Harriet Clare @ Margaret St. Gallery

I went to the Transient opening at the Margaret Street Gallery last night and was really taken by Harriet Clare's 'Woebegone' series; the kaleidoscopic images, which were printed on large sheets of heavy paper and hung with bulldog clips, felt modern, minimalist, and casually chic.  Natural elements like tree branches, leaves, and snow, were imaginatively manipulated to create something familiar yet fresh and the pieces invited the viewer to find symbols and shapes in the converging lines.

I really love her work and think it would show well in many settings (like my hallway, living room, or office, for instance).  If you're in London, I encourage you to stop by the gallery and check it out for yourself because these pictures, they're not doing the work any justice.  Trust.

> Transient will be on exhibit until Frebruary 26th at the Margaret Street Gallery in London <

MPLS

Whilst working on some linocut prints on Saturday night, David made this.  He took a paper cut-out I'd made of the Minneapolis skyline, rolled some ink over it, and then scribbled a park in the foreground and some windows on the buildings behind.  It may not be geographically accurate, but it sure does make me smile.  I think I'm going to write a story to go with it.

Please know, dear reader, that I left the house today and 'hung out' in town and all the while made a concerted effort to suppress my bitch face.  It was fine, or whatever.  Perhaps I'll go out again tomorrow.  Who knows!

And speaking of Minneapolis, I have another TWV coming your way tomorrow from that part of the world.  It shall be very, very exciting!

Colored Light

When we were staying at Old Campden House last month, we stopped in the church next to the estate for a little look-around before leaving.  I generally find old churches to be far too cold and a bit of a bore, but on this particular morning, I was charmed by the way the light filtered through the stained glass windows and reflected on the opposite wall like an abstract painting.  Lovely, no?

Inspiredb By: Malcolm Liepke

Oh, man.  David and I had such a comfortable weekend with our friends in the Cotswolds.  Comfortable- that's the best way to describe their home.  Comfortable like walking into your mother's arms, comfortable like the laugh lines on a lover's face, comfortable like a cup of coffee and your favorite book.  Together, we ate, drank, and made much merriment and I've come away from the weekend feeling well rested and inspired.

Not only was our weekend comfortable, it was also full of fantastic art.  Sculpture, block prints, and textiles were displayed alongside tribal masks, graphic screen prints and children's art.  It was wonderful!  All the visual stimuli got me thinking about one of my favorite artists, Malcolm Liepke, and how I wanted to share some of his work with you.  I like the energy of these pieces, their sensuality, and the weight of his brush.  Also, he's originally from Minneapolis and you all know how I feel about that. 

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I've had this saved on my desktop for months now.  I want that collar.  So bad.  So so so bad.  I really love the colors in this piece and the luminous quality of the subject's skin and the depth of her eyes.

White Feather Boa

Again, this boa.  Mine.  Make it mine.  Please.  

I love his use of texture here as well as the shine of her lips.  

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Like my all-time favorite painter, Sargent, I find Liepke's portraits to be illuminating and haunting, as if the subject is emanating light. I'm drawn into these portraits.  I want to write stories about them.
In fact, I think I will.

Liepke is represented by Albemarle Gallery in London.

Goldfish on the Edge

On Monday I visited The National Gallery for the first time.  I'd agreed to meet a new friend there who happens to have a Masters in Art History and strolling through the galleries with her was like being on my own personal docent tour.  She pointed out influential pieces and explained the technical skill behind the work; though we didn't see all of the museum (impossible!), she gave me a terrific introduction to the Gallery's bountiful collection.

As we meandered past amazing works by Titian and Raphael, Da Vinci and Monet, one piece especially jumped out at me, A Girl at a Window by the French artist Louis-Léopold Boilly.  What struck me first about the piece was the fact that it's composed entirely in black and white.  It feels crisp and modern despite the fact that it's over two hundred years old, and I was immediately quite taken with it (I mean, those goldfish!). 

After watching a terrifying amount of the Olympics the other night, my live-feeds fell silent so I began a search for more of Boilly's work and was delighted with the results!  His pieces are flirtatious and sweet, silly yet truthful.  They maintain a spirit that is almost modern and capture moments that were charmingly unusual- in fact, the scope of his work reminds me of Norman Rockwell a little bit, in that it is a combination of intimate daily-life portrayals, more commercial crowd scenes and some lovely silliness.  I shall stop my blabbering as my opinions about art are incredibly unfounded and generally don't go far beyond "pretty!" or "Mmmmm?",  but I simply just wanted you to know that I love Boilly and I'm excited to have come to learn of his work.

