John Keats wrote, “Touch has a memory.” His words truly resonate with me as my most vivid memories are associated with my sense of touch. I recently returned from a trip to my hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where I visited the Detroit Antique Mall. I spent a couple hours in the wonderful establishment, but I could have stayed there for days. What slowed me down, in addition to the plethora of amazing vintage finds, was my need to touch absolutely everything that wasn’t hanging from the ceiling or behind a pane of glass. I wish I would have captured a photo of my hands upon exiting the building. Take my word for it, they acquired a patina of their own!
The pictures that I took during my trip are great, but what really helps me remember my experience is touching similar items from the new 7Gypsies Architextures Collection. This brilliant assortment of products not only looks like the real thing, but they also have the same properties and textures. This line is a tactile-lovers delight! I’m sharing a few of my favorites today.
The dress form is a design staple and a fitting part of the collection. The dress form I found looks to be a little younger than the Architextures counterpart, but I know it will only get better with age. In addition to the fabric dress form Treasure, there is also a similar dress form design in mesh.
Another timeless design element is the decorative gate. This is just one of the offerings from the Architextures Base collection. There are several options in a taller size. Use these bases on your projects as a stencil, mask, or embellishment. Furthermore, altering these bases with color and texture mediums is easy, which makes them great for use all year long!
I think artists and collectors love the beauty and versatility of glass mason jars. Now the look and feel of glass is transferable to artwork in a way that won’t crack or break.
If I didn’t limit myself to one small carry-on piece for my trip I would have picked up a suitcase and a trunk! There is something extremely satisfying about a stack of history like this. The color of the Stacked Leather Suitcases Architextures embellishment is spot-on!
One of my favorite areas of the antique mall was this expansive cabinet of tin cans. The vintage packaging (and pricing) is so fun to see. Many of the bottles and cans in this cupboard still have the original seal.
These tin tiles are incredible, both in this collection and in real life. The patina on these tiles is perfection.
How fun, albeit frustrating, would it be to type an article of this subject matter on a vintage piece of machinery!? The click-clack of the modern keyboard has nothing on the older model.
This beautiful Weathered Lady Statue is my absolute favorite piece from the Architextures collection. I found a similar weathered man statue during my travels and I think they make the perfect pair!
Thanks for joining me today! If your sense of touch is more than just a feeling, this new collection will work wonders on both your art and your soul. If you didn’t catch my previous article about antiquing in a big city, you can read all about it HERE. Be sure to check out the entire Architextures collection in the Canvas Corp Brands Shop. There are dozens of designs to chose from, as well as a fantastic selection of coordinating books, artboards, and patterned papers.
'Architextures: A Tactile Delight' has 1 comment
March 28, 2017 @ 3:51 pm Salla
I always love to read a post by you, Dana, for the thought and effort you put in your writing as well as your art. I hadn’t heard of the Architextures collection but this post captured my interest, since I too am a fan of antique finds and touching everything!