Fay Bush is the kind of talent that makes lesser artists seriously consider teaching. From photography to painting to interior design, the results of Bush’s work, whatever the medium, have been consistently remarkable and remarkably consistent, which is why her latest incarnation—that of a textile artist—has surprised precisely none of us. Infused within her fantastical designs is her passion for travel, along with the artistic eye that has served her so graciously throughout the years.
For an artist whipped and whelped in Bermuda, Bush naturally developed a love for fabrics that “combined the elements of tropical, botanical and graphic” while working as an interior designer. But such designs were hard to come by. “I could imagine it, but could not find exactly what I was looking for even in the vast selection of fabrics available,” she said. Ever the artist, Bush decided to try her own hand at designing the types of fabrics she so loved.
“From the moment I saw them rendered on fabric, I was addicted. I knew how I wanted to take the simple elegance of the plant shapes and textures, add some modern design elements, and try to portray a more au courant style of botanical fabric.” Today she is creating those designs under Cloud House Studios, and the results speak for themselves.
“[The] designs all come from natural images—leaves, palm berries, pods, palm fronds, etc. Some are more obvious and realistic; others are textural and geometric and come from hidden details of the subject matter. Some are seriously subtle in design and colouring and others are bold and literally infused with light. But they are all a real reflection of the environment I love the most. Whether I see it in Bali, Bora Bora, Bermuda, the Amazon or Africa it is always about the botanical extravagance of the tropics—everything one would want in a home that reflects a Zen environment of relaxation and nature and the reminiscence of an exotic holiday.”
Bush hopes her collection will be sought after for all types of homes beyond vacation cottages and beach houses. “The Victorians added whole greenhouses full of the exotic to their otherwise prim residences, and I am hoping that these designs may be deemed as appropriate for a Manhattan apartment as they are for a Palm Beach residence or a villa in Mustique.”
The designs, printed on a linen cotton canvas are manufactured in the US and are currently being made available to the trade through representatives in Connecticut, New York, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico, or through the website www.cloudhousellc.com <https://www.cloudhousellc.com> . A retail portion of the website will be added soon offering new designs, not seen in the current spring collection, in the form of bedding items: bed scarves, pillow shams and bolsters.