I've Got Mail

I GOT MAIL!  This is very, very exciting.  One, I love getting mail.  Two, this is mail from my mother, who has very beautiful penmanship and lives in Minnesota.  Three, this card speaks to my soul. 

The card is by Saturn Press in Swan's Island, Maine and I'm a little bit heartbroken because I can't find their website- presuming they have one- and would love to learn more about them and see more of their Letterpress work.  I have, however, found an online retailer.  I especially like their Animal Tracks in the Snow and Names of the Full Moon cards, too.  But obviously the one my mom got me is the best one of all. 

The Austin Phelps quote on the front reminds me of when Gertrude Stein once said, "You can either buy clothes or buy pictures."  The first time I read that in Hemingway's A Moveable Feast* it really resonated with me.  Often when I'm shopping, I think back on this quote and try my best to purchase clothes that are like art for this very reason (how clever of me... my clothes are my pictures, Gertrude!).  But really, like this card says, I often find myself caving to buy books rather than clothes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you to my beautiful mother for such a thoughtful and sweet card.  Reading it made me weep, and I love and miss you very much indeed.

*I realized as I unpacked my books a few weeks ago that my copy of A Moveable Feast is missing from my collection.  This is devastating because it's one of my favorite books of all time and I was looking forward to rereading it this summer.   Thinking back, I'm pretty sure I loaned it to a friend after drinking too much wine and going on and on and on about how much I love Hemingway.  So, whoever you are who has my book with underlined passages and notes in the margins, I hope you like the book.  And let me know if you have it because I'm curious who I gave it to.  I won't ask for it back, but I will ask you this: what's your favorite part? 

@Pret A Diner- Italians Do It Better

As I arrived at Pret A Diner- Italians Do It Better I took note of the candle-lit entry and the enormous neon cross, cocked an eyebrow and said to David, "This is either going to be terrible, or really really fun."  When we were invited to the dinner, I accepted on the fact that 69 Colebrook Row was responsible for the cocktails so I walked into 50 St. James's Street on Sunday night unsure as to what, exactly, we were in for.  Was it a restaurant, a gallery, a theater?  Even now, three days later, I'm having trouble describing the experience- for that is truly what it is, an experience- though I can say with much certainty that my initial feeling was right and the evening was really really fun.

So what is it?  Well, Pret A Diner is an avant-garde dining experience designed with careful attention paid to aesthetics and details that pleasure the senses.  It is a creative compilation between taste-makers in various industries who share their talents to create something special for a limited space of time.  It encourages diners to do just what the Olivia Steele piece in the bar suggests and go get lost.  Get lost in the music, the food, the art; let the senses take over and enjoy the moment, the company, and the surroundings.  Pret A Diner is fantasy dining.  It doesn't ask the diner to take anything- not the food, the drink, or the setting- too seriously, but does encourage them to truly enjoy it.  What struck me most is that despite the theatrics, the bold decor and pretty plating, the entire experience felt so authentic and everyone seemed to be having a really fantastic time.  

Pret A Diner is only open until June 30th, so do yourself a favor and book a table while you can.  If you can't, at least stop in the bar for a drink.  I promise, it won't disappoint.

Africana

Remember when I told you that David has a whole bunch of cool African art around the flat from his childhood in Nigeria?  Well, here's the proof.  How great is this stuff?   He also has boxes (and boxes and boxes) of stuff in a closet that I have yet to go through.  I vaguely remember him once saying that his family may even have a coat of arms... if he does, I'm totally getting it tattooed on my face, or something.  I didn't take his last name* but I'll totally take his coat of arms!

*His last name is Cox.  Kate Cox is a stripper name.  Therefore, I opted to continue being known as Kate Sims.  Can you blame me?

