Herzenart by Sandra Monat
One thing I'd love to do this summer when I spend it abroad in Germany is to meet with artist and designer Sandra Monat of Herzenart and chat with her about her work. She's only a few hours away by train from where I'll be based, so perhaps I can arrange a visit... If I have time. There is so much work for me to do there this year -- my head is spinning! I still cannot figure out so many things about furnishing a German apartment. It's such a new, exciting, sometimes frustrating experience because here I know all the shops to hit for what I need and have my favorite eBay sellers and Craigslist standing by, and know where all the area flea markets are, and rely on places like Target, Anthropologie, Homegoods, the Boston Design Center, and most of the online shops I frequent (who won't ship to Germany). Living in two parts of the world is completely new to me but I hope it will force me to learn more about my new country and Europe in general when it comes to the best places to find what I need to furnish an apartment from scratch. Currently sitting in my flat over there is our television and some of my design books, a few boxes of clothing, and china passed down to us from oma.
If you live in Germany and can suggest any online stores that would be lovely. Now on to Sandra because it's not nice of me to talk about myself here in a post about lovely Ms. Monat now is it?
I've been watching this German artist since early '06 (mentioned here), and I'm encouraged by the progress she's made and the international exposure she now receives and for good reason, her handmade art toys are unique and extremely well made. One of many things that excite me about blogging is that after a few years at it, you start to notice change more -- either some who fade away and move on to other goals or those like Sandra who experience steady growth and become successful small business owners through patience and a constant keeping at it. Much like the storybook most of us were raised reading, The Tortoise and the Hare, don't you think?
(images from sandra monat)