Art & Home | The Magazine of Artful Living

ART& HOME NEW HOMEOWNER EDITION

The Magazine of Artful Living

SPRING 2022

TRAVEL

Carmel’s Treasures ENTERTAINING

Cheese Boards by Design The Art of Hosting Q&As

Painter Erin Hanson

Gallerist Fraser Scott INTERIORS

Designing Around Your Art Collection

COMPLIMENTARY GIFT ISSUE Cover Price $8.99

ISBN 978-1-7345977-2-1

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ART& HOME THE MAGAZINE OF ARTFUL LIVING | SPRING 2022

Contents 4

DESIGNING WITH A FLOURISH

10

THE ENTERTAINER’S CHEESE BOARD

18

CARMEL: A COASTAL PARADISE

24

ERIN HANSON: EPIPHANIES IN IMPRESSIONISM

30

SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY

36

THE ART OF HOSTING

40

DESIGNING AROUND YOUR ART COLLECTION

48

INTERVIEW WITH A LONDON GALLERIST Cover inset painting: Mandarin Hills, by Erin Hanson This page: Snow Blooms, by Erin Hanson

Dear Reader, Welcome to the premier issue of Art & Home.

Whether you’re a new homeowner or further along in the endeavor to create the home of your dreams, we hope to impart helpful tips and inspiration to aid you in the pursuit of artful living.

Art represents the finer edges of human endeavor and greatly adds to the quality of life. The creative elements we see, touch, taste, smell, and hear that transcend function, surmount the mundane, and stir the soul remind us in our daily lives just why we work so hard.

The decor and artwork in our homes provide a wonderful opportunity for self-expression. Home says to those we invite within, “This is us, this is who we are.”

What better way to enjoy your beautiful home than by sharing it with others. We hope you delight in our hot tips in the Art of Hosting.

Also in this issue, journey with us to Carmel-by-the Sea, a popular travel destination renowned for its art, wine, and coastal charm.

Are you a lover of cheese boards? Paired with the right wine and garnished with f lavorful accompaniments, our featured cheese boards will have you and your guests enjoying culinary combinations that are simple to make yet complex to the palate.

We’ve interviewed talented interior designers who offer insight into their approach to artful living. Our featured artist is contemporary impressionist Erin Hanson. This rising star has inspired painters all over the world and captivated millions with her colorful rhythms. Some say that Erin begins where Vincent van Gogh left off.

We hope you find this publication entertaining and useful to you in your goals of creating a beautiful home and living artfully.

Enjoy!

The A & H Team

ART& HOME THE MAGAZINE OF ARTFUL LIVING | SPRING 2022

Creative Director Julie Curtis-Paktinat Publisher Red Rock Fine Art, Inc. Contributing Writers Veda Blythe, Shelly Goldstein, David Paul, Mary Windham Production Manager Steve Walkowiak Printer Hartley Press, Inc.

Art and Home Magazine is a new publication with the purpose of inspiring people to live artfully and enhance their homes with fine art and aesthetic decor.

Art and Home Magazine (ISBN 978-1-7345977-2-1) is published by Red Rock Fine Art, Inc.

Art and Home Magazine is for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not an attempt to solicit business.

Designed and printed in the USA.

PHOTO BY ERIC PIASECKI

All content copyright © 2022 by Red Rock Fine Art, Inc. (except where otherwise noted). All published content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Red Rock Fine Art, Inc.

Interior design by Robin Henry/Robin Henry Studio. See more of her work in Designing with a Flourish, page 4.

Designing with

A FLOURISH AN INTERVIEW WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER ROBIN HENRY

Q

Photography by Eric Piasecki

How did you get started in the field of interior design? I have a Fine Art degree

with a concentration in sculpture. I have always thought in 3D. I was interested in interior design and used to draw furniture plans as a child. But it took a decade for me to come to it professionally. I did a bunch of other things. One day I told a friend, “I think it might be fun to take classes at the New York School of Interior Design.” And he said, “Um… why don’t you, then?” It was all the encouragement I needed at the time.

After 3 months I was hooked. I cold-called a designer I admired and got hired as an intern and the rest is history.

What would you call the basis or foundation of your design style? I

think design always has to move forward. I never want to repeat or copy myself or anyone else. I find endless inspiration in colors, finishes, pattern, and on and on. I’m always in for the new, though I like the envelope to be really refined.

How involved are your clients in the artistic creation of your design work?

Naturally the process starts with the client’s preferences and needs, but I also take cues from a lot of other sources as well. I look at the mood of the house and its architectural style, as well as the gardens and surrounding landscape. Which way does it face, which rooms get light? Are we near the shore, in the city? What is the house asking to be? For me the number one indication of where the design will go is the setting, orientation, and architecture of the house.

In your experience, what problems do most people run into when they first set out to redecorate their homes?

They don’t start with a furniture and lighting plan. A good plan is the foundation of our work, and laying it down solves so many issues and gives direction to the entire design. Nothing is worse than having all your options limited because on a whim a client started with a green velvet sofa of a particular size, and the whole scheme has to then turn off of it. But it’s also really hard to get rid of pieces like this. Once they are in the house, things tend to stick around waaaay too long — sometimes for decades!

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What are a few key Dos and Don’ts when approaching a redecoration project? Do consider the light. Don’t

paint a dark room a bright color to lighten it, and don’t paint it white. It will either look garish or dingy. Go with the mood of the light in the room already. Don’t paper just one wall in a room as a ‘feature’ wall.

