I read an article today about the Heartworks Stitching Club, a community of craftswomen in Capetown, South Africa, that really struck a chord with me. The club was formed five years ago to empower local craftswomen, who today create pieced bears, pillows, hearts and tablecloths. What struck me was the distinct visual language these women have created, a language that is exuberant and childlike, with a masterful sense of composition.

The collaborative nature of handwork in textiles has led to so many similar developments of visual languages by groups of craftswomen. At the absolute opposite end of the spectrum in terms of style from the Heartworks Stitching Club is the work of Amish quiltmakers, which I recently had the pleasure of seeing at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.

From a faith that embodies the principles of simplicity, humility, discipline, and community, this group of Amish women have created quilts which transform humble fabrics into complex expressions of color and abstract form.

What is it about quilting bees, stitching clubs, knitting circles, and weaving communities that emboldens and empowers women to develop a collaborative language with singular voices? Often lumped into the potentially demeaning term of “women’s handcrafts”, the truth is that textile arts clearly enable women to express themselves and join forces to create work which is meaningful, and greater than the sum of its individual parts.

If I was asked to describe the work environment of my dreams, I would immediately conjure up a light-filled space filled with vibrant people, stimulating art, and dogs. (Yes, dogs, as I have found that dog-friendly workplaces help to break the tension and keep people grounded.) Imagine my joy at walking into the reality of that workplace, the offices of the Level Playing Field Institute
in San Francisco.

LPFI is a non-profit organization dedicated to fairness: to removing barriers to fairness in higher education to the economically disadvantaged. They help talented students be better prepared for success in higher education and the workplace through scholarship, mentoring, internship and peer counseling programs. What they are doing is so encouraging and life affirming.

Knoop I by Josh Urso

Upon walking in to the offices, one is immediately greeted by one or more dogs, dogs who come to the office everyday and who clearly run the place. These rambunctious characters have many art dogs surrounding them, including “Pop Dog” by Mitch and Susie Levin, which graces the large conference room wall.

Wherever you turn within LPFI’s offices, there is art, all of it extremely tactile. At the entry gathering spot, rather than a traditional corporate coffee table, the founders have placed a Josh Urso “Knoop Table“, letting you know immediately that this is no cookie-cutter sterile office experience.

Autumn Rust Canopy by Tim Harding

Tim Harding’s voluptuous pieces silk pieces adorn one office wall, providing color, texture and the suggestion of the importance of creativity in the workplace.

With a name like Artful Home, we tend to talk a lot about art for the home for obvious reasons, but visiting the LPFI offices made me wonder why more companies don’t see the value of bringing original art into the workplace. Most of us spend more of our waking time in our offices than in our homes, and the benefits to the soul of being surrounded by art most certainly have productivity benefits to the workplace.

Would you like your dog featured in a work of art? Artful Home is holding a search for up to twenty dogs to be included in Jane Troup’s next painting. If you or someone you know has a photogenic pet, please:

• By March 15, post a picture of your dog on our Facebook fan page
• Email a copy of the picture to dogs@artfulhome.com
  (If you don’t use Facebook, you can simply email the picture.)

Artful Home and Jane Troup will pick the winners by March 22. If your dog is selected, we’ll contact you with instruction for pictures of your pet from specific angles.

Don’t miss this chance to have your pet featured in a work of art. If you don’t have a dog but know someone who does, please let your friends know by forwarding this email on!

I have recently returned from Baltimore, where I had been invited to speak at this year’s "Synergy 2" conference, a conference dedicated to artists who work in polymer clay. What’s polymer clay? You might know of it as "Fimo" or "Sculpey", a medium which has the incredible qualities of intense color possibilities, tremendous plasticity, and ease of curing. Because of its association with children’s art, it is a medium that is not always taken with the degree of seriousness it deserves, as I saw well at this conference. I was exposed to the work of dozens of artists, from fantastic to surreal, elegant to playful.

We are fortunate at Artful Home to represent artists who show off the wide range of possibilities in polymer, from the tiniest, most intricate work to large scale pieces. The most common application of the medium is jewelry, because of the ability to create exceptionally tiny details in color and form. Carolyn Tillie’s"Speckled Cupcake Pendant" shows off the artist’s ability to create a perfect miniature object.

Sun and Shade Wall Hung Cabinet
by J.M. Syron & Bonnie Bishoff

Far less common is the use of polymer clay in the furniture by J.M. Syron and Bonnie Bischoff. The "Sun and Shade Wall Hung Cabinet" has veneered doors covered in patternwork created in polymer clay. Pattern is created using a combination millefiore and marquetry techniques, techniques borrowed from glassblowing and furniture making! The pearlescent, opaque and translucent claysare combined with the mastery of a painter.

