Category Archives: inspiration

Colorado Gives Day 2015

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

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CO Gives Day Logo

Colorado gives Day is one of my favorite days of the year and as it’s so close to the holidays, it is a good reminder that I am blessed with so much in life…warm clothes and a home, loving family and friends, work that fills me with a purpose and joy.

Because of life circumstances or experiences, I would guess that we all have a soft spot for someone or some place in need, and therefore tugs at our heart strings. At Associates III we create interior design; we give to entities that provide shelter as a meaningful way to express our love in creating home. We also practice green design; we contribute to environmental causes that reflect our passion and desire to make our planet a healthier place to live.

For me personally, my mum grew up without the influence of parents; our family volunteers time and gives to children in need in the foster care system in her honor. And at work, relationship building is a big part of who I am and the work I do in furthering the Associates III mission; any program that mentors young people is dear to my heart.

What is meaningful to you? I encourage you to take a moment to click on this link and give a little out of your own bounty. No matter how small your gift, I can guarantee you that it will add to someone else’s life immeasurably. And may all you give from the heart return to you tenfold in happiness and joy this holiday season.

https://www.coloradogives.org/

—Debbie

Chicago Cultural Center

19 Thursday Nov 2015

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Chicago Cultural Center Tiffany Dome

Visiting family in Chicago last summer provided the perfect opportunity to check out the Chicago Cultural Center, originally Chicago’s first Central Public Library and with a dome designed by Tiffany. We were intrigued and found it was well worth the time to go!

The dome is 38 feet in diameter and made with 30,000 pieces of glass. Designed with a fish scale pattern and signs of the zodiac at the very top, it’s not made with the brightly colored glass that is often associated with Tiffany. The glass in this application is a clear iridescent-type glass (Tiffany’s proprietary Favrile glass) that lets a lot of light into the space. While the dome was solely sunlit at one time, it is now lit with electric lights as well. Interestingly, the exterior of the dome was covered with concrete and copper in the 1930’s (what were they thinking?!) but restored to its original design intent in 2008.

The dome covers the Preston Bradley Hall on the second floor, once the General Delivery Room for the library and now used for special events of all kind. There are lovely Tiffany chandeliers throughout the space with the clear iridescence of the dome. The use of color was saved for the incredible mosaic wall designs that cover practically every surface and archway of this room. These beautiful mosaics made from Favrile glass, stone, and mother of pearl intermix symbols related to printing, libraries and books in a palette of bright green, turquoise, gold, gray and white. A variety of quotations carved into marble in many different languages is also part of the captivating wall decoration.

Chicago Cultural Center Wall Mosaic

The room has a definite feminine quality to it in a lovely, bright, refreshing way. I was surprised that it was not the dark, subdued colors found to be more typical during the Victorian era of Interior Design. This quote from the center’s brochure detailing the workmanship caught my attention: “The noted Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York executed most of the room’s decorative features, including the dome, mosaics and lighting fixtures, employing mostly a female labor force, as women were thought to be more adept at the fine handiwork.”

—Jill

Harmony with Nature

12 Thursday Nov 2015

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harmony with nature

In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Japan, and among the many wondrous elements of Japanese design, one design feature that really struck me and continues to influence how I approach design is the harmony created by courtyard gardens juxtaposed within traditional Japanese architecture.

Many traditional homes, both large and small, have a central courtyard that visually becomes part of the interior of the home. Often separated by shoji screens (which are usually kept open during the day), these gardens are instantly accessible from within the home, and provide a refuge as well as ever-changing visual interest throughout the year.

Common elements of Japanese courtyard garden design include a bamboo fountain that pours into a low stone basin near an entrance, lanterns, sand, smooth gravel, artful garden boulders that suggest mountains, ponds, wandering paths, and small bridges. These elements are carefully planned within and around trees and other plants to create a contemplative, serene environment – a special place accessible only to those within the home.

—Jason

Seeking Truth

05 Thursday Nov 2015

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ayla-3

My senior thesis project Vestige is a photographic examination of the collective human desire to document our existence, and the false security that comes with such documentation. The project began out of a personal need to connect with others and as a chance to break away from the self-portrait work that comprised most of my undergrad portfolio. As the project progressed it felt less like a way to connect, in some ways creating more distance between myself and the subject. Through research of contemporary artists and the writings of French philosopher Rolande Barthes the body of work has morphed into a reminder that a photograph is nothing more than reflected light captured in light sensitive materials; in this case traditional silver gelatin. Though we treat photographs as some sort of hyper-real, they are as Barthes says nothing more than “a new form of hallucination.” By creating an impossible space for the subject to exist in, I am trying to remind the viewer that the subject does not exist within the image like we think they do. The image is nothing but a chemical reaction between light reactive particles and a base chemical.

