About this collaboration
Every other Monday, Daenel (Living Outside the Stacks), Salazar (14 Shades of Grey) and Terri (Meadowtree Style) host Style Imitating Art. For this collaboration, each of the three contributors takes turns selecting an inspiration image. They then invite others to interpret that artwork through their style. You can read more about the process on each blog. I encourage you to visit each blog as they almost always have completely different imitations.
Inspiration Art Work
While I’m not sure I would put this piece of art up in my own home, I can see its charm. The textures, colors, and mood created by Bonheur resonate with my yearning for peace and comfort. I like the juxtaposition of the wildness of the sea with the calm natures of the sheep lying in the meadow. Here is a fascinating article about the composition of the piece, breaking it down into foreground, midground, and background. I had never heard of this artist, but I will be sure to look for this piece of art at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. Interestingly, Bonheur studied the anatomies of the animals she painted, right down to visiting abattoirs and dissecting animals in order that she might see and understand their physiology.
My interpretation
As I looked at this SIA challenge, I almost decided to pass! The first thing that struck my eye was the wooliness of the sheep. I am already fluffy enough so I don’t own any fleecy clothing. I was tempted to focus on the coziness of the picture and just go with that. But, that almost seemed like cheating. Then, I walked into my closet and…BAM! This jacket screamed, “Marsha, I’m just what you’re looking for!”
The colors of Sheep by the Sea can also be found in my jacket. The sun reflecting off of the sheep as well as the grasses in the foreground are in the oranges. The blues of the skies appear in the blues scattered throughout the jacket. And, the texture provided by the trim on the sleeves mimics the wooly sheep as they sleepily rest by the shore. All in all, I think my jacket was right! It was just what I was looking for!
The glories of autumn!
Autumn has well and truly arrived here in Indiana! Our high temperatures have been in the 50’s (10 degrees C) with lows in the 40’s (4.5 degrees C). We even had a light frost last week. We are anticipating even more frost this week so those elephant ears, canna lilies, and caladium bulbs will need to be dug.
I thought this picture was also a pretty good imitation of the inspiration work with the blue clouds in the background, the green grass, and the red/brown leaves in the midground.
See that black pot in the background? I rescued several of these when the landscapers were planting trees in the newer section of the neighborhood. I thought I would have a container garden in them. I was so optimistic! I planted cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers in them. The tomatoes never ripened. The bell peppers just laughed in my face! And the rabbits enjoyed anything that managed to grow! I gave up and got rid of three or four pots. This one had something growing in it…I forget what it was…so I kept it. The last few years, it has functioned as my compost bin! And, the lambs’ ears came up voluntarily last year!
But, back to the jacket. A couple of years ago, I was in a bit of a funk. Nigel and I were just wandering around a mall and stopped at VonMaur for a biology break. Nigel has known me for a few years (hahaha) and knows the best way to conquer a funk is with a little retail therapy. This jacket was a little out of the ordinary for me. I liked the Nehru collar and the general fit of it. The colors were not something to which I generally gravitate. Once I tried the jacket on, I liked it and how it complemented my coloring. Nigel, of course, declared I needed it in my closet! The brand is Multiples and is carried at Dillards as well as VonMaur (I really wish Dillards would build a store in my area!) I am wearing a small, but I found a medium for you on Poshmark!
When I was teaching, I had several jackets and maybe one or two denim jackets. My store of choice at the time was Coldwater Creek! Their jackets fit me well, were in my price range, and usually had some kind of interesting details. I got rid of almost all of those jackets because I’d lost so much weight plus they weren’t really a part of my style anymore.
Today, I have a handful of jackets and several denim jackets! Funny how things change, isn’t it? I am not a blazer person. I love them on other people, but they feel so constricting to me. Jackets, on the other hand, seem less form fitting and more casual. I may be completely out in left field here, but that’s how I see it!
It has been so rainy here…my heels were once again sinking into the ground!
The Lewk
I had thought to wear a denim/chambray shirt with this jacket, but I just haven’t been able to do the denim on denim thing yet! I really wanted to pull out the blues in the jacket, but I just couldn’t find that right one! I then spied my sleeveless green and white striped top (it appeared in my first SIA, here) and voila! Print mixing hath occurred! I even tucked it in. The belt is a very old one from Brighton. Am I the only one who went nuts for all things Brighton and then just as quickly went off it? I am? Hmmm… The jeans are from the NSale, here, and on sale! My peep toe heels are from Pikolinos (here) and are so very comfortable. My bracelet is an old eBay find as are the citrine earrings!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I am so glad I didn’t skip out on this Style Imitating Art challenge. I wonder if this is going to be the pattern for me…deny my ability to meet the challenge, come up with an item, abandon said item, find something (or have it find me) perfect for the challenge? What was the first thing you noticed about Sheep by the Sea? What do you do when you’re in a funk? Does retail therapy work for you? Please leave me a comment about my look or in answer to these questions. I promise to respond! Also, please visit the blogs of the SIA collaboration. I’m sure there will be some fabulous and innovative interpretations!
Love your interpretation of the artwork. You have captured the colors beautifully. The jacket is such a pretty layering piece!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Oh, Lovely, isn’t this jacket glorious? It really did work wonderfully for this design challenge!
Thanks so much for coming by!
I love that painting, I love sheep, lol. And you’re interpretation is very good! Now remember to join The Good Buy/Good Bye Book this month with maxi! Lol.
It is a glorious painting, isn’t it? Like I said, I don’t think I would buy it (like I could afford it), but it’s just so cozy. I’ve been knitting with real wool lately and have a greater appreciation for sheep now…hahaha! And, of course, I’m going to join the Good Buy/Good Bye Book this month…I just have to figure out which one!
Thanks for coming by, Nancy!
What a great interpretation of the artwork!
