A New Beginning: Inspirations!

“I’ve always believe in art and design as an economic driver.” - Craig Robbins

My traditional December inspirational celebrations occurred without any hesitations. Timely, as my inspirations ran low at the end of this year.  My priority to support the annual Interior Design Hall of Fame gala was in order before jumping on a flight to Miami for Art Basel.

It is always a beautiful moment to walk into the pre-dinner cocktail at the Hall of Fame in order to catch up with other fellow designers and architects. Most of all, it is pleasurable experiencing the brilliant wardrobes and sincere expressions being exchanged. Yes, the sincere expressions were exchanged as well as respectful holiday greetings amongst friends and colleagues. I believe that the event is one of the most highly regarded events in the interior design industry, where competing publication editors and publishers are together at a same place harmoniously.

Regretfully, I am always rushed to leave the festivities due to my early morning flight. Since switching jobs last year, my Art Basel/Miami VIP invitations did not follow to my new contact location. Without any VIP treatments and welcoming carpets, I was determined to continue my annual inspiration trip anyway.

I feel that my passions are deeply rooted within fine arts and seek to be inspired from the art shown at Art Basel Miami. Along with the Armory show in New York and the Biennale in Venice, Art Basel is one of my most anticipated shows where I feel as if I am walking in a delicious candy store selecting my utmost craved sweets without being concerned with budget. My intent is not buying art but to look for immediate inspirations and visual observations from the event. Certainly I don’t follow the Design Miami events where the buzz from the Art Basel is being milked. My inspirations are from current trends, and certainly not from already produced design products.

Regardless of tedious design trend previews, I was moved by a vast number of paintings that were represented along with humanistic subject matters: portraits and organic subjects. Perhaps the galleries were not taking high risks by featuring “unusual” subjects, because most galleries focused on “masters” and “elemental” collections. This art told the stories and picked me up with personable experiences throughout the exhibitions. For me, the show was simpler and more approachable than other years I’ve attended.

Finally, the other anticipated occasion of my visit to Miami was also here: my birthday. It has become a tradition amongst friends, who stop by to help me celebrate. The party is a great gathering place for people to catch up and extend their friendships as I renew my year. The party tradition is to sip on champagne and nibble on icebox-chilled Publix’s fried chicken. Of course, at times, we find chicken bones scattered in the garden along with cork tops from the bottles.

After these three inspirational events, I am graciously ready to wrap up 2009 and say “hello” to a great new year.