Do ‘go big or go home’— there are no ‘safe’ decorating choices. There is only ugly and beautiful. Do whatever getting to beautiful requires.

How do you know when there is too much or too little going on in a space?

Beauty is real, it has an energy, and when you make a room beautiful, you know,

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because you can feel it. It sings. If your room doesn’t sing, it’s not done. That can be a matter of adding or taking away — you will never get to beauty if it’s dirty or cluttered, for example.

What tips or tricks can you share with the readers on how to really shake up or refresh a space that they feel has become stagnant? Clean it. Don’t even

think of refreshing a space until it’s clean and tidy. If you have a ton of books, make them look orderly on the shelves — get rid of extras if you have to. Take it to that level.

Next, consider the lighting in the room. A living room might have a dozen points of light in it, from the ceiling to the walls to

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the tables and floor. The lighting should be at different heights and spread evenly around the room. If anything, turn the ceiling lights off. If they aren’t especially pretty and it’s not a utilitarian space, get rid of them entirely so you don’t feel like you’re in a lab or a furniture showroom. In dining rooms, I prefer candle chandeliers to electric. They are much warmer and more intimate and exciting.

How do you combine beauty and function? Every room must function

properly or it will never feel balanced. If you can’t also make it beautiful, that means that you need to dig a little deeper, maybe tear down a wall or rearrange the space a

bit, maybe change the flooring material, whatever it is. Beauty and functionality should always coexist. Let the decoration of the space arise from its function.

What is your favorite way to accessorize a space? With color, texture,

and pattern. Stuff is overrated. Even the stuff needs to be beautiful on its own. If it’s not beautiful on its own, it won’t make anything else beautiful either, and you can easily get rid of it. That is why art is so effective—it’s usually something you really love, that is really beautiful, so it’s the right thing to start with.

What’s the strangest request you’ve

gotten for a design job? I was asked

to ombré (pattern in such a way as to have colors or tones fade into one another) the walls of a living room from lavender to a deep purple-blue.

What are you working on at the moment? We are designing a stately

Georgian house in Baltimore, a 1920s coral stone cottage in Florida’s Coral Gables, a farmhouse on the Beaverkill River in New York, and a Scandinavian modern-style townhouse in New York City, among other fun projects. õ For more info on Robin Henry/Robin Henry Studio, visit robinhenrystudio.com

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The Entertainer’s

CHEESE BOARD

by Veda Blythe

Nothing says, “It’s a party” better than a beautifully laden cheese board. The practice of eating cured meats and cheeses with wine dates back as far as Ancient Rome. As cheese became increasingly accessible through the Industrial Age, and after the advent of things like home refrigerators and Instagram, almost everyone now has a signature cheese board. Whether you are just embarking on your first cheese board, or you are looking for new and exciting ways to wow your friends, this guide is for you.

“ You can’t make everyone happy.

You’re not cheese.”

—Anonymous

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CHEESE BOARD GUIDE Tip #1 Selection: A good rule of thumb is to select different cheeses from all four cheese families. This ensures that the texture and flavor profiles will be diverse and exciting.

The basic families (with fan favorites noted) are: Soft: Brie, Camembert, Chevre Semi-Soft: Fontina, Muenster, Gouda Firm: Aged cheddar, Toscano, Manchego, ParmigianoReggiano and Edam Blue: Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton Tip #2 Serving: Use markers to label your cheese, so your guests will know what they are eating and can compare the different flavors. It’s also helpful to allocate one serving knife for each cheese you serve.

Tip #3 Variety: Serving three mild cheeses won’t be as interesting as offering a variety of flavor options.

Tip #4 Display: To display a firm cheese, position the wedge upright to give your board height or break the cheese off into chunks and give it an earthy and textured appeal. To display a soft cheese with rind, remove a slice to give the board some visual appeal but avoid removing the rind as it will make the cheese lose its shape.

Tip #5 Portions: Plan for each guest to have 1–2 ounces of each cheese you serve.

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THE ‘FRUICUTERIE’ BOARD Sometimes it is nice to let cheese and fruits shine together and avoid any other flavor distractions. With a never-ending array of fruity fan favorites and seasonal delights, it may be time to try your hand at a “fruicuterie” board.

Step 1: Start with your favorite blue cheese.

Step 2: Bring in a triple cream brie (drizzle it with honey for extra dimension and sprinkle it with roasted nuts for wow factor) Step 3: Add a Cotswold cheese, and then…

Step 4: Load the board with your choice of fruit: Grapes Kiwis Figs WINE PAIRING Peaches Keep it light and fruity with a Muscat Apricots or Pinot Grigio.

Mangos Plums Cantaloupe Strawberries Blackberries Raspberries (red or golden) Pears Apples

(above and right) Brie cheese with fresh figs and honey

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SPICY CHEESE BOARD Are you looking for a way to spice up your favorite cheese board? Consider bringing in some heat with tasty additions like chili olives (you can marinate them yourself or get them store-bought), raw chopped chili peppers (seeds removed), or spicy cheeses like pepper jack, habanero cheddar, chipotle jack, or chipotle gouda.

Kick up the flavor with: > Peppered salami > Spicy olives > Pepper jack cubed or in chunks > A chevre or brie > Some pistachios or almonds > Raspberry preserves to bring in some sweetness.

WINE PAIRING Fruity and spicy Zinfandel is a great option for this kicky cheese board.

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THE UNEXPECTED CHEESE Do you want to take your cheese board to a whole new level and really wow your guests?

Marinating your cheese is a fun and unexpected option to give your board a truly one-of-a-kind flavor (and it’s EASY too!).

