Is There Such a Thing as “Arts & Crafts Music”?

Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle has an extensive collection of Arts & Crafts Music on its website (see Music on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle).  “What is Arts & Crafts Music?”, you ask.  Good question!!

You would be correct if you think that this would include music from the Arts & Crafts Era, such as:

• Music, Glasgow & Mackintosh [Compilation]

But that was not the inspiration for Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle to include music on its website.  Instead, the inspiration was the realization that music of some composers in the Arts & Crafts Era brings with it the same feelings of simplicity of ‘design’ and careful ‘craftsmanship’ in execution that is characteristic of other creative efforts in the Arts & Crafts Era.  Strangely, this realization did not come about by looking for musical works from the Arts & Crafts Era, but, instead, came from listening to some favorite music and realizing (intuitive recognition) that it ‘seemed’ “Arts & Crafts.”  Only then did we research and confirm that this music has roots in the Arts & Crafts Era.

We invite you to listen to the composers and works that caused this recognition and see if you get the same ‘Arts & Crafts’ feeling of calm and oneness with nature and agree that this is, indeed, Arts & Crafts music:

• Frederick Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,
• Ralph Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music,
• Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Wasps Overture, and
• Gabriel Faure: Pastorale, Sicilienne

You can also see how these composers have been updated by Windham Hill and related to The Impressionists in their album: The Impressionists: A Windham Hill Sampler.

As you take a look at these specific selections, you can also browse to see how the works of Elgar, Ravel, Satie, and Debussy deliver these same Arts & Crafts impressions.  Arts & Crafts Music - don’t you agree?

Arts & Crafts Books – Frank Lloyd Wright and William Morris were real human beings

Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle has an extensive range of books about people who were major influences during the Arts & Crafts Era (see Arts & Crafts People on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle).  Some of these books go beyond the surface of just how they influenced Arts & Crafts, showing that they were real human beings with lives that, for better or worse, went beyond their contributions to the Arts & Crafts Era.  Two books that might be of interest are:

• Art and Forbidden Fruit: Hidden Passion in the Life of William Morris, and
• Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders

Cooper’s Cottage Lace Curtains added to Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle

Cooper’s Cottage Lace (http://www.cottagelace.com/) produces exceptional Lace Curtains, Valences, and Table Scarves.  Dan Cooper is the driving force behind Cottage Lace and has incorporated designs from Bradbury & Bradbury, Dard Hunter, Yoshiko Yamamoto, Laura Wilder, and Frank Lloyd Wright (a Marion Mahony Griffin design) into his offerings.  Here is an example of his work:

On the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle site, we carry a complete selection of Dan’s Curtains, Valences, and Table Scarves (Cooper’s Cottage Lace on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle).

So many Arts & Crafts products these days go overboard in making sure that their Arts & Crafts heritage cannot be missed.  Not only are Dan Cooper’s Lace Curtains light and airy in construction, but Dan has integrated Arts & Crafts designs without them becoming overbearing.  In doing this, he has gone to current designers and other Arts & Crafts Artisans for his designs.  For example, he has integrated designs developed by Bradbury & Bradbury for their wallpaper designs.  He has integrated the graphic designs of Dard Hunter, Yoshiko Yamamoto, and Laura Wilder.  And he has adapted the leaded window designs of Marion Mahony Griffin used by Frank Lloyd Wright.  This makes Cooper’s Cottage Lace products unique, beautiful, and able to be used in both Arts & Crafts and non-Arts & Crafts applications.

Please take a look at Cottage Lace!  I think you will be amazed at how versatile and beautiful the designs are!!  If you have experience with Cottage Lace, please let us know, and enter your product reviews on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle.

Anne Ryan Miller Glass Studio added to Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle

Anne Ryan Miller Glass Studio (http://www.anneryanmillerglassstudio.com/) produces unique and beautiful Art Glass Windows.  Here is an example of her work:

On the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle site (Anne Ryan Miller Glass Studio on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle), we carry a selection of Anne’s best overlay pieces.

I have owned a piece of Anne Ryan Miller’s work (Clematis), and it is both unique and wonderful.  The appeal and quality of the designs speak for themselves.  It is difficult to adequately describe the effect from the layering of the glass and the beauty of the metal overlay.