One of the newest polymer clay artists on our site is Sue Savage, whose use of the material shows yet another approach. In her "Sue Earrings", Savage uses an almost freeform painterly style, showing a looseness and abstraction uncommon to the medium.

As with all newer materials, polymer clay is going to continue to take time for people to appreciate it, as it does not have the same name recognition as porcelain, gold or glass. However, the beauty that artists have shown they can create with it makes it worthy of your consideration. I know it has mine!

Though your bedroom may be mere footsteps from the joyful clatter of family life and the insistent to-dos of the home office, you can turn it into a place of escape that feels a million miles away. As you begin to design the retreat of your dreams, trust your senses and give free rein to your imagination. Here more than anywhere, perfection should be the least of your concerns.

Instead, make comfort and simplicity the keynotes of the one room where you can fully relax. Accommodate your need for warmth, soothing light, and refuge from the day’s demands as effortlessly as possible. Think soft bedding and richly textured floor covering, lamps you can reach from beneath the covers, and a welcoming chair to nestle in. With these fundamentals in place, you can begin adding accents that reflect and celebrate your truest self.

Heaps of laundry are bound to fray your nerves. On the other hand, that pile of books by your bed may delight you. If so, highlight the books with a fabulous lamp, and corral the stray clothes in a beautiful basket. Use wardrobes, chests, and boxes to provide safe harbor for the other unsightly detritus of daily life. These pieces give a room structure, and can be wonderfully expressive in their own right.

Once your clutter is under control, ruthlessly remove gratuitous ornament. Treat the souvenirs of your inner life to a little extra breathing room, and display only those things you can count on to make you smile. These might be favorite photos of loved ones, flowers from your garden, or objects gathered on your travels.

Having established calm and order, you make room to dream—and here original artwork can truly shine. Simple furnishings clad in muted colors and thoughtful accent lighting paired with a painting provide drama. Paintings and prints

Imagine ending each day bathed in the soft light of a handmade lamp. Dreaming in a bed that supports your spirit—as well as your weary back. Waking to artwork that speaks to your heart. Imagine how wonderful it would feel to begin each day in a room that sustains your soul.

Decorating a small space requires a keen eye so that every element shines. Even beauty on a palatial scale hinges on the small harmonies hiding inside the big picture. In interior design parlance, the word "vingette" describes a small scene or composition within a larger design. These small, focused arrangements deftly establish a mood, explore a theme or tell a story.

The key for many small spaces is ruthless editing. Picture a console table covered end to end with knick-knacks. Surely you’d still notice its beautifully shaped base. But would the complexity of the wood grain command the same attention? Against a boldly patterned wall, would the subtle layering and shading in the artwork be as compelling?

Furnishings and objects always reveal their beauty within an environment, like gems in a setting. They work in concert with the colors chosen for walls, trim, and ceiling; the surrounding materials and textures; the shape of the space; and the prevailing light. A whole host of visual considerations accompanies a handful of objects.

As you craft a meaningful vingette in your own home, taking photographs throughout the process will help you evaluate your space with clear eyes. This is particularly helpful when you have lived in a home long enough to lose sight of its features and quirks.

You may be surprised to find that the unadorned windows you like so well are making the room look extremely stark. Perhaps your velvet sofa looks more mousy than luxurious because there isn’t enough contrast between it and the color of the wall.

If you feel something is lacking or out of balance in your budding vingette, keep a photo to guide you until you find the elusive detail that will tie it together. When you are satisfied at last, you may be delighted to discover that your photo would look right at home in the pages of a design book or magazine. Of course, no matter how wonderful the photo, the greatest reward for your efforts will be living in and enjoying your own artful home.

Everybody has quirks, from hidden depths of feeling to unexpected outbursts of wit. As we move through the world, our personalities reveal themselves in gestures large and small. The places we live, on the other hand, are not always so distinctive. Some rooms are boxy and featureless, defined strictly by rectangles and right angles. Other rooms are filled with furnishings and accessories that perfectly reflect the decorating crazes of the moment, but confide very little about the inhabitant’s true passions.

When you bring artwork into your home, your own personality bubbles up to the surface. Just one imaginative, well-crafted piece can make an indelible mark on the space. consider "Autumn’s Throne" forged by sister-and-brother blacksmiths by Rachel and Tim Miller. No more seat, it’s a magical landscape caught in the moment before fall turns to winter. The artists have used the ancient, still thriving tradition of metalsmithing to pay tribute to beauty and change in the natural world. Only five of these limited-edition chairs exist, which makes each one all the more special.

