Last year for my birthday, my best friend Zoe gave me one of the best cards ever - a stunning watercolour of a tropical, yet still sophisticated cocktail. Needless to say, I hugged her until she couldn't breathe, and then promptly framed and hung the pretty print.
What's more remarkable however, is I've been a fan of Niki Kingsmill's incredible fine art and illustration for years and Z. had no idea.
Niki's propensity for food and drink items of course instantly captured my heart. But her other subjects - house portraits, household items and iconic objects (Moka Pot, Converse, Chanel Bottle, Pink Satin Heels, Kitchen Aid Mixer and Ball Mason Jar) - are just as compelling. I mean, I've been obsessed with Lee Broom Lighting and his Clear Crystal Bulb for years, and she captured it perfectly.
Her gentle watercolours are realistic with just a smidge of whimsy added. There's a sentimentality to her work (Blanket, Cozy Cat, and Paint My Canada, for example), and often humour, like Oh, Baby! Nice Buns, and Holiday Spam cards/prints, making them ideal presents.
And check out her amazing renditions of Frida Khalo and Vincent Van Gogh. So cool and modern, the young 'uns will think they're relations!
Niki's got an eye for detail too. Her exquisite pen work can be seen in pieces such as Motorcycles the Octopus.
Niki's got an eye for detail too. Her exquisite pen work can be seen in pieces such as Motorcycles the Octopus.
As someone who sends cards as much as humanly possible, I've already hand-selected a bunch for friends, fam and colleagues. Prints too. Greeting cards are left blank inside, so you can personalize them to the person and occasion. Prints (available in 8"x10" and 11"x14") are accompanied with backboard to keep them sturdy and flat. The 120lb silk-coated stock paper Niki uses has a lovely weight and finish, and everything's printed and assembled in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
And shh, don't tell Zoe, but I'm going to give her a print of a Manhattan this Christmas because she is the best drinking buddy anyone could ask for. And thanks to a whack of these mighty cocktails, neither of us can remember the finer details from the night one of our favourite restaurants of all time closed, but that's another story...
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Niki Kingsmill Fine Art & Illustration cards and prints can be found in several retailers across Canada and the US and online. Card & Print packages are available, and the Holiday Collection makes gift-giving a breeze. Shop now.
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