With her bright, energetic palette and bold, gestural figures, Kate Long Stevenson's artwork has long been the focal point of our favorite interiors and Pinterest boards. It comes as no surprise, then, that the painter can throw a party with the ease and style of a seasoned vet.
To celebrate her latest work - a mixed media series with the swimmer as subject - Stevenson gathered her closest friends for lunch at her Charleston home.
Scroll through to see how the artist let her work dictate the design, and read below for Kate's tips on throwing a daytime affair that's as nuanced and effortless as one of her paintings.
"As my luncheon was to celebrate the launch of the new swimmer series, I wanted the theme of the artwork to be echoed in the tablescape, but without being cutesy," Stevenson says, describing how she used the painting above the bar as inspiration for the decor and palette. "Just as the painting is color blocked, so was the table; I opted for solid colors to keep the look simple and cohesive."
"My favorite color is blue, and it's a staple hue in my artwork and in my home," notes Stevenson. Anna Weatherly chargers compliment the blue in the swimmer painting beautifully. "I let those be the biggest pop of color and worked from there," she adds.
The tablecloth, surprisingly is actually Stevenson's favorite beach sarong. "I love a little bit of neon, both in art and fashion. Plus, it's nice to mix serious items, like fine china and silver, with something unexpected and fun."
Rather than one big, fancy centerpiece that guests have to talk over, Stevenson loosely arranged fresh-cut hydrangea, tulips and peonies in votives and mint julep cups. Grouping the flowers by type was a bit more modern, not to mention a lot easier, she says. "No need to worry about the varying height of the arrangements, and the colors echoed those in the painting."
Even for a small gathering of eight, predetermining a thoughtful seating plan is a great opportunity to introduce something special: small acrylic frames that do double duty as place holders and party favors. On the front of each were guests' names, and on the back were little individual paintings reminiscent of the swimmer series.
Greeting your guests with a specialty cocktail adds to the festivity of any occasion. With watermelon in season and mint exploding in Stevenson's garden, she added both to Prosecco, and voila! "Delicious and refreshing, and the color is lovely," she says. Other beverage options included iced water with slices of lemon or lime, and fresh brewed peach iced tea.
"Go for what's local, in-season and easy to prepare ahead of time," Stevenson says. "I chose colorful recipes that can be served at room temperature and buffet-style." On the menu: Greek panzanella, deviled eggs and mascarpone cupcakes with strawberry glaze that Stevenson made herself. She gladly outsourced the chicken salad sandwiches from a local caterer. "They're a Charleston staple and not something I needed to trouble myself to replicate," she says.
"I have eclectic tastes in fashion, furniture and art and do not discriminate between high and low, realist and contemporary or different mediums," Stevenson notes. "My mantra is that if I love it, I'll make it work." To that end, don't be afraid to incorporate art with your furnishings, she adds. "This abstract painting in a modern acrylic frame looks perfectly at home on my antique buffet."
