The business of art

Art in many ways is a reflection of who we are, our inspirations and where we came from.

Few artists have exemplified that as much as Kim Parker of Stockholm whose life and art were shaped not only by the people around her but by the natural world as well.

Growing up in Huntington, Long Island, she was surrounded by creative people.

“My mom was a pianist and my father was a violinist. It is a privilege to be part of a family that nurtures such a creative sense in me and my brother,” she said.

She remembers Huntington as vibrant and full of natural beauty.

“It was very pretty with a lot of trees and exposure to birds. My mother was an avid gardener, and she also loved to paint flowers and cats.”

This inspired Parker at a young age to decorate every surface with flowers, building a foundation for her signature style.

“I was drawn to bright and vivid colors ever since I was a little girl. I had a book full of drawings. You couldn’t tear me away from it.”

Studied the flute

Being surrounded by musicians, it was only natural that she began to learn music.

She studied the flute and became so good that she performed at Tanglewood, Mass., summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

“When I was 16 years old, I played for Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood. I had the great opportunity to premiere one of his orchestral works.”

After that performance, the maestro congratulated her. “He came off the podium and kissed me after I played a solo. He said to me, ‘Kim, you are an artist.’ ”

That experience gave her the courage to pursue a life in the arts.

“What more do I need. I’m free to pursue my love of painting. Carrying this beautiful amulet or locket of this memory, it has made its way to my value and my sense as an artist,” she said.

She went on to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she earned a bachelor’s degree as a flute performance major.

After college, she worked in the corporate world. “I recognized very quickly that world was not for me.”

Founded business

In the early 2000s, she founded her business, which featured her floral designs on everything from clothes to paintings to rugs.

She won broad recognition from the fashion industry. “I sold my paintings and materials to many fashion designers like Calvin Klein.”

Her hand-painted original silk was featured in the collections of Diane von Furstenberg, Jill Stuart, Anne Swee, the Gap and J. Crew.

Referring to the fashion industry, she said, “It’s a boot-camp experience. You know what a good contract looks like; you know what language is good to protect the artist. Sometimes it’s a very positive learning experience; sometimes it isn’t.”

The Kim Parker brand was launched in 2001 at a licensing show.

For the past 31 years, her home-furnishing collections have been featured at retailers throughout the world, she said.

Move to Stockholm

Since moving from Manhattan to New Jersey, she has focused on her artwork, and she teaches in-person and online art classes to students throughout the country.

“I’ve been painting Sussex County. I’m amazed at the spectrum of greens of blues and the light is changing. I’ve been living in the city for 40 years and only recently have I discovered how beautiful Sussex County is,” she said.

Her work was featured in “New Jersey Highlands Entr’Exhibit: Your Water, Your Future: Fine Art & Photography of the Highlands,” on display earlier this year at Farmstead Arts in Basking Ridge.

Her recent work is a shift from her usual style of floral patterns, but bright popping colors and nature always will be at the forefront of her art.

“My first love is color, rich exuberant color, and flowers became a vehicle to express that love of color with,” she said.

Her depictions of flowers have been contracted by the U.S. Postal Service to be featured on floral wedding-themed postage stamps.

Parker also has started writing books, including “Interior Gardens: A New York Memoir,” and children’s books, such as “Zen in the Garden.”

She is passionate about animal rights and donates often to animal rights groups.

She never uses oil paints, opting for acrylics or gouache instead.

Creating art is a simple process for her. “It’s been the same all of my life. I do what I love, and it comes to me easily as breathing. I love to paint, I love to color and I love freedom.

“Any design project, any exhibition that comes to me over the years has been only produced from the heart and has never changed and I doubt it ever will.”