John Derian at Pergola

Artist and designer John Derian is releasing his first book, John Derian Picture Book, in October and will launch it with a signing event Saturday, October 1st, at Pergola in New Preston.

Pergola owners David Whitman and Peter Stiglin predict the art book, with a forward by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and a short introduction essay from Derian, will be “THE book for the coming holiday season.”

The book features 350 full-bleed pages of images that have captured his imagination, in an oversize 11-x-14-inch format.

The signing will be from 2PM to 5PM followed by an invitation-only cocktail reception in the garden behind Pergola, the front room of which will be filled with Derian’s products, including some signature works.

A decorative artist who lives in New York City, Derian is America’s leading practitioner of decoupage, the art of cutting and pasting paper images. In 1989, he discovered his love of painting and collages could be realized through decoupage works combining beauty and utility.

The designer uses color reprints of 18th- and 19th-century images and pieces them together under glass, often in combination with reproductions of antique calligraphy. The result is a growing product line including plates, vases, trays, paperweights, cachepots, wall hangings, desk accessories and more.

Derian’s works are sold at more than 500 high-end boutiques and department stores around the world.

His artistry has been featured in national and international publications, such as The New York Times, The World of Interiors, Elle Décor, House & Garden, Country Living, House Beautiful, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Victoria, Garden Design, Martha Stewart Living, O (Oprah), O at Home, The New York Observer, Time Out and New York.