As I continue moving into my new apartment this month, I’m especially on the lookout for great interior design ideas. Moreover, the sudden warmer weather—giving us a very welcome preview of spring—has put me in a mood for brighter, even…daring colors (Maybe I’ll submit for next year’s HUE awards?).

This is all the backstory to a bizarre, “what a small world” moment I had recently. I was enjoying dinner at one of my favorite sushi bars in midtown—Bamboo 52—and in between some really great rolls, my friends and I were taking in the art. One of my favorite pieces featured a mermaid swimming in a sea of turquoise. I remember noticing the accents in neon pink:

Bamboo 52 goes "Under the Sea"

As we were leaving, my friend, Olan Montgomery, walked in. We exchanged hellos and quickly caught up, when he pointed to the wall. He casually said, “Hey, do you like this piece? I did it.”

While I was not expecting to meet the artist of the mermaid piece, I certainly wasn’t expecting to know the artist!

After catching up with Olan, I looked through his portfolio online. My favorites—all prospective pieces for my new digs!—include his pop art and use of neon color:

Waves of Velveteen

Muse of Vermeer Orange

SUNDANCE

A great way to order prints is to make purchases through his redbubble site, where you can custom order the print (size, canvas, etc.), according to your design wishes and budget. Also, check out his website at lipstickchic.com for more information on Olan and his super great, super colorful art.