We can never say this enough but it is such a joy to grow the Well + Wonder community of artists and to share them with you all. Adding a new artist never loses its appeal and excitement. And the launch of Kristin Shearer and her debut collection is no exception. Atlanta-based artist Kristin spent 15 years working in commercial real estate prior to starting her art business and is endlessly inspired by the way people interact with the spaces they live and work in. Often assisted by an energetic 4-year-old and an equally energetic puppy Kristin creates her candy-coated paintings in her home. As we prepared for Kristin to join the Well + Wonder team, we sat down with her in this creative space to chat and learn a little more about the person behind the paintings...Read the full interview in our latest blog post Pardon Me, Kristin Shearer!
What is currently on your Nightstand?
Headphones, books I haven't finished but keep telling myself I will. Chapstick, a framed wedding photo, cuticle cream and blue light glasses because I look at my phone way too much before bed.
Who is your biggest Influence as an artist and why?
I am always revisiting Josef Albers and his studies on color and color theory, his work is just FASCINATING. I'm obsessed with Helen Frankenthaler, her work feels so brave and brazen and also so subtle, like it's taunting you to dig deeper and she continuously evolved in her style and there is such bravery in putting new work out decade after decade. And my son. His favorite color is "every color in the rainbow" and he uses any color he feels like, without restraint or considering if it "will go" and aren't we all just so inspired by the confidence of children!
Tell us about your childhood. What is the most memorable moment as a young person?
Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are of painting, crafting, or cooking with my grandmother. She always encouraged my creative side and I don't think I realized it until recently how artistic and creative she was. As a child it seemed she was doing these things for me, and now as a mother I realize painting and crafting and cooking with my son is every bit as fun for me as it is for him. It feeds my soul and inspires me and allows me to share my passion with him.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why?
A basic starter primary colors acrylic paint set. You can mix any color you can imagine with a little practice and a color wheel and the understanding of tint and shade. And mixing paint is fun!
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
Right now my favorite room is our living room. We have two large sofas for cozying up by the fireplace and our built-ins are full of our favorite books, small art pieces, and cherished family
photos. We also have a game table area where we've been doing a lot of puzzles lately but my favorite part is our old and well worn coffee table where I color with my son every day.
What is your biggest score online?
When we first moved into this house I scored 6 vintage solid wood swan dining chairs for $300 on Facebook marketplace! The chairs are probably worth more than that each. We reupholstered the seats ourselves and they add such whimsy and fun to our dining room!
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
If you are looking to begin or expand an art collection, my biggest piece of advice is to go with your gut. If you see a piece and cannot get it out of your mind, it's speaking to you in some magical language of shape and color and you will continue to find introspection in it year after year. buy art that speaks to you and you will always have a little conversation going. And that is also the benefit of buying art through a collective; The curator has not only vetted artists that are thorough in their craft and their materials, they have developed relationships and encouraged and championed these artists, working to assemble a galley of many different styles and mediums so it is easy for you to explore and learn and develop your own taste.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
A super fun museum day would be spent at the National Gallery of Art in DC and they'd have both their full Joseph and Anni Albers and Helen Frankenthaler collections on view.
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
My husband and I were married on Lake Como and we stayed at the Hotel Belvedere in Bellagio and everything about it was an absolute fairytale experience. They thought of everything and had the most incredible recommendations and you would've thought we were royalty the way every person that we came across knew we were getting married and wished us well. And the views of the mountains and lake at sunrise - it felt like a different planet.
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
I love a bright red lip, of course!
I can never get on a plane without....
headphones, cozy sweater, hopefully I remember to download a book but most likely I'll forget.
How did you get into the world of art?
I always said I wanted to be an artist "when I grew up" but that path wasn't very championed or clear to me. I remained drawn to the creative side of my industry, commercial real estate, and took art classes here and there and would paint in my spare time sporadically. It wasn't until i realized i wanted to be infinitely more present for my young son and not tethered to my phone and email that i began to imagine a different life and building a business doing something i love - It is still just so surreal that i get to connect with absolute strangers every day through a shared love and language of color and shape.
What do you do to relax?
If I need to get out of my head I will walk - sometimes listening to a book and sometimes in silence noticing the world around me. If I need stress relief, I love a hot bath!
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere! Sometimes it is a single image and my brain just immediately starts deconstructing it into blocks of color and sometimes it's the slow realization in the theme of notes I've been taking and pictures i've saved or I'll realize i've mixed ten different shades of green and that spring is in my bones and i have to paint it out!
Prediction for the Color of 2023?
This is going to sound like i'm cheating because Pantone just released their color of the year is Magenta, but for the past month I've been fascinated with this wild magenta I mixed and how it layers against these smokey blues and orangey reds and my favorite piece from this collection is magenta and red so it's almost like I manifested the color of 2023.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
The majority of the time it is a long, not rushed dinner together at one of our favorite special places, but there is something so magical about those unplanned nights when you end up dancing the night away.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
I have a new favorite all the time but I recently completed a painting that is a study in balance and stacked red shades and it's currently living in our dining room. I find myself "checking" on it throughout the day to see what it looks like as the sun moves across the front of our house. I love that the subtlety is exactly what makes it so striking - in chasing the light it has become an experience to look forward to each day.
One piece of advice for buying original art?
Buy what makes you feel something - if it makes you smile or think or wonder or contemplate it will bring that energy to your space. Buy emerging artists and established artists and vintage art and build a collection with character and that carries memories. Your art collection tells such a fun story of your life.
