Wearing Italy: Meet My Audrey Midi Dresses

Wearing Italy: Meet My Audrey Midi Dresses

It took me nearly two months to find my new dress production partner! Le Galeriste in Montréal, Canada, is a wonderful maker of wearable art and dresses, and I’m delighted to be working with them.

For years I’ve painted the Italian landscapes I love, from the glittering waters of Lake Como to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the winding canals of Venice. I always dreamed of seeing those paintings move through the world, and not only hang on a wall. When I found the Audrey midi dress, it felt like a dream come true.

Why the Audrey?

The Audrey is a fit-and-flare midi with a V-neckline, cap sleeves, a fitted bodice and a full, flowing skirt. It also has pockets, which I think every dress should have! 😄

My watercolours are printed across the skirt and bodice, so the dress works like a canvas. When you wear it, the painting moves with you.

Made with care

• Made to order: each dress is made for you when you order.
• Available size: XS to XL
• Sewn by women, for women: every dress is sewn by skilled women, with care.
• Ponte de Roma fabric: it holds its shape beautifully without feeling stiff, so it’s comfortable to wear all day.

My Venice canal paintings are next, and the dresses are on their way! Stay tuned. I can’t wait to show you. 

Where to find them

The Lake Como and Tuscany Audrey midi dresses are available now in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts: denisewongarts.etsy.com 

Coming Soon: Nappa Leather Bags with Italian and Wildlife Art

 

Buongiorno! I’m delighted to share that new Nappa leather bags are coming soon to my shop! The collection includes the Pleated Soft Frame Bag, Zip Top Handbag, Square Hobo Bag, and Holdall Carryall Bag.

How the Nappa leather bag is made

Each bag is handmade to order in Contrado’s London production facility. First, professional print technicians use the latest digital printing techniques to print the artwork onto the leather. Once the artwork is permanently imprinted, craftsmen cut the leather to the correct size and shape, following a pattern from Contrado’s exclusive in-house bag designer. Finally, artisan seamstresses stitch the bag together using a thread made specifically for leather.

There will be at least seven Nappa leather bag designs available in my shop, all featuring my Italian, Venice, bird, and wildlife art.

Coming Soon: My Fine Bone China Serving Plates Wholesale Catalogue

I'm preparing a wholesale catalogue for my fine bone china serving plates, and I'd like to share a first look. 🌿

The Serving Plates

Each plate carries one of my original watercolour paintings. The collection includes Italian landscapes as well as birds and wildlife. The plates are made from fine bone china, sustainably produced in London, England. 

Who the Catalogue Is For

The catalogue is for restaurants, boutique hotels, venue owners and event planners who like to serve on something truly distinctive.

How They Can Be Used

• Serving plates for afternoon tea, artisanal pastries, side dishes, or charcuterie
• Dessert plates that put a painted scene on the table, whether it's a garden table or a dining room
• Display pieces on a stand or hung on a wall, adding a touch of colour and art to a room

The catalogue will be available to view here on my blog soon. 🍽️

If you run a restaurant, hotel or venue and would like to hear from me when it's ready, please get in touch through my contact page.

Plates are available in 8", 10.4" and 12.5", with a minimum order of 12 pieces.

You can also see the plates in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts. 🌸

Nesso, Lake Como, Now on Fine Bone China Plates

Tucked into a green fold of the Lake Como shoreline is the little village of Nesso, where an old stone bridge arches over water so turquoise it hardly looks real.

I painted this scene of Nesso on Lake Como, and I'm happy to say it's now available on fine bone china plates. 🍽️

👉 See the Nesso, Lake Como plates in my Etsy shop 

The Painting

An ivy-covered building in soft butter yellow, with red shutters, stands on the left. On the right, a stone house with a terracotta roof and bright red doors sits beside whitewashed walls. Between them the old stone bridge curves over the water, and behind it the hillside rises in layers of fresh, leafy green.

