Montreal discoveries

Sometimes we tend to forget the little gems that our own city can hold. In my case, it's been a while since I've been out and about in Montreal to discover new things. On a sunny sunday afternoon while taking a walk on the very artsy Avenue Laurier, I stumbled upon this exceptional ceramic workshop/studio/boutique called Gaïa Céramique. 

The creations were displayed in a very museum-like setting which really emphasized the beauty of all the ceramic artwork.

The pothole gardener

An interesting art/experiment project that highlights London's terrible road conditions in a very creative way. The talented artist Steve Wheen, turns the much hated pothole into something you actually want to stop and look at. The potholes that grace the streets of London are tastefully transformed into mini gardens that certainly don't fail to impress. The artist came up with this project as part of a university course. It gained much media and public attention over the time. 

These gardens are created on very quiet streets, dead end lanes or footpaths. He showcases all of his work and up to date information on his very visual blog. Definitely worth saving to your favorites! I hope to see more of these marvelous gardens.

String Gardens

Fedor Van der Valk, is the artist behind the famous string gardens that have garnished the posts of many blogs. They are beautiful and exude a sort of whimsical feel. The sceneries from these pictures seem to come straight out of a Lewis Caroll book. I admire his work very much, it easily combines the playfulness of art and the beauty of nature.  These creations could also make an interesting DIY project.

Starting the year with a wishlist

My first wishlist for 2012. I hope to turn these into a weekly thing.

1. YesStyle 2. Aldari Art 3. Terrain 4. Copper River Bags 5. Terrain 6. FranDesignLab 7. YesStyle

Independent coffee shops, the impossible dream?

Hi!

For my dear friends who have been a part of my wild crazy ideas lately, you must know very well what the term coffee shop signifies to me. A dream. Something that I absolutely, truly, dearly wanted to own! It didn't take to long for me to put my two feet back down to earth. Owning an independent coffee shop is one of the riskiest businesses today. The competition is just to strong. Sadly, here in Montreal we seriously lack original concepts. Unique and artistic cafés that also have an atmosphere to offer. However, I understand why that is the case. Many fail due to their "overly cozy" nature, people spend two dollars on a coffee and can spend hours in the shop. That is fine for big chains, but for a starting business it is unfortunately a sure fired downfall. It is all about sales. Alas, I put that dream on pause for now, and started blogging.... Because hey, if you can't own a coffee shop, you can at least own a blog that rants about them :P

Beautiful still form Hyer Images.

I'm discovering such beautiful blogs ever since I started this whole experience. The photo right above is from Annaleenas Hem, stop by if you can, stunning content and lots of talent. One of the reasons I adored the idea of having my own shop, is because of the many possibilities it creates to expose unique art. Some of the most stunning pieces of art I've seen so far happened to be displayed in cafés.  I recently discovered an artists who's works are just mind blowing. Shayna Leib, a sculptural glass artist that truly explores all the beauty this amorphous solid material has to offer. I'd love to have her pieces in my own home!