Lens-Artists #383, Looking back at #174 – Shapes and Designs

3 februari, 20262 februari, 2026 / Leya / 37 kommentarer

Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story, not just to sum everything up.

― Tate Linden

Tina leads the challenge this week and she looks for shapes and designs. I believe the most common and the most used designs and shapes all originate from the natural world. If we manage well to copy them or be inspired by them, the results might be harmonious shapes and useful, beautiful designs.

Who hasn’t walked along a beach collecting beautiful shells? We admire their shape and structure and marvel at the power of nature.

This colourful tangle is intricate galls made by a gall wasp for its larvae – and Seattle offered a Chihuly version!

The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living.

– Harry Bertoia

Lotus and water lilies are important symbols and loved shapes in art ever since ancient times –

– here in the modern, immersive exhibition of Tutanchamon.

Be like a lotus. Let the beauty of your heart speak. Be grateful to the mud, water, air, and the light.

– Amit Ray

The structures beneath belongs to the very much used and loved ones in everyday life – originally designed by a spider. If you have walked into a spider web once, you know how incredibly strong it is.

Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.

– Albert Schweitzer

Wonderful, isn’t it? Mother Nature will always be our master; for beauty, for harmony, and for the durability of construction. Many great artists declare they are deeply influenced by Nature, and one of them is Gaudí – my favourite. In my book, I believe every artist owe his or her skills to the natural world.

Design is not for philosophy it’s for life.

– Issey Miyake

Thank you for a great challenge, Tina, and many thanks to those who joined us last week in response to Egidio’s “Rejected” challenge. Wonderful! Finally, we hope to see you next week when Beth will lead us once again on her Wandering Dawgs site. Until then, please stay safe, be kind and enjoy every new day. We look forward to seeing your responses, and remember to link to Tina’s post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.

Lens-Artists Challenge #363 – Virtual Scavenger Hunt

30 augusti, 202530 augusti, 2025 / Leya / 41 kommentarer

This week Anne is taking us for a scavenger hunt – some great fun to be had! Visit Anne’s post for more about rules and inspiration. I searched my archives and these are some of her guidelines that I used:

Wheel, cirkular, some cool morning jewellery,

and some very green eyes…

Something glass – behind glass too (Chihuly), and something with water in it – Water Library (Roni Horn) in Iceland.

The coolest shadow I have ever caught was in Segovia.

Art supplies in Beijing and in a studio in Sweden.

Something with a design and something with a pattern.

Be creative and bold, Anne says, but most of all, have fun! She urges us to find at least five images, but no more than ten! Please be sure to link back to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. This will be a fun challege to see what you have scavenged!

Many thanks to Beth, for getting us in a sports mood last week. Next week Ritva will be back so
be sure to visit her site for inspiration. In the meantime, stay safe and be kind.

Camilla Thulin – Wear, If You Dare!

8 juli, 2016 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

This rainy day was made for an outing – with darling Viveka at myguiltypleaures. She can make any day shine… We decided for Dunkers and the famous designer Camilla Thulin.

Dunkers

Camilla Thulin loves luxury ”second hand” and started collecting clothes and accessories at an early age. Today she is a famous fashion designer and her clothes are worn by actors as well as singers and other people in the Swedish world of artists.

She also has her own name in fashion and in the world of classy underwear.

The definition of ”Kaftan”, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a man’s long belted tunic, worn in countries of the Near East. It could also mean a woman’s long loose dress, or a loose shirt or top.

She started collecting folklore when she was 14

Details in a Chinese jacket

Camilla Thulin declares her fascination for this garment, and in the exhibition hall there are kaftans of her design as well as kaftans from her own collection of second hand and folklore clothes from Morocco, Turkey and Palestine, among others.

Details of belt

Kaftans can be worn by both women and men

For the scene, her collection is vast – some examples are ”Piaf”, ”Evita” and ”Amadeus”.

In an earlier post, I mentioned her clothes for Army of Lovers. In this Dunkers’ exhibition there was also a dress made for our Swedish jazz singer, Lisa Nilsson, worn at the Crown Princess’ wedding.