Inside the Catalogue | The Art of Curation

“I’ll always remember my first piece of “real” art,” notes Shea. “It was a commissioned painting from Kendall Boggs’s dress series for Wren’s nursery to hang above her dresser. This was also one of my first “real” projects as a designer,” Shea adds.

Collecting art or curating the art inside your home is a deeply personal and meaningful activity. Walking into someone’s home, you can often tell a lot about its inhabitants. “This art was special to me because it was a painting of a sweet, pink tutu. It represented one of my favorite childhood past times and one that I hoped to share with my daughter.”

In our summer McGee & Co. catalogue (browse the digital version below, see our guide for hanging art here, and get inspired with curated collections within our line at Target, Threshold x Studio McGee here) we speak on the elements of collecting art—use it to support your styling, create a vignette, or curate a gallery. But the thing to remember is that “growing an art collection is something that does, and should, take time,” says Shea. “It doesn’t have to be a major investment, and on the other hand, it’s ok if it is. People collect for different reasons—your collection is about what speaks to you. That could be a framed menu from a first date, pressed flowers in a floating frame, or a piece of fabric you picked up on your travels, and it could also be a Picasso. What you choose to display and invest in is a visual representation of the people that live within those walls.”  

Below, we’ve curated three collections based on a color theme, utilizing art from our McGee & Co. collection. Get the whole look or just get inspired. Here’s three different ways to curate your collection by color.

Look No. 01 | Shades of Pink

Look No. 02 | Shades of Green

Look No. 03 | Shades of Blue

Look No. 01 | Shades of Pink

From top left: Rose Study, Mauve Watercolor Desert, Neutral Reflection, Floral Arrangement II, Meditation on Clouds, Golden Meadow, Sat Figure, Still Life with Oranges

“I’ll always remember my first piece of “real” art. It was a commissioned painting from Kendall Boggs’s dress series for Wren’s nursery to hang above her dresser. This art was special to me because it was a painting of a sweet, pink tutu. It represented one of my favorite childhood past times and one that I hoped to share with my daughter." 

Shea McGee

Look No. 02 | Shades of Green

From top left: Waterside 7, Verde Landscape, Blush Bloom, Easy Embrace, Ponder in the Park 1, Olive Grid, Handstand

"Verde Landscape is a soft, subtle combination of earthy greens and shades of cream, the perfect palette for the subject matter. The dark walnut frame helps the piece portray the moody, mysterious ways of nature.”

Shea McGee

Look No. 03 | Shades of Blue

From top left: Blue Journey, Ballerina Sketch 1, Blue Hued Florals, Landscape at Dawn, Blue Birds I, December Sky, Shape Study II

"People collect for different reasons—your collection is about what speaks to you. That could be a framed menu from a first date, pressed flowers in a floating frame, or a piece of fabric you picked up on your travels, and it could also be a Picasso. What you choose to display and invest in is a visual representation of the people that live within those walls.”  

Shea McGee