Is this chair practical? Probably not, if you need a matched set of four, six, or eight for your dining room.

Is this chair an extravagance? Some might think so. It certainly would be wasted if cast in the minor role of attention-grabbing conversation piece or pretty scenery. Like any complicated, multilayered character, this memorable chair can carry a lot more weight and meaning than that.

Is this chair valuable? Yes, incalculably, if it embodies ideas you hold dear, provides enduring satisfaction, and reveals a tiny but about what makes your heart beat faster. William Morris, the nineteenth-century father of the Arts and Crafts movement, famously advised "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." The true worth of "Autumn’s Throne", or any piece created by an artist, lies in its power to make a statement—not simply as a decorative focal point, but, more eloquently, as a passionate declaration of belief.

Natalie Blake’s ceramic pieces employ the use of otherworldly color and design on familiar forms. She is influenced by the sea and the ancient tradition of telling stories via the vessel form, often incorporating hand-rolled sea urchins and anemones into her designs. "I love the versatility of clay and the endless possibilities that present themselves daily in my studio," Blake says. "The more I discover clay as the landscape of my creativity, the more insatiable the journey becomes."

Each vessel is thrown in porcelain clay; texture is carved with a metal tool. Blake then rubs the relief details free of the glaze she’s applied so that the porcelain clay is exposed. Finally, the pieces are fired to 2,300 degrees, which gives them an antiqued appearance.

The word "texture" derives from a Latin word meaning "to weave". It works on multiple levels, referring both to the surface characteristics of an object and to the less apparent ways that structure emerges from a gathering of individual threads.

Each material or medium possesses its own essential character. Fiber and wood are warm and nurturing, while glass is clean, utilitarian, and a platform for color. Stone is strong and stable. Metal is cool and decorative. Clay is earthy and elemental. Within each category, however, each material can display infinite nuances of texture. Wood can be varnished to a high gloss or left unsanded. Glass can be pocked and cloudy or crystal clear.

The rooms or vignettes in your home are compositions where furnishings, artwork, and other objects complement, connect with, even converse with each other. Compelling textural relationships can make the difference between rooms that merely match and rooms that have depth and soul.

A matter of degree
Like a color, a certain type of texture can dominate or work as an accent. Consider the big wooden bowls, chunky baskets, or curvy stoneware vessels—all rather rough hewn. Put them in a similarly rugged setting, complete with wide-plank floors, furniture with weathered painted finishes, and couches clad in canvas slipcovers, and you’ll have a laid-back and comfortable living room. Now picture the same pieces in a room defined by terrazzo floors and clean-lined furnishings. A few handmade, organic touches, all from the same texture family, quickly warm up a cool, contemporary space.

Theme and variation
In the above image, carefully chosen textures textures and harmonious colors support the arrangement’s overall theme of color and drama. The recycled metal BroadWay Armchair by Boris Bally pairs cool metal fabrication and clean lines. This compliments the fiber rope loops of the Knoop I coffee table by Josh Urso.

Glass artist Josh Simpson’s vision is as vast as the universe, an unlimited landscape that stretches from the mysteries of the ocean to the far reaches of space. Since he began to explore the secrets of his ancient craft more than 30 years ago, Simpson has created a persona every bit as fantastic as his remarkable work.

"I can’t say that I had a detailed life plan when I was first captivated by glassblowing, or had any notion of where it would take me," Simpson laughs. " Even now, I never know quite where I’m going until I look back and see the progress."

Self-taught, Simpson used his life savings, which totaled $306, to rent an isolated tract of land in Vermont, land-build a studio, sew himself an 18-foot cloth tipi to live in, then set about cracking the secret of iridescent Tiffany glass. He succeeded, and then moved on to develop a reputation as one of the foremost contemporary glassblowers in America.

Simpson has become particularly well know for his Planets. This evolving series suggests intricately detailed miniature worlds, reminiscent of the rounded shape of the Earth as photographed from space. And if his imaginings about space and the nature of the universe ever grow dim, he can turn to his wife, astronaut Cady Coleman, for firsthand inspiration.

Megaplanet (Large) by Josh Simpson

As an extension of his Planets, Simpson developed Megaworlds, a series of large, heavy glass sculptures. To create a Megaworld, Simpson must direct his skilled glass team in a precise, carefully choreographed collaborative effort.

"We look like a bunch of football players trying to do ballet. It’s a challenge to control an 80-pound ball of molten glass on the end of a five-foot-long blowpipe; the physics are definitely working against you. My team knows what to do, working through experience and few words. You must be precise and graceful, as well as extremely strong, because the glass is so responsive and alive."