The turquoise water is the part I love most. It's where all that green settles into the lake. I wanted the painting to feel cool and quiet, like a shady corner you've found on a warm Italian afternoon.

Painted, Then Infused into Fine Bone China

These plates are made from fine bone china, a material known for being delicate and slightly translucent, yet strong.

My watercolour isn't printed on the surface. It's applied using dye sublimation with a heat-transfer process, which infuses the artwork into the china itself. The greens stay fresh and the lake keeps its colour.

Made in London, Made to Order

Every plate is made in London, England, and handmade to order, so nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for you. Yours is made when you order it and shipped by FedEx or DHL. Taxes and duties are covered, so there are no surprise charges at your door.

Three Sizes, One Scene

The Nesso design comes in three sizes, 8", 10.4" and 12.5", as a single plate or in sets of 2, 4 or 8. You can use them as:

• Serving plates for pastries, cakes, antipasti or a cheese board 🧀
• Dessert plates for a garden table that feels like a lakeside lunch
• Display pieces, on a stand or hung on a wall, where the greens can brighten a room

They're food safe. For care, machine wash on a low-temperature cycle below 30°C (86°F).

Ideas for Using Them

• A garden lunch. Set a linen-covered table outside with wildflowers in a small glass jar, and serve a simple Italian lunch of caprese, fresh bread and a chilled glass of white wine. 🥂
• A gallery wall. Hang three sizes together for a little corner of Lake Como.
• A gift for a lake lover. It suits housewarmings, anniversaries, birthdays and Mother's Day, especially for anyone who has been to Lake Como or dreams of going.
• Restaurants and boutique hotels. The cool green palette suits terraces, garden dining and summer menus. If you run a venue and would like to talk about the plates, please get in touch.

Bring a Little Lake Como Home

Some places make you slow down, and Nesso is one of them. I hope this plate gives your table, or your wall, a bit of that calm. 🌸

You can find the Nesso Lake Como plates, along with my other Italian landscapes and my bird and wildlife plates, in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts. 

Venice Canal Rio Tera Secondo, Now on Fine Bone China Plates

 

There are paintings I finish and file away, and there are paintings I keep coming back to. Rio Tera Secondo is one I keep coming back to.

It's a quiet Venetian canal. Warm apricot and terracotta walls lean over the water, a small stone bridge arches across, and a teal boat rests in the shadows below. Green shutters add a bright note above, and the whole scene shimmers in the reflections on the water. It took me at least 7  days to paint, one layer of watercolour at a time, and I wanted it to live somewhere beyond the page.

So I've put it on a plate. 🍽️

Painted, Then Infused into Fine Bone China

These plates are made from fine bone china, the same material used for the finest tableware. It's known for being delicate and slightly translucent, yet surprisingly strong.

My watercolour isn't printed on top of the surface. It's applied using dye sublimation with a heat-transfer process, which infuses the artwork into the china itself. That's why the colours stay soft and luminous.

Made in London

Each plate is made in London, England, and handmade to order. Nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for you. Yours is made when you order it, then shipped by FedEx or DHL. Taxes and duties are already covered, so there are no surprise charges at your door.

Three Sizes, One Scene

As you can see in the photo above, the Rio Tera Secondo design comes in three sizes, 8", 10.4" and 12.5", and available as a single plate or in sets of 2, 4 or 8. The painting is composed to sit beautifully on each of them. Use them as:

• Serving plates for serving artisanal pastries, side dishes, cakes, or charcuterie
• Dessert plates for a set that feels like a little trip to Venice
• Display pieces, propped on a stand or hung on a wall

They're food safe, so you can use them freely. For care, machine wash on a low-temperature cycle below 30°C (86°F).

A Gift with a Story

A painted plate makes a lovely gift for a housewarming, a wedding, an anniversary, or for anyone who has ever dreamed of Venice.

If you'd like to see the whole Venice range, or the rest of my Italian landscapes and my bird and wildlife plates, you can find them all in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts. 🌸

Thank you for reading, and I hope your table feels a little more like Venice soon.