when blogging becomes art - dietlind wolf

 I first noticed Dietlind Wolf's picture on her blog that looked so light and carefree that it stopped me in my tracks. 

Dietlind works as a stylist and occasionally as a photographer.  In her spare time (!) she also makes stunning porcelain,   that she worked out how to dye instead of glaze - I love it!!

I'm always interested in someone with a job I think I would have enjoyed, so I asked her a few questions.

Hi Dietlind, thank you for letting me show your work.   Would you describe yourself first as a stylist or as a photographer?  

Thank you for inviting me!  I am first of all a visual designer,   I love the stylist's part of putting a shoot together, playing with a look, then I love the photographer's role of discovering how that look works.   I like inventing feeling concepts and then filling them reality.

How did you get into this line of work?     

I used to teach in a private art school where I loved working with the students, but I missed being in business.  A friend told me about the role of stylists, something I knew nothing about!  I was very excited and told all of my friends about my new career, and I got two bookings straight away!

You seem to work for magazines, but I see there is also a book out, can you tell us about that?  

That's right, I work mostly for magazines, but the Teatime book came via my blog.  I loved this project, I was able to do all of the styling and visual concept, and even the illustrations.

Teatime can be found here

To create this sort of book we work as a team of three.  The stylist, the food stylist and the photographer.  We work for a week or so solidly, and it's always amazing to start off with nothing and seel that after 10 days non-stop work you have 50 or 80 pages filled.

Does your blog play a big role in your work, has it brought you new clients for example?  

Yes it really helps and in a very unexpected way. the amazing feedback.( thank you to you all!!!).   I started the blog in the year Donna Hay magazine printed our Heaven and Earth Christmas Cookie story.  Up till then I had never published on line because I didn't know how I wanted to use a website.   After the Donna Hay article I decided to use the blog as a portfolio where I should showcase work when a story was in print.

concept + styling : dietlind wolf

photos : walter cimbal  :  in print : billa issue 4

Is it easy to 'turn off' at home , or do you find yourself aranging things as if you wre on a photoshoot?!

You wouldn't believe how I live, in between my ateliers and my collections  of props.   The only arranging I am able to do at home is to place my props onto shelves.    At least they look reasonable and I can find what I need!     If I invite friends over then its like on a shooting.  Attention focussed on  the moment to  make things look just right.

styling : dietlind wolf :   photos : julia hoersch

food : hermann rottmann /petra speckmann   : assistance: anka rehbock / felicitas grunenberg

in print : freundin issue 8

 Do you think that your work is very 'female', is it a job you'd recommend to a young artistic woman?

There is a clear masculine side to the work, but funnily it seems that women slip more easily into the role of stylist which is often in second row.

 But then women bring a a deeper understanding of what the client wants.  There is an unspoken hidden responsibility, it's a world of "I like", " I don't like",  and a lot depends on moods.

 It's difficult to recommend a career that is so artistic and is  still a journey of development on the inside as on the outside.  Success depends on so many things, mostly on support of friends and family who trust in you. Sometimes the team doesn't fit,  but you are booked for the result and  you have to find a way to be  creative even when it's difficult.

If you need the safety and security of a 9 to 5 workday week ,  with fixed weekly  appointments, then this job is not for you, but if you like your freedom more than the above,  and you like the body fitness that's comes with racing around putting shoots together then yes, you'd love it!!

Thank you Dietlind! 

I hope you enjoyed this little insight into the creative world of an artisitic blogger,

pop on  over to Dietlind's site and say hi!

and if you are in Hamburg on 5 November, you can even meet her in person

at Haller 6 where she'll be showing her work

Hope your week is getting off to a creative start!

Cinderella Pumpkin

I took this photo prior to drilling holes into it (see this post). I thought it was so beautiful. The man who sold it to me, called it a Cinderella Pumpkin and it brought to mind the wonderful story of the pumpkin transforming into a carriage. I googled it and found the following refrence to Cinderella Pumpkins:

"Cinderella Pumpkins are a unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes". The source of their nickname it that they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage." Via All About Pumpkins

Sketches

A little break today from projects around the house due to a Dentist appointment and getting Oscar ready for Halloween! Yay! Anyhow, I thought that this was kind of neat ....I was sorting through files last week to find a sketch I had done and came across some old illustrations. I don't illustrate much these days, perhaps I'll get back into it someday soon. It brought back so many memories.

Isn't this one perfect for today? :)

The vampire cracks me up.

All illustrations are copyright of me, Lindsay Stephenson. Just sayin'.

Halloween Monday Inspirations

Windows on Design + A Giveaway

For the last few months I’ve been working with Taylor Galen to create a window display for Regalo Antiques.  Design Collective Atlanta is sponsoring an event called Windows On Design which pairs showrooms and Designers together to create a one-of-a-kind window display.  Taylor Galen from the Taylor Galen Workroom and I were paired with Regalo for the event.  This year’s theme is “Celebrating Atlanta” and we had such a fun time collaborating and coming up with a theme.  There are six other windows being created by various designers and showrooms and each has a different theme centered around our wonderful city. 

