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By Jane Antonacci, January 27, 2012

Fair Paris richly inspired California interior designer Jane Antonacci, resulting in a gilded private retreat for an avid lover of contemporary art.  Ample window coverings dominate the soft and open room, filled with creative pieces selected by both designer and homeowner.

This is the introduction to “Unique Finds Inspire Creative Interiors,” an article by Allison Brophy Champion, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.  This article focuses on the unique designs of Jane Antonacci and was featured on the cover of the Home & Garden section of yesterday’s feature, as well as being featured on the online edition, SF Gate.

It is an honor to be on the front page of the Home section of the Chronicle, with a full page photo of our project and total of 3 photos in the article.  The online article only showed one photo so here is another one for your enjoyment.

To read the article in it’s entirety, please click here.

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By Jane Antonacci, October 19, 2011

Recently, I was looking for a very organic wooden bowl for a client’s coffee table on the screened in porch.  I came across an amazing artist that made me forget all about wooden bowls.  I saw a couple of his sofa-style root carvings and fell in love.  I contacted the  R20th Century Gallery  in New York which represents him. It turns out that they are having a show of his work right now.

The extraordinary artist is  Hugo França  from Brazil, and his new exhibit is a series of carved Casulos, or “cocoons,” from Pequi and Imbuia coarse woody debris and roots that he scavenges from the felled trees of the  Brazilian forest.

Hugo França’s sculptures showcase his deep connection with the organic, fluid shapes of the tree. This admiration undoubtedly stems from the fifteen years he spent in the jungles of northeastern Brazil, where he learned woodworking techniques from the indigenous people of Bahia.

“For me, it is an exercise of directing my eye,” França says, “trying to recognize and work with the forms already outlined there, and finding a functionality in those forms.”

His work reveals a powerful appreciation for the cycles of nature, by uniting the natural elements of the tree with his creative process, and presenting it back into the human environment. Take a look at this video of the progression from tree to organic sculpture.

França’s pieces encompass the observer, forcing us to experience the aliveness and natural energy of Brazil’s exquisite natural resource. França brings the viewer inside these intriguing massive “cocoons” so we may experience directly the textures and natural designs of the tree, to “create an organic space of retreat and contemplation.”

“The temperature is different, the sounds are different, the smell and texture are unique,” says França. “This direct contact generates empathy and encourages a bonding experience between man and nature.”

If you are in New York,  visit his exhibition where it will be featured from October 5^th – November 5^th.  Until then, I will curb my craving with these pictures of his striking furniture. I can just imagine the gorgeous natural colors and contours of the wood bringing warmth and texture into a scenic lakeside cabin.

And more good news about Franca, he still makes very large (36″ across)  and wonderful wooden bowls.

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By Jane Antonacci, June 6, 2011

Until 2010, Art Fairs had been missing from the San Francisco scene for 10 years.  The weekend of May 20-23 brought an abundance of art fairs to San Francisco.  Before that, there had been a big fair for a number of years at Fort Mason.  I missed it in those years, as it was an opportunity to take clients to see hundreds of galleries all in one weekend.

The ArtMrkt, the Fine Arts Fair, and Art Pad all held wonderful shows..

As many of you  know, one of my secret  passions  in my design work is to include contemporary art in all of my projects, whether the project is classical or more contemporary.   It gives the home a feeling of creative energy that can  inspire the family and friends to open up more to the pleasure that is available from exploring  an artist’s creations.  It gives me such joy to place wonderful, energetic pieces within an appreciative environment.

.Below  are some of the pieces I especially liked at the fairs this year.  Click on the links to learn more about the artists.

This is a charming piece consisting of painting, cut paper and wood by Mark Fox, shown by Cainschulte.com.  Love the whimsy!

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This  lovely smaller sculpture from Cain Schulte Gallery is by Jessica Drenk.  Although it looks like wood, it is actually carved out of books that were soaked in hot wax. Yes, really!

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An impressive piece was this one by Brazilian artist Maria Bonomi from Transarte Brazil.  This is a woodblock print on heavy Nepalese paper.  This print took the very high honor of First Place in the Venice Biennale 2009 for print work.  At 106” wide it is grand and strong.

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This monolithic piece stood approximately 110” high and was 24” x 24”.  Enlarge it to see the detail.  It is from a very established Korean artist named Jae Hyo Lee.  His medium is  scorched wood in 2 styles.  This style, which is covered with steel nails inserted in to it.

The other style is this:

This large chair is  45” in diameter, perfectly shaped to sit in comfortably. You can visit his very large website to see his amazing, very  large scale pieces.   His work is available at two American galleries with links on his website.   For me, his work was the most memorable  of the entire weekend.

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This piece is from 1962 by Shirley Goldfarb.  The brush work and colors are charming.  It is from a gallery that I hadn’t heard of before, Gallery Sam in Berkeley.  The owner is Evan Morganstein and he had several nice pieces.  While the gallery is open by appointment only, most of his collection is viewable on Artnet.com.

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This is another piece from the same gallery.  I liked it because it reminded me of Klee.  It is by  Robert Jay Wolff titled, “Galaxy” , 1953.   He was a well-known abstract artist from the 1930’s -1970’s.

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I got to see several paintings by Wolf Khan, an artist I have admired for many years.  Seeing five of his landscapes,  in shades of purples, blues,  pinks and yellows  at once was a thrill.  Wonderful colors and a great liveliness pervade his work.  The gallery that showed his work, Jerald Melberg Gallery had other classics, like Motherwell, de Kooning, etc.  It is always good to see the masters and to remember again why they are so important.

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This painting moved me with its exceptional qualities of simplicity, accomplished techniques and quiet aliveness.  The artist is Pat Steir and the gallery is Leanne Hull Fine Art.   This piece was large at 84” x 60”.  Observing it at length, I could almost hear the sound of the waterfall and feel the mist on my face.  It was really lovely.

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All in all:  The fairs were Enchanting!

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By Jane Antonacci, March 1, 2011

Artistic expression arrives in a variety of mediums and continues to inspire.  One place I get inspiration is from fashion and at Style.com , where I can follow all the shows.  I appreciate the unending flow of new ideas, and occasionally, there is something I would even like to wear.  The D & G Fall 2011 Ready to Wear show qualifies.  The clothes had a strong 80’s feel, with the longer skirts, big belts, leggings and big tops.  I love the lines.   The “alphabet” patterns made it feel very fresh, but still strongly graphical and bold.

Stretch tube skirts worn over a chiffon skirt were prevalent and charming

Dresses were worn over skirts, over chiffon. How fun that would be to wear?

The shoes were sneakers wedges , so the look was casual

Who doesn’t love a black and white print?

Very sheer skirt would need to be “modified” , but this pattern feels like a fresh spring day. Now if only I were 6’ tall, I could wear this.

The D & G Couture Show was much more rigid, with a lot of menswear.  The RTW  line looks like a lot more fun.  Come fall,  I am ready to wear this RTW line!