jan mccarthy – Lark Artisan Market

We are thrilled to share this Q + A with Friend / Creative / Artist & Maker Jan McCarthy who we met through a fellow creative (on a lark). Jan is buzzing with a million fun + creative ideas that she puts into action one way or another whether it be product, activity, art, or an amazing adventure—and you are bound to be as captivated and excited about as she is. Come along on our adventure as we take a dive “below the surface” with these Proust inspired dinner party questions:

We love your drive, energy, and ideas! Is this all yours OR a family trait?

We can’t help but be influenced by family traits, but I think it also comes as a natural response to curiosity, exploration, adventure and the constant desire to form community and enjoy life.

In a world that can be challenging, how do you continue to nurture your curiosity?

Challenges encourages curiosity. Life unfolding raises the bar to seek a deeper meaning or take things to a higher level.

You describe yourself as a maker rather than an artist, what is the story behind that statement?

Maker encompasses everything and that is me. I’m not content to just paint or attach myself to just one discipline. I am drawn to creative expression in any form which could be paintings but fashion, design, style, food, drink, or travel always have a place in my creative expression which is one reason why I instantly gravitated toward LARK dinners. I saw the maker of Lisa (the founder) in her element as she created this social gathering around food, drink and conversation and allowing others to shine and share their creative talents.

What current project(s) are you currently working on?

Planning a couple of retreats, workshops, pottery, a book, fashion………

What projects are you dreaming of?

I would love to do more licensing or collaborations around dinnerware, (plates and coffee cups come to mind), jewelry (I’m working on some pottery bracelets, and/or fashion – I would love to design some really creative pieces that elevate the vibrant woman past 50 that feels fashion is only designed for the younger crowd.

Who or what inspires you?

It sounds a little cliché but everyone and everything inspires me in some form. It could be the textured walls in Guatemala, the shimmering blue waters of the ocean here in Newport Beach, the faces of people I see that hold such incredible expression, the sticks I collect from all over the world to make handcrafted paint brushes, the architectural details I find on old buildings, colors in nature when I walk in the forest, stories I hear or explore from my own memories, the presentation of delicious food, conversations around a dinner table, and quotes I’ve heard or made up on my own.

What is your most memorable dining experience?

All LARK dinners hold a special place in my heart, and a few other communal artistic dinners I‘ve had the opportunity to join or host but there is this one place in Ibizia, and I can’t even tell you the name, but the food was so fresh and delicious, and it felt like home. The chef prepared our meal, came and sat with us and told us all about the source and inspiration, gave us tastes of wine that he personally selected….

Since you love to connect over food & wine, are you the chef at home?

Yes, but I rarely cook these days. There are so many wonderful ways to dine and enjoy the talents of others, (like going to a LARK dinner hehe).

If so, what is your most treasured ingredient and/or favorite dish?

Hmmmm, I always have lemon, rosemary, a great salt and fabulous olive oil on hand.

Favorite dish: Spaghetti Al Limone with fresh hot sourdough bread with olive oil and salt and a bottle of orange wine, and I’m good.

If you could dine with anyone in the world, who would it be?

It all comes back to treasured friends and family, interesting and creative people. Anyone famous might just disappoint me so I would rather keep my potential unrealistic vision of who they are remain intact.

We know you’re an avid reader, any new or favorite books to share?

Well, I DO love books! If you are joining us for this special LARK dinner, I will happily share my most favorite 23 books that have greatly influenced my life, inspired a million ideas or left me craving more.

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Modern. Organic. Inspirational. Social Dining.

Come on a lark with us!

Here we will enjoy drinks + mingling, breathe in the cool ocean air, share an amazing curated dining experience…and, best of all, partake in the (rediscovered) art of conversation.

Jan McCarthy
Address shared upon RSVP
Newport Beach, CA
(W. Balboa Blvd/38th Street)

Friday August 23 2024
6:30pm-9:30pm
$175. per person, all-inclusive
four course + wine pairing

Purchase Tickets: Let’s Go On A Lark!
(non-refundable / absolutely transferable)

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Welcome Cocktails by mixologist Eric Kassel
Menu by the talented Chef Kyle Powers +
Sous Chef Bryan Barnes

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Open invite. Limited seats. Endless possibilities.

We’re thrilled to create + collaborate with the Cannery Artist Colony of Newport Beach. We met Artist and Creative Life Connoisseur Jan McCarthy through a mutual friend (who we met on a lark!).