Thanks, Joanne! When I first saw the art work, I thought, “Nope, not gonna happen!” But, then being the stubborn person I am, I kept thinking about it. I walked into my closet, and there it was!
Thanks so much, Joanne, for your support and for coming by!
I almost passed on this challenge too, Marsha! But in the end, I came up with an outfit I quite liked (I’ll be posting tomorrow).
You absolutely nailed it! I love that little jacket!
Hugs
Suzy xx
Oh, I can’t wait to see your interpretation, Suzy! Your style is such fun! Isn’t this jacket the best? I need to give it so much more love!
Thanks for coming by!
I love the jacket! It works perfectly with this piece of art! I love retail therapy but I can get in trouble so prayer time helps. Lol!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Kathrine, I don’t know where I would be without prayer! Some of my conversations with God go on at great length. Others are short and to the point! But, retail therapy, in the short term, is pretty darn good, too! Once I saw my pictures and the art work, I was surprised at how well I did!
Thanks so much for coming by!
I adore this outfit, Marsha! Great interpretation of the inspiration art. I love the jacket and the print-mixing. Fabulous!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Oh, thanks so much, Michelle! It was truly a ho-hum jacket for me until I tried it on! I need to wear it more than I do. It seems like, here in Indiana, it’s either too hot to wear a jacket like this or too cold! We don’t ever seem to have those in between times.
Thanks for coming by, Michelle!
I just wanted to jump over to your blog and say thank you for joining our SIA this week. I am also waiting for that light freeze and appreciate my Cannas and am waiting to dig them up too. We thought last night was going to be the night but it wasn’t. I did pick what roses I had left last night so I could still smell the roses. We both wore Pikolinos for this interpretation, I noticed. Take care, Terri
Thank you so much for coming over to my blog! We keep having frosts, but the cannas are beside the house so they don’t get zapped. I envy you having roses. I have never been able to get them to grow. There is nothing like the smell of roses! Now, I have to go check out your Pikolinos!
Thanks for coming by!
I do think this jacket was perfect for the challenge Marsha!! I love all the colors in it!!
OOXX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thanks, Jodie! I hadn’t even thought about it. It seriously screamed at me when I walked into the closet…hahaha! It is even prettier IRL!
Thanks for coming by!
You’re right, that jacket is so perfect for the theme and I like the details on the cuffs! 🙂 It’s a beautiful piece and works well with your jeans. I never used to be a big blazer person either until I discovered the wonder of a knit blazer or jersey blazer or whatever you call it in the US, haha! They are so comfortable and were definitely an office staple, I need to remember to try wear them more casually when I can – it is already a very warm spring here.
I shivered a little reading your autumn temperatures – that would be an extremely unusually cold winter day for us in Brisbane, brr!
Hope that your week is going well 🙂
I think part of the reason I’m not a fan of blazers is I wore them so much in my early teaching days. I guess I associate them with anxiety and trying to fit in! And, I’ve tried the knit/jersey blazers. They just don’t work on my body shape. I think it’s because I’m short waisted with relatively wide shoulders. But, there’s plenty more for me to wear!!
Enjoy your spring!
You totally nailed it. That jacket is perfect.
Thanks, Daenel! I seriously had no idea what in the world I was going to wear for this inspiration. I’m glad I found this jacket! And, thanks for introducing me to this challenge. I’m having such fun thinking about more than just the obvious interpretation!
Thanks for coming by!
Marsha, first of all, this jacket is magnificent! I love this funky boho style and the colors really are lovely on you. I am so glad that you didn’t bail on the challenge! Don’t you love it when your clothing speaks to you as well? That happens to me often for these challenges, like the fashion goddesses are just handing me what I need! I do have so much with these art challenges. This particular artist, Rosa Bonheur, was an exceptional woman, a feminist and gender equality advocate long before those things really existed. On top of being the most famous female artist of her time. So inspiring on so many levels!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! I was truly surprised at how well it fit the challenge! Once I saw it, I couldn’t do anything else. I think it’s a shame I’ve not heard more about Rosa Bonheur. She just lived her life and forget what anyone had to say about it…something we should all do. She truly was inspirational…I’m so saddened by the erasure/denigration/ignoring of those who are “other” than the norm. I’m going to check to see if the local art museum has any of Bonheur’s work.
Marsha
I love this jacket: the colors, cut and those tassels! Love the picture with the background imitating the art piece. I am the same way with blazer and don’t have a one in my closet but several denim jackets and other light jackets.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Oh, I thought I was the only person who didn’t like blazers. I like the comfort of unstructured jackets and denim jackets. I think the tassels are actually what sold me on the jacket in the first place!
Thanks, Mireille, for coming by!
So funny, when I saw this art last week, I knew exactly what I would wear for the challenge. Then never got it out to wear. Boo. My outfit would have focused on the woolly lambs, as you mentioned. Looking at the art here on your blog, I see more of the colors in the painting than I did on first glance. That gray blue, the vivid greens. Your outfit represents the piece so well. I like the little pompoms on your sleeves…they are kind of lamb-like. And the subtle pattern mixing between your print jacket and striped top. Coldwater Creek has such fabulous things…it was a favorite of mine when I taught but never could really afford it. Glad you and Nigel agreed this jacket needed to belong to you.
When I was teaching, Coldwater Creek was my go to for jackets. Luckily (or unluckily), we had a store close to us. I always waited on sales just like I do now! I was so stumped by this art work until I saw that jacket. Then, it was all good!
Thanks for coming by, Leslie!
Love your interpretation of the art piece! Such a great jacket! The detail on the sleeves is so pretty!
Jill = Doused in Pink
Thank you so much, Jill! It was fun once I’d decided which way to go! I’m going to have to give this jacket so much more love next spring!
Thanks for coming by!