From how to throw the perfect summer dinner party to low-key ways to relax, Wit & Delight really is the ultimate guide to (as the tagline says) “designing a life well-lived.” The site is full of beautiful photos and truly informative, inspirational articles. And now, with the launch of their Shop Wit & Delight print collection (with framing available by yours truly), there’s yet another reason to add it to your web browser’s bookmarks.
Keep reading for an inside look at the fascinating process behind the art prints for sale, as told by the queen of all things witty and delightful (and the artist behind the beautiful prints), Wit & Delight Founder Kate Arends.
Kate Arends surrounded by her gorgeous artwork.
Simply Framed: Wit & Delight started as a lifestyle blog and is an incredible resource for everything from recipes to career and parenting advice. What prompted you to expand your brand to include an online shop—and why art prints?
Kate Arends: Shop Wit & Delight started as an outlet to sell both functional and highly designed notebooks and sketchbooks: the type of product that I’d buy.
I decided to expand to prints after embarking on a creative challenge. I challenged myself to 100 days of creating. For years, I’d created with a purpose or for a client, a means to an end. But this 100 days of creativity would be about stretching long-dormant muscles, and about art for the sake of art. I was inspired by the world around me: my kids, my thoughts, other artwork—and this challenge allowed me to see this world in a different light.
I was so excited with the results that I shared them on my Instagram Stories, and discovered that others were interested in the prints as well. Quite a few of the prints featured in the shop today are refinements of this original creative challenge.
Rose 01 in our Certificate Frame in Antique Gold and Cream Sketch 01 in our White Gallery Frame.
SF: We love that you offer both custom framed prints and digital prints. Could you please explain the thought process behind that decision?
KA: Of course! The creative challenge that first sparked the prints allowed me to flex different creative muscles—including ones I didn’t even know I had. It was thrilling to experiment with painting and collage as new mediums for expression, and the excitement I felt ultimately brought me back to my first love: graphic design.
I’ve thought a lot about the differences among these mediums as both “art” and “design,” and the different purposes they serve. The art prints (the ones sold professionally printed and custom framed by Simply Framed) are keepsakes, meant to be hung on walls for display. Our digital prints are less serious, more playful. I love the challenge of creating two different kinds of prints for different audiences to enjoy.
Minimal Tulip and Pieces of A Whole in our Natural Gallery Frames.
SF: Why did you choose to partner with Simply Framed, and how has that decision affected your business?
KA: Simply put, I needed a printing and framing partner whom I could trust. In the beginning, we were handling everything from printing to fulfillment in-house, so I was able to quality-check every single detail myself. And that was great, but as the business grew, this became impossible, and I needed to work with a partner who would pay the same attention to detail that I do. I found that partner in Simply Framed, and the relationship we’ve formed has allowed us to continue to grow. We’re constantly working on new prints, we’re launching a planner this fall—and we recently launched a new website, which is exciting.
Kate’s art + our frames = a match made in wall-ready Heaven.
Shop Wit & Delight’s collection of whimsical digital prints and custom framed art prints at shopwitanddelight.com. Looking for additional custom framing options to complete that piece? You’ll find those at simplyframed.com.
