We were introduced to Rebekah Steen aka Goldfish Kiss many moons ago, where her sweet and whimsical style caught our eye. Thanks to the magic of social media, we’ve been watching her journey as a mother, artist and free spirit ever since, and decided to get to know her a little more intimately...
Home & Away
Describe home in 3 words… Cozy, chaotic, covered in dog hair (just kidding, even though it is), and...sentimental.
Fave home activity during the pandemic? Blaring classic rock and dancing around my living room while playing air guitar with my son. Ok, and painting. I’ve been doing lots of painting.
Favourite room in your home? My son's room. It’s a mess but it’s just so happy - filled with legos, stuffed animals, books, and the wonder of childhood.
If budget wasn’t an issue, what’s the first thing you’d improve in your home and why? I'd buy it! (We rent our current home) Then landscape the backyard and put in a little pool. Ok, as renters I’d put up a big tropical removable wallpaper mural in our bedroom, and buy a cool old leather sofa for the living room.
If the pandemic hit again but you could be anywhere else in the world, where would you hideaway and why? Definitely a little island in French Polynesia. Moorea, Tikehau, Fakarava…I’m not picky.
Tips on home iso with the kids? I’d say leave any expectations at the door. Be open to what each day can bring, read, read, and read some more. And you can make superhero costumes out of pretty much anything.
Exploring your own backyard in 2020 means… Revisiting my childhood at times. So much of this is like a blast from the past when times were a bit simpler. I have a big family and most of our trips were camping or road trips, and just enjoying life together where we were planted at that moment.
Heading out and taking MAYDE on your adventure - which towel/throw do you take and why? Ohh the crescent towel. That sucker is oh so luscious in both looks and feel. It’ll come in handy after a surf, at a bonfire, or just reading a book you name it.
Art & Inspo
I started painting when… I was in kindergarten. I even tried to sell my paintings door to door in our neighborhood.
My favourite subject to paint is… It’s a toss-up between portraits and landscapes - Mainly because no two are ever the same, and can both stir up so many emotions.
My dream collaboration, with anyone alive or dead, would be… Oh man, so many options. Maybe go back and paint Janis Joplin’s famous Porsche 356 for her.
I could happily die and go to heaven if I saw my art hanging at… The top level of the Musee D’Orsay in Paris, you know, by the cafe. I know that’s not humanly possible but in the art world, I think that’s heavenly square footage. In the meantime, I’m just honored to know people have pieces of mine in their homes all over the world. Talk about flattering.
My main inspiration comes from… Places and feelings I miss that also make my heart feel at home.
On my bucket list is… Travel, teach art to at-risk youth or help build some art center somewhere, publish a book, hike Mt Kilimanjaro or something fun like that, keep on making the most out of each day, waiting, and see what God has in store for me. And to live on a boat some were tropical and island-hop for a year. Come to think about it, I really need to revisit my bucket list.
Find Bek on Instagram @goldfish_kiss