We were about to set our communal table at her residence in the gorgeous green Eastern Building in DTLA when the world shut down. Then, when we reconnected, she had relocated to the seaside town of Newport Beach and became a part of the Cannery Artist Colony.

We are thankful for her invitation to set our communal table with the Cannery Artist Colony whose inspiring and delightful ateliers reside among the numbered streets of Newport Beach:

Q. Tell us about the Cannery Artist Colony.

A. The building we are in originally had 3 artists but in the last year 3 more of us have joined the collective space. It is so great that we each have our own private studio space and focus on different types and approaches to creating art, but are able to meet up when we are in residence and share ideas as well as support each other.

Q. Who are they?

Jan McCarthy @janmccarthy

Linda Wooters @whatabouther

Ilona Martin @ilona_artist

Deborah Harold @deborah_harold_studios

Janet Bludau @bludau

Carole Aikins @caroleakins

Q. Where are they from?

A. We come from all different places, Some of the women have been in the Newport area for a long time and even had children in the same school together, or met at various painting classes. I am a newcomer to the group, coming from Los Angeles and Boulder, Colorado just over a year ago, but I appreciate how welcoming everyone has been.

Q. What would you say about their personalities + style?

JAN MCCARTHY https://www.janmccarthy.com/ Modern, Sophisticated, Bold and Edgy, each mark or stroke of the brush is a signature gesture as a way to connect and share flashpoints of time or place. Jan’s art gives a nod to independence and freedom, a suggestion to defy the norm, stay curious and seek adventure, Influences are from a background of travel, interior design, creative pursuits, and a curious and wild imagination.

LINDA WOOTERS www.lindawooters.com Drawn to the juxtaposition of patterns and loose brush strokes to create modern impressionistic landscapes. She is influenced by living near the ocean and observing it’s ever changing moods.

CAROLE AIKINS www.caroleaikins.com – Carole’s work could be described as bold, whimsical, and vivid! She lets the subject of her paintings present themselves as she paints, much like a drama or fiction, revealing the surprise story once the painting is completed. Her early creative pursuits, such as interior design, travel, and living in France have greatly influenced her work,

DEBORAH HAROLD www.deborahharold.com An interior designer turned artist, Deborah is passionate about painting and travel. She considers herself an abstract impressionist with a keen sense of color, using quick and spontaneous brushstrokes to create shapes that allow the mind to fill in the blanks.

ILONA MARTIN https://ilona-art.com Ilona’s naive approach to Impressionist painting has given her a risk-taker reputation. Her love for a montage of color and shapes found in nature inspires her to paint and her work has a European influence, stemming from her German heritage and travels around the world.

JANET BLUDAU www.janetbludau.com Janet’s work offers up a cool color palette, inspired by an impressionistic era combining it with a contemporary approach. She describes her work as abstracted realism, intuitively applying color, and using her background in design to help her insert shapes and graphic lines to create a beautiful piece of art.

Q. Are any of the artists cooks?

A. We have monthly dinner parties and everyone makes something extraordinary, so yes, even if we don’t cook on a regular basis, we know how to perfect the art of dining.

Q. What makes the Cannery Artist Colony a perfect pairing for a lark?

A. It is a cozy space that lends itself to creativity and inspiration. Having the menu, table and area designed around a creative and artistic community, it is the perfect place to appreciate a lark.

Q. Any history you can share of the building or neighborhood?

A. In 1921, the area known as Cannery Village was a commercial fish cannery between 30th and Lido Park Drive but after it closed around 1966, it’s natural charm and seaside location attracted creative businesses, artists and tourists as the ideal site to gather.

Q. Art School, yay or nay?

A. I started making art just a little over 10 years ago and I’ve never been to art school. It may have been helpful to learn specific techniques, but I’ve really loved learning from others and experimenting on my own, and therefore feel confident in trusting my intuition and making mistakes. Some of my fellow artists did attend art school but we all have our own unique style.

Q. We feel the culinary world + art world go hand in hand, do you agree?

A. Absolutely, it is about bringing together imagination, color, design, mood, creativity, and a full experience of the senses.

Modern. Organic. Inspirational. Come on a lark with us!

Thursday, September 15, 2022 w/Chef Taylor Elam.

the Cannery Artist Colony
420 31st Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(Newport Blvd x 31st Street, between Alta Cafe + The Board Room)