Rosé time • watercolor sketch
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Rosé + olives + cheese + fruit + bread = happy Bastille Day! The day started off with a Manifestation Taurine – running of the bulls – in the nearby village of Noves…apparently a Provençal tradition from the Camargue region farther south. Now it’s time for some relaxing on the terrace in the late afternoon sunshine with a bottle of Domaine Tempier Rosé. The cigales are buzzing away in the background. Salut & cheers!
happy 4th! from S. france
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Bounty of berries : ) at the marché agricole in Velleron. So happy to be back in the land of sunshine, delicious food, vivid colors, amazing landscape + light + sky, and general joie de vivre. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting more soon. Salut & happy celebrating! Bonne fête!
S. france • ma maison for now
Monday, July 2, 2012
Took the TGV down from Paris to Avignon. I love traveling by train and watching the countryside go by (whiz by, what with the speedy TGV). I also love seeing how the landscape and buildings change from region to region. I’m always amazed by the variety of landscapes here…each region is so distinct. The light gets brighter and sky more vivid blue as you travel farther south.
paris ♥
Sunday, July 1, 2012
While wandering the streets of the Île Saint-Louis, I happened upon this shop/atelier devoted to the calligraphy arts. The artist-proprietor, Eric de Tugny, is a calligrapher and insect illustrator.
Love this!…more of Eric de Tugny’s illustration work on metal signage which hangs above the shop.
Upper left: the shop window display featuring his latest book, Insectes & Compagnie; assorted calligraphic nibs and Venetian glass dip pens. Right & lower photos: an entire wall of his shop is adorned with decorative fan mail.
lunch in paris • watercolor sketch
Friday, June 29, 2012
After eating beaucoup de jambon & fromage sandwiches on the go…it’s a welcomed treat to sit down and enjoy a tasty lunch. We feasted happily on fresh salads & salmon at the Rose Bakery on the Rue des Martyrs in the 9th. Yum…beautiful to behold too-such vivid color on the plate! And the sweet & savory baked goods are oh-so-delicious and enticing in a rustic way.
j’adore paris
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
And especially the Jardin du Luxembourg in summertime…where it stays light well into the evening – I snapped this photo around 9pm last night…strolling the garden with ice cream cone in hand : ) la vie est belle.
The Medici Fountain in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Gorgeousness abounds here. Further down the path I stumbled upon a small orchard of apple & pear espaliers…delight.
Even the clouds here are dazzling…as they march across the summer sky.
Gerhard Richter rocks the Pompidou with his amazing paintings. The retrospective exhibition celebrates his 80th birthday.
Gerhard Richter’s clouds.
He says: A lot of people find other media more attractive – put a video screen in a museum and nobody wants to look at the painting anymore. But painting is my profession, because it has always been the thing that interested me the most. And now I’m of a certain age, I come from a different tradition and, in any case, I can’t do anything else. I’m still very sure that painting is one of the most basic human capacities, like dancing and singing, that make sense, that stay with us, as something human.
Photos & sketches by Elizabeth Hubbell.
greek feast • menu
Monday, June 18, 2012
Every year, around the summer solstice, we have a neighborhood dinner party in Susie + Eduardo’s beautiful Berkeley garden. Usually there’s a theme to keep the menu cohesive – one year it was French pique-nique, where everyone dressed up in vintage costumes to re-enact Renoir’s painting, The Boating Party. This year’s theme was Go Greek, with a re-enactment of the Parthenon Frieze…all of us dressed up in the God/Goddess of our choice. We try to source the food from within 100 miles of Berkeley, which isn’t too difficult given the abundance of neighborhood gardens & markets w/ local produce. For this year’s menu, I painted cerulean/Aegean sea blue stripes for a bold pop of color on the feasting table.
And here we are…in full Greek God & Goddess-wear striking our respective poses. Styled and photographed by our dear friend & neighbor, artist & muralist extraordinaire, Eduardo Pineda…he also made the horses at each end of the frieze.
fresh off the press • wine labels
Friday, June 15, 2012
Petit Renard Vineyard got its name from the little red fox that hangs out amid the terraced grapevines and on the vigneron-proprietor, Jill Stewart’s backyard porch. Inspiration for the wine label comes from Aesop’s fable, The Fox and the Grapes. Letterpress printed in rich cabernet red ink with matte antique gold border.
