Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace King.
Candace, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I come from a creative, artistic family. Every one of us could draw – my mother making me detailed paper dolls, cousins creating hilarious cartoons by age seven, graphic artists, landscape painters. Any talent I had didn’t seem unusual, much less extraordinary, so I choose to study psychology with a focus on children’s art.
I was working in Manhattan with abused three-year-olds when I met my husband on a blind date, one weekend in San Francisco. Four months later I took a flying leap and moved to California, the best decision I ever made. I worked in San Francisco for Look Magazine, screening freelance photography and articles. I also helped the editors with odds and ends – once had to “babysit” Jim Morrison of the Doors to keep him sober for a photo shoot and spent a day with Diana Ross as our photographer painted her entire body. This was the early 70’s, an amazing time in the Bay area.
When the magazine was closing, we moved to San Diego thinking the beach would be fun for a year or two. Forty-some years later we are still here. We married, bought a house. I taught quilting, opened a shop where I sold my quilts of explosive colors and I made French bench work leather goods (hand sewn, original designs). We had a daughter and then a son.
One rainy day I picked up a brush and began painting. An East Coast art dealer saw my work in a local gallery and bought every piece. I never had to consign my paintings again. My dealer paid me, sometimes more than I asked, for everything I could paint. My style is extremely detailed and after 20 years, the eye strain caused severe and constant ocular migraines, my vision just shutting down. I tried everything to correct this and finally had to stop painting.
I fell back on my family’s extensive knowledge of antiques and opened King and Company, an antique shop in La Jolla. Everything was curated and displayed in vignettes. Within weeks of opening, I was asked to participate in the San Diego Historical Society’s Designer Showcase. This led to requests for design work, magazine covers, and a new direction. My daughter, Kai Collins, is an independent filmmaker and several years ago I began doing production/set design for her. This is the most delightful use of my creativity, my problem-solving abilities, and my love for detail. And, working with my daughter is a joy!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Giving up painting was incredibly difficult. When I worked, I entered into the world I was creating on canvas. It was simply Zen. This loss was hard.
On a lighter note, production design is never a “smooth road”. Myriad problems that need creative approaches and a sense of humor are part of every film. A scene last year called for a complete art show… a bad art show. I couldn’t ask artist friends to borrow their work without insulting them, so I painted 20 canvases, did several art installations including a ridiculous “sculpture” of lampshades hanging from ceiling to floor called for in the script.
The web series “Cannabis Mom’s Club” had me painting 5 versions of a nude male model, each reflecting the character “painting” each canvas. Kai Collins’ latest film was shot here in La Jolla. Unlike LA, prop rental in San Diego is challenging. One scene called for a coffin; after days of searching, I turned to my husband and said: “Looks like we’re building a coffin”.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about King and Company – what should we know?
My residential design work focuses on a Modern Traditional style relevant to today’s lifestyles. I create livable spaces accessible to everyone. I love knowing I’ve given clients a place that nourishes and reflects who they are. Production design is about creating a complete visual framework for the story that is being told. These worlds I create give a depth that I hope draws the audience in and reflects what the writer, director, and actors intended. I calculate budgets, do tons of research, and actually create most elements of the sets.
I am a visual thinker, seeing all of it without the need to sketch or diagram. This is invaluable in both residential design and creating for the film. Of course, national magazine coverage is always an ego boost, but I am most proud when my design work gives the client joy midst a new found serenity. My residential work focuses on modern traditional design relevant to today’s lifestyles. I create spaces that are accessible, reflect and nourish the client, and give them a safe haven in our stressful world. I love when the look on a client’s face lets me know that I have achieved this.
Production design is about creating a complete visual framework for the story that is being told. These worlds I create give a depth that I hope draws the audience in. I calculate budgets (not as much fun), do tons of research, and actually create many elements of the sets. I am a visual thinker, seeing the finished concept without needing to sketch or diagram. This skill is invaluable in both of my fields of focus.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
New ideas just come at me. That ability to visualize the whole picture, to know whether something works or not without a second thought, drives my creative energy. I am also a good listener. I hear what the clients need even when they don’t know. My first question to the client is “How do you use this room?” That drives my design choices.
After reading the script and character descriptions, I talk with the writer/director about their vision. Again, really listening and coming together with the concepts to bring this to life, – this collaboration brings such energy.
My last film with Kai has just been nominated for Best Comedy Short, Best Short Film, and Best Supporting Actress at the Nice International Film Fest. Having been schooled by Catholic nuns, pride is a tricky thing, but this does delight me!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6027 Beaumont Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037
- Phone: 619 985 6098
- Email: kingandcompany@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Monique Feil, Zac Yonekawa, Cliff Oliver
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