Post by dorarubyred on Dec 9, 2020 8:52:19 GMT -5
Description of Lamia's Atelier
Nestled between the stall of a silk merchant and a tiny shop that sells dried herbs, tea and handmade spice blends lies Lamia’s atelier and home.
A slender dark wooden door, secured with a simple lock, leads into the vestibule. The floor is completely covered with heavy, dark red carpet that impresses the practised eye with good quality and subtle patterns. The ceiling in this room is quite low, seemingly even lower because of several small oil lamps made out of ornate brass and silver, which dangle on long chains into the chamber. The rest of the vestibule is rather modest, a few hooks on the light brown clay walls serve as a wardrobe. On the right side of the entrance door is a low, carved wooden rack which invites visitors to take off their shoes and put on some woolen slippers, if the wish.
A broad archway in the wall opposite the entrance door leads into the main chamber. Stepping through, one is easily overwhelmed by the beautiful and busy room that is Lamia’s atelier. A visitor’s first glance usually falls onto the huge brass chandelier which spans across nearly one third of the room. The center resembles a large rose with delicately carved petals and numerous thorny vines, spreading asymmetrically in all directions across the ceiling. Every vine holds an oil lantern at its fragile end, bathing the room in a warm light. The dark, polished pine wood floor is mostly covered by several rugs, ranging from tiny to over three metres long in size. The carpets are partly overlapping and interwoven, forming a vivid, collaborative pattern of colours and shapes on top of all the individual fabric patterns. Covering the upper third of the room’s windowless walls is a half-finished mural in bright red, orange and golden tones. It consists of mostly floral ornament reaching naturally, almost like real flowers from corner to corner. The whole room gives the impression of a far away and yet familiar, welcoming place.
To the left of the archway stands a cosy, slightly worn divan draped with colourful blankets and cushions. A few hassocks surround the low wooden table in front of the divan, on which a pretty ceramic tea set, a bulbous clay teapot and a small bowl with dried fruit wait for visitors and customers alike. An old oven covered with small blue and turquoise tiles heats the atelier, standing near the divan in the corner. Apart from a small bookcase and a writing desk with a three-legged stool, the rest of the room is filled with art supplies and works of art in all forms and sizes.
In contrast to the rest of the chamber, Lamia’s working area is a creative mess. Unfinished sculptures stand amidst numerous paint pots, brushes and dirty fabric pieces, while canvases - painted and unpainted alike - lean between a big bag of wet clay and rolled up sketches on beige brown paper. Several finished paintings adorn the clay walls, showing dancing young women, a stormy night at sea and – spotted only on the second glance near the bookcase - a naked, curvy woman with long, auburn hair sitting on her bed and looked at from behind. Dynamic brush strokes and the use of vibrant as well as earthy colours characterise Lamia’s painting style.
Around a dozen polished statues and sculptures made of dark brown or reddish clay and stone stand on narrow pedestals all around the room. Most of them depict the female body in various poses and sizes, from small and petite to voluptuous and curvaceous women. Other sculptures show wavy forms, spheres and spirals, luring the eye in to follow them around the statue only to find out that they end where they began in some clever, mind dazzling way.
Inconspicuous and easily overlooked, a plain pine wood door with a brass doorknob leads away from the busy atelier into Lamia’s private chambers, where she retreats at dawn to find some well-earned sleep, her dreams sometimes serving as the inspiration for her next piece of art.
Nestled between the stall of a silk merchant and a tiny shop that sells dried herbs, tea and handmade spice blends lies Lamia’s atelier and home.
A slender dark wooden door, secured with a simple lock, leads into the vestibule. The floor is completely covered with heavy, dark red carpet that impresses the practised eye with good quality and subtle patterns. The ceiling in this room is quite low, seemingly even lower because of several small oil lamps made out of ornate brass and silver, which dangle on long chains into the chamber. The rest of the vestibule is rather modest, a few hooks on the light brown clay walls serve as a wardrobe. On the right side of the entrance door is a low, carved wooden rack which invites visitors to take off their shoes and put on some woolen slippers, if the wish.
A broad archway in the wall opposite the entrance door leads into the main chamber. Stepping through, one is easily overwhelmed by the beautiful and busy room that is Lamia’s atelier. A visitor’s first glance usually falls onto the huge brass chandelier which spans across nearly one third of the room. The center resembles a large rose with delicately carved petals and numerous thorny vines, spreading asymmetrically in all directions across the ceiling. Every vine holds an oil lantern at its fragile end, bathing the room in a warm light. The dark, polished pine wood floor is mostly covered by several rugs, ranging from tiny to over three metres long in size. The carpets are partly overlapping and interwoven, forming a vivid, collaborative pattern of colours and shapes on top of all the individual fabric patterns. Covering the upper third of the room’s windowless walls is a half-finished mural in bright red, orange and golden tones. It consists of mostly floral ornament reaching naturally, almost like real flowers from corner to corner. The whole room gives the impression of a far away and yet familiar, welcoming place.
To the left of the archway stands a cosy, slightly worn divan draped with colourful blankets and cushions. A few hassocks surround the low wooden table in front of the divan, on which a pretty ceramic tea set, a bulbous clay teapot and a small bowl with dried fruit wait for visitors and customers alike. An old oven covered with small blue and turquoise tiles heats the atelier, standing near the divan in the corner. Apart from a small bookcase and a writing desk with a three-legged stool, the rest of the room is filled with art supplies and works of art in all forms and sizes.
In contrast to the rest of the chamber, Lamia’s working area is a creative mess. Unfinished sculptures stand amidst numerous paint pots, brushes and dirty fabric pieces, while canvases - painted and unpainted alike - lean between a big bag of wet clay and rolled up sketches on beige brown paper. Several finished paintings adorn the clay walls, showing dancing young women, a stormy night at sea and – spotted only on the second glance near the bookcase - a naked, curvy woman with long, auburn hair sitting on her bed and looked at from behind. Dynamic brush strokes and the use of vibrant as well as earthy colours characterise Lamia’s painting style.
Around a dozen polished statues and sculptures made of dark brown or reddish clay and stone stand on narrow pedestals all around the room. Most of them depict the female body in various poses and sizes, from small and petite to voluptuous and curvaceous women. Other sculptures show wavy forms, spheres and spirals, luring the eye in to follow them around the statue only to find out that they end where they began in some clever, mind dazzling way.
Inconspicuous and easily overlooked, a plain pine wood door with a brass doorknob leads away from the busy atelier into Lamia’s private chambers, where she retreats at dawn to find some well-earned sleep, her dreams sometimes serving as the inspiration for her next piece of art.