| When the owners purchased their 1910 Mediterranean style home overlooking the San Francisco Bay, they found this concrete lion king guarding his castle, though both had deteriorated from years of weather and neglect. At the end of the home’s ground-up remodel, the loyal soldier was cleaned up and faux painted in shades of terra cotta to relate to the rusted iron light fixtures, tile steps and handrail. Good design repeats itself, as evidenced in the spherical shape of the ball under the lion’s paw, the finials on the post, and the round medallion in the center of the front door. |
| Dancing on the lawn of this Tiburon, California backyard is a fanciful fairy made entirely of scrap metal. Her whimsical features invite your attention and give movement to an otherwise static and monochromatic part of the yard. Her soft curvy skirt, arms and wings repeat the curved edge of the lawn, and her contemporary lines echo the style of the outdoor furnishings and architecture. The six and a half foot tall piece is the work of sculptor and farmer Phillip Glasshoff, who makes intricate art out of found metal objects, such as farm machinery and auto parts. |
Wishing you a summer filled with
sculpture and smiles!
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Surrounded
by
Sculpture
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While enjoying summer days and nights outside, it doesn’t take long to notice that outdoor sculpture is everywhere, in every form and style imaginable. Doesn’t it make you smile to come across an unexpected creation on a restaurant patio or in front of a boring office building? The heart of summer is a good time to observe all the ways in which man-made objets d’art can combine with the work of that quintessential sculptor, Mother Nature, to join creative forces for the ultimate artistic partnership.
In ancient times, large outdoor sculpture was limited to religious or political expression, largely because churches and reigning dynasties were the only entities that could afford to commission them. In our time, sculpture is within everyone’s reach, limited only by our imaginations and the size of the space we want to adorn. In Europe, even the smallest terraces of apartments packed together in a crowded city display sculptures that express their owners’ artistic tastes. But sculpture doesn’t only stand in for a lack of natural surroundings; it also enriches an already beautiful environment. These four examples from Linda’s portfolio present different ways in which she and her clients incorporated treasured objects into their landscape, not to compete with the beauty of nature, but to flaunt their camaraderie.
Don’t be intimidated by the word sculpture. By definition, sculpture is three-dimensional art, nothing more. It’s anything you enjoy looking at. The pieces in our photos range from formed concrete to fashioned bronze and granite to recycled metal parts. Two were created as art, one was functional and turned into art, and one was scrap metal repurposed into art. When you choose something to place outside your home, it is usually best to keep the style consistent with the style of the house, especially if it will be enjoyed from indoors as well as out.
Art doesn’t have to be elegant, exotic or expensive. Its value lies in your heart and is seen through your eyes. Whether serious or lighthearted, historic or hilarious, the best piece of sculpture for you is one that is meaningful to you. You might discover it and rescue it, as in three of these photos, make it yourself, or spot it and fall in love with it at an art festival. However it comes to you, it will always make you think of the time or place that it came from, and present an opportunity to share that memory with friends. It's not extravagant. It's art.
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| In this colorful summer vignette, the life-size bronze statue of a woman carrying a basket of red geraniums on her head stands tall enough to catch your eye, even with magnificent Golden Gate Bridge behind her. The cascading blooms soften the bronze figure, whose natural verdigris finish is framed by the blue of the San Francisco Bay. The statue is one of a pair found on the property of the 85-year-old Spanish Revival home and, like most women of a certain age, she is keeping hers a secret. |
| In the wine country of Sonoma, Linda and her clients designed and finished this 2002 Italian country style house to look like it might be a hundred years old. In this setting, the antique cheese press the owners found abandoned on an English farm while traveling looks very much at home. Its clean, symmetrical lines give it an almost contemporary aesthetic, yet the hand-wrought granite and metal are unmistakably out of the distant past. The couple turned a forgotten farm implement into a daily reminder of a memorable vacation. |
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