The viking like muse for Fall,  Melanie Blakenship photographed by Denise Guerin

Gustav Klimt - Water Serpents

With The Great Gatsby seen and Gustav Klimt, Mark Rothko and Egon Shiele  as a few of my revered artists the Fall 2014 collection was born. Immersed in the music of Nina Simone, Billy Holiday, Les Nubians and Les Negresses Vertes the studio teemed with a flurry of activity, electroplating only half way up the various antiques giving them a dip dyed look, to researching native American ladder beading techniques and perfecting them before incorporating into the line. It was a collection of indulgence, non restraint...the antiques flowed, polishing and soldering adding to and taking away to create new pieces to incorporate with the old. The entire collection speaks of opulence and decadence. Rich hues, garnet and champagne hued citrine sit nestled in gold and silver chains and sparkling pyrite.

Gustav Klimt- Judith

Fall 2014 Shoot culmination


Nina Crooned her way into the work, "Birds flyin high, you now how I feel..."  And the likes of the new Gatsby soundtrack echoed the work that was being done to the artifacts that lay before me. It's such an enthralling part of the process to immerse each sense into what I am creating.

Charmed collection- Gold Opaline glass early 1900's sold. Rouge, Taipei City, Taiwan

Elks Club- Dipped Collection: original elks club member cigarette paper case with password carved inside, sterling silver dipped in 18k gold. Ruby eye, enameled symbol 1900's America. Sold, Ear Papilonner, Japan.

Fob bracelets and fairydust bands

Gotye, Jay Z, Beyonce and Florence sing the new version of Gatsby, and I chuckle hearing how this has been reinterpreted for our generation's popular consumption. Film is such a fantastic art form. 
The shoot reminds me of iconic religious saints, Klimt and Shakira's album cover all in one...the more you know, the more you see, the more you see the more you can interpret. Context and concept.

Musings from our second trip to Paris

 Eiffel Tower as seen from the Mona Bismarck

The walk to work

Paris will always be a magical city for me, more so now working there twice a year. This trip accompanied by my oldest friend and a trusted assistant we wandered through streets in awe of the details, inspired, eyes widened to each wrought iron window and gargoyled embellished door, each hidden garden and turreted rooftop. The days were long and filled with wonder and purpose and dreams of the present.
We walked a market, purchased artichokes and garlic, rosemary and saucisson, totano and orata, it would be this time my turn to cook for all. The simple handwritten chalk signs had a charm unique to all European markets, bringing the excitement of a child at the thought of what to cook and how to prepare it. At home I spend my days in one apron or another from studio to kitchen the creation of both art and food melts into one. Here amidst the seasonal produce I decide a salt roasted orate, braised totano, artichokes alla giudea, a lemon mint oregano emulsion to dress the fish, and thinly sliced oven roasted brussel sprouts with lemon zest and peperoncino a honey lemon zest goat cheese dollop to melt atop. Bon!

 Both intimate and surreal the other side of this trip... we danced till dawn and drank champagne with the rest of  the designers shaping their collective dreams into reality. We inhaled hope and exhaled joy, we met and mingled for ten days. It is an elegant and beautifully planned city emanating as a star from the Arc de Triomph.
The patter of rain as it fell washing clean the streets and the pink light that shone each morning at dawn, these moments, the awareness of each informed only by our age and lives of the last decade.
There are some places and things one must experience while in Paris...here I'll share my secret list


To meander:
La Marais- Rue de Turenne, Rue de Sevigne, Rue de Beaumarchais
2nd Arrondissment  Rue de Grand Cerf

To eat:
La Mangerie - ask for Serge, he'll immediately make you feel at home and his tapas will make you leave wanting more...if not for  the waiters and there cheeky behavior!
Chez Janou- country french cooking, this place is bustling, boasts dozens of Pastis to try and waiters displaying authentically impervious Parisian attitude. The cuisine rustic and well prepared.

Hildi Santo Thomas of Trading Spaces visits our booth and brings treats!

Spring Lookbook

It's cold outside, but SPRING is hitting stores

After 2 days of major snow and cold arctic air in the Philadelphia area, we at The Artemisian are ready to release the new Spring Line to warm you all up. This is the line that has now become international due to all of our great exposure in Paris!

There are five new lines this time around: Freccia, Sealed (Apostille), Victoriana, Twombly's Lockets, and Due Piccioni, as well as our Bracciali line. Here are a few sneak peek pictures to keep you warm. Go to our shop here for a full list of products and to shop around.

Spring is on its way!
The Artemisian

Christmas has come and gone...time to cleanse

It's been a fantastic season of mirth, white flour, amazing cheeses and refined sugars. Oh, I meant, pastas, double creme, cookies galore. But now the body needs a cleanse. It's a shame so many traditionally loved foods are so bad for so many of us. I have a new favorite. She a chef out of Copenhagen thrilled about raw and gluten free.  Sarah B of my my new roots , originally from Toronto, Canada, my neck of the woods, she's a woman after my own heart...food must be healthy, taste spectacular have different textures and finally but not by least importance present well. I love her photography.

It's my whole hearted recommendation to check her blog out and make a few things. While the weather outside crisps branches and chaps our lips my fire is blazing inside, candles aglow softly scented pine and my inner muse is cooking up the next collections for fall of 2014. 

In just two short months our Spring collection will be in stores, some already have been selling in our new Asian accounts. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, check out our website for links. Meanwhile Paris and Germany are also selling our new spring!! Our Philadelphia retailers are holding out, you'll have to wait.

Just a peek....