Choose an earthy selection of Italian herbs, spices and olive oil for your softer mozzarellas, or create a fruity compote marinade for a nuttier chevre. Regardless of the effect you are going for, your guests are going to be looking forward to your next gathering.

Garlic Mozzarella Marinade: 1. Place a sizeable heap of mozzarella into a sealable glass jar.

2. Drizzle in a generous quantity of your favorite extra virgin olive oil.

3. Prepare the garlic: use a garlic masher, cheese grater, or the flat end of a sturdy knife to smash at least 3 cloves of garlic (don’t throw the clove in whole—you want the flavor to REALLY come out). Add the precious garlic to your jar.

4. Add a splash of white wine vinegar.

5. Add fresh parsley and fresh basil (tear it to release the most flavor).

6. Sprinkle in freshly ground pepper.

7. Seal the cap and gently swirl the container to allow the flavors to get into the nooks and crannies of your cheese.

8. Throw in some red pepper for a kick.

9. Let sit for at least one hour before serving.

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Carmel-by-the-Sea

A Coastal Paradise

by Mary Windham

N

ESTLED in the Monterey Bay between Pebble Beach and Big Sur is the charming coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel is internationally known for its exquisite art, idyllic views, and distinguished wine. Within one square mile you will discover five-star restaurants, nearly one hundred art galleries, countless wineries, and the beautiful Carmel Beach.

Carmel was colonized by the Spanish and later incorporated in 1916 as a haven for painters and sculptors. Because of its rich history, Carmel is a city teeming with culture and art. Its fairytale ambiance and European flare makes you feel transported to an idyllic age long past.

Carmel-by-the-Sea will enchant you with its natural beauty, rich artistic background, and old-world charm. Roaming in and out of shops and hidden alleyways makes for a romantic seaside adventure. Once you’ve spent a few days discovering all of Carmel’s treasures, be sure to meander up the coast towards Pebble Beach and Monterey, venture into Carmel Valley, or head down the coastal highway to Big Sur. After a visit to the Monterey Peninsula, you’ll understand why artists of all mediums have flocked here for over a century.

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Carmel-by-the-Sea’s rugged coastline features both sandy beaches and rocky, cypress-covered outcroppings. The natural beauty of the peninsula has inspired artists for generations.

Nestled just off the coast is a charming amalgamation of art galleries, boutiques, hotels and fine restaurants.

The architecture of the town is a distinct blend of Renaissance glamour and Mediterranean charm.

Explorers can meander through a bevy of secret passageways to discover hidden courtyards. (top) galerie plein aire One of Carmel’s fine art galleries featuring paintings of the local landscapes. galeriepleinaire.com

La Playa

STAY Cypress Inn The Cypress Inn is a boutique hotel and historic landmark in the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea. This inn brings charm and hospitality to all, including pets.

Doris Day co-owned the Cypress Inn for years and is responsible for making this beautiful inn accommodating to all guests, especially pets of every shape and size. cypress-inn.com Tradewinds

La Playa This opulent mansion, built by an artist as a gift to his wife, was transformed into a hotel in 1917.

Today La Playa is recognized as a member of The Historic Hotels of America and is sure to put you at ease with its ocean views and lush gardens. laplayahotel.com L’Auberge L’Auberge is a full-service Relais & Châteaux hotel dating back to 1929. This historic property is laced with European styles and timeless decor, and its Michelinstar restaurant L’Aubergine will grace you with one of the best culinary experiences you’ll find on the Monterey peninsula. laubergecarmel.com Tradewinds Blending Asian and Californian influences with its Zen gardens and deluxe spa services, Tradewinds brings tranquility to its guests. Recharge in this ideal retreat. tradewindscarmel.com

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L’Auberge Cypress Inn

Carmel-by-the-Sea

EAT Bud’s at La Playa Bud’s is a local haunt for lore and libations. With classic cocktails, a decadent champagne breakfast, an expanded food menu, and a warm, inviting atmosphere, Bud’s is a tribute to Carmel’s bohemian roots. budscarmel.com Carmel Bakery As Carmel’s oldest-running retail business—established in 1899, Carmel Bakery is a fun and historic spot to add to your trip.

Their hot pretzels and assorted baked goods make an excellent snack to take down the street to the beach. Carmel Bakery is the perfect icing for an absolutely decadent day out! chefpepe. com/bakeries/carmel-bakery Cottage of Sweets At the Cottage of Sweets you’ll find imported licorices, homemade fudge and all of the British-style sweets your heart could desire. cottageofsweets.com

Cottage of Sweets Bud’s at La Playa

Cultura

Pangea Grill

Cultura Celebrating an Oaxacan-inspired food and drink menu, Cultura serves one of California’s largest selections of traditional Mezcal. culturacarmel.com

TRADEWINDS: RICHARD STILWELL

Pangea Grill Pangea Grill offers an exciting, Asian-fusion flare with every bite.

Chef/owner Mira Porges not only creates amazing cuisine, she also exudes incredible hospitality and service that keeps you coming back. pangaeagrillcarmel.com

Carmel Bakery

Stationaery

Stationaery Beginning as a neighborhood eatery and quickly evolving into a famed hot spot and natural wine shop, Stationaery is sure to impress your palate. The Carnazzo family sources primarily from local farms and ranches, making every dish fresh and flavorful. thestationaery.com

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Carmel coastline Carmel Mission Basilica

TO DO Walk Carmel Beach The famed Carmel Beach is the town’s prized possession. Its pristine white sand sprinkled with storybook cottages and cypress trees sets the perfect backdrop for the grand Pacific Ocean. At the northern end of the beach you will see the famous Pebble Beach Golf Links perched above. At the southern end stands a beautiful home designed by architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright. Carmel Beach is also well known for being very dog-friendly, so make sure to bring your canine companions along for the perfect day at the beach.

