2 Weddings, 1 Update & a Birthday

It's Friday evening, the St. Louis Cardinals have won the world series and I feel like I've finished day 1 of my work week.  This past weekend / the beginning of this week all run together as one extended jumble of wedding activity and celebration.  I guess this could be one of the benefits of owning one's own business....the work week starts and ends according to me.

So, if I back track a bit, the first wedding of the weekend was for a new client of mine.  Sarah booked me back in June when Estera Events recommended I "preserve" her fall wedding bouquet.  Happy to do so, I've been waiting for the unveiling for months!  Drum roll please....

Ta da!  Amy at Blumen put together a fabulous bouquet of color, texture and character.  I've taken a look at some of the compositional photos I've taken, and all I can say is that this is one photogenic bouquet.  No matter what Sarah chooses, she's going to have a stunning painting at the end of this process.

Speaking of stunning, wedding number 2 took place on Sunday with not only a gorgeous bouquet but a bride fit for Hollywood.  My best friend Abra tied the knot with Peter, the man of her dreams, at Salvage One in a most elegant affair.

 Isn't she beautiful!  Her flowers were such a compliment to her style.  Bravo to Carolyn and Natalie at Hello Darling for taking Abra's vision and bringing it to life....with only their initial consultation...no mockups.  That's talent.

Of course, Abra and Peter will be receiving a painting as a gift.....when things settle down a bit.  I get one year to produce a wedding gift...right!?

In regards to paintings already in progress, Laura and D.R.'s is coming along.  I anticipate a finished painting this weekend!

And finally, the thing I wasn't going to mention, but could actually use some imput on....my birthday.  Yes, I celebrated my 30th birthday this past Tuesday...with much reