Friday Favorites 1/21/2011

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor
When my husband read the piece we ran about Providence repoussé artist James Reynolds, he liked the work so much he suggested we ask Reynolds to create something for our vacation house in Sedona, Arizona. Reynolds played off Sedona’s geological history, creating two pieces that suggest the fossils one might find on a hike in the area’s iconic red rocks which, about 320 million years ago, lay under the sea. I love the way he took what is usually a fairly classically inspired art to create something that’s so perfect for a southwest home.

Photo by Karen Philippi

Photo by Karen Philippi

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
A recent show at the A Street Gallery in Boston’s South End was the catalyst for my reintroduction to the work of decorative painter Cela Hobbs. Cela uses a varied panoply of tools and brushes to create intricately, but not overpoweringly, patterned frames for mirrors or art. Their textured surfaces evolve from painstakingly applied layers of paint and translucent glazes, culminating in a finishing coat of hand-rubbed wax. The looks she can generate appear to be as varied as whatever you might want to display in them–and naturally she’s happy to create custom designs on commission.

Courtesy of Cela Hobbs

Courtesy of Cela Hobbs. Photo by Sam Gray.

Cheryl Katz, Contributing Editor
I love the slightly irreverent, conceptual quality of Kartell products. Leaders in the investigation of plastic’s possibilities, you can count on the Italian-based company to come up with new products that are both up to the minute and timeless. Whether you stack your favorite reading matter on the shelves of this nightstand or leave them empty in order to celebrate the form, it’s a hit. (Kartell, 10 St. James Ave., Boston)

Photo courtesy of Kartell