Reflet by Claire Lavabre

Clarissa Lewis, a boutique photographer, shares her journey into photography, highlighting her self-taught approach through "Youtube University" for composition, editing, and DSLR camera usage. She emphasizes the importance of editing in transforming the meaning of a portrait and notes that lacking a professional camera early on was an obstacle, but acquiring one allowed her to learn new techniques. Lewis specializes in portraits for business owners and families, focusing on creating photographic wall art for home or business decoration. Her services include personalized consultations, art placement assistance, and an ordering presentation to select images. She differentiates herself from photographers who merely deliver digital files by providing heirloom-quality canvas artwork designed to be displayed. Lewis advocates for printed portraiture, explaining that it creates an inviting, proud, and warm environment. She shares a personal anecdote about her two-year-old niece's traumatic death and how a gifted canvas portrait provided immense comfort, illustrating the sentimental value and emotional connection wall art can foster, a connection she found stronger than viewing photos on a phone. This experience solidified her belief in the importance of displaying portraits to feel closer and more connected to loved ones. Lewis discusses a pivotal moment in her business, which involved investing in a boutique photography course. This investment enabled her to offer products like framed and canvas photography, enhancing the value she provides to clients by helping them decorate their homes or businesses with personal portraits. This strategic pivot is a significant step in her business journey. Regarding social media, Lewis advises letting existing supporters know about one's accounts. She also recommends following local businesses to gain awareness and potential follow-backs. Maintaining an active presence beyond just posting, by commenting on others' posts, offering motivation, and sending positive direct messages to other business owners, is crucial. She believes that authenticity and genuine interaction on social media lead to reciprocal positive engagement in business. Clarissa Lewis can be contacted via her website, capturedxclarissaphotography.com, and on Instagram at @capturedxclarissa. #ClarissaLewis #BoutiquePhotography #PortraitPhotography #WallArt #HomeDecor #BusinessStrategy #SocialMediaMarketing #EntrepreneurInterview

Harlequin, a brand rooted in British wallpaper since the late 1980s, integrates color as both an art and a science in its design philosophy. The company conducts extensive research to understand the individual impact of hues on human emotion, aiming to develop palettes that evoke positive responses. This approach culminates in their Reflect collection of fabrics and wallcoverings, which features a diverse range of styles from bouclé neutrals and cotton pastels to vibrant velvet jewel tones, all designed to enhance mood through thoughtful color combinations. Claire Vallis, the long-standing design director for Sanderson Design Group, which includes Harlequin and other prominent U.K. brands like Clarke & Clarke and Morris & Co., emphasizes the personal nature of color perception. She notes that while color generally evokes happiness, its specific impact varies greatly among individuals, influenced by personal experiences and the subtle nuances of each hue and its pairings. The Reflect collection, an evolution of Harlequin's Momentum series, is specifically crafted to foster confidence and well-being through its contemporary palettes. Launched for the spring season, the collection seeks to rekindle an appreciation for color beyond transient trends, focusing instead on its potential for positive psychological effects. The collection blends geometric precision with organic motifs, featuring abstract compositions, animal prints, twisted bouclés, and performance fabrics, alongside over 20 distinct wallpaper patterns. Vallis explains that the initial architectural and somewhat masculine roots of Reflect have been softened, reorienting the aesthetic towards a more harmonious and nature-inspired sensibility. She highlights 13 key styles from the collection, each demonstrating a unique aspect of Harlequin's color-centric design. These include "Aria," a versatile cotton-blend crisscross weave with multi-hued strands; "Enigmatic," a dynamic mural wallcovering inspired by kinetic art and calligraphy; and "Fawn," a new animal print with a muted, natural palette rendered in sumptuous dapples across white grounds, also featuring performance material for durability. Further examples from the collection include "Islay," a carbon-zero finished bouclé fabric known for its nubby texture and array of harmonious neutrals, some with twisted contrasting tones; "Lacuna," an elevated velvet animal print with raised rivulets that offer dimensionality and come in eight colorways, including bold shades; and "Lustre," a painterly, impressionistic wallpaper with raw-edged stripes and a crackle effect, inspired by Rothko paintings and mineral colors. "Onburu," meaning "ombre" in Japanese, is a wide-striped wallpaper reflecting Japanese aesthetics of peace and natural blending, with freehand brushstrokes and muted color combinations. "Palla" is an embossed vinyl mimicking woven fabric, exploring texture and color possibilities in seven multitonal shades. "Perplex," a bestselling chevron-patterned velvet, is reintroduced with a softer, expanded palette. "Sumi Reflect" reinterprets a classic Harlequin pattern with large-scale geometrics and midcentury-modern influences in new tonal color-block combinations. "Thalia" is a highly textured embroidery on a cotton-linen base, adaptable for ethnic or contemporary spaces. "Torillo" is a printed cotton fabric featuring a cheerful collage of curves and arches, providing a mixed-shade starting point for room schemes. Finally, "Vidi" showcases vibrant, raised velvet triangles in playful gradations, offering diverse color stories for various decor applications. This collection underscores Harlequin's commitment to creating textiles and wallcoverings that not only beautify but also positively impact emotional well-being through intentional color curation. #Harlequin #ReflectCollection #ColorPsychology #InteriorDesign #Wallcoverings #Fabrics #ClaireVallis #DesignTrends #TextileDesign #HomeDecor

Rachel B. Hayes, a Tulsa-based artist, creates striking large-scale patchwork textile installations using vivid, translucent fabrics. These temporary artworks are designed to transform perceptions of both indoor spaces and expansive natural environments. Hayes experiments with scale, color, pattern, light, and movement, resulting in joyful and dynamic installations. Her work has been showcased across the U.S. and Europe, frequently appearing as quilted sun sails in courtyards. One of Hayes's recent collaborations, "Horizon Drift" with Black Cube in Denver, featured overlapping triangular elements that cast colorful shadows, reminiscent of her piece "A Moment in Time" in Capri. These temporary installations, typically on view for a few weeks or months, integrate with their surroundings, drawing parallels to the monumental fabric interventions of Jeanne-Claude and Christo. Her richly patchworked or woven creations celebrate light, breeze, and traditional American quilting techniques. Hayes frequently revisits earlier works and site-specific experiments to fuel new designs, finding continuous inspiration and energy in these temporary explorations. She often returns to familiar locations in South Dakota, Missouri, and New Mexico to document her art multiple times, observing how varying light, weather, and landscape changes influence the perception of her pieces. She views many of these works as elements within a broader, long-term artistic vision. Some of Hayes's installations are designed for extended outdoor display, lasting at least five years, which has led her to develop expertise as a "fabric engineer" to ensure the materials withstand the elements while remaining visually impactful. Light, particularly sunlight, is a crucial component in Hayes's artistic process and site selection. For indoor installations, she carefully considers architecture and human movement, often "chasing the sun" to identify areas where light can interact with her textiles, creating reflections and colored shadows. While she utilizes software like Photoshop or Procreate for pattern composition, her primary focus remains on the physical properties of the material and its interaction with specific environments. Hayes's current installations include _Patterned by Nature_ at the Chicago Botanic Garden throughout the summer, _Soft Structures_ at Jane Lombard Gallery in New York City until August 8, and _Body’s First Architecture_ at Ely Center of Contemporary Art in New Haven, Connecticut until August 10. Her semi-permanent works are on display at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, and The Gathering Place in Tulsa. Additionally, her flag is currently flown outside Ballroom Marfa in West Texas during gallery hours. #RachelBHayes #TextileArt #SiteSpecificInstallation #Quilting #FabricSculpture #ContemporaryArt #ArtInstallation #TranslucentTextiles #LightArt