Endearing Exchanges

The first four pieces in this series have a special significance for me.  They describe, with a bit of poetic license, my courtship with my husband.  It was love at first sight and we have been together ever since.  The series evolved when Caroline Downing, the founder and owner of Wicklewood, a unique décor shop in London, saw the pieces on exhibit at Ouimillie in Boston, purchased two of the four, and invited me to collaborate on a series of collages for her shop. Each piece tells a story and conjures a whimsical repartee conveying aspects of the Wicklewood brand and the aesthetic that Caroline and I share  –  the joy of everyday life, the fun of turning lemons into lemonade, and the power of friendship and family, and even a bit of magic.

I created eight pieces in loosely connected pairs, each have three dimensional elements and many use the fabrics and wallpapers created and sold by Wicklewood.

The stories told, many of which have biographical details, include:

• Cold and lazy mornings inspiring unexpected breakfast treats and a toasty, romantic, opportunity for painting en plain air;
• A designer seducing her lover with exuberant patterns and a gardener offering his beloved an oasis of magic;
• An artist capturing his muse who then insists that her best friend be included, both dressed as Sargent might have instructed;
• A dinner party inspired by Mrs. Dalloway ends in a jumble with the host and hostess fleeing.

I hope you enjoy these stories and can now imagine some of your own similarly portrayed.