Releasing Bluebirds

Why so much felicity Bluebird?

Is it the glint and flick of sapphire as you caper the sky?

Or the truth of the happiness you herald us by?

Ok, not exactly Tennyson but I do try.

Bluebird Tea Towels

Truly thou, I do implore.

Bluebirds are the poster children of happiness but why? Years ago at an auction, I bid exuberantly on a framed, hand-embroidered piece of passerines ... dipping and diving with the word “happiness” embroidered below .

it wasn’t until years later I actually realized the sentiment was “Bluebirds for Happiness”.

They are enchanting little creatures, fulgently blue. Mystifying to see. I gaze upon them with the same wide-eyed wonderment as Gerry from Corfu.

Harbingers of happiness and sprites of the most brilliant blue.

So there’s this via googling:

The Iroquois believe that the bluebird is a harbinger of spring that fights off the evil demigod of winter, Tawiscaron. According to folklore, many Native Americans hung dry gourds to entice bluebirds to nest

near their settlements so they can enjoy their enchanting songs of happiness and hope.

Well, that says it all.

I’m going with that.

-Jennifer

SHOP THE COLLECTION

Embroidered “Happiness For Bluebirds” ...my auction win!

Bluebird Silk Scarf

Bluebird Velveteen Pillows

Bluebird Tea Towel

Bluebird Silk Scarf

Bluebird Velveteen Pillows

Bluebird Printed Backdrop with Gilded Cornice

Lofty Aspirations

Every creative needs a room of their own.

Just ask Ms. Woolf. Mine just so happens to be in a barn. Not quite on-par with the Biltmore of of the 1920’s,

but for me a luxury none the less.

Most days my studio is a cluttered, wayward explosion of projects,

colliding amidst inspiring gimcracks and brick-a-brack.

Other days it’s still a cluster, just of slightly more orderly chaos.

Rows of leaning paintings and backdrops ( in a moment of fleeting clarity) rolled as neatly as hedgerows.

Glamour is absent in a working space.

When spatial problems arise and grand notions beg for attention what's a girl to do?

I head the call and I expand ... and I expand upwards. Up to the barn loft above my workspace.

A place I can scheme and set scenes for my "lofty aspirations".

It's a place where large-scale backdrops and larger-than-life,

antique-fueled, painted portraits can hang about.

Personalities and landscapes come to life.

Most days I’m dwam-struck. Creating worlds of grandeur and escapes.

A place to be among the beau monde.

Or at least content to be the wallflower.

While just outside patiently waits the reality of work and chores to do,

A barrage of non-creative projects to tackle.

Sounds of the occasional lowing of the cloven hoofed

and tittering of feathered egg-layers are there to remind me this is just play.

But inside these four walls I can hold as much story and verbiage as a hard bound book. Setting scenes, creating stories, tiny little escapes.

An adventure filled existence. Unconventional daydreams.

A strange assortment of ideas, from old time and from new.

In that sense I’m probably a bit more Eustacia than Thomasin.

I'm drawn to the classics and the romance of it all.

Gilded objects against a dark canvas .

Glitter among the grit.

So I keep scheming and setting scenes in my old barn.

Classic motif’s and a "new class" of Neoclassical Victorian.

Grander stories with Dickensian plots...from the past, made anew.

- Jennifer

Larger-than-life painted portraits take center stage

Portrait Pillows Perching About

Larger-than-life backdrop by Jennifer Lanne

Petite Printed Backdrops

"Hunting Party" original painting with gold leaf edging

Barn Loft Chandelier

Cotton-canvas portrait pillows make for dandy guests

Large scale Dutch bloom paintings showing off their theatrical side

Sketchy portraits

Rose-in-hand painting studies

Cotton-canvas portrait tea towels

Barn loft settings

Top hats stealing a moment

Theatrical barn vignette

Velvet Rose photo by Carter Berg

His and Hers Portrait Pillows

Barn Loft

Theatrical Backdrop

Large Portrait Backdrop

"Muses" Amaranthine Gold painting by artist Jennifer Lanne

"Ophelia" portrait pillow

Moody table setting with portrait tea towels

Floral backdrops and landscapes

Painted Potraits

Launching Decorum

decorum (n.)

