The most successful works of art have just enough realism to read as true and just enough creativity to show the personality of the artist. This watercolor of a coastal cottage set within a graceful copse of trees illustrates how steeped the artist is in the aesthetics and atmosphere of the lowcountry of South Carolina. But the Watercolor composition could have been inspired by a countryside in almost any part of the world, which makes is a wonderful decorative accent for traditional and transitional interiors anywhere.

About the Paragon Art for J. Banks Collection: In keeping with our philosophy of “resort as home and home as resort,” we envision this collection as having broad appeal across all environments. The beauty of the sum of its parts is how we’ve mixed contemporary and traditional to bring an eclectic array of art to the marketplace. Contrast is also an important aspect of this collection: white lacquered frames pair with dark wood; pictures in a large scale fit beautifully with smaller pieces; and abstracts complement landscapes through tonal consistency.

With this collection of art for Paragon, it’s easy to see how we have drawn from motifs that have inspired us on our journeys as we have traveled and worked around the world. We often bring the outdoors in through a blend of contemporary and traditional symbols reflective of elements found in nature. Whether it’s water, wood or palms, or wildlife or sea creatures, we have mined the surroundings we see and treated the inspiration we’ve found to color and texture to make each piece unique.

Joni Vanderslice, who created these compositions, is a professional interior designer and the owner of the internationally renowned design firm J. Banks Design. The collection embodies Vanderslice’s point of view ‘luxury without pretense,’ her design style incorporating coastal influences, a playful and sophisticated use of color, fun twists on classic motifs, large-scale focal art pieces and ethnic patterns.