The use of analog materials is important because it not only creates a dichotomy between the real and the hallucination, but reminds the viewer further of the falsehood of all photographic mediums, not just photoshop. The process is slow and methodical, consisting of hours in front of a light table layering negatives to find visually stimulating imagery that obscures the subject yet enhances them at the same time. The use of film and traditional methods also ensures longevity of the work. If taken care of properly, film negatives and silver gelatin prints will survive a century. Digital files on the other hand corrupt easily, especially as technologies advance and change exponentially. Most of the imagery created in this digital age is expected to corrupt and disappear leaving a large gap and disparity in imagery for future beings to study. Unless meticulous care is taken to take pictures in a lossless file format and constant hard drive backups, most of what is taken on your cellphone won’t be viewable in as little as 50 years.

“What the Photograph reproduces to infinity has occurred only once: the Photograph mechanically repeats what could never be repeated existentially.” —Rolande Barthes, Camera Lucida

See more images www.aylaleroyce.com

—Ayla

Fall Decorations / No-carve pumpkin ideas

26 Monday Oct 2015

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Late summer/early Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the mix of cool, crisp days when it’s finally time to pull out your favorite boots, flannels and sweaters, and the lingering warm, summer-like days that help you ease out of your summer frame of mind. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, especially because of the decorations. Instead of the typical carved pumpkins, here are a few fun twists to add to your decorations this year.

Painted and Bedazzled Pumpkins
Calligraphy Pumpkins
Paint Pen Pumpkins
Sequined Polka Dot Pumpkins
Pumpkin Family
Fishnet Stockings
Gilded Pumpkins
Creative candlesticks

Painted Patterns

22 Thursday Oct 2015

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Painted Patterns

I was fortunate enough to visit Eastern Europe in September with my husband, Steve. We took a 10-day riverboat cruise on the Danube River. It was our first trip to Europe and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see the beauty of the European architecture in person that I have been so drawn to in images. I enjoyed focusing on architectural elements and applied design in my many of my photos and plan to share some of my favorites in this and future blog entries.

This Entry is focused on the beautifully painted patterns on the architectural surfaces of the Matthias Church in Budapest, Hungary. The church has been beautifully re-built and restored since WWII.  It was the first of many, many churches we visited on our trip but the richly painted designs in Matthias Church were my favorite. The rich, bright colors and changing design patterns flowed across practically every wall, ceiling, and molding whether they were flat, curved, or carved. They added depth and movement in a whimsical, playful way. I thought they were delightful and evoked such a different feeling when compared to their more serious counterparts that were filled with clouds and heavenly beings, glimmering gilded elements and stone columns carved in black and red marble.

Enjoy!
Jill Bosshart

Denver Chalk Art 2015

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

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This was another fun year at the Denver Chalk Art Festival! Below are a few snapshots from midday on Sunday (the final day of the festival) – if you want to see more pictures from the festival or see pictures of the winning artist’s finished creations visit the Denver Chalk Art Festival Facebook page. Enjoy!

See more of last year’s Chalk Art Festival.

Denial, Stubborn Acceptance, and the Joy of Calculated Risk

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

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Today’s post is both celebratory and sad. Anna Thexton, our beloved Front Office Coordinator, will end her time with us on June 18th. We knew she would only stay with us for a limited time and in that time she quickly won our hearts and made a substantial impact on our lives – both at work and personally. While we’re going to miss her like crazy, we are thrilled for the next phase in her journey and hope you’ll help us to support her in her future endeavor. Here, in her own words, are the details about what’s next: 

I don’t recall the first time someone told me I was a ‘natural leader’, but it was probably sometime in elementary school…

Initially I rebelled against the idea, because to me it meant an increase in responsibility. How many second graders do you see begging for more responsibility? None. Case in point, that’s a lot of pressure to put on a kid who hardly knows whether they want to be a firefighter or a movie star when they grow up. Naturally, I was hesitant to accept being a leader as my destiny, until I tried on a handful of leadership styles and found one tailored to who I am, one I could seamlessly integrate, one that evolved and grew with me, instead of fitting me tightly into a box that would stunt my development.

My time here at Associates III has allowed me to embrace even more leadership opportunities, to hone my assertiveness, and to stretch out my figurative arms and legs in search of the next big challenge.

US-Brazil ConnectThis year I have been selected as a US-Brazil Connect Fellow to travel to Brazil for leadership experience working with Brazilian high school students.  I’ll be working with a small group of 12 students enrolled in technical education programs, communicating with them on-line and then living in Brazil for four weeks this summer and getting to know their culture and country through our interactions.

In one month, I will be in the south of Brazil, facing head-on what used to terrify me. My students and I will embark on a month-long journey as I coach them in their English language studies. The impact they will have on me is difficult to imagine or quantify, yet something I anticipate to be intrinsically life altering and perspective shifting.

Brazil

I encourage you to visit the US-Brazil Connect website and see for yourself what amazing things they are doing. I am thrilled to be an active participant in breaking down cultural barriers and sharing life with these incredible students. If you or someone you know would be interested in supporting me, financially or otherwise, please do so here, and feel free to reach out and send me a message with encouragement and lots of good vibes; they are much needed and oh so appreciated!

—Anna Thexton