Tour the Carmel Mission The Carmel Mission Basilica is the second Spanish mission built in California, founded in 1770. Today the mission serves as a parish church, museum, school, and shrine to Saint Junipero Serra. A tour should definitely be on your Carmel bucket list if you are interested

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in architecture and history. carmelmission.org Browse art galleries Carmel was founded as an art community and continues to be a home for the arts today.

You can discover hundreds of world-renowned artists as you browse almost 100 galleries within just a few blocks of each other. Carmel truly is the ultimate destination for art viewing.

Visit the Forest Theater The Forest Theater is considered to be the oldest outdoor theater in the West. Founded

by Herbert Heron and other local bohemians in 1910, the Forest Theater was intended to provide a space to elevate local creatives and attract artistic minds to the area. After a brief closure due to much-needed refurbishment, the Forest Theater reopened in 2016 and has since housed multiple local productions. foresttheaterguild.org

Gallery hopping

Charming Carmel

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Wine tasting Monterey County is largely known for its spectacular wine region.

In downtown Carmel, there are twenty wine tasting rooms representing the wine of Monterey County. Carve out some time to explore the local wine tasting experiences and unwind with the perfect glass at the end of a beautiful day in Carmel.

SHOP

(OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM RIGHT) CASS FRAN PHOTO (THIS PAGE) ALBATROSS RIDGE: MANNY ESPINOZA, DIGGIDY DOG: LOVE DOG & COMPANY, LIZ STRAVINEDES

Carmel Honey Company You’ll find a variety of different honeys and honey products at Carmel Honey Company. Located in Carmel Plaza, this company was founded and owned by a senior at Carmel High School.

What started as a school project turned into a business in the true entrepreneurial spirit. The owner carries on the educational aspect of the original project by enlightening the public about the importance of saving the bees. carmelhoneycompany.com

Albatross Ridge

The Cheese Shop The Cheese Shop is popular around Carmel because of their appetizing offerings. Stop in and sample one of the many cheese varieties they source from all over the world. They also offer wine, meats, and other gourmet foods to pair with your favorite cheese. thecheeseshopinc.com Diggidy Dog If you want to absolutely spoil your pet while in Carmel, you must make a pit stop at Diggidy Dog. This boutique specializes in all the treats, toys and accessories your four-legged friend could desire. diggidydog.com

The Cheese Shop

Carmel Honey Company Diggidy Dog

The Pleasure of Writing

The Pleasure of Writing Looking for luxury writing goods and accessories that are sourced internationally? The Pleasure of Writing is the retail shop for you. thepleasureofwriting.com

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Epiphanies in

IMPRESSIONISM INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST ERIN HANSON | by Shelley Goldstein

Artist Erin Hanson pulls inspiration from natural landscapes and translates their energy into a highly expressive and colorful impressionistic style of painting she calls Open Impressionism.

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Q

What was your childhood like? What did your relationship to art look like as you were growing up? I would say I

had a very well-rounded childhood. I grew up in a few places in and around Los Angeles. My parents did not allow a television in the house, so we spent our weekends outside exploring the Joshua Tree desert or inside creating, playing games, and reading.

We read a lot in my family — every night after dinner, my parents, my three younger brothers, and I would all put our noses in books and enjoy whatever fiction we were

in the middle of. I also played competitive sports and went camping and backpacking.

I went to a small private school that encouraged students to apprentice in the fields they were interested in. I wanted to be a professional artist, so I worked at a mural studio. I remember the first time I painted a real mural — I got to climb high on the scaffolding and spent weeks painting little trees on rolling hills. This was in the early 1990s, when you couldn’t just spit out a printed mural on an Epson printer.

If you were a casino, a cruise liner, or a big

restaurant and you needed art on the wall, you hired a mural company. Our murals went into many of the casinos in Las Vegas.

Where did the drive and ambition come from to accelerate your schooling? My school was “self-paced,” which

meant that students would read textbooks and do assignments in the classroom at their own pace. You were required to get 100 percent on all exams, so some people took longer than others. I graduated early at sixteen and went to UC Berkeley to

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“Open Impressionism is a new style of painting that I developed, characterized by a limited palette of pure pigments and impasto brushstrokes (a technique that involves a thick, pastelike application of paint) that are laid side by side without layering.”

What does your process look like?

major in biosciences. I have always been interested in both art and science. When it came to making a career decision and choosing a major in college, I opted for science, since I had been told so many times as a child that it is “too hard to make a living as an artist”— a datum that I now believe to be completely false!

How did the path to an art career take shape? What kinds of mediums were you working with? My decision

to return to art as a career came with a move to Las Vegas, where I started rock climbing at Red Rock Canyon. I had never seen such beautiful desert landscape before, and I made a decision to create one painting every week and see where my art took me. I have kept to that decision ever since — almost fifteen years later — and my style has evolved from a more realistic rendition of nature to a highly expressive and colorful impressionistic style of painting that I call Open Impressionism.

What is Open Impressionism? Open

Impressionism is a new style of painting that I developed, characterized by a limited palette of pure pigments and impasto brushstrokes (a technique that involves a thick, paste-like application of paint) that are laid

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side by side without layering. I was inspired in my work by van Gogh as well as early impressionist painters like Monet. I paint in a loose, expressive style, using varying thickness of paint to create rhythm and motion within my paintings. I try to never go over the same spot on the canvas more than once.

