Djurdjevic - Personal Photos - Life at Grayhawk

23 Jan 2011

Updated August 20, 2006, adds The Thinker, Tiger...

My New Life at Grayhawk

Nina, the Ballerina, Musical Crest, Mr. & Mrs. Duck, More Parrish; Athena, Greek Godess of Wisdom and the Arts...

SCOTTSDALE, July 26, 2006 - Those of you who have stayed with me from the beginning of my interior decorating endeavor, may recall that I said my "living arts project" would always be a work-in-progress. Or else it would not be a four-dimensional "living arts project," would it?

But back in May, I said that my home had reached the stage when " no major changes are contemplated, except for a touch here, a dab there." Well, here are a couple of new "touches here, dabs there"...

I have been eyeing this bronze sculpture of a ballerina for some time now. Here it is, on exhibit in front of a Scottsdale oriental gallery/store...

In the meantime, I've learned that the ballerina sculpture was made in Thailand. This added further appeal for me, given my recent visit to that country, during which I learned to appreciate the fine art forms the Thai people have perfected.

When I came home, I tried to visualize it in my living room. Above is a mock-up of it. I also solicited some family and friends' opinions. Except for one, they all came back with glowing assessments. I went back to the store several times to make sure I really wanted it. When the name "Nina, the Ballerina" sprung up in my head, I new I needed to get it.

...and as seen from various other angles. Olivier, a French-born designed who helped deliver the sculpture, seemed as excited as I about how well the bronze ballerina fitted in with the rest of my stuff. "She finishes your living room," he concluded.

Now, if only I could play the "Swan Lake" or the "Sleeping Beauty" scores for her to dance to. J

Meanwhile, I also got a musical instruments crest (see the arch above the piano) at the same Scottsdale gallery/store. "Perfectly centered," Olivier said approvingly. J

Finally, I want you to meet the Mr. and Mrs. Duck who are rounding out my "musical corner." I got them a few days ago at an antique store for a song. A "lucky duck," I thought. J It's amazing what a little bit of spit and polish can do to bring tired looking antiques to life.

Today must be my "art day." This afternoon, I had a surprise delivery - my third Parrish painting.

As some of you know, Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) is one of my favorite artists. He is certainly my favorite American painter. You may have already seen two of his paintings in my master bedroom that I had had reproduced some time ago - "Arizona" (1930 - left) and "Ecstasy" (1929 - right).

Some time ago, I had also ordered a reproduction to be made of "Daybreak" (1922), Parrish's most famous painting that sold at a New York auction in late May for $7.6 million. And lo and behold, that's the piece of art that also arrived this afternoon...

As with most of my art, I had already picked out a place for it even before I ordered it back in June (above the fireplace mantelpiece).

And here it is again, but from a different angle, incorporating my new "Nina, the Ballerina" in the shot, too.

SCOTTSDALE, July 28 - Over the last couple of days, I discovered that my new household member looks the best in the morning light...

This must be my art week. For, I have been also eyeing another beautiful piece of art at the same store at which I found Nina. It was "Athena" (my name for her), an antique woman with a book in her lap that resembles the Greek goddess of wisdom and the arts, who seems to be floating away in her thoughts and dreams in a bronze gondola. Athena looked dusty and forlorn in the back of the store when I first saw it. But then, she didn't care. She was engrossed in a book.

It so happened that the sculpture is also a lamp. Alas, it had no shade nor a light bulb as any self-respecting lamp would. Just an ugly gray cord. No wonder the French storekeeper was anxious to make a deal with me.

For all Athena's "faults," I could not get her out of my head. So during the last couple of days, I have been contemplating where I might put the sculpture if I were to get her. And also, of course, what sort of a lamp shade I should get for it.

Today, I sprung into action. I knew exactly what I wanted. After several hours of going back and forth between the art store and various lighting shops, I finally had the look I "saw" in my mind when I woke up this morning. And voila!

At first, I had her in my master bedroom, as you can see above, but then I got to thinking that thematically, she really belonged in the music/art corner of the living room. After all, literature, especially poetry, and music are very closely intertwined.

And so, here she is, Athena accentuating and lighting up the TRUTH, while reading the verses of the song to which Nina is dancing. Music, dance, poetry... food for the soul, all sharing the space of my living room that was once a dining room (right). "From body to soul" - could be an apt title for the transformation that this house has experienced in the last nine months.

Finally, since most of my house has a classical feel to it, I felt I needed a place where I could display the funky, playful side of me. And what better place to do it than in the bathroom...

My new Mexican lizard and frog also crawled up my bathroom wall for the first time today. J

SCOTTSDALE, Aug 20 - I went back to my "a touch here, a dab there..." project after our return from a wonderful vacation in the Canadian Rockies. And the result were these additions to my household artifacts...

Rodin's Thinker, whom I painted personally to blend in with the rest of the living room settings...