my art:: Mount Vernon View

I've been painting! This my latest, titled "Mount Vernon View".

 The glorious panoramic view of George Washington's stately home at Mount Vernon in Virginia has always been a popular subject for artists. I've seen several renditions of this view, from known artists like Edward Savage, Eastman Johnson, and William Thompson Russell Smith to obscure Sunday Painters that we will never know the names of yet who's work is just as important in merit. Infact my painting was inspired by a watercolor painted in 1942 by amateur artist Susan Whitcomb after the famous Alexander Robertson engraving "Mount Vernon in Virginia" when she attended the Vermont Literary and Scientific Institution. Reading up on this painting in my fav folk art book, The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection, I am amazed at the price of an education back then.   $1.00 per semester! I loved  Whitcomb's naive and stylized take on Robertson's engraving and turned it into my own, a bit more colorful, version.

Purchase my painting "Mount Vernon View" on Etsy along with my other originals and Wendy Presseisen Prints.

art :: from portrait to landscape

There's nothing like blending in with the landscape and artist Levi Van Veluw  knows how to do it. His camouflage portraiture is a little weird, a little quirky but really JUST COOL!

Levi van Veluw´s photo series are all self-portraits, drawn and photographed by himself: in  a one-man-process. His works constitute elemental transfers – modifying the face as object – combining it with other stylistic elements to create a third visual object with  large visual impact. The work you see therefore is not a portrait, but an information-rich image of colour, form, texture, and content.

architecture :: the incredible view factor

Awww... what a view! It's true, whether it's your own residence or where you travel to, the view factor can be a major consideration. These fabulous spots rate number one on my "I like" list - as do they on Architectural Digest's.
Here's a sampling of AD's twelve featured spots with awe inspiring views. More photos after the jump.

A house in where else but La Jolla, California

on the island of Mahe, Maia Luxury Resort and Spa

a hotel located in the Golden Triangle, the point where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet

a house in Big Sur, California

A Manhattan High Rise

Can't get enough of these spectacular views or the homes built around them? Then check out Architectural Digest Online to see more JUST COOL homes and destinations.

Architectural Digest For all the best and most luxurious in architecture and interior design, Architectural Digest Magazine is your premier publication! You'll be invited into the homes of the rich and famous that have been decorated by the world's most talented designers. Articles naturally include the latest on antique and modern furniture and art, but you'll also learn what's chic in home electronics, gardens, and travel spots. Architectural Digest Magazine is a must-purchase for those with discriminating tastes!

art :: technicolor meatscapes

Don't these breathtaking landscapes by artist Nicholas Lampert just whet your appetite?
He makes rare to well done collages of old color photos and meat. His technicolor "Meatscapes" don't leave me hankering for a slab of steak, but

they are definitely JUST COOL

check out more of his work here>>>

garden :: green in beijing

Talk about green. Here's some crazy green-ness from the Olympic Gardens in Beijing.



“when you can snatch the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave”


Foo Dogs...yeah! FOO DOGS! I love these creatures - I have a collection of them... wish i had these ones ;)



A big cup of steaming Green Tea...


some water and a little love will make this flower grow

Topiary is JUST COOL