I have found that trying to correct brushstrokes that are already on the canvas only leads to a muddy mess. Since I don’t overlap my brushstrokes, my paintings have a mosaic or stained glass appearance.

The first step to creating a painting is seeking out inspiration. Several times a year, I put down the brush and go out by myself into the wilderness to hike and explore. I visit the Colorado Plateau often, revisiting some places like Canyon de Chelly and Zion National Park over and over to see the landscape in different lighting and to search for new compositions in the red rock cliffs. After returning home from a trip like this, my camera is full of thousands of ideas to paint from. I then use my two-dimensional photos as reminders of what it was actually like to experience the beauty I had seen there in person.

Using my photos as loose guides, I create original compositions with pencil and paper, and then I usually create a small painting sketch to work out the color before I start on the large painting.

What happens when you don’t like a painting you’re working on? One of

the most successful changes that helped me become a professional artist was to actually finish each painting before going on to the next. Before that, I would start a painting, get frustrated because it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted, and then decide to come back to it later (which I never did).

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By disciplining myself to actually finish paintings, I Iearned how to deal with trouble areas by trying different solutions until I got it right.

Have you found community in the realm of social media? My art has a

wonderful following on Instagram, and there’s been a lot of engagement with my painting images. I think people just want to be inspired by natural beauty, and they love my contemporary take on impressionism. I often hear from other artists that I have inspired them to “loosen up”when they paint.

I am glad there are so many artists who want to paint in an impressionistic style.

What do you hope people will experience when looking at your art? I

want them to see the world in a different light and remember what a beautiful planet we live on. I love when someone tells me that they are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park because of my paintings.

“I love when someone tells me that they are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park because of my paintings.”

Has it ever been difficult for you to let a painting go? Yes, sometimes — espe-

cially my favorite pieces. But it also makes me happy that someone else is cherishing that painting and that it will hopefully be passed down through generations.

In the alternate reality movie of your life, who would play you and what would you be doing? I would be played

by Natalie Portman, and I would be living in Paris trying to follow in the footsteps of the great impressionists of the past.

At a fundamental level, what do you believe is your purpose here? My

purpose is to create aesthetics, and I believe beauty and aesthetics are spiritual wavelengths. I want to inspire with beauty. õ

For more info, visit erinhanson.com or follow Erin on Instagram @erinhansonartist

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Surrounding yourself with

BEAUTY INTERVIEW WITH GALLERIST AMY JENSEN

Q

You are the gallery manager for The Erin Hanson Gallery. What is it like representing only one artist? It is actu-

ally great to be able to focus all our marketing efforts on just one artist. Erin Hanson is a prolific artist with two galleries dedicated exclusively to her work. She has hundreds of active collectors who are always on the lookout for a new Hanson painting, which keeps us all very busy! It has been really rewarding watching her grow and expand over the past 15 years.

Do you find that new collectors are intimidated by original art? Many of

our original paintings sell to first-time collectors. I have noticed that people who are really passionate about Impressionists like Monet and van Gogh also fall in love with Erin’s paintings. We make it easy to start collecting original work, like we’ll take videos of the piece if they can’t see it in person, and we offer layaways or financing options through Art Money.

How do you approach marketing for your art gallery in this age of all-things Internet? We have a large

following on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. We share Erin’s newest paintings every week, as well as behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with the artist. We have a great website that lets you zoom in on the original paintings, so you can see all the individual brush strokes, and there is a neat in-room view too, so potential buyers can get a sense of the size of the painting.

The gallery caters to specific needs in terms of sizes and framing, and we also offer custom, commissioned paintings.

What do you suggest for collectors and decorators who don’t have the budget for original artwork? We offer

beautiful prints of Erin’s oil paintings. Her bright colors and expressive brushwork translate well to print form. We offer flat (un-textured) canvas prints for collectors on a budget. For art lovers who want to splurge a little more, we offer limited edition 3D Textured Replicas, which look (and feel) almost exactly like an original oil painting.

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How would you say art enriches or improves the quality of home life?

Art gives a room depth and personality.

It makes your home come alive! You will see what I mean if you take a painting off a wall, after you’ve gotten used to it, and without artwork the room looks barren and hospital-blank. Art engages your senses, piques your emotions, and awakens fond memories. The goal is to have your home be artistic, inviting, and comfortable, all the while reflecting who you are. Art is a great way to show off your personality and tastes.

We always encourage our collectors to design their homes around the art they

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love, instead of picking art to match their sofa. You can let the interior design be inspired by the hues, style and mood of the artwork, which will make the room look beautifully planned.

How important is lighting when hanging art in the home, and as a gallerist what are some tips you could offer on this? Lighting is very important to

make the artwork appear the way the artist intended it to be seen. If you think about it, most house lighting is directed at the floors (not the walls) and is used to generally illuminate the room. This means that walls in

most people’s homes are dark. When you hang a painting without a spotlight on it, the painting appears de-saturated and you also don’t get to enjoy all the texture from the brushstrokes.

If you are buying original art or textured prints, I recommend investing in an electrician to come out and install some spotlights above each wall you want to hang artwork. Here at The Erin Hanson Gallery, we exclusively use Soraa Vivid LED bulbs to illuminate Erin’s paintings.

These are high-CRI (Color Rendering Index) bulbs, which allow you to see the painting’s full spectrum of colors.