1560s, "that which is proper or fitting in a literary or artistic composition;" 1580s, "propriety of speech, behavior, or dress; formal politeness," from Latin decorum "that which is seemly," decorous "fit, proper, elegance, charm, to add grace, ornament."

Jennifer Lanne's Decorum Collection Pillows

Decorum.

I’ve always loved that word

There’s something so hoity-toity about it that I admire.

It puts order to chaos and rule to unruly.

It’s something that draws me to period shows and films.

I’m a sucker for proper procedure.

Stall worthy traditions, spit on a handshake. Following protocol, loyalty, integrity.

The classics, heirloom sensibility.

I'm old school like that.

I myself admit-ably am a work in "decorous" training.

ts probably why I just want more decorum in my life!

So behold!

This is has become a year to rewrite, purge, hone and edit.

To tell my own story.

A year to bestow birds to the takers and mercenaries

and to give gratitude to the givers.

A year to re-access what and who I want to be and surround myself with creatively.

What matters to me and my artistic soul...and what is right. As the Greeks say, “meraki”... putting something of yourself into with love

and purpose. More meaningful.

More Promethean if you will!

As always It’s the dark ages that bring about enlightenment and epiphanies.

What I keep coming back to as my true north:

My love of vintage, it runs deep.

Antique, classic motifs yet slightly frayed and leaning left of center... that’s me. A tongue-in-cheek approach to high brow decor.

I've been in desperate need of something that represents me, despite any lifeless metrics.

Maybe realizing that art and creating isn’t just what I do, but it’s who I am.

So what I'm really saying... is that I am back to producing my own new line of home decor!

If you were a fan of my Art At Home Collection

(that I founded way back when in 2015 with a hope and a dream) then I think this will be right up your alley.

Everything here is so near and dear to my heart. But I gotta tell you It’s quite the arduous process this creating.

On the surface I am that proverbial duck, cool, calm and collected...but under the surface I am paddling like hell.

It’s hard producing a line of goods.

I mean really hard.

As a one-woman show It’s especially hard still. From the inception on the artwork to finished product is about 1,000 little steps where troubleshooting becomes painfully cliche.

Pinching pennies and self-funding is a tricky dance with Peter and Paul. And then the rare days of rejoicing over happy accidents and wind at my back.

So I’m am grateful and sooo thankful for the passion and moxie of being a creator. It’s truly the flames licking at my heels.

It's been endless days building webpages. photography, formatting resizing, doing and redoing to the point of madness especially when you're not exactly tech savvy. Or when your left and right brains are in a constant battle. You don’t even want to hear me moan on about learning new art and pattern making programs. (double ugh)

I'm a total bumbling amateur in that respect.

But I do my best. Most times hubby is my creative director. He’s actually quite good at it... (but don’t tell him, I fear an eminent ego trip as he already won’t drink tap water, and will surely soon enough be requesting Perrier.)

But guess what?

I LOVE it.

I love the challenge.

I flippin‘ love it .

It's the most fulfilling thing.

To see something from start to finish.

It’s that proper procedure.

Doing what you say, saying what you do.

That the same hands that put the initial paint to canvas

are the ones to pack the finish product and ship it off to you.

So after 3 months of hoofin’ it and doin’ the hustle .....

and without further adieu,

I am here to announce my new line of exclusive home decor and objects with vintage appeal and heirloom sensibility!

Please enjoy a first look at my newly launched line

“Decorum" a seemly collection.

Only available at www.jenniferlanne.com

After all, everyone needs a little more “decorum”, right?!

-Jennifer

p.s. To anyone who told me I had integrity or that they were proud of me...or just simply took time to read this blog,

or have followed along my journey,

I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Blue Beguiled printed canvas backdrop

Silk Velvet Books

Decorum wrapping papers

Paperback Journals

Beauchamp printed backdrop

Canvas zippered pouch or "pochette"

Decorum wrapping papers

Saudade silk scarf

Decorum Wrapping Papers

Velveteen Pillows

Silk Velvet Debossed Books collaboration with The First Snow

Artist Jennifer Lanne