Her laughter was a shiny thing, like pewter flung high in the air

Hello everyone. Here are some recent pictures of Barbara von Enger by Fred of Easy Fashion along with a quote by Audrey Hepburn.

I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person. Audrey Hepburn

Let this moment stay...

We are somewhere in Europe at a friend's house.
Image: Julie Ansiau.

In art as in Love

Artwork - 'Mobile Housing Project' by John Beadle. Could you imagine living in one these housing projects? I think this mobile housing project wouldn't work in countries with strong family structures, but it's ideal for the multi-generational living scheme;)Ahhh I love the creativity and artistic freedom of art.

We leave you with a quote by Oscar Wilde to think over: Paradoxically though it may seem, it is none the less true that life imitates art far more than art imitates life.

Street Style Snapping

Photos by Edward Linley Sambourne, the original man on the street style. Street blogging may be considered to be a modern phenomenon, but a series of images unearthed by Kensington and Chelsea Libraries prove that the practice may date as far back as the early 1900’s. Read More

Birth of Venus by Marvin Bartley

Sketch of the "Birth of venus" 3 by Marvin Bartely. For further reading and an interview with Bartley click HERE.

Pum Pum Tun Up

Leasho Johnson- Pum Pum Tun up East & West. Johnson is a Jamaican-based artist and graduate of the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica.

Deborah Anzinger - fellow artist and writer gives a brief summary of Johnson's work and its influence on modern Jamaican culture: Leasho Johnson’s work accesses points in Jamaican culture where the seemingly contradictory collide; where male aggression, unabashed sexuality and devout Christianity coexist freely.

His installation consists of four equally sized paintings on canvas of predominantly male subjects outfitted with microphones and crucifixes. Dotted in between these paintings are miniature sculptures resembling primitive caricatures of mostly women in lascivious poses. Women appear in a couple of the paintings but they never take center stage, they are present as accessories.

L'impressionnisme et la mode

If you happen to be in Paris. We encourage you to see the exhibition "L'impressionnisme et la mode" at the Musée D'Orsay, which runs until 20th January 2013. Fashion sketch by Kera Till.

Lois Mailou Jones

Painting by Lois (Mailou) Jones. Lois was a celebrated African-American artist in the mid- to late-twentieth century. We invite you to read an interview with Lois Mailou Jones HERE.

Femme portant des Coupes

Femme portant des coupes, 1966 by Algerian artist Baya Mahieddine. We adore the artworks of self-taught artist Mahieddine. Orphaned at an impressionable age.

Baya was five years old when she was adopted by a French couple who encouraged her to cultivate her natural talent for painting and sculpting.
What we love about Baya's work is her ability to capture the diverse complexity of the Algerian/French/Arab/Berber culture. American art critics classify Baya’s work as naïve art. We were taught at university that naive art is art by self-taught artists who lack formal training.

Henri Rousseau falls under naïve art although he had a bit of formal training. It's time to re-define naïve art methinks. An art critic in New York once told us that naïve art is "primitive, childlike and innocent." A fellow art student some years ago told us that: naïve art means that the artist is unable to do better. Which leads us to the question - what does naive art means today? For further reading on Mahieddine Baya click HERE

Barbara von Enger

Image of Barbara von Enger at Elie Saab haute couture show by Pari Dukovic. Dukovic photographs backstage for New York magazine, New York Times and various other fashion journals.

Dub Roots

Painting: Reggae poster by Alon Braier. Braier is an illustrator, graphic designer and musican. He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Design and Art and at the Maryland Institute College of Art. We met Braier in Jamaica in September at the opening of the World-A-Reggae exhibition. You are warmly invited to read more about Alon Braier HERE

Ode to the Ballerina

Painting: Balletscape by Belgian artist Bert Prins.
As many of you know Barbara von Enger is trained in ballet, but haven't been dancing in over a year due to an injury.

Are you familiar with the term residual foot problems? It's the most common complaint of the ballerina. This post is dedicated to the lovely Barbara who is currently undergoing pain management for her ballet dancer's feet.

Elegance
A ballet dancer is a swan
Without the beak or feathers
A ballet dancer is the seasons
Without a change in weather
A ballet dancer is a portrait
With a difference to this art
The picture captures feeling
The dancer embraces heart
- Mary O. Fumento, 1981

Life is sweet when you pay attention

Image by American solicitor/photographer Gil Garcetti.
We are currently sipping golden wine with the book "Dance in Cuba" by Garcetti as company. Yes, we are learning to make the moment important through movement and dance.

Ah, if only we could be in Cuba now. What joy it would be to dance and gyrate in the narrow streets of Havana Vieja to the beat of drums and Afro-Cuban rhythm.

We leave you with the following quote by Louis Horst: Dance for yourself. If someone understands, good. If not, no matter. Go right on doing what interests you, and do it until it stops interesting you.

Keeping company with art

Painting by Jamaican artist Milton Messam. Today we are reading a little poetry, listening to the rain, sipping hot chocolate, and keeping company with the paintings in our house. Happy weekend to one and all!

The modern man

Image Via
This is how David of the Nyanzi report interpret fashion. We adore the outfit he's wearing above - so modern and well-turned-out.

And she rocks the turban

We love the makeup and turban in the above photograph. Must try these bold lips this winter. Adore the colour and her radiant skin. Image via Observer JA.

And this is the view from our room

All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
Edgar Allen Poe

Kingston Style

Image via
This is how Kingstonians celebrate fashion;-)

Bon week-end!

Image by Julie Ansiau.
Autumn is the creative season for the artist - winter is the time for reflection and poetry, spring is for thawing one's mind back to life, and summer is for being amongst the fruits in the wide, open countryside. Happy weekend to one and all.

She's all hats!

Image of Barbara von Enger by Fred of Easy Fashion.
We all know that Barbara has a fondness for hats - from the wonderfully creative to the outrageously colourful and playful. I asked Barbara over coffee last week in Paris why is she so mad about hats/turbans and her answer was:

"It's historical. For Caribbean women ornamentation has always played a great role in fashion culture; elaborate headwraps, bespoke turbans and hats, sparkling jewellery, luminous colours and so forth.

During my childhood I always saw mama and grandma swanning around the estate wearing hand-made turbans like queens and goddesses of African nations.

The adornment of one's head with a turban or hat has nothing to do with being 'trendy'. It's a playful way to punctuate the silhouette, and it's also an expression of who I am. My culture, heritage and upbringing".