Saturday, January 31, 2015

Inspiration Nation - A Recent Euroland Adventure

When the year winds down to an end, the Adhesif Clothing shop closes up for a few weeks. This is when I get the chance for a much needed recharge of batteries & for a change in scenery.

...Every visual artist needs new imagery to be inspired by & Europe is a feast for the senses...



Once a year I get a break from my hectic 6 day work week schedule and 
I high tail it to Europe, my second home. 

I've been fortunate to have had the chance to do this now for the last 4 years and every year I choose a new place to visit I haven't yet been to. 

Earlier on in January, it was Florence Italy..




I figured out why all of the buildings are painted soft hues of butter yellow, cream and terracotta...when the sun sets, EVERYTHING turns the loveliest shade of pink!
It's like looking at the world through rose colored lenses...



I couldn't resist...
JUST LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT CHEESE?!?



The famous Ponte Vecchio bridge filled with dozens of small fine jewellery merchants along the inside walkway...





Oh gosh...this must be one of the cutest shop displays I've ever seen at Boutique Nadine, where you could find the handmade work of indie Florence Designers as well as some very 
cool vintage clothing & assesoire


So many cool boutiques with both eclectic & modern shop displays...



Italian leather...droooooool 



Those Vinyl record lights were too awesome...


Super cool cafe's on every corner but this one, 
a cafe Art Bar named Il Vinile (above) was my favorite! 
Their whole motif was 90's grunge metal and rock classics & the ESPRESSO! :-D
The caffeine junky/rock chic in me was totally stoked dude


There were some very interesting & at times interactive shop display windows. I really loved the fact that this shop (above) had the shop dressmaker sewing away in the window. I find there's a lot more appreciation for handmade craftsmanship in Europe generally speaking.
This I LOVE!


The winding back streets themselves had me finding some pretty trippy street art in the most unlikely of spaces... 







One of my favorite things to do in general is People watching. 
There's never a dull moment in a vibrant, bustling European city center.

A great way to pass the day while wandering the streets...




That talent of the chalk artist (above) totally blew my mind 



The inside of the Duomo...breathtaking







104 steps later...

 (pant pant) 


In our home away from home on the 5th floor of our air B & B with a view that made up for the workout...


Florence was vibrant, friendly & easy going place to visit and a great way to bring in the new year.
I highly recommend it

Now filled with a resurgence of inspiration and back to work, first things first...
A NEW DISPLAY wall! 
It was the first thing created at the Adhesif Clothing shop the very next day of arrival back into Vancouver...


Framed Pinocchio & Butter yellow wall display compliments of the influence of Firenze Tuscany.
Until next time Euroland & thanks...