Clean Sweep

February 01, 2021 by natalini in design, declutter

“Putter Power”

*- my feisty grandmother*

Putter Power, as my feisty grandmother calls it, is a quick way to clear surfaces and a path without deep cleaning. To make the most of putter power, start with the biggest pile or obstruction, group the like items into piles and move those piles to the rooms or area where they belong. The most effective part of putter power is to have a basket in every room for these piles. The random basket stuff can be stowed away later when you have more time. Next, straighten pillows, fold throw blankets and toss the covers up on the of the bed minus the hospital corners. Lastly, grab your homemade cleaning/air freshening mixture (recipe below) and wipe the hard surfaces and window smudges with a microfiber cloth. Yes, this mixture is great for cleaning windows quickly and leaving them streak-free.

Natural Cleaning Mixture

Mix either in a spray bottle or directly on a microfiber cloth
1/4 cup of vinegar for an 12oz bottle
1 oz of Dawn soap
few drops of lemon essential oil
Dampen with water

Weekend Design Project

January 29, 2021 by natalini in design, handlettering

I WANT THIS IN WRITING…

Hand lettering or “cheater” calligraphy is a great mental exercise. For those of us that had to learn cursive writing in school we just did what we had to without realizing the developmental benefits we were receiving. Some of those cognitive benefits were that it opened neurological pathways, develops sensory skills, increased retention, improved spelling, organization skills and self confidence along with created a free flow of thought onto paper.

Now, it’s time to activate that brain with a writing exercise. In your own handwriting (whatever it looks like is fine) pay attention to the downward strokes as you are writing your name. Rewrite it as many times as you need to in order to see what your down strokes are. Make little down arrows next to your down strokes if that is helpful. Once you’re done writing your name and you know where all your downward strokes are, go back to the first downward stroke and thicken that line, do this to all of the remaining downward strokes. It’s easy and you will be amazed at how quickly you pick it up. The side effect is that you may lighten up on yourself about your “horrible” handwriting. For any young people who did not have the advantage of learning cursive writing in school, this can be done with printed or non-cursive letters and it will help you begin to learn cursive writing or even calligraphy.

Below are a few quick and imperfect samples of my hand lettering and my regular handwriting.

Drawing & Painting

January 27, 2021 by natalini in design, art, drawings

Drawing and painting are huge stress relievers. Just think about the last time you were on a stressful call and you found yourself making swirly twirlies on a the back of an envelope. Maybe you doodle stick figures or flowers, it doesn’t matter because you were working the tension out onto paper.

Experiment with pencils, charcoal, pastels, markers, watercolor, acrylic, oil or finger paint. Mixing mediums is lot of fun and may just get the right amount of color or detail that you want. Colored pencils add detail and tonal value to marker renderings and watercolor paintings. It’s important to choose the proper paper for each medium and allow paint and markers to fully dry before adding another medium to the artwork. Choose colors and subject matter that you enjoy.

There are plenty of lessons, rules and “how-to” videos, but the best way to learn is by creating from your heart and trusting your instincts. Here are some of my abstract paintings along with a few portraits and a sketch. Love them or hate them, they were each created at different times in my life and I’ve gotten to a place where I see beyond the imperfections straight to how I felt during the process and of course, the completion. I hope this inspires you to get creative and surprise yourself with your hidden artistic talent.

The Barnes Foundation

January 25, 2021 by natalini in design, museums, nature, art

Once upon a time in the quaint area of Merion, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, Albert C Barnes, a doctor who co-created Argyrol, (see definition below) became an avid art collector in 1912. Ten years later, Dr. Barnes established an educational institute focusing on fine art and arboriculture that would become the start a cherished legacy.

Fast forward past a ton of drama to today with an amassed collection of 4,000 pieces and an estimated worth of $25 billion and an open door policy that violates the last wishes of Dr. Barnes. Phew, it is quite an interesting story with a lot of twists and turns. The best way to understand and appreciate the history of Dr. Barnes’ journey is to watch the documentary “The Art of the Steal.” Definitely watch this before visiting The Barnes Foundation. Without going into all of the long details of the story, I will say that Dr. Barnes’ art collection created controversy throughout the established art world. On multiple occasions he submitted his collections to be displayed at prominent art museums around the world and was met with mass rejection. Dr. Barnes was later credited with introducing the works of the great, Henri Mattise, Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani to America. Rejection was followed by the word, “obscene,” used to describe his collections as critics tarnished his taste in art curation.

Dr. Barnes welcomed the everyday person with a passion for art and nature to attend his school and view his collections. Teachers, parents, plumbers, students and first responders were members of the Barnes Foundation. Art critics, museum executives and reporters were not permitted access to the original Barnes Foundation.

A sense of dread came over me when I found out that The Barnes Foundation was moving to the Parkway in Philadelphia. I had already watched the documentary “The Art of the Steal,” so I understood how Dr. Barnes did not want the established art world—especially Philadelphia and New York—to get their hands on the very works they rejected so long ago.

After a tough inner battle, I decided to visit The Barnes Foundation in its new home. I will say that I was relieved to know that the museum placed each and every piece in the exact location as it was in the original Barnes Foundation. As I wandered the brilliantly curated rooms, I realized that had I lived in those early days of the Barnes Foundation, I would have been invited to attend classes and enjoy the collections as an art lover. This was the only thought that could ease my guilty conscience for violating a respected man’s last wishes. I then decided to feel gratitude for Dr. Barnes creative intuition and I thanked him (silently) throughout my tour.

While standing still and studying each piece, I had the urge to pan around the room. There was a common thread or similarity throughout each room while the paintings and artifacts were from differing time periods and countries—they all spoke the same language. I have never felt that in all of my museum going years. I could almost hear the creations chatting amongst themselves.

The Barnes Foundation is a perfect example of irony at its best with a once obscene and offensive curation becoming a treasured collection. I highly recommend taking a tour of this perfectly curated collection of art.

The long made point of this entire story is to trust in your own instincts and attempt curating your own collections that speak to you and the story of your adventures. Move art around until it makes you feel like it’s alive and communicating all around you.

Argyrol is an antiseptic compound to protect newborns from contracting venereal diseases at birth.

Weekend Design Project

January 22, 2021 by natalini in design, cameras, creativity, adventure

Picture Taking Time!

Grab a camera, any camera, bring one along with your phone. It doesn’t matter if you know how to use the camera perfectly yet. (Sometimes those picture turn out the best, like the first time you played poker and won without knowing how you won.)

Take some time this weekend and explore a new park or path you been wanting to visit. If you’re short on time just go for a walk around the block and take random picture of grass, rocks, cars, your hoarder neighbor’s “treasures.”

First, loosen up those tight, hard working shoulders and jaw muscles. It’s the weekend and it is time to do something for yourself. To make sure you’re fully relaxing, tighten up your shoulders, make fists if you need to, hold it, more, okay, let it all go. Now, go with camera or phone in hand on a mini adventure. Listen to the sounds of nature, pan around, take it all in and when you find that naturally lit and framed, perfect to your eye scene, take your shot. Take as many as you want. This is your day in nature taking pictures of what you like, how you like. No rules today. This is a great adventure for a family, a couple or best human or dog friend. Be sure to put your photos of the day in a special folder so when you come across it in the clutter of life you’ll want to take more time to have creative wellness dates for yourself. Be well, be free, create often.

Stepping outside your of daily routine with a creative adventure stimulates your mind and body while strengthening your body’s neuroplasticity.

Click to learn more about neuroplasticity from Dr. Joe Dispenza.