Do you have some gallery guidelines about hanging art? Our mantra is, “If

you love it, you will find a space for it.” Big paintings, small paintings, tall paintings, wide paintings… you can find room for any piece of art, if you truly love it. Sometimes that means rearranging or getting creative on art placement (think narrow stairwells, bathroom walls, and petite paintings on bookshelves.)

One main guideline is to hang art at eye level, but it can be tricky to work around furniture in the room. Try to achieve an overall balance between the top heights of the artwork and furniture in the room.

I often recommend that collectors use blue masking tape to mark out on the wall where a painting might go. Then you can walk around the house and view the wall from different angles, to make sure that the piece will be shown off at its best on that wall. If you need a specific size to fit inside an alcove or other architectural structure, I recommend commissioning a work.

How do you paint a wall to accent or highlight a work of art hanging upon it? Wall color is one of the most fun

stylistic concepts to consider for a home.

Another keen option is wallpaper, which

has really burst back onto the interior design scene over the past some years. I have lately been seeing some interior designers even painting the ceiling as the “statement color” for the room, or painting the walls and the ceiling the same bold color.

I really like how a warm painting looks against a cool-toned wall, for example an autumn-colored landscape against a dark-turquoise wall. This makes the warm oranges and reds really pop.

If you are painting a wall to set off a particular painting, I would recommend taking a picture of the wall with the painting, and then creating mock-ups of how

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it would look with different wall colors (inspired by the colors in the painting.)

We offer this service in the gallery for our collectors, but you can do it on your own using Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap Visualizer for Web. It is the same idea as wearing a color that really makes your eyes pop and look more brilliant. You can play to the painting with your other design elements, and you are just going to get even more joy and “wow” from your artwork.

How should someone approach framing, in terms of interior décor?

Some of our collectors prefer to hang their paintings in the frames that the artist originally chose for the painting. I think this method works especially well if the house is decorated in neutral tones, so that there is no clash between different styles of frames.

We offer Erin’s paintings in simple gold floater frames, since Erin doesn’t want the edges of her paintings covered by a frame.

Most of our collectors find this frame bridges many styles of interior design, from ultramodern to traditional.

If the collector is trying to match an existing décor, we can offer gold or silver or champagne gold frames to match the metal accents in the room. If the room has a lot of wood, we can match the color of the wood in the room with a hardwood floating frame. The idea is to set off the painting without being too distracting with an overpowering frame.

How do you help a collector find that perfect piece? This is the most fun part

of all. This is where I get to know the person and find out what they are hoping for

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in their artwork purchase. They might have something very specific in mind, like “a 30 "x 40" vertical red painting for the hallway,” or they might want a painting of a certain landscape to commemorate a fond memory, like an anniversary trip to Lake Tahoe. Sometimes it is helpful to the collector if we create digital mockups of different paintings hanging on the wall.

More often, the collector is just looking for something that wows them and will continue to wow them every time they see it. They are looking for the “Aha!” moment, the “I will know it when I see it” moment.

My job is to get a sense of their needs, and then present them with paintings until we find that “love at first sight” moment.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? For me, I get to bring joy to

people’s lives day in and day out. For every painting Erin produces, at least 100,000 people end up seeing that image in one way or another. They see it on social media, they see it in the gallery, they see it on her website or in magazines. These people often reach out to let us know that her works made them want to get out and enjoy nature, inspired them to finally pick up the paintbrush and start painting again, or even made them cry with cathartic joy or release.

The other favorite part of my job is going into Erin’s studio to speak with her about some administrative detail and then coming back a few hours later to see a full-fledged masterpiece has taken shape.

I will never get over how magical it is to see how her paintings come together. õ For more info on The Erin Hanson Gallery, visit erinhanson.com

“If the collector is trying to match an existing décor, we can offer gold or silver or champagne gold frames to match the metal accents in the room. If the room has a lot of wood, we can match the color of the wood in the room with a hardwood floating frame.”

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The Art of

HOSTING

by David Paul

Y

OU HAVE LABORED LONG. You have pawed through numerous magazines, clicked through websites, talked to friends, browsed through stores, and bought and returned countless items of décor.

But finally, after all of that, here you are at last: The color schemes are pleasing.

The rooms are tastefully furnished. The interior design is elegant. The lighting on your proudly collected artwork is perfect.

You have poured your heart and soul into making your home beautiful, and it is as close to done as it can possibly can be.

You’ve just completed a monumental work of self– expression: your home.

Home sweet home.

But something is missing. What is it?

What is the one remaining step to make your great accomplishment even better?

The answer is to fill your home with others who will also enjoy the spaces you have created. The creation of your home is an art form in itself and we all appreciate entering a beautiful space, be it a fine restaurant, a luxury hotel, or a well- designed home.

So how should you go about having others enjoy the home of which you are so proud?

Family dinners are a wonderful way to let those closest to you take delight in your creation. Also, small gatherings of friends give your favorite people a chance to be together in elegant surroundings. Finally, a large party with old and new friends can be a perfect way to allow many others to

experience the beauty of your creation.

There is nothing like a well-hosted party with great people, warm hospitality, and a beautiful environment. This is something we all appreciate.

Hosting a large social event can be daunting, but if you are well prepared, it can also be extremely rewarding. The old phrase, “the more the merrier,” may just have something to it.

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So, let’s get the party started!

The following are some guidelines and tips on how to throw a party simply, and with a little class and style:

Make a list of people you would like to invite. If the list is not long enough to suit your taste, call upon some friends to see who they might enjoy at the party. Also take the opportunity to get out and socialize and get to know more people in your local community.

