It’s not every day a Newport artist is featured in the pages of Vogue—but that’s precisely what happened for Kate Hickman, a talented member of the Newport Artist Collective. Her recent collaboration on a dreamy, Parisian-inspired baby shower for actress Olivia Culpo has brought her whimsical hand-painted work to the national spotlight.

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/olivia-culpo-baby-shower-rhode-island

A Dreamy Live Painting Event at Castle Hill

Earlier this season, Kate was asked to bring her signature style to a luxury celebration at Castle Hill Inn, one of Newport’s most iconic venues. With just three days’ time, she took on the ambitious task of hand-painting 80 Jo Malone perfume bottles—live, during the event.

Set within a beautifully staged French-themed vignette complete with a harpist and flower-crowned elegance, Kate’s floral artwork became a magical focal point of the celebration.

“This was my first live painting event of the season,” Kate said. “It was a huge undertaking, but such a joy to work with an incredible local team here in Newport. I walk through the entire process in a new video on my YouTube channel.” 

https://www.youtube.com/@katehickmanart

A Feature in Vogue

The event, designed by a team of local vendors, was covered in Vogue and described as “a charming vignette meant to evoke the streets of Paris.” Kate’s delicate, hand-painted perfume bottles were featured prominently alongside macarons, croissants, and a four-tier cake at a faux French patisserie called “Le Petit Bébé.”

📖 Read the full Vogue article here

In another corner was what Vorce describes as “a charming vignette” meant to evoke the streets of Paris. A Newport-based artist, Kate Hickman, painted florals on Jo Malone perfume bottles for guests as a harpist wearing a flower crown played on. Then there was Le Petit Bébé—a faux French patisserie complete with macarons, croissants, and a four-tier cake, which guests could enjoy on bistro tables.

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Watch the Creative Process

Kate documented the entire journey—from concept to event day—in a beautifully shot video now live on her YouTube channel. Watch it here to see how each perfume bottle came to life with her brushwork.