I am thrilled to share the stunning, elegant, and so unique work of Margot Larkin of Margot Lar Designs. Margot hand paints beautiful objects on glass, mainly stemless crystal glasses.
I fell in love with her art the first time I saw it and follow her work religiously on Instagram. The pieces are so different from anything I have seen, which is what drew me to Margot's work in the beginning.
Margot describes her work as "hand painted crystal and objets d'art, objects that are really about something else entirely. My work is a subtle representation of my appreciation for beautiful things in nature and century old techniques of marbling. A lifestyle without pretension, yet still infused with elegance in a laid back way. A lifestyle where an actual brushstroke is valued over perfection, a lifestyle you want to lead even in
your imagination that values things with patina and mistakes, without perfection. Just a simple, organic shell or coral branch painted on a glass, on a messy dining room table with mismatched plates, flowers, and my grandmother's linen napkins. My grandmother would have adored the mix.”
I think you will love Margot's work as much as I do. Be sure and read her story at the end of the post.
ENJOY!
Margot studied business in college, but art chose her. Read her story here.
When my first two children were very
small, a neighbor of ours hosted 'mom's night out' in her home. There were 6 of
us that lived in the same neighborhood, all moms with young children. We
would put our kids to bed and rush down the street to drink wine,
laugh, and have a great meal. One of the women was an extremely talented artist and would
always have an interesting project for us to do. It was the glass painting that
caught my attention. This was in 1997, and the rest is history. I continued to work
with this media until I achieved something I liked that was different from
everything else I was seeing
Initially painting on stemmed wine
glasses, I later chose stemless crystal. I wanted a simple shell with my
monogram. I wanted something pretty, organic, and elegant, yet laid back to
complement my lifestyle. I wanted something unique and personal. Something I
hadn't seen anywhere before.
I gave my first set of glasses, which
were crystal rocks glasses, to my husband as a Christmas gift. Each glass had a
different shell, and each child’s birth date. I wanted it to be a gift that
could be handed down to our children, an heirloom that could go anywhere with
them that was simple, yet tasteful. Not a giant statement, but a subtle nuance
of the life we lead.
When others saw the glasses, they all
wanted them. It wasn’t a career at this point, but a labor of love, because I
found it difficult to charge my friends. It didn't occur to me to make it a
business because I loved painting so much. Instead I donated the glasses to
many charity events over the years, allowing people to bid on them.
I experimented with techniques and
paints for the better part of 15 years, practicing, learning from my mistakes,
and honing my technique. The rest is history.
I am an avid collector of antique and
vintage pieces. Three years ago, my niece convinced me to start an Instagram
account to post my finds. The feedback was so positive! Little did I know that
this would be the online launching pad for my painted glass work.
My work was picked up by several stores around the same time that I started my Instagram, but little did I know there would be more surprises around the corner. Soon after sharing pictures of my work on Instagram, Ted Kennedy Watson contacted me to see if I would be interested in creating some glasses for his personal vacation home in Ghent, NY. I was over the moon thrilled!
My work was picked up by several stores around the same time that I started my Instagram, but little did I know there would be more surprises around the corner. Soon after sharing pictures of my work on Instagram, Ted Kennedy Watson contacted me to see if I would be interested in creating some glasses for his personal vacation home in Ghent, NY. I was over the moon thrilled!
Jonathan Rachman, an extremely
talented San Francisco designer, featured my work as an emerging artist in his
gorgeous magazine, Di Sini Di Sana. This showcased
my work in print, and I am so thankful to Jonathan for that.
Margot also credits her follower’s
kindness and genuine interest in her work for helping her share her art. After
all, that is what it is all about.
VISIT MY SHOP HERE TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL DINNER NAPKINS, COCKTAIL NAPKINS, AND TOWELS!
IF YOU MISSED
House Beautiful Favorites ~ February Issue