Beth Dress by Lynn Mizono

First, head for coffee at the Farmer’s Market and then brunch. Keep it comfortable, but have some layers to take off as the day gets warmer. Wear flats or some amazing sandals and a chunky watch with a splash of color. Wear a cute fitted jacket. Check out the “Immutable Jacket” from Anthropologie in white. Maybe toss on a scarf for some more color, grab big sunglasses, and then a big bag to hold everything (the Sun Bag by Jutta Neumann would work great.)

Later in the afternoon, catch a movie (preferably a romantic comedy). Wear Chuck Taylors for a really casual look and throw on a hoodie; Lululemon has great casual ones.

Of course, there is dinner and drinks after the movie…which would require another pair of shoes! Little booties would be cute and very spring appropriate: Wear lovely long dangly gold earrings (Dana Melnick Scribble Earrings would be great.) For another option, choose a thin feather headband; just don’t match the booties.

One dress – three events – three great looks!

Many of you entrenched in the art or social media worlds are probably familiar with Willard Wigan’s “micro art”—incredibly tiny sculptures the artist creates on the head of the pin, the tip of an eyelash, or within the eye of a needle. I wasn’t familiar with Wigan until I saw him profiled on the “CBS Sunday Morning” show this week, and, like those who view his work through the rows of microscopes at his exhibits, I was filled with the same sense of wonder when viewing Wigan’s pieces. The scale of his work, how it’s created—it’s a delight to behold.

Cafe 1 by Vicki Reed

Later, I was telling my husband about these marvelous micro pieces and he joking asked, “Yeah, but is the sculpture any good?” His very left-brained question reminded me, however, that the wonder a work of art elicits is often more impactful than the sum of its parts. And it need not be of the “gasp-with-amazement” variety to make us take note.

The story unfolding in Vicki Reed’s hand-colored photograph “Cafe 1” always gives me pause. Likewise, I wonder at the detail of Julie Powell’s intricate beadwork and the amount of time it must take to create each piece, and the amazing turned wood vessels of Dewey Garrett and the transformation each of these pieces has made from tree to fine art sculpture. There’s a certain mystery behind these pieces that provides me with a sense of wonder—and I don’t even need a microscope.

Swirl Bib Necklace by Ellen Himic

I was just in New York on an unseasonably warm weekend, warm enough for women to dress like it was summer and preview what summer trends might be. What I saw again and again was the adoption of BIG necklaces, often looking like tribal collars or ceremonial neckpieces. These large pieces were teamed with strapless tops and dresses, drawing the eye away up toward the face and accenting suddenly bare shoulders. Now that my eye was trained to look for this style of necklace, I was delighted to find several examples on the Artful Home website, styles which had not caught my attention in the same way previously.

Ellen Himic’s “Swirl Bib Necklace” is a more delicate interpretation of this trend. The artist was inspired by an interpretation of the scrolling work found on Corinthian columns. The quartz crystals sparkling in the sun would be a perfect foil against bare skin.

Full Feather Necklace – Teal by Marna Clark

In a decidedly bolder form, Marna Clark’s “Full Feather Necklace” in Borosilicate Glass and Sterling Silver creates a stunning tribal-influenced neckpiece. Reminiscent of coral, these teal and blue individual glass feathers are lightweight, and have a surprisingly voluptuous feel and sound.

Danielle Gori-Montanelli’s “Lilypond Collar” is a fresh homage to spring, and can be worn as easily in the cooler months now as in the summer months ahead. Made of hand cut and sewn wool felt, this neckpiece lays gracefully on the neck and shoulders.

Whether inspired by flower leis, shell collections, or tribal neckwear, the arrival of a new approach to jewelry was so fresh – and made me start dreaming of my next “must” for summer.

Lilypond Collar by Danielle Gori-Montanelli

It is March, the daffodils are just thinking of poking out of the ground here in Madison, yet at Artful Home we are thinking Christmas. Christmas ornaments, to be specific. Somewhat unbelievably, it is the time of year when we solicit artists for ornaments for our Holiday collection, and jury from the hundreds and hundreds of submissions. This is a glimpse of what the beginning of the process looks like!

What we look for and how we make our decisions is a combination of art and science—with art always being the leader for us. We really do consider these ornaments to be individual miniature masterpieces—works which must maintain the same artistic integrity, craftsmanship, originality, and quality of all the artwork we sell. But most importantly, each ornament has to knock our socks off!

I met several new artists last month at the Philadelphia Buyer’s Market of American Craft and the American Crafts Council show in Baltimore, and am so pleased that so many of them sent in ornaments. What is most astonishing is the continued originality that artists exhibit, whether in colors, technique, form, or medium. From lampworked glass to hand-beaded figures, precious metal jewelry forms to carved wooden stars, painted ceramics to lifelike butterflies, new artists are bringing a whole new dimension to the 2010 collection.