In her New Hampshire studio, painter Danielle Fretwell arranges opulent banquets for no one. She thinks of herself as the host of an imaginary party and carefully selects pieces of silverware and table linens from a collection she’s assembled over years of scouring New England vintage shops. She arranges fresh fruit, scoops ice cream, and pours wine. When the table setting feels just right, Fretwell photographs it. Then, she packs everything away. She uses her photographs as the basis for her vi...

In her New Hampshire studio, painter Danielle Fretwell arranges opulent banquets for no one. She thinks of herself as the host of an imaginary party and carefully selects pieces of silverware and table linens from a collection she’s assembled over years of scouring New England vintage shops. She arranges fresh fruit, scoops ice cream, and pours wine. When the table setting feels just right, Fretwell photographs it. Then, she packs everything away. She uses her photographs as the basis for her vi...