Monthly Archives: January 2014

Tea Time

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I love tea sets.

Alexandra Augustine

I bought my first set in Buenos Aires. A very sweet full set that has jaunty handles in that wonderful red/orange 1930’s color. My small collection grew from there, many from the early days of Ebay – before it got crazy competitive and I still had the chance to win, and afford, an auction.

My collection mostly includes colorful teapots and sets from the 1930’s to 1950’s (the polk-dot set in the lower right corner, in the above photo, is actually a copy of a Eva Zeisel design from the  Metropolitan Museum). But when I was thinking of designing a tea set textile, I wanted to have a more neutral palette. Having a weakness for stripes, I looked not at my own collection for inspiration, but at traditional blue and brown striped pots and sets.

And where would a tea set design feel most at home? On a tea towel!

Tea Towels, Alexandra Augustine

One lump, or two?

Tea Towels, Alexandra Augustine

Just Add Water

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Last year, as part my career transitioning, I dug up my old paintbrushes and signed up for some watercolor classes.
clock_teapot

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I hadn’t done any painting since my costume design days and I had never felt entirely comfortable with it, but the encouragement and guidance I got from from two excellent artists/teachers really helped me to embrace the medium: Amy Park who teaches a class at the 92nd Street Y and Michiyo Fukushima who taught a five day workshop at The Art Students League of New York.

Garlic Study

One of my favorite projects was a study of garlic, seen from different angles.
My least favorite projects were landscapes.

Apple Study

Peeled Apples Study

So, I’ve mostly been working on painting still life’s or just concentrating on one detailed object. Fortunately, I have an unending collection of photos that I took of my garden for inspiration.

Blueberries

And fortunately, my little watercolor studies give me a convenient motif that can be used in a pattern. hmm…

Happy New Year!

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Not having been very good at keeping up with my posts in the past year, I’m using the next few posts as updates on what kept me so busy during 2013 that I had no time to blog. That being said, I think you can guess what my New Year’s resolution is.

My portfolio is finished! I made my self-imposed deadline of December 1st and my portfolio for textile print design is online. It will be a continuous work in progress, but I’m feeling a little proud of myself for having accomplished as much as I did.

 alexandraaugustine

Yes, those are leeks on my garden print design. I know, I’m a little obsessed. 

I’ve also joined the Spoonflower community, and have a set up a shop to sell some of my designs as fabric. I only have a couple of designs for sale now, but will be adding more over the next couple of months. You don’t know how to sew? No problem! You can also have my designs printed up as wallpaper or wrapping paper.

Can’t you just see the garden print design from above on your kitchen wall?
And, you’ll definitely be given the largest piece of cake if you show up your next birthday party with a gift wrapped with this:

meadow_repeat_bluefinal2

Next week’s post: Where I rediscover watercolors and Musico the Handsome Cat returns to New York after a summer of terrorizing my parents’ three geriatric cats.

Musico_cloisters