
Veronica Beard Photo Shoot
Meet the Artist: Carly Beck
Welcome to her whimsical world of best-dressed petsQ&A
I was so inspired by the Fall 2019 VB collection. I love the splash of pink mixed with leopards and tweeds and it made me think of Givenchy's looks for Breakfast at Tiffany's. I thought it would be fun to place the pets in an iconic NYC apartment wearing Veronica Beard’s classic and modern collection. And it wouldn’t be a party if a Pomeranian didn’t spill the champagne. In my mind, she popped the cork across the room and then dropped the bottle to retrieve it.
I wanted to create an environment that captured my love of interiors, pets and fashion. Seeing an animal in designer clothing lounging in a chic apartment was a daydream I needed to actualize. My favorite thing is to watch the personality of the pet develop on the canvas.
I am constantly scouring Instagram, reading magazines, and taking in the beautiful architecture of the West Village, where I live. I always have an “over and over” on when I paint. That’s a movie I can watch again and again—Marie Antoinette, Phantom Thread, Raiders of the Lost Ark—and it seeps into the art.

Cowgirl

Claudia
Acrylic on canvas and tiny wood box dioramas.
I come from a very odd and creative family—we’re basically the Kansas Tenenbaums—so I’ve always been around art but didn’t start painting myself until about four years ago. I went through a break-up of a very long relationship and needed something to fill the void. So one day I painted my cat sitting in the sink… and strangely felt much better. I have painted every day since.
I’ll skip over the strange era of working for a Senator on Capitol Hill. But my years in fashion have contributed a lot to my painting. I worked for Diane von Furstenberg and learned a lot about print design and color. Then I worked for Steven Alan and enjoyed seeing smaller brands develop. I still keep one foot in fashion with my handbag line C.A.B., a collection of novelty shapes in pop colors and textured/printed leathers all handmade in Los Angeles.
It wouldn’t be a party if a Pomeranian didn’t spill the champagne. In my mind, she popped the cork across the room and then dropped the bottle to retrieve it.
Gustav Klimt's Mada Primavesi. I wanted her white dress with the appliqué flowers.
David Hockney for his color palette and Lee Krasner for her imagination.
I’ve been lucky not to be cursed with that. It does take a little time for the idea/concept to come into focus, but once it does I usually can’t stop.
Just work every day, no matter what.
Of course! I’m down to two cats: Mr. Mittens, a tuxedo from South Pasadena, and Lady Adelaide, a calico from Wichita, Kansas.

Artist Carly Beck

Cinnamin