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An interview with artist
Kerry Simmons
An interview with artist
Kerry Simmons
At House of Hackney, we’re known for creating art on walls – yet our co-founder Frieda Gormley likes to take the concept even further, by layering art on walls atop art on walls. “It’s a bold decorating move,” says Frieda, “but hanging your favourite painting over an exquisite printed wallpaper really anchors a room and creates visual interest – pushing the boundaries while conjuring an enchanting overall mood.”
The effect has never been more enchanting than in this ‘Hollyhocks’ room at the Castle of Trematon, which sees our eponymous new floral print swathed across the walls, the curtains, the headboard… and on the walls again, in the form of the original ‘Hollyhocks’ painting by Kerry Simmons.
For Frieda, it was love at first sight when she first came across the American artist’s boldly romantic work. Born in Wisconsin, Kerry honed her craft at the Ukrainian Academy of Art and the Repin Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, before finishing her studies at the New York Academy of Art – an education that enriched her work through the rigorous study of classical techniques. “I strive to make paintings and drawings that are beautiful and meaningful,” says Kerry, “based on both my own interests and the timeless principles of classical art.”
Our new HOLLYHOCKS print marks the first time House of Hackney has commissioned an artist to create an exclusive print based on her own work – and the first time that Frieda has combined a painterly wallpaper with the matching painting. The result is a masterpiece of design.
So to celebrate the launch of HOLLYHOCKS, we caught up with Kerry to explore where she finds the inspiration for her paintings, what flowers mean to her, and the value of beauty and harmony – in both nature and beyond…
At House of Hackney, we’re known for creating art on walls – yet our co-founder Frieda Gormley likes to take the concept even further, by layering art on walls atop art on walls. “It’s a bold decorating move,” says Frieda, “but hanging your favourite painting over an exquisite printed wallpaper really anchors a room and creates visual interest – pushing the boundaries while conjuring an enchanting overall mood.”
The effect has never been more enchanting than in this ‘Hollyhocks’ room at the Castle of Trematon, which sees our eponymous new floral print swathed across the walls, the curtains, the headboard… and on the walls again, in the form of the original ‘Hollyhocks’ painting by Kerry Simmons.
For Frieda, it was love at first sight when she first came across the American artist’s boldly romantic work. Born in Wisconsin, Kerry honed her craft at the Ukrainian Academy of Art and the Repin Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, before finishing her studies at the New York Academy of Art – an education that enriched her work through the rigorous study of classical techniques. “I strive to make paintings and drawings that are beautiful and meaningful,” says Kerry, “based on both my own interests and the timeless principles of classical art.”
Our new HOLLYHOCKS print marks the first time House of Hackney has commissioned an artist to create an exclusive print based on her own work – and the first time that Frieda has combined a painterly wallpaper with the matching painting. The result is a masterpiece of design.
So to celebrate the launch of HOLLYHOCKS, we caught up with Kerry to explore where she finds the inspiration for her paintings, what flowers mean to her, and the value of beauty and harmony – in both nature and beyond…
At the time that I created ‘Hollyhocks’ I was living in Queens, NY and feeling especially nostalgic for home and the open spaces of where I’m from in the Midwest. When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother would both garden. Although I have no particular skills or knack for gardening, I always appreciated the beauty of the flowers they tended to.
Perennials were a way to take note of the changing seasons, and a constant marking of the passage of time as the years went by. Daffodils and irises were the first to mark the arrival of spring and warmer days after our Midwest winter, which can be brutal. Hollyhocks, geraniums, phlox and tiger lilies meant full summer – and my happiest memories of warm, long days with greenery and life everywhere. Although I had no way to create an actual garden in Queens, I reached for the next best thing: creating one by hand with oil pastels. My tiny studio apartment then came alive with flowers bursting up the walls!
At the time that I created ‘Hollyhocks’ I was living in Queens, NY and feeling especially nostalgic for home and the open spaces of where I’m from in the Midwest. When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother would both garden. Although I have no particular skills or knack for gardening, I always appreciated the beauty of the flowers they tended to.
Perennials were a way to take note of the changing seasons, and a constant marking of the passage of time as the years went by. Daffodils and irises were the first to mark the arrival of spring and warmer days after our Midwest winter, which can be brutal. Hollyhocks, geraniums, phlox and tiger lilies meant full summer – and my happiest memories of warm, long days with greenery and life everywhere. Although I had no way to create an actual garden in Queens, I reached for the next best thing: creating one by hand with oil pastels. My tiny studio apartment then came alive with flowers bursting up the walls!
I love all flowers, but especially those that I am familiar with on a visceral level, both the wildflowers that dot the Illinois prairies and woods and the domestic varieties that thrive in this climate. I find comfort in their familiarity: they contain the scents of my childhood when I was sitting and laying in the grass, or poking around the natural world. To me, they indicate life, beauty, and constancy.
The color combinations that exist in nature are always inspiring. Each season and time of day has its own particular color harmony, and I find them all beautiful. I try to tap into these harmonies when I’m creating any work in color.
I walk, jog, and cross-country ski through my local forest preserves. I find it healing and centering to just be in untouched natural habitats. I also swim and water-ski and love to spend time in or near lakes. I am fortunate to live in Lake County, IL, which has a significant number of lakes and land set aside as preserves.
I hope that we grow in valuing things that I believe truly matter: beauty, relationships, and kindness
The more we consider what we can bring of value to the world and the people around us, and the less we think about what we can get out of these things, the better off I believe we will be.
I love all flowers, but especially those that I am familiar with on a visceral level, both the wildflowers that dot the Illinois prairies and woods and the domestic varieties that thrive in this climate. I find comfort in their familiarity: they contain the scents of my childhood when I was sitting and laying in the grass, or poking around the natural world. To me, they indicate life, beauty, and constancy.
The color combinations that exist in nature are always inspiring. Each season and time of day has its own particular color harmony, and I find them all beautiful. I try to tap into these harmonies when I’m creating any work in color.
I walk, jog, and cross-country ski through my local forest preserves. I find it healing and centering to just be in untouched natural habitats. I also swim and water-ski and love to spend time in or near lakes. I am fortunate to live in Lake County, IL, which has a significant number of lakes and land set aside as preserves.
I hope that we grow in valuing things that I believe truly matter: beauty, relationships, and kindness
The more we consider what we can bring of value to the world and the people around us, and the less we think about what we can get out of these things, the better off I believe we will be.