The Bait and Switch... Or Something

Perhaps you've noticed something different about the look of this site... if you're having trouble putting your finger on what, it's just the big huge picture of my face up top.  You see, when I started this blog, I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to reach out to my people- whomever they may be- in an authentic and engaging way.  Initially, I had grand plans of writing about the trials, tribulations and triumphs that come with running a small business in addition to writing about my life* and the things I like.  In the last few months, it was becoming clear to me that I was having trouble focusing my writing because this space didn't feel enough like me- in the back of my head I kept thinking Kate, you have to make it more business-ey, focused and informative and that made me feel stressed instead of excited about writing a post.  Though things have changed since I started writing in January, the premise I started with has stayed the same and even from the get-go, I knew a few things for certain:

1. I wanted to generate all my own content and post my own photos, work, etc.  If, for whatever reason, I put together an inspiration post and feature the work of someone else, I will absolutely give them credit. The internet is for sharing, not stealing, amiright? 
2. In addition to writing about my life and work, I want to use this space to feature people and businesses who are doing a great job of doing something creative, exciting, and unique.  It's important to me that this space focuses on optimism and authenticity and it's my dream that it somehow allows for the world to become a more beautiful place, even if it is in a super small way. 
3. Cocktails are going to play a big role in the content on this site.  I haven't quite gotten my bearings- or my cocktail glassware- in this country, but as soon as I do you can be sure to see a lot of booziness right here!
4. Sometimes I will get serious and, seeing as I do consult with small businesses to help them focus their brand and creatively engage with their clients**, I will sometimes talk about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of small businesses.  It won't be all I talk about, but I will certainly touch on it from time to time.  
5. This space is going to be fun.  FUN FUN FUN.  At least for me it will be... but I sincerely hope you have fun, too.  

So, there you have it- a slightly improved version of what was.  Hurray! 

And many thanks to the handsome gent below for taking my new photo and for putting up with me for many many many hours yesterday.  Ollie Reimann, you are a shooting star!

*Having recently moved continents, I find blogging to be a great way to let my far-away friends and family know what I'm up to.  Regardless of whether or not people find it interesting, it's a way for me to feel more connected to the world and allows me to flex some creative muscle. 
**Shameless plug.  Sorry. (Actually not sorry.)

On Art and Balance

I've started designing an ad that will appear in the September issue of Vogue. The stakes are high but I'm really excited to create something that will have such a huge audience!  I'm also a little scared...

Speaking of Vogue, I've been really into The Fashion Fund lately.  I find it incredibly inspiring to watch these designers with so much fire in their bellies work toward achieving their dream.  Their world is one that is constantly balancing art and business, art and personal life, art and compromise, art and expectation.  I really recommend checking out the series if you're interested in fashion, but also if you're an artist who is trying to bring your craft to the next level. 

As a child, I fell in love with storytelling.  At first, I thought that meant that I wanted to be a writer.  After graduating from college with a literature degree, I thought writing was my only skill and resigned myself to the idea that I'd have to compromise my creativity and get a job writing things that I wasn't interested in to pay the bills.  It was a great day when I realized I could take my skills (of which I actually have many, silly me) and tell stories to strengthen brands.  One morning I remember driving by a billboard and realizing someone wrote the silly slogan on the sign and thought to myself, everything you read is written, and for the first time ever I felt like I could take over the world.

I still have a lot of growing, hard work, and balancing to do before the world is at my feet but I don't feel helpless as I once did so long ago*.  Like the designers in The Fashion Fund, I'm willing to take a leap of faith even though I don't always have every detail figured out and I'm excited to be building my career as a Brand Consultant even though I have yet to nail down my elevator pitch, my marketing materials, and my exact service packages.  I have enthusiasm and a fire in my belly and I know I'll figure it out as I go along.

No matter what your trade, one of my favorite weekly reads for artists who want to live by their craft is the blog Life as an Artistpreneur.  Becka Robinson isn't the final word on how to do it (who is?) but she is hard-working, genuine, and talks about a number of issues that arise when you're an artistpreneur and I really enjoy reading her blog.  Plus her infant son is super cute and you know it must be true because I don't even like kids... XOXO

*Not that long ago, really.  Unless you think a year and seven months is long. 

Mr. Cox and his Michelangelo Hands

My English Gentleman, Mr. Cox, has ginormous hands.  He also has long arms, a long torso, large, muscular calves, and big feet.  Sometimes I jokingly compare him to Michelangelo's David (their bums are quite similar, too...).  The other night, David fell asleep long before I did and when I walked past him to get a glass of water, I noticed his arm hanging off the side of the bed.  The way his hand was positioned in repose reminded me ever so much of Michelangelo (painter, not the Ninja Turtle), so I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo before tucking myself into bed.  

Though his hand in the photograph is much more similar to Michelangelo's Adam in the Sistine Chapel than it is to Michelangelo's David, the similarities between the man and the art is enough to convince me that my David could have been a model for Michelangelo in a past life.  In this life, however, he is a model for Tom's caricatures (top photo), my midnight photo-shoots, and a prime example of what an upstanding English Gentleman should be.