Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The Devil's In the Details: Visual Inspriration in Vegas



Tiled Mosaic--Beautifully Layered Details Everywhere!

I've been out of town, lying low for a few days in a fabulous hotel. The Wynn Las Vegas is one of my favorite places for visual inspiration, and besides rain in the desert this weekend, and much warmer weather back home in Ohio, it's been a trip with some serious eye candy.



Part of me always dreads leaving home before a trip, while another knows how rejuvenating it can be. Sometimes I need to have a little pep talk with myself to leave the quilting behind, and take time off.


Vegas is a treat for the eyes, but not always the feet. I scored an amazing deal on these Alegria's meant for serious walking, and they obviously scream that I'm a quilter. It's nothing for us to walk 10 miles every day while we're here!


Yesterday we hiked "World of Concrete". How exciting to see inspiring designs on a mixer! Safety and ergonomics were a big part of the show, and weren't lost on me. So many aspects of design and aesthetics cross industries, and it's surprising what you might pick up if you keep your eyes open.


Industrial & Domestic Art

Hundreds of vintage machines comprise a clothing storefront in the Cosmopolitan. I've never heard of many of the brands.


The Fountains at Bellagio

Along with drinking in the sights, BIG NEWS! I've been working hard with Sandra from Musings of a Menopausal Melon to complete the details of our upcoming blog hop next week, and will guarantee you it's not to be missed! We're teaming up with a great group of bloggers to show you how Craftsy has sweetened up all our lives. Posts full of Inspiration, Love, and best of all--Sweet Giveaways! You don't want to miss it. Check back for more details soon.



Speaking of details, how many can you count? 



All in the recessed ceiling: Hand painted details, subtle lighting, gilt, curves, patterning.



Just the slightest pattern and texture added to the ceiling itself. How easy it would have been to make it a solid paint! Something for us to consider when reaching for a solid ourselves.


It would be easy to show you pictures of whole rooms here, and they are quite beautiful, but what I've been focusing on this year is detail. Detail in texture, shape, and coloring, more specifically, and how those elements change the overall feeling of a quilt. 

Pictures help us analyze what we like about something that may not be evident while we stand there. This is such a stunning entrance to the elevators, but what makes it so? The deep cobalt blue contrasting above with the blood red roses? The added gold gilt of the scrolling makes this a primary colored display. The curve in the back wall is echoed in the curve of the carpet. I like that.


The folk art motifs in the carpet are very busy. I'm sure they are multi-colored to hide the amount of traffic, but it's also a lesson in scale. I like the borders of varies widths here, and how they contain the busyness.



This wallpaper lines the corridors, and is identical to a fabric I reach for often. Not just a brown, but a textured brown. So many things to look at. So much to see!


And so much to process on the way home.

Do you have favorite places that inspire you to quilt? 
I'd love to know what gets your creativity in gear.

8 comments:

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Great post Julie! Like you, I look around me for inspiration. There is design everywhere if we take the time to look. You inspire me to take more photos to record what I see, and better yet, to process it with my design book nearby!

the zen quilter said...

Can't wait to see what comes from this trip...lots of inspiration, that's for certain.

Stitchin At Home said...

Love the inspiration photos!

Sandra Walker said...

You should link this up with Soma's Wandering Camera...you've captured some spectacular shots here and I feel like I was with you in more ways than just through iMessaging. ;-) Saving this in bloglovin'...totally get you with the inspiration found absolutely everywhere, even in a concrete (ha) jungle - LOVE the cement truck! and those shoes...

Laney said...

Such fun to see your inspiration photos!

Afton Warrick said...

Thank you for sharing beautiful details from your trip. Love the shoes!

Preeti said...

Looks like so much fun. I want those shoes :-)
I am still looking for a textured grey fabric.
http://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com/

Kate said...

Lots of beautiful colors and textures. Lots of inspiring views.