Whether she is sipping café au lait in Paris, studying fine art in Madrid, or on a long-afternoon drive through lavender fields in Northern California, artist Kimia Kline continually draws inspiration from the stunningly beautiful things that surround her.
The artist’s use of light brushstrokes and soft color schemes — blushing rose, taupe, ivory, lilac & amaranth — create the sense of morning sunlight peeking through lacy curtains and evoke thoughts of lazy afternoon picnics on sandy beaches.
Kimia’s paintings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the Candystore Collective and the Swell Gallery, both in San Francisco, as well as in art exhibitions all over the world. She has won international acclaim, and was the winner of the NYAXE Gallery competition in 2009, and a national exhibition, 12″x12″, at the Todd Gallery in 2010.
Kimia has had the dream-like opportunity to experience living in many countries around the world, places like Spain, Israel, the US, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Japan and Namibia, and in a few weeks, she will be moving to India for her next chapter; each place has influenced her paintings in a thousand and one ways, and this week, she reveals her:
{five favourite inspirations for painting & drawing from around the world}
1. During our honeymoon to Thailand, we visited the flower market in Bangkok. It was one of the most vibrant places I’ve ever seen. Flowers have always been a source of inspiration for me, and I constantly find myself going back to these photos.
2. During a homestay in Madrid, I came across a little museum off the beaten path called the Museo Thyssen. It had a beautiful Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele collection, two of my favorite painters. It was the first time I’d seen their work in person, so this museum will always hold a special place in my heart. Their use of pattern and the female form have greatly influenced me over the years and continue to inspire me.
3. In college, I studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan. I fell head over heels in love with everything about that gorgeous city, especially the woodblock prints. The muted colors and flattening of space in this artistic tradition are elements that I often utilize in my own work.
4. Ever since I was a little girl, libraries have been a sort of haven for me. The first time I visited the British Museum in London, I fell head over heels in love with the library. There’s just something about being surrounded by books and knowledge that makes me feel like anything is possible.
5. My favorite spot at home in San Francisco is the magical Flora Grubb. It’s like a modern day secret garden, filled with handmade vases, air plants and lemon trees. Sometimes when I visit I take my sketchbook with me and draw for hours. Plus they make really yummy scones.
And unable to stop at just five, Kimia concludes:
Every time I visit New York, I notice my art influenced by the fashion there. I find so much inspiration in the way designers come up with new beautiful ways to dress the body and express themselves. Fashion for me is living art that surrounds us on a daily basis. My shelves are filled with copies of magazines like Vogue and W that I’ve collected over the years. I’ve noticed that whenever I’m looking for new painting ideas or color palettes, I find myself going back to their pages. And of course, there are summer picnics in Parisian parks — there’s nothing more beautiful to me than the glowing light and ephemeral colors of a warm summer day. Capturing the whimsical quality of afternoon picnics is an element I try to infuse in my paintings, as well as the nostalgia I feel towards fleeting summer days.
{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* interior designer: tricia foley
* jeweler: camille eddera
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell
~ laily
{japenese woodblock print in the final image, from here}