Along with the front & back wine labels, calling cards were printed using the same hand-drawn illustration of the little fox & grapes.
Caffe Luxxe cards
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Freshly illustrated & letterpress printed, you’ll find these cards when you visit any one of the three Caffe Luxxe locations in West LA. Luxuriate with a cup of coffee as you pen a note on these bright white, 100% cotton, tree-free cards.
Next time you’re in LA and fixin’ for coffee, be sure and stop by Caffe Luxxe • three fabulous locations: Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, the Brentwood Country Mart in Brentwood and San Vicente Blvd. in LA.
Coco, our beloved Bernese Mtn. dog pup and studio apprentice, has deemed the order fit for delivery.
spring!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The press & studio have been humming along lately with sundry fun & interesting projects. One of which is Olive’s 3rd birthday party invitation – designed as a pocketbook and inspired by vintage Dick & Jane books. Written and illustrated by Erin Cochran, Olive’s über-talented mother. The 8-page booklet is printed in velvety black letterpress ink and hand-stitched with Japanese silk marigold yellow ribbon. The finish calligraphy on the envelope is the delicious icing on the cake – calligraphy by Michele Papineau. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting more photos of the little book in its full splendor soon!
It’s a real joy working together with Olive’s mother & grandmother on these projects. Each year brings something new and inspiring. You can see our little history together here. Happy Birthday Olive!
kauai sketchbook 2
Monday, February 20, 2012
There’s a big grassy area right before the sandy drop-off to the beach that’s ideal for sketching – with open views to the deep blue Pacific. The colors of the ocean are mesmerizing…especially the aquamarine. I found a nice shady spot beneath a tree to sit and sketch and take it all in.
A super rough sketch of the view from our lanai – looking out across the vast ocean.
Bare feet in warm sand. Happiness.
The night sky is dazzling here. Inky blue black with brilliant stars – Venus is especially bright. Thoughts of ancient mariners finding their way…guided by the stars, sun, moon & planets. I love this quote by John Muir: Whatever special nests we make; leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone, we all dwell in a house of one room with the starry firmament for our roof.
kauai sketchbook
Friday, February 17, 2012
Nothing like a mini tropical getaway to nourish and rejuvenate the soul (and take the edge off winter!). The whole island is a garden of extraordinary earthly delights. Amazing flora & fauna growing both wildly and in the local gardens. I spent some time marveling (and sketching) the abundantly lush plant life at the national tropical botanical garden. I’m inspired to create a line of botanical letterpress + watercolor cards with bold floral patterns.
A favorite spot for bodysurfing, soaking up the sun and watching the waves. Brennecke’s Beach was pretty much wiped out when hurricane Iniki hit in 1992 – the sand has (mostly) returned to its shores.
We’ve been hitting the moveable feast of farmer’s markets as they make their way from town to town around the island. Papaya with vanilla yogurt and coco-nutty granola is a breakfast staple. YUM.
happy valentine’s day!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Hot pink hibiscus flower photo taken at the tropical botanical garden here on the lush ‘n lovely island of Kauai.
fabulous fuchsia
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Happy new year! 2012 is off to a bold & bright start with Mary Ann & Garret’s Napa Valley wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. Sumptuously shot by photographer Julie Mikos, the photos capture the intimacy and magic of the festivities. Orchestrated with her characteristic panache and eye for detail, Dee Merz is the event designer extraordinaire.
The happy couple amid the vineyards. Working with Mary Ann & Garret on their wedding paper goods was a real treat. Super friendly, fun and flair-boyant : ) Congratulations Mary Ann + Garret ! ♥
The feasting menu featured the local bounty of Napa Valley in mid-summer. And feast your eyes upon this dreamy cake…made by the amazing artisan bakers at Perfect Endings.
happy thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
I am truly grateful for my clients, friends and family. Thank you for your support, loyalty, love and friendship.
Studio snapshots above: pumpkin prints on press. The beautiful calligraphy is the hand of Michele Papineau. It’s always a pleasure collaborating on our annual Thanksgiving card together.
