MY HAPPY PLACE, INSIDE AND OUT
“Learn to look not just with your eyes but with your heart.”
I was having coffee with a friend recently and I was telling her all about the commissions I had just finished for my client in Switzerland. I was declaring my undying love for a neutral palette and explaining how I’m all about making art that has a calming influence but is rich in depth and texture.
“Omg! You’re like the Kelly Hoppen of art!” she exclaimed.“You even have the same initials!”
Flattery will get you everywhere my friend, but it also got me thinking about our shared passion for neutrals. Labeled as The Queen of Taupe, Kelly Hoppen is arguably the most famous interior designer on the planet and has been an idol of mine for years. She has been designing homes for the rich and famous for almost 50 years and has made beige far from boring. Her designs ooze luxury but they whisper it quietly so as not to be arrogant. Metallic accents are subtle not blingy. She isn’t afraid to use black. The woman seeps class from every pore. I mean, we’re practically two peas in a pod! (insert laughy-face emoji.)
Kelly’s quote at the top of this post is a reference to her interior aesthetic but it also sums up exactly how people should view art. Engaging with a painting in an intentional way can evoke so much emotion and have a profoundly significant effect on your wellbeing, in the same way that creating the right interior can help you to feel safe and relaxed. The two go hand in hand.
“Neutrals are my happy place.”
My recent commissions reminded me that although I enjoy using colour, it doesn’t come easily. When I paint with a neutral palette it feels so natural and I am much more connected to the work. It just flows. Neutrals are my happy place.
It is usually around this time of year that I start thinking about my Autumn/Winter collection and creating those five pieces affirmed my theme for this year. I’m not going to give too much away just yet but suffice to say there will be beige. And black. And gold!
What are the chances of a KHxKH collaboration? Surely it’s a match made in (neutral) heaven?
Kx