The layering of the glass results in the effect of the clematis vines (or whatever else is depicted in the piece) producing a ‘second’ image – like the shadow of the vine on a wall behind.  The effect gives the piece incredible dimension and beauty.

The metal overlay (which makes up the vines) is on the surface of the glass layers but gives the effect of being like leading in a normally leaded window but with considerable better effect.  Each segment of the overlay also has contours within the overlay that gives the impression of the vine, itself, with shape and veining to leaves and tendrils.  The color of the overlay is a combination of colors ranging from bronzes to subtle blues, giving additional dimension, visual interest, and beauty.  It is compelling to touch to surfaces to confirm that the finish is part of the work, itself – not an add-on finish.

The beauty of Anne’s work is unmatched and compelling. Highly recommended!

Comments on the American Bungalow Magazine Forum

American Bungalow Magazine is the leading magazine devoted to Arts & Crafts – having articles about both the Arts & Crafts Era and Arts & Crafts for today’s living.  In addition, it offers an extensive list of Arts & Crafts books for sale.

In addition, American Bungalow Magazine maintains it own Forum/Message Board where there are open discussions related to Arts & Crafts.  The forums related to “All about inside (and outside) your bungalow” is especially popular.  It is hard to notice the Forum when visiting the American Bungalow Magazine website, so look for it along the top of the Home page.  It is worth finding – we think you will enjoy it.  Please feel free to post comments here about your thoughts on the American Bungalow Magazine Forum.

Of Note: Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle has an even more extensive list of Arts & Crafts books for sale through the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle (www.ArtsandCrafts-Lifestyle.com) website, and (wanting to stay within the Arts & Crafts community) invited American Bungalow Magazine to be our supplier, but they declined.  Arts &  Crafts-Lifestyle also sells Music of the Arts & Crafts Era and subscriptions to the leading Arts & Crafts Magazines (Arts & Crafts Books, Magazines, and Music from Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle).

We invite comments about the range of selection and prices from our site, and if you find that our selection and prices are better than American Bungalow Magazine’s, we encourage you to let John Brinkman, publisher at American Bungalow Magazine, know that we would still prefer to work through American Bungalow.

Ann Wallace & Friends Textiles added to Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle

Ann Wallace & Friends Textiles (http://www.annwallace.com/) is one of the premier designers and makers of contemporary Arts & Crafts textiles.  Here is an example of her work:

On the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle website (Ann Wallace & Friends on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle), we carry Appliques, Embroidery Kits, Pillows, Bedspreads, Table Runners, and Stencils.

We love the designs and we know Ann’s reputation, but we have not owned any of her work.  We will invite those of you who have seen Ann’s work to comment on it here or post a review of her products on Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle.

Welcome to the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle Forum

This Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle Blog/Forum is a companion to the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle website (www.ArtsandCrafts-Lifestyle.com).  This website is committed to educating site visitors about the Arts & Crafts Era and supporting today’s Arts & Crafts Artisans by bringing Arts & Crafts Era information, resources, events and products into the easy reach of today’s consumer.  This Blog/Forum recognizes that the most interesting and best information will come from Site visitors and the Arts & Crafts community.   This category in the Forum gives visitors to the Site and this Forum the opportunity to share their thoughts on Arts & Crafts today and to give input to the continuous improvement of the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle Site. 

Please take some time to look at the content within the Site (www.ArtsandCrafts-Lifestyle.com).  We have taken a lot of time to organize and present Arts & Crafts information and products in an organized way to allow you to quickly find what you are looking for.  Within the Site, we have also provided links that allow you to learn more from the Arts & Crafts community, whether providers of products or those who just desire to share their understanding and perspective on the Era.

This post is your opportunity to tell us what you think of the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle site and to make suggestions on what else you would like to see in the Site.  We are looking forward to hearing from you!!

To the left you will also find other Categories with discussions about interesting Arts & Crafts topics, ‘What’s New’ on the Arts & Crafts-Lifestyle Site, current events, and any other areas suggested by our visitors.  To the right you will find links to other Arts & Crafts websites.   Enjoy!!