Here is a little sneak peek of our design at Regalo.  I’ll share the rest of the design later this week after it has been revealed in the showroom…

 

Windows on Design opens on November 1, 2001 and runs through November 16, 2011.  It is self-guided and can be spread over the two weeks or easily done in a day.  There is a passport to guide you through each display.  You can pick up your “passport” at any location  I encourage you to get the passport stamped at each location because a drawing will be held and one lucky person will win an Atlanta Staycation.  Your stamped passport will be your ticket to win.  For more info about Windows on Design please Click Here.

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GIVEAWAY!!

Taylor and I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway with a little piece of our display.  We are giving away two 18x18 pillow covers that we are using in the display. 

 

These pink and citrine trellis pillow covers were custom made by the Taylor Galen Workroom and would be beautiful in a guest room or a little girl’s room. 

You have until midnight on Wednesday,November 16th to enter the giveaway.  We will draw the winner on Friday, November 18th.  

There are a few ways to enter the giveaway.  If you do all 4 you will have 4 times the chance of winning…

1.  Leave a comment on this post. 

2.  Visit Taylor’s Blog and leave a comment on her blog. 

3.  Visit our display at Regalo Antiques and leave your name and email address at the showroom with the manager.

4.  Tweet about our giveaway.

Good luck!

LiveJournal Tags: design collective atlanta,taylor galen workroom,regalo antiques,window on design

Quiet Time

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:18

Do you think our neighbours would care?

This was too funny not to post. Do you think our neighbours would mind if I did this next year? I think a flash mob would break out. Get Oscar to learn some dance moves. ;)

dog days

At the risk of going into overkill on the whole autumn,/dog in the forest thing, I would just like to inform you that not only is young Ghetto home for the weekend (considerably larger!) , but we also have a certain Gaston to stay for a few days too.  A dog weekend.!!

All three born with 6 weeks of each other, hence the names beginning with G, and each one as unheeding of my commands as the other.....  sigh ....

After a few very noisy attempts at a group portrait, I surrendered and took them off for a walk.  The forest was as unbearably crowded as usual (ie: me, the dogs and the girls on horseback!) , but what else do you expect on a Saturday afternoon?

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

true French luxury

In the heart of Montmartre, Paris, there is a tall building where the lights often burn late at night.  Home to a name that epitmoises French luxury better than and other.   Lesage.  They don't design dresses, they just embroider.

They embroider for queens and princesses, they embroider for Chanel, Dior, Schiaparelli,  YSL, Lanvin and Worth.  Each bead, each sequin sewn on individually and by hand.

This is  the address that the great designers turn to, when fantastic embroidery is needed to make a piece shine and dazzle.   Founded in 1924, the current Monsieur Lesage is over 80 years old.   He says he can't sew, his skill is the interpretation of designer's dreams.  When Yves Saint Laurent called him to ask for embroidery "that would look like the reflection of my chandelier against a dark rainy window",  he knew where to start.
 

Even Monsieur Louboutin requires their services

And the really amazing news, especially to those of you who like to embroider, is that there is a Lesage school, and they run classes at all levels.  So when you're next in Paris, why not do something totally off the tourist track and check in to a 3 hour beading class, in the house of a master of the craft.

Now that would make a good souvenir de Paris!

Stamp Winners

Because so many people commented on the stamp post, I thought announcing that I drew the names for the custom stamp giveaway was appropriate. Winners Screen Names are: Sundeep @ Designwali, Carrie, Bronwyncotter  and Kate! Double check to see if your comment won!

If you want your own stamp still, now is the time to get it because as I mentioned earlier take advantage of 30% off the stamps when you enter in the code BLOGGERSALE. It ends Sunday at midnight and won't happen again in 2011. Partially because the stamps take awhile to make, so advertising them any later than November, and it's a bit of a rush. So honestly grab one now for your Holiday Cards. Stamps available here. Little drawstring Bags available here.

Have a great weekend. xo Lindsay

Ps., If a stamp isn't claimed by next Wednesday then I'll re-draw. :)

pinning the right colour - a weekend wishlist

You may have sensed from the posts this week that I am looking for comfort at this change of season.  It shows in the house too.  I'm needing a bit of a change in my colour schemes here.  Definitely wanting to go towards grey, hoping to avoid taupe, wanting something warm and welcoming.

Drawn to natural fabrics, linen, chanvre, maybe a little velvet.   A mix of old and new.

I am collecting snippets from here and there, each time I see an image and think ah! that would be nice to live with.

If I could take myself seriously enough I'd call this my mood board, but  then I'd worry about what that is saying about my mood, so I won't call it that.

I can see where this is all  leading me, I'm going to have to start 'pinning'.  I actually started the pinning account, but managed to lose it quite promptly, so I'm waiting to be invited back in and then I'll be up there  pinning with the best of them.

I think you're going to hate this fire, but I adore it.   We have several open fireplaces here and  I've been looking for original fire guards for years, but have never seen these before.   A sort of metal interior shutter design.   Pinned to the wishlist! 

I wish you a warm and comforting weekend, 

may all your pinned dreams become reality!

all photos thanks to campagne er decoration