Write down everything you know about each of these people on your guest list with some basic notes: contact information, where they are from, spouse’s name, kids’ names, what they do for a living, interests, diet, etc. The object, besides collecting information to host them well, is to introduce people to others who may have something in common. This will happen to a certain extent

naturally, but an attentive host will make sure it happens wherever they can. “Fran, this is Joe. Joe, this is Fran. Her kids also go to Bellmont. Do you know each other?” or “Maggie, this is Veronica, she is also building an online business to sell her crafts.”

Determine a date that is likely to be well attended. If you intend to serve dinner, schedule the time accordingly. If not, schedule the time of the party after dinner so that people show up already having eaten.

Choose a classy design for an invitation from an online service, and mail out the invitations (or use a digital invite). Include an RSVP to help you predict and prepare.

Note: There are entire books written on the formalities and etiquette involved in social settings, particularly dinner parties, but provided here are some bottom-line basics applicable in any casual or formal circumstance. If more information is needed, the books authored by Emily Post are recommended reading.

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Tip #1 Designate somebody you can count on as your assistant host. Larger parties may require more assistants with clear-cut duties for each.

10 TIPS

Tip #2 Manage the parking. If you have neighbors, make sure they are all aware of the party if not invited and attending.

It helps to have you, or better yet your assistant, check the parking from time to time as guests arrive to ensure nobody is blocking a driveway.

Tip #5 Create an ambience. Music and lighting play a dramatic role here. Turn down the lighting and make sure spotlights are illuminating your artwork. Light fireplaces if it is chilly outside. The kitchen and dining rooms should be brightly lit.

Tip #3 Greet each party of guests yourself at the front door, ensuring you remember each person’s name. You can practice this skill ahead of time. It is key to hosting.

People feel important and cared for when somebody remembers their names.

If that favorite friend of yours has shown up and wants a tour of your home now, kindly ask her to wait until after the party has started, and show her around later when you won’t be missed.

Tip #4 Do your best to keep any conversation between yourself and another to no more than a few minutes. You are on the job, and on a mission: everybody will have a good time and feel included.

As the host, it is up to you to set the tone. A smiley, lighthearted demeanor coupled with gracious hospitality can set the mood for the entire party. Also, don’t forget, laughter is contagious. Joy and merriment spread easily.

f for the host f

Tip #6 Set the thermostat cooler than you normally would. Allow circulating air from windows if possible. A guest who finds it too cool can put something extra on, but a guest that finds it too hot has no option but to endure it.

Tip #7 Make sure each guest is aware of where the bathrooms are. Have your assistant check these to ensure cleanliness. Put several extra rolls of toilet paper under the sink in each bathroom.

Tip #8 Ensure each guest has easy access to drinking water and does not have to ask for it. Plenty of well-positioned snack plates that are restocked regularly are a good idea whether serving a sit-down dinner or not.

Provide a variety of beverages. Some people dislike beer. Others prefer cocktails. Some don’t drink at all and might want alternative beverages.

Many people these days have adopted healthier eating habits. You never know when you will have company with special dietary needs. It’s wise to keep a small amount of gluten-free, sugar-free, dairyfree and meat-free products on hand.

If children are invited, they need a well-lit space where they can do arts & crafts or games. Healthy snacks and drinks, and a nearby bathroom, help as well.

If you invite any nursing mothers, it is good to have a warm, quiet room for diapers, naps and nursing.

Tip #9 Provide multiple entertainment options for larger groups of people.

Some may want to dance, while others in another room may want to play games or just talk. By survey, the most memorable moments of a party are having fun conversations and discovering new friends.

Tip #10 Some people are a bit shy and find socializing a challenge, so try introducing them to others. Ask them friendly questions and take a genuine interest in them. A great host makes sure each person has a good time.

What a joy it is to be hosted in a beautiful home with good company and warm friends. People don’t soon forget it, and the party can springboard to new, blossoming friendships and a rich and fulfilling social life for the host.

Cheers!

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Designing around your

ART COLLECTION INTERVIEW WITH EVAN MILLARD, CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL DESIGNER AT MODERN REMAINS | Photography by Allison Elefante of Ruby & Peach Photography

Q

What got you started in the interior design business? As a young child Legos

sparked my interest in design. From an early age I can remember creating hundreds of buildings, homes, and towns from those colorful blocks.

Does artwork play a prominent role in your designs? Indeed, artwork plays a

prominent role in each. Whenever possible we incorporate art by local and national artists into every space we design.

Have you ever designed an entire home around a client’s art collection?

Yes! A few years ago, we designed a cocktail lounge around a black-and-white photography collection, with one of the photographs being of Tupac. This design featured layers of lush velvets, jewel-toned lacquer finishes, vintage furniture, and of course that photo of Tupac!

How do you use picture framing to bring artwork into your design space?

Typically, I prefer simple, gallery-style frames. I like the work to speak for itself and to be what is immediately seen. If I use a different style of framing, it would be to create a sense of contrast, like using an antique gilt frame with an abstract work.

Can you tell me an example/experience of designing around a key piece of artwork? Recently we had the chance

to collaborate on a project here in Nashville for House Beautiful. We were inspired

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“From our initial consultation with a prospective client we begin to extract elements of both likes and dislikes, which often play into the process of choosing art for their project.”

by a bouquet of tulips in shades of pinks, reds, and oranges. We commissioned a local artist to design a triptych of floor-to-ceiling abstract panels, which we installed directly onto the wall. From those panels, we took inspiration for the rug, chair upholstery, and tabletop. The finished Breakfast Room was vibrant and full of energy.

