A Little Romance

[Arrows, a hand-carved, printed and pulled linocut by PerlaAnne.]

This week Rebecca Rebouche has been IG-ing some great Valentine-related-but-not-cloying images. I was so inspired, I decided to pull together a few romance-driven finds. First are these black and white arrows by Stacey Bradley of PerlaAnne. You can take a look back at her Charleston studio (also kind of romantic) here.

[Image courtesy Zak + Fox.]

Zak Profera's take on romance is, not surprisingly, masculine, very tactile, and tinged with mystery. For February he photographed his existing textile collection in a new light.

I especially like the texture of linen up against leather and hints of metal. The faded blacks, whites and grays of the anonymous old snapshot with a man and wild birds (Zak's flea market find) are echoed by his stacked fabrics in umbers and grays: specifically Volubilis in umber; Kaya in eski; Katagami in smoke; and Postage in umber. (He told me that he chose these fabrics to contrast because Volubilis and Katagami are both thick weaves while Kaya is airier and Postage is a bit slick, almost like oilcloth.)  Who knows what's in the brass box with terrific punches of turquoise. Someone is sifting through mementos.

It doesn't get much more romantic than the loose, unforced, achingly beautiful arrangements created by Nicolette Owen and Sarah Ryhanen. Their collaboration, the traveling Little Flower School, has a brand new website. Of course it's gorgeous and overflowing with inspirational images. Perusing the site, you can easily find out what classes are on the horizon, see past destinations, and stumble across a tutorial or two.

[Food photos by Alexandra DeFurio from Meringue published by Gibbs Smith, 2012. Images posted here courtesy the publisher.]

Don't forget another creative collaboration, Meringue from Jennifer Evans Gardner and Linda K. Jackson. Their book is filled with sweets that are special enough for Valentine's yet not fussy. 

And speaking of food, Mexican-themed cookbooks are among the items hitting the High's gift shop as part of Fridamania. Two examples are Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo and My Abuela's Table.

Frida and Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting opens in exactly two weeks. Latest details on the Valentine's night premiere here.

Frida and Diego image via the High. Photo of museum my own.