Interview: Elizabeth Murray On Her Passion For Monet’s Garden And Sacred Spaces

Elizabeth Murray is a professional gardener and artist to name but a few of her many talents.  This modern day Renaissance woman has just updated and republished her fascinating book  “Monet’s Passion: Ideas, Inspiration, & Insights from the Painter’s Gardens.”

In 1984 Elizabeth up and quit her job to live and work at one of the most beautiful places in the world,  Monet’s Giverny.   She  returns each year with pencil and camera to recapture the garden’s splendor.   Her photographs are breathtaking.

“Something led me to Monet and to be at Giverny.  I needed to learn, to contribute, to try to make the gardens even more spectacular.”  Elizabeth

Giverny is one of my most favorite places on earth.  After I heard Elizabeth speak about her adventures at Monet’s home, I needed to learn more about his incredible garden and the unique relationship she has with it.

How she ended up there was a tale I had to hear her tell… 

Interview: Sandy Foster On Building Her Tiny Victorian Retreat In The Woods

Photo: Trevor Tondro/NY Times

UPDATE 11/30/11:  Shabby Holiday Tips and Inspiration Video

Sandy Foster has single-handedly given new meaning to “tiny house” and to Victoriana in 2010.  When I saw the photo of her on the porch of the sweet retreat  in the New York Times, I simply had to know more about her and this wonderful mini building.   I read that she was a fiscal administrator but how did that jive with this “shabby streamside studio,” as she calls it,  in a forest?

To learn more about Sandy, check out her website where  you’ll notice the amazing attention to detail and get a sense of her eclectic taste.

“It’s a balm for the spirit to have a place where I’m free to do what I want.  Like a tree house you run to as a kid and pull up the ladder once inside.”
Sandy Foster

She was kind enough to quench my curiosity recently and answer questions about how and why she created this unique treasure.