Z is for Purses and other Stylish Accessories

I know.  What do purses have to do with the letter Z, right?  Well, if you ever have a layover at the Salt Lake City Airport you'll see what I mean.  On Concourse D there is this amazing store, full of fabulous eye candy, called Zeta and Company. 

As you're hurrying for your gate, you'll catch some amazing purses in your peripheral vision.  And you'll just. Have to. STOP.  In your tracks.  It takes forever for the airlines to get everyone boarded, anyway.  You've got time....

Normally, I try to get non-stop flights, but no more.  From now on I'm looking for SLC layovers!  Preferably a long one.  I want to be able to take my time, and soak it all in. 

This boutique has clothing, jewelry,shoes, incredible handmade purses, scarves, you name it.  If it's stunning, and unique, I'm guessing they have it! 

All images from Zeta and Company website.

So, next time you fly, insist on a layover in SLC.  Zeta and Company won't disappoint,  I promise!

This post is being linked to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.

X is for Rendering (with xylene markers)

I love my xylene markers.  This is what I like to use when creating a rendering of a space. I have other markers, with different solvent bases, but xylene is absolutely the best for it's workability.  You can really move it around on your paper, blend it and manipulate your colors.  As an interior designer, my markers are part of my "tool kit".

A new xylene marker usually produces an intensely saturated hue, but you can "recharge" an old marker by opening up your pen and adding more xylene.  This will give you a marker that produces a much lighter version of your original hue, and sometimes that is exactly what you need.

Xylene markers stink.  They can give you a headache.  They can make you feel really sick.  So, never use them unless you're in a well ventilated area.  And just to be safe, I'd stay away from them if I was pregnant.

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I usually use rolls of tracing paper (also known as "trash" or "bumwad") for my renderings, though you can get incredible results using Mylar and vellum.

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Some people prefer marker paper.  Plotter paper can give you great results, but it absorbs an awful lot of expensive ink.  The rendered elevations, below, we created using marker on plotter paper.  In this instance, plotter paper was the best choice, because it absorbed the ink unevenly helping to create an "adobe" look.

Sometimes you just want to add a hint of color or just some shading to a sketch using your markers, as in this fireplace drawing.

You can also use your xylene markers to draw over a picture of a computer generated model.  This can help give the image a little "soul". 

The rendering below was done from a quick life sketch.  First, the picture was quickly sketched in pencil, later it was placed under a sheet of trash and traced and rendered.

Occasionally you may want the look of a colored pencil rendering, without the time commitment.  Here is where your recharged markers can save you lots of time.  By first giving the paper a light color wash with your xylene marker, you can cut way down on the amount of coloring you do with the pencils.

Whatever your paper, and whether or not you mix your media, xylene markers are an invaluable addition to a designer's toolbox.  Give them a try-- you just might love them (but be sure to open the window)!

artist study in xylene

This post is being linked to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.