Inscribed With Light

Ever since my post on Holiday Illumination (which can be found here), I’ve been obsessed with light and how it photographs. Imagine my joy when I learned about collaboration between two European artists that involves just that.

Tabarly-Nantes 2011

Julien Breton (aka Kaalam) is a French artist who is inspired by Calligraphy. He melds Arabic and Old English styles in light using long exposures to create focal points that are seemingly familiar. He collaborates with photographer David Gallard (aka Mr. Guep). Together they create landscapes that they have dubbed as “abstract Calligraphy” using unique light accents, which are unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Under The City-Nantes 2011

Intimite-Dampsmesil 2011

The Movement Abbaretz 2011

All hail the marriage of photography and light!

David Hansen

Top photo:
Aerial-Dampsmesil 2011
All photographs taken from Julien Breton’s artist site here.

Visit Kaalam’s Flickr page here.

Celebrating Global Illumination

Nothing personifies the holidays quite like a beautiful display of light. This is something that every country in the world has in common. Let’s take a journey to see a few stunning light displays from across the globe…

Paris’ Champs-Élysées…

Tel Aviv…

Toronto…

Denver Colorado….

Madrid’s Plaza Mayor…

Paper lanterns in Buenos Aires…

From the Light Festival in Berlin…

Tokyo Japan…

And of course San Francisco’s Waterfront…

Here is wishing you a peaceful holiday season filled with light, and a prosperous new year ahead!

Barbara Ashfield & David J. Hansen

Photos from top:

A collage of light displays from digitalproductionme.com

Champs-Élysées from travelinparis.com

Tel Aviv from telavivartanddesign.com

Toronto from iloveto.com

Denver Colorado from crazy-frankenstein.com

Madrid from your-city-guide.com

Galleries Lafayette in Paris from myexpatgermany.com

Buenos Aires from escapefromamerica.com

Berlin from Magix magazine

Tokyo from celinecats.wordpress.com

San Francisco from junbelen.com

C’mon Baby Light My Fire…

There’s a chill in the morning air these days and I know that it won’t be long before I’m spending many an evening in front of the fireplace. There’s nothing more charming than a room lit with a fire or candles – giving off a glow that you can’t achieve with lights. Here are some of my favorites I’ve saved in my wish file over the years.

Barbara Ashfield

Photos from top:

Living Etc. magazine

HouseToHome.co.uk

Vi.sualize.us

Australian Vogue Living

Gerrendennylane.com

Living Etc.

Ofinspiracionline.blogspot.com

Latest Turn-ons

Recently, when shopping for lighting accoutrements, I stumbled across Forbes & Lomax, a very posh English vendor of even more posh light switches and plates whose appearance can absolutely add to the quiet elegance of a room.

Their current collection includes such lux finishes as nickel, uncoated brass, frosted glass, stainless steel, bronze, and a clear glass “the invisible light switch” which just becomes invisible on a wall. I’ve spent enough time in years past just hating so many of those dreadful switch plate covers to seek out something different.

No need to look further, this is where it’s at…Note that they are available in the States!

There must be an invisible switch plate here no doubt. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Annie Lebovitz (c).

Visit their site at www.forbesandlomax.com

Barbara Ashfield

Move Towards The Light!

Via Google images.

Happy New Year! We are now safely in 2010 and it seems people couldn’t be happier, myself included. 2009 was challenging in many ways, which I know I don’t need to go into here. Over the last few weeks I’ve been talking to all kinds of people and I’ve never experienced so much optimism and excitement about a new year since I can remember. Perhaps it’s because we’re also in a new decade, but I think it’s fair to say that this will be the year for new outlooks and new attitudes!

Image from craigstinson.com

I think like most people I can’t help but sum up the previous year and find ways to improve and change myself for the better. Personally, I prefer to have goals rather than resolutions. I find resolutions are a trap, and set one up for almost certain disappointment. I know it’s probably just semantics, but I’ll stick with my goals!

Image by Adrian Reilly from the BBC web site.

Besides having goals I think it’s important to have a mantra or manifesto of sorts to define the year. I’ve decided that this year’s mantra will be ”Move towards the light!”. I speak of light metaphorically here, but it sure seems to work for the plants in my garden. I refuse to be affected by the negative, and promise to find the upside in all situations. It’s truly all about optimism…The literal light at the end of the tunnel.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

When I think of “Move towards the light” I can’t help but think of those classic Science Fiction films where the earth dweller walks blindly towards the light (the alien spacecraft). This is the other aspect of this particular mantra: moving toward something you know nothing about. I promise to do that as well this year. Barbara and I starting blogging (in earnest) last year and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but we have found it to be a rich, rewarding experience, and so goes life!

The New York apartment of Keith Johnson and Glen Senk from Elle Decor 10/2009.

My wish for everyone is to find that metaphorical light and move toward it! If you do, perhaps we will see you on your journey!

The Dining room of Keith Johson and Glen Senk from Elle Decor 10/2009.

I leave you with a quote on optimism and some interiors where natural light is a key component.

“Optimism is faith that leads to achievement” Helen Keller

Happy New Year 2010!

David Hansen