My grandmothers. Antebellum houses in Natchez, Mississippi. My childhood as we moved from Dallas, TX to six years in Aberdeen, Scotland, back to Dallas and down to Lafayette, LA. College in Memphis, TN. Living single in Los Angeles. Long road trips. Sunsets and the beach, but not necessarily together. Trees... they are simply beautiful to me. The French (I got my degree in French). My old roommate in Natchez (she is an interior designer with the knack of turning even my messy hodge podge room into something that could have been a magazine shoot). What I read in forms of magazines along the day- at the Dr's office, at the grocery store checkout, and most recently, glancing at Horchow and Pottery Barn catalogs, and Country Living layouts to see what's "in." My husband's sensibility. What I see in vintage stores/The Goodwill/antique shops. I love old things. But I love putting old things into modern uses and appeal. I am intrigued by Monet, Picasso, Rosa Bonheur, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, Rothko, and the lady from Shabby Chic- she always wears cowboy boots, jeans, and a form of a white button blouse. I admire such commitment and ownership of one style.
Finally, I must mention Valerie Berlin Edwards and Laura Doucet Westbrook. Valerie inspired me to embrace my artistic talents. For our wedding, from a photograph on our save-the-date card, she created a beautiful whimsical portrait of my mother and mother-in-law of when they were about 7 years old together. It touched me so deeply and first inspired me to create similar gifts for my friends for their special occasions. Laura, my very best friend since 6th grade, also an artist, she gets me, we can finish each others sentences, thoughts, scribbles. We used to sit in math class and cry together during tests because we just didn't get it. Even through different colleges, different cities, different lives; when we talk about art, we are thinking the same thing. She's my art soulmate.
