August 26, 2022
I don’t have a post ready for today – other obligations have kept me far from my desk!
But have you looked recently at my “Start with Art” page?
a nip from the Start with Art page of The Vivienne Files
You can scroll through and see ALL of the art that’s been used on The Vivienne Files, with a link to the relevant blog post!
If you see something that we should revisit, please let me know!
Except Edith and the Kingpin; I think I’ve exhausted their story…
love,
Janice
p.s. Seven years ago, Mark Rothko’s “Light, Earth and Blue” was our inspiration…
I have been having a lovely time rummaging around the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe this past few days. Sorting my Dark Neutrals out for the four seasons. There is so much to read here.
Thank you so much for the amazing posts you have already have done here.
No apologies necessary, Janice. You provide so much insight and creativity in your numerous posts. I enjoy reading past posts for inspiration. Thank you so much. ❤️
Enjoy ur time off. Thank you for the wonderful site
*your*
Enjoy your rest Janice . Ive just looked at the art and wardrobe for Ewoud de groot “Call of the loon” Ooh such gorgeous colours and the way you e interpreted the Wardrobe choices …..Could definitely be mine ❤️. Regards Kym
I love reading past posts and seeing how to adapt them now. Besides, your posts are a work of art themselves- so beautiful I just love to look at and appreciate them. As much as I eagerly look forward to every new post, if life’s obligations require you to post twice a week instead of 3 times, then please take care of yourself and do what you have to do. We, your adoring fans, will be here!
I so agree!
Ditto !
Janice, you are missed, but your faithful readers understand. Life throws crazy into the mix just to watch our plans evaporate. Enjoy your non desk time and know how much you are appreciated. I will use the extra time to sort my wardrobe further and continue to work out what my common pieces really are.
I totally understand! I am executrix of my Mom’s estate and something can come up that stops my day or even week. I would love a revisit of “Blue”. I hope you have a great weekend and can restore!
Yep, pesky life things just get in the way sometimes! Have a good weekend.
Beth T – saw your post yesterday- missed you on Monday!
🥰 Thanks Sheila. I did see Monday’s post and was going to comment but events overtook me that day. The dark prussian/teal blue is the shade that I’m trying to incorporate instead of navy. I like it with dark brown so that might be worth an experiment this winter. I get so much inspiration from the VF for different colour combinations that I’ve not considered before.
No apologies necessary. I hope all the things keeping you away from your desk are happy things! Have a great weekend everyone!
I would like to ask everyone’s help in finding a post. I am trying to make a plan for accessories, and I think I remember a post which started with shoes and a wallet as the most basic things everyone needs, and went on from there with optional items. Other posts which you have found helpful with accessories would also be great. Thank you! (If it helps in recommendations, the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe is where I start with clothing.)
I’m not sure that this is the exact one that you are looking for but it walks through the accessories grid. I think on many of the clothing posts she follows with an accessories post. I typed accessories in the search box and got a bunch. Good luck!
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2022/05/adding-accessories-to-a-wardrobe-start-with-art-sunlight-on-the-road-pontoise-by-pissarro.html/
Thanks!
Do you remember if it was start with art type post or the weekly timeless wardrobe? If you tap the magnifying glass icon at top of page, to the right, and enter accessories shoes, many many posts come up. If you can remember a specific color, enter that too. Good luck!
Thanks!
Oh, but we love Edith and the Kingpin! Hope all is well.
Fridays are my slow days, and so I just spent a lovely hour or so picking out some of my favorite Start With Art posts.
I’m laughing that you specified that there would be no more Edith and the Kingpin. Definitely your magnum opus! I was always completely charmed by that series. I do wonder if the painting itself sparks our imagination for a story, and thus contributed to its popularity. Plus, your story-telling was DIVINE. In that spirit, I wonder if Tamara de Lempicka’s “Self-Portrait in a Green Bugatti” might be fun.
I am moved by both the painting and the title of Klee’s “Movement of Vaulted Chambers”. So much change in many of our lives right now, but built on older, established lives (so far) well lived and carefully curated. Plus, I love those colors.
I’m always up for a gardener’s story. “Garden in the Rue Cortot” also might provide a good story line.
I’d be thrilled if you built on any of the following, because I love the colors:
“Icebound”
“Vernal Yellow” (already such a charming story)
“Pink Gladiolus” (Add in that dark green and maybe sage or eucalyptus green?)
“The Blue Pool”
…and my favorite: “2nd of the Portraits Theatraux”
Hope you have a restful weekend!
ITA with those who said there was no need to lead with an apology. Consider this an intervention. ;-You provide a richness of ideas–I learn, but I can’t absorb them all the first time, and am actually quite glad to have them come around again for a fresh look. Take good care of yourself and thanks for all you do.
Life happens – I hope your busyness has been pleasant! It’s been great fun looking at all of the wonderful paintings and the resultant wardrobes.
One painting jumped out at me as a possible subject to revisit: “Coast Road” by Fanny Brennan. I couldn’t help but wonder how the heroine would choose her fall wardrobe using that inspiration. The painting’s cool green especially intrigued me. Many fall wardrobes lean into the autumnal or yellow-based tones but I think this heroine would find different, clearer tones in more of the primary colours and it could result in a fascinating and singular fall wardrobe.
