Artist Linda Pappa On Posada Collaboration with The Joshua Tree House

09/12/2019 | specs+spaces staff |

The desire to reset and rejuvenate in the wilds of Joshua Tree is a common thread for artist Linda Pappa and desert-living lifestyle brand creators Sara and Rich Combs of the Joshua Tree House.

Artist Linda Pappa at Posada by The Joshua Tree House

While Pappa lives much of the year in Crete, she and her partner set out for Joshua Tree, Calif. in early 2019, in an effort to renew artistically and spiritually. That same spirit of renewal is what the Combs found on a Southwest road trip they took back in 2014 when they fell in love with Joshua Tree and Saguaro National Parks.

Pappa first connected with the Combs after following the renovations, online, of their Joshua Tree historic properties. The couple’s latest lifestyle venture, Posada by The Joshua Tree House, a 10,000-square- foot inn outside of Tucson, AZ presented the ideal opportunity for collaboration between Pappa and the
Combs. Pappa was asked to add her artistic accents and personality to the property.

To start, the Combs knew they wanted Pappa to create plant-focused artwork for each room at the Posada property, and other artworks evolved from there. “They gave me total freedom which felt amazing, and I personally chose to involve them in my process...I’d propose ideas for different spaces at the Posada and then we’d just go for them,” Pappa stated.

The artist describes the collaboration between herself and the Combs as “meant to be” given that their aesthetic visions are so aligned. “As an artist, I have a deep appreciation for anything that honors the earth like things made of natural materials and raw forms….I appreciate when these things are combined with a minimalist or purified approach,” she says.

Pappa with Sara Combs

That artistic synergy spilled over to the project’s color palette with all three agreeing on a palette which referenced warm, natural tones. After Pappa conducted color tests with a variety of Dunn-Edwards colors, she settled on a palette described as earthy and calm: Sunset Cove (DEC708), Tawny Amber (DE5214), and Arizona Clay (DET454). “[The color tests] helped me narrow that all down to the perfect color palette...not too strong but bringing the right amount of contrast,” explained Pappa.

In addition to painting plant-themed work, Papa painted the “Ojo” or large eye in the Posada’s yoga/meditation room as a reference to the third eye, the spiritual center of intuition. She also painted a snake in the master bedroom as a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation, something experienced each morning upon awakening.

Working with Dunn-Edwards for the first time, Pappa was impressed by the paint’s texture, coverage and finish. “It’s not always easy to find my ideal paints and supplies,” she explains. “I loved this paint so much that I actually traveled back to my studio in Europe with a few tester pots in my suitcase. Dunn-Edwards must come to Europe.