What sort of lighting do you use when hanging artwork in a client’s home?

I prefer wall-mounted art lights that hover right above the work. Not only do they highlight the work itself, but they can often act as a decorative component and add a special layer of effect.

Do you prefer clusters of smaller paintings or a big statement piece?

I prefer a big statement piece. I recently added a large 30 " x 40" vintage, silk watercolor painting of a Chinese horse to my art

collection. It is a statement piece for sure!

How do you collaborate with your client when making artwork choices?

The collaboration process with our clients is all about finding out what speaks to them. From our initial consultation with a prospective client we begin to extract elements of both likes and dislikes, which often play into the process of choosing art for their project.

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“We were inspired by a bouquet of tulips in shades of pinks, reds, and oranges. The finished Breakfast Room was vibrant and full of energy.”

What are your favorite spots in a home to include art elements? I enjoy

installing pieces of art in obscure places. I recently purchased a miniature oil painting of a clamshell in an antique frame and placed it in my medicine cabinet. Now, each morning when I open the cabinet, I see this beautiful little painting, and it brings a smile to my face.

Do you have any tips or tricks about how to tie in a strong piece of artwork with the design elements in the room? Emphasizing strong pieces of art

on pedestals and easels really ties them into the overall design of a room. Drawing attention to these art displays adds a sense of “mystery” and “charm.”

What’s the strangest piece of art you’ve ever had to design around? A

set of three carved stone baby heads might be the strangest piece of art to date! õ For more info on Evan Millard, Co-founder and Principal Designer at Modern Remains, visit modernremains.com

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International Art Trends INTERVIEW WITH GALLERIST FRASER SCOTT

Q

What got you started in the art world?

I grew up in a family of artists — my mother

was Chief Designer of Laura Ashley in the 80s (she designed Princess Diana’s engagement gown), and my uncle and father had a company that made film posters (my uncle hand-painted the original Teen Wolf poster). If you’d asked me at 18 what my future would be, I’d have said a painter — I went to art school in Wimbledon to study painting, but then, I saw a shop for rent and the other entrepreneurial side to my family kicked in. I opened my first gallery at 19 years old, selling art of recent graduates.

I have been an art dealer ever since.

What attracts collectors to the art you offer? We did a survey of our clients

“

We just sold an NFT for $85,000 last week—and we are one of the cheap ones! This space is exploding and it’s creating a major new arena for artists and providing a livelihood for so many of them.

“

—Fraser Scott, London-based Gallerist

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and, to my surprise (I thought they’d say beauty), what they said they most wanted is something to hold their interest for a lifetime — they wanted to keep finding something new about the artwork when they looked at it.

Do you find more of your clients choose art to decorate their homes, or do they choose art for its own sake and decorate their homes around their art collection? It’s a mix of both — some

clients have a space in mind and look to fill that space, with colours (colors for you Americans!) in mind, while others fall in love with a work and then create the work around it. There’s no right way to do it — often a person will decorate their room in the colors that they love, so they then pick a painting naturally in those colors. The other way can create real magic in interior design as well — to have the painting in place first, before the wall color, furnishings and details are picked — this can be spectacular.

Fraser works with a wide range of mediums and art movements and has collectors spanning the globe.

What is the most exciting art sale you’ve been involved with? We sold

$1.8M of album art for Coldplay for charity, setting up multiple London shows for them, with the band performing and speaking at the exhibitions. At one show, I sold the cover of one of their albums for $750,000, which fed and gave presents to 20,000 disadvantaged children in London at Christmas. Just last month I sold the original World Trade Center drawings to Mark Cuban who donated them all to the Smithsonian — so they are now in the national collection.

Do you see any trends in the contemporary art market? NFTs — Non Fun-

gible Tokens (“fungible” means able to be replaced with something of the same value.

So a liter of milk is fungible, while the Mona Lisa is not). We just sold an NFT for $85,000 last week — and we are one of the cheap ones! This space is exploding and it’s creating a major new arena for artists and providing a livelihood for so many of them. As a gallery with artists working in traditional mediums, we are incorporating this new craze by offering original artwork along with an NFT, adding a major layer of value to our clients. õ

T O P D E S T I N AT I O N S F O R

EXPLORING ART GALLERIES

PARIS, FRANCE From the Louvre to the Musee d’Orsay, you’ll find the largest collection of impressionist and classical artwork, as well as numerous independent art galleries.

FLORENCE, ITALY The art destination of choice for Renaissance art lovers, you also get to experience gorgeous architecture, and some of the best food and wine on the planet.

LONDON, UK Home to all styles and eras of art, you can explore hundreds of museums and contemporary art galleries to your heart’s content.

NEW YORK, NY Boasting over 1,200 art establishments, New York is the crème de la crème for art aficionados.

CHICAGO, IL With lots of public art to visit, you can also explore over 100 contemporary art galleries in the River North district alone.

SANTA FE, NM An art collector’s dream, Santa Fe has over 250 art galleries, specializing in contemporary Western art, sculpture, and pottery.

NEW ORLEANS, LA Wander the streets of the French Quarter to discover countless art studios full of vibrant art.

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA,CA The old-world streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea are perfect for fine dining, wine tasting, and visiting nearly 100 fine art galleries, all while drinking in the fresh salty air of the sea.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA With 256 art galleries and 93 museums, there is something for everyone here. Jump across the bay to Berkeley, and discover another 42 galleries and 17 museums.

BOULDER, CO A mecca for art lovers, and just a half hour from Denver, don’t pass up the opportunity to visit 130 local artists in Boulder’s Open Studios program.

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