PS. After commenting I continued diving into the Start with Art page and read your recommendation to us to explore the work of Georgette Agutte. Thank you for that!
“La femme au chat, 1911” struck me as having a similar colour story to the “Coast Road” painting I mentioned (just above). The two paintings have markedly different vibes but it seems like the artists enjoyed that pallet.
I hope everything is ok in the Janice household.
Coast Road is definitely my favourite. Black, white, red and cobalt blue. With a bit of paler blue (raincoat) it’s my existing winter/autumn wardrobe.
Vivianne
A well deserved rest I hope. Your posts are always wonderful!
You are so generous with your time and efforts in composing these posts — I am sure there is plenty here that I could revisit.
As for art to revisit, I think an updated interpretation of “L’Estaque” would be an interesting post.
Hi,
Life keeps us busy. I would love to see a few suggestions on how to wear the beautiful scarfs that you share with us.
Excellent suggestion! I’ve never bought the large square scarves because I can’t think of anything other than folding one corner to corner and tying it, neckkerchief-style. There must be more options.
So, having looked back at artworks, I would vote for all 3 by Mucha, Agutte’s White & Green Hat, OKeefe’s Jimson Weed, Botke’s White Peacock, Leighton’s Flaming June, Yoshida’s Untitled 20191210, and Leech’s Sunshade. I would love to see these again…they are so lovely & could easily inspire many heroines to lovely capsules for Fall, Winter & the Holidays without being the typical fare for these seasons.
I’ve been enjoying looking through all the Start with Art. You have done an amazing job!!! I vote to revisit ON THE TRAIN BY JACQUELINE OSBORN but using the colors in the picture. I love purple and would like to see what you do with it!!
I’ve never forgotten Blue by Kinuko Mai Hoffman. The art itself is everything I love in navy & creamy white. The texture of the painting- I go back to the art and the series regularly. Janice has a way of expressing the art down to the small details and textures.
Janice turned it into a 2018 series based on navy & white with grey. A wardrobe based on 3 neutrals. The joy of a very limited palette based on neutrals. Textures and prints. For anyone else who adores the cool crisp beauty of navy & white: starting here
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2018/01/build-a-weekend-capsule-wardrobe-starting-with-art-blue-kinuko-imai-hoffman.html/
Winding up with December after spring, summer & fall capsules.
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2018/12/evaluating-a-wardrobe-a-year-of-blue-by-kinuko-imai-hoffman.html/
I saved that series & the next one in Pinterest for quick reference
The insomniac of Jupiter with 4 Moons – an earlier navy grey & white capsule
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2016/07/start-with-nature-moon-with-jupiter-and.html/
And this heroine began to experiment with colour
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2016/07/start-with-nature-great-nebula-in.html/
Oh, I think there is at least one more chapter of Edith & The Kingpin to be told. He gets hauled off to jail for tax evasion or his car suffers mysterious brake failure and she is now a divorcee or widow. But his assets are all frozen because crime, and she finds herself once again returning to work at the resort. Possibly using the nest egg she has left to buy a share?
Oh! Ha! I just went back and re-read *all* of the installments. I forgot that he was the undercover head of security! Hmmm… Maybe he gets asked to help out at another resort that is having some kind of problem, and Edith goes along with as an undercover guest!
Hi Janice,
I have been reading your blog from start to finish, sometimes by theme, sometimes by date. Very inspiring!! I am trying to make a capsule for myself.
Now I am wondering: I live in Holland. Temperatures are from minus 5*C in winter to plus 40*C in summer. So temperatures are from 40 to -5 and back to 40. So spring and autumn have the same temperatures. Why would I not wear my spring clothes in the beginning of autumn?
That’s a brilliant question – but it seems that in the spring, we always want clothes that “feel” like the weather is getting warmer, and in the autumn, we (often prematurely) embrace the cuddly side of cold weather with sweaters and wooly goods.
A sensible person would wear the same things in both seasons!
hugs,
Janice
I always enjoy the neutrals taken through the various seasons; for example WALL OF LIGHT WHITE BY SEAN SCULLY. This one is focused on warm weather but there is also fall, spring and winter that could be developed. Thanks for all your hard work.
Thank you so much for this post! As others have said, I thoroughly enjoyed looking back. The added pictures help so much! I spent way too much time searching for “my” colors and then enjoying the wardrobes you put together.
I absolutely LOVE “My Puppy’s Favorite Life”. My current summer wardrobe looks very similar, with the navy and white base and lots of bright pink and other accents, though I have more of the aqua and blues from the picture than purple. I would love to see this accessorized and I would really love to see it expanded to year round. It should be pretty easy this year, with hot pink being such a “thing”.
I would like to see “from the lake” by georgia o’keeffe revisited but this time for a business casual office wardrobe maybe?
I enjoy reading your blog on my lunch breaks, your stories are such a nice escape from the stressful work days!
thanks for all your work, I appreciate it!
Totally agree, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve never purchased a huge square scarf since there’s no way to wear it that doesn’t involve folding one corner to the other corner and wrapping it around your neck. Surely there are other possibilities.