beautiful paintings by Idoline Duke

October

is a look at art in the home

starting with the talented artist Idoline Duke

and her collection of watercolors now on display

and for sale at

Mecox Gardens

East Hampton, New York

pools starfish

artist Idoline Duke in front of her painting in Mecox Gardens

While sharing a cup of coffee at local Golden Pear restaurant in East Hampton with artist Idoline Duke, I noted she lights up when talking of her childhood spent on the beaches of East Hampton. She explains how she taps into her love of the ocean to create these beautiful paintings, and feels the pull of the tide all the way to the green mountain state of Vermont where she lives with her family. While working in her studio, Idoline takes the beauty from her surroundings to create these ethereal watercolor paintings. I love her seahorse and marine life studies, which capture the spirit of these creatures. A few paintings had just arrived and were being hung on the Mecox Gardens walls the day we visited - just in time for the summer crush. Her works are selling quickly and their aesthetic dovetails nicely with the beachy vibe of the shop. Idoline created a series she entitled, "pools" and these colorful orbs are painted in arrangements similar to how one displays their collection of beach glass or seashells after a day of combing the sand. When describing pools, Idoline communicates her love for working with watercolors, and she feels it is the next best experience to actually being in the water.

Mecox Gardens

66 Newtown Lane

East Hampton

"The process of loading the brush with deeply saturated color and changing the stark white paper is satisfying and meditative. The Pool series are meant to be meditative for the viewer as well. With all of life's agitations, art should be intriquing and beautiful as well as create a sense of calm - that's what I'm going for with my art".

Idoline Duke

Idoline in front of her "pools" painting at Mecox Gardens

The pool series is a collection of watercolors with sentiments of the sea. Each watercolor painting captures the essence of water in orbs or droplets painted in layers of varying colors from blue and plum to pink and brown. It is at once literal, yet at the same time abstract.

As is true of many artists, Idoline has been painting for most of her life, but after a successful career as a landscape artist, growing her children and traveling, she is now setting her focus back onto her paintings.

She attended the University of Vermont and studied art history and studio art. Idoline also studied landscape design at Inchbald School in London, and embarked upon a 20 year span of designing gardens. After she and her family moved to Stowe Vermont, In 2005, Idoline took the position of Exhibitions Director at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, Vermont. She curated over 13 exhibits, designed and organized public programs, and led educational tours of the exhibits. In 2009, Idoline felt compelled to go back to the studio to create her own works.

Idoline in her studio

"this collection and body of work celebrates the freedom and fluidity of mixed-media collage and the freshness and vibrancy of watercolor" dragonflies

About Mecox Gardens

Mecox is one of my favorite shops for furniture and accessories, and it is also a great place to shop with clients because the space is put together beautifully. They have locations througout New York City, Southampton, East Hampton, Los Angeles, Chicago and Palm Beach, Florida. They manage to weave mid century furnishings with vintage, antiques and modern designs all stylized together producing a casual yet sophisticated feel. Each store has it's own flavor, and my two favorite shops are Palm Beach and East Hampton for their distinct nautical flair. Idoline's clean lines and clear colors blend well with the aesthetic. Please check out Idoline's blog at http://www.idolineduke.blogspot.com/ or contact Paula at Mecox Gardens, 631-329-9405 Paula@mecoxgardens.com for more information on these works.