THE ARtISTRY OF SPRING
Spring’s arrival always gets a warm welcome from me, even if it comes on the heels a winter where we got off pretty easy, except for that last hurrah of a storm we had in March. The palette and patterns of the season feel refreshing and rejuvenating—exactly what we need right now.
Artists have an especially beautiful way of seeing the season. One of my favorites is St. Paul painter Suyao Tian, who has an MFA from MCAD. Her main medium is watercolor, which she uses in brilliant interpretations of botanicals and other small creatures (see an example of her work below). As if that weren’t fun enough, the MDD team is going big, quite literally, with Suyao’s artwork in a wallcovering by Minneapolis-based Area Environments for The Finch, a multifamily project in Edina. Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, get a sense of the idea in our work for The Finch’s sister building, The Fred—here with a wallcovering by Austin, Texas-based artist Andrea Pramuk. Andrea describes her work as bringing together interests such as biology, geology, and spirituality, which you sense in this design.
Not every idea needs to be this big. One of my favorite ways to refresh a room, as you know, is through flowers—see a few of my team’s favorite sources (some with flower arranging courses) below. Flowers, after all, are nature’s works of art—and they’re an easy, elegant way to celebrate spring.
Design Moment: The Harlequin X Sophie Robinson fabric collection dropped last fall, but we think its colorful character—with patterns like Wiggle, Jewel Beetles, Wilderness, Garden Terrace, and Wonderland Floral—has the perfect vibe for spring.
Local Artisan: We are always on the lookout for art by Suyao Tian at the annual MCAD Art Sale, and MDD is going all in on her colorful approach with a wallcovering by Area Environments in the common/co-work spaces at The Finch multifamily project in Edina. And talk about surrounded by talent: Suyao is just one of many Twin Cities artists in this wallcovering collection.
Seasonal Extra: I learned about Sip N Bloom floral arranging classes through my team—hosted several times in upcoming weeks at breweries and distilleries like Fulton and Tattersall, and on Mother’s Day at the Hewing Hotel. Or, would you rather leave your botanicals to the experts? Our favorite flower shops include Arts & Flowers and Spruce, both in Minneapolis, and Ergo and Apricot in St. Paul.
Seasonal Drink: Springtime in Paris sounds pretty dreamy, but little pleasures like the Parisian Daiquiri are the closest many of us (myself included) will get! What makes this cocktail perfect for spring is the St-Germain liqueur, which is made with fresh elderflowers picked by hand each spring. Place 1 bar spoon of sugar and ¾ oz. fresh lime juice into a shaker and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then pour in ¾ oz. St-Germain and 1½ oz. light rum, add ice, and shake vigorously until the drink is chilled. Finely strain into a chilled coup glass.
Statement Piece: One of our favorite new furniture pieces is the sculptural Silas Lounge Chair by Last Ditch Design (whose founder and designer worked for years at Henrybuilt), which we’re using in a project right now. The color and feel of that Seed Mohair velvet is so good—it makes us think of moss on the forest floor.
Seasonal Fashion: Flowers are a fashion staple. Even though most of us won’t go as bold as this exquisite example from Gucci’s “The Epilogue” campaign (by creative director Alessandro Michele and photographed by none other than Minneapolis’ own Alec Soth), a few blossoms on a scarf or tie are a fun way to bring spring to your step. And, should you desire a beautiful photograph from this series by Alec, there is one in the current show at Weinstein Hammons Gallery in South Minneapolis.