Interpretations of Miro's Drop of Water on the Rose Colored Snow

After Miro, acrylic on red vellum, copyright Nina Leung, 2014

Drop of Black, acrylic on red vellum, copyright Nina Leung, 2014

Star, acrylic on red vellum, copyright Nina Leung, 2014

Living in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Living in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow by ninamleung featuring glass candle holders

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Glass lamp / Montague Capulet faux fur throw blanket / Staub kitchenware dining / Photo wall art / Pillow Decor funky throw pillow / Iittala glass candle holder, $49 / Folding table

My objective was to find home objects that are a little Spanish for Miro, a little Chinese for this particular painting, and similar to the other inspirations I found. It's a little modern with some fun flourishes. I so want to cozy up with that fuzzy, black throw with a nice cup of chrysanthemum tea! Yum!

Dressing in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Dressing in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow by ninamleung featuring Kenzo

Vionnet silk jumpsuit / Salvatore Ferragamo polka dot high heel shoes / Head Over Heels by Dune black clutch, $48 / Hervé Van Der Straeten cuff bangle / Gold bib necklace / Tom Ford black oversized sunglasses / Kenzo home decor

Dominating, intense reds with bits of black and gold work perfectly with Miro's Drop of water on the Rose-Colored Snow. The painting and this ensemble are sleek and sophisticated, but still a little playful.

The painting, China, and this chic look remind me of the character Flying Snow in the beautiful film Hero by Zhang Yimou. If you haven't seen this gorgeous movie, do. The art production is incredible. 

Travelling in Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

If Miro's Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow were a place, it would be.....

Beijing, China!

It was so clear to me that Miro's beautiful painting should be linked to Beijing. That bright, brilliant, Chinese red. Love. And, with Lunar New Year upon us, it couldn't be more appropriate. Miro even includes a star, much like that on the Chinese flag. 

Miro's Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Ipad Rendering of Joan Miro's Drop of Water on the Rose-Colored Snow

Isn't this Miro simple and gorgeous? I love the stark lines and vague title. The painting is so Chinese and the title is so Japanese, both very poetic. It's so lovely to think of snow as bring rose-colored, evoking Spring. Wonderful!

Living in Message from Degas

Living in Message From Degas by ninamleung featuring Ethan Allen

Heathfield Co gold leaf table lamp, $915 / 1882 Ltd white dinnerware / Eva Solo kitchenware dining, $82 / Ethan Allen throw pillow / Diptyque black candle / Kelly Wearstler accent chair / Fornasetti accent table, $4,925 / Traditional furniture

I haven't used enough black in my house. It can act as a highlighter or a space definer. I've been especially inspired by this Design Sponge post on using black paint. Helen Frankenthaler uses a lot of black in Message from Degas. It creates a beautiful contrast with the yellowish "river". That contrast creates a starkness that is so like Turpan, hence the desert-inspired home goods I discovered for this post. 

Dressing in Message for Degas

Dressing in Message for Degas by ninamleung featuring Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen dress / 10 Crosby Derek Lam black sandals / Cynthia Rowley black purse / Just Cavalli safari jewelry / Acne Studios black sunglasses / Floppy hat / Oasis red shawl, $20 / Black nail polish, $14

In Turpan, one needs a good, wide brimmed hat and a comfortable pair of sandals. The heat is dry and almost suffocating. Being on the Silk Road feels so exotic and so foreign. The film, The English Patient captures that same, transporting feeling. So much of it is set in the desert, in a foreign land, with much to discover.

The dark accessories paired with a slash of a khaki dress is much like the Frankenthaler painting, Message from Degas. That darkness is like a cool river running through the desert.

Travelling in Helen Frankenthaler's Message from Degas

If Helen Frankenthaler's Message from Degas were a place, it would be.........

Turpan, China!

Turpan is a smallish city (by China standards!) located on the Silk Road in the Gobi Desert. It is a very dry, barren place with a harsh landscape. The photo above reminds me so much of Message from Degas. The smooth, stark surface interrupted by the organic flow of the river. 

The area surrounding Turpan is agricultural, focusing on grapes and melons. They are known for their raisins which are dried in huts like the one above. The raisins are so full of flavor and there are many varieties. I can easily say they were the best I've ever eaten.