'm dying to explore: the Absinthe Museum in New Orleans and the Seti satellites in Puerto Rico are at the top of my list.

Strong, eccentric women with a flare for the dramatic. Tilda Swinton is always unflinchingly original {left, dressed as the Marchessa Casati}, and Anais Nin lived a life more fascinating than even her books reveal.

Art, both new and old. The brilliant Hayv Kahraman is a recent discovery {left} and decadent artist Aubrey Beardsley is an obsession that will never fade...

Books that move, challenge, disgust, and inspire in equal parts... these are two books that changed my perception of literature forever.

Eating...and cooking: the ultimate creative act. It inspires and nourishes. Since discovering my love for cooking, I have come to realize that making food can be as fulfilling {and filling} as making art...corny but true. {Images via Canelle et Vanille}.

Vintage magazines and vintage advertising. I would wallpaper my apartment with vintage ads if I could! I think vintage ad designers are truly forgotten artistic geniuses...

What inspires you, dear readers??

And coming up in the Blog it Forward Mash-up:

• not your average ordinary 3/3 • occupation housewife 3/4 • oh hello! 3/5

• oh, hey great 3/8 • oh, mishka 3/9 • oh so beautiful paper 3/10

• old sweet song 3/11