I’m a firm believer in investing in original art. Art can completely transform and define your home, making it unique and special to you and more interesting to your guests. It adds character and interest that furniture, materials and accessories alone just can’t quite achieve. That being said, sometimes it’s hard to find art and artists that you love. I’ve thought long and hard about how to best help others find beautiful, original art and, that’s where Reihman Road’s The Artist Edit comes in.
I’ve reached out to a few favorite artists that I’ve been following over the few years who’s art will instantly elevate your home. I’m excited to champion their work through a bi-weekly feature, The Artist Edit. Today I’m happy to introduce our very first featured artist, Kendall Blanchard. Her work is absolutely stunning! And her answers to the questions below make her art even more enticing. I love a good behind the scenes or getting to know the person behind the art and this is must-read! Without further ado,
Meet Kendal Blanchard
Tell us 5 fun facts about you!
- I’m a mom of three girls and just celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary. (I’m really dating myself here!)
- I have a serious sweet tooth. I probably should say addiction. I LOVE chocolate!!!!
- went to college for graphic design and then changed my major to education my senior year. I had an amazing career in education, but with a move to a new city and the death of my father, I returned to my first love of creating. My father encouraged me to pick up art again before he passed and it became a way for me to work through my grief. Through a tough experience a new career was birthed.
- I have always loved being creative and interior design from a young age. My favorite Girl Scout patch I earned was one where I had to create an entire design board for a house with artwork and samples and refinish a piece of furniture.
- I am always thinking of my next beach vacation. I love sun and sand and my perfect day is reading a book on the beach with a frozen cocktail.
Where are you from and how does it influence your work?
I am originally from Louisiana and spent the majority of my life living in various cities there. Six years ago my family moved to Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a picturesque coastal town on Mobile Bay and only an hour to the white sands on the Gulf on Mexico. It truly is heavenly here and sometimes it feels like I’m living in a Hallmark movie.
My work is influenced by so much of what I see around me. The interiors in the homes here I would describe as traditional with a bit of coastal mixed in and I feel like that describes my current work as well. I created my collaged botanicals after I moved here and my goal was to give a fresh take on the traditional design trend of using botanical prints for artwork in a home. I have created traditional florals but also chosen coastal foliage such as palms and monstera leaves.
Who is your biggest artist influences?
I have a minor in art history so I could rattle off a long list of the greats as well as current artists whose work I admire, but if I focused purely on influence I would say my sister-in-law, Katie Harwell. Katie is a high school art teacher and an ASID interior designer. Whenever I am with her we have so much fun showing each other what we are working on and Katie always has the greatest suggestions on how to push my work further or mediums to try. She is fearless when it comes to creating where sometimes I don’t want to take a risk in case I ruin something I like. I have learned from her that it is in the risk taking that some of the greatest pieces are created.
Where do you find inspiration?
My inspiration comes from the outside world. I am constantly cutting leaves and fresh flowers to use as new designs for my collaged work. My water lily collection came from a visit on 30a where I took countless photos of water lilies on all the small and large waterways sprinkled throughout the area. I also loved design books and scoured them repeatedly to gather color inspiration. No matter how many times I’ve looked at a book I always come away with a new idea to incorporate into my work.
When is your favorite time of day to create?
I love to create early to mid morning after the girls have gone to school. I love a quiet house to just let my inspiration flow, but there are times I have an idea and just have to stop and get it onto paper no matter what time of day it is.
What motivates you to create?
Honestly it’s like an itch that won’t be satisfied until I scratch it. I have times when I can’t keep up with all the things I want to create and then other times when I just have to rest. With an art business you have commissions and projects that keep you busy and creating other’s visions. I enjoy working with designers and clients to make their visions come to life, but I am finding that in order to continue to have joy in what I do, I have to make time to just create for no other purpose other than that.
Where can your art be purchased?
Of course, anyone can reach out to me via email or instagram at @kendalblanchardart but I do have a website with available art as well at www.kendalblanchardfineart.com
I love that Kendal drawls inspiration from the outdoors, truly helping you bring the outdoors in through hanging her gorgeous art on your walls and that her artist inspiration is someone close to her who she can learn and grow with. I hope you enjoyed “meeting” Kendal as much as I did and if you’re loving her art as much as I do, make sure to pin a few of your favorites to keep them top of mind for your next art purchase!
Have you seen the trend of people dressing like their favorite art piece and visiting the museum dressed to match the work of art they love? I thought it would be fun to pull together home and fashion finds, as we do, that seem to fit aesthetic of Kendal’s beautiful art pieces! Check them out below!
