Joining Forces, Artfully

By Maria LaPiana

You won’t want to miss the Fall issue of New England Home Connecticut for a lot of reasons; this is just one of them: “Mind Meld” is the story of two immensely creative women whose paths crossed years ago in Florence, Italy, and who discovered an uncanny connection between them (and the work they’d been doing independently for years). One is an interior designer; the other an artist. The two collaborated and formed a company they named Petta Thompson—after Rita Petta (the designer) and Rebecca Thompson (the artist)—and the results are stunning. Their original artwork includes paintings, sculptures, wall coverings … all manner of things that overlap the worlds of art and interior design. Their work is mostly oversized, with a very powerful presence. Of the pieces they craft in their Oakville studio, Thompson says simply: “They grab you, pull you in, and stop you from thinking about anything else.” Whoa. Take a look at some of them here … and be sure to pick up your copy of the magazine for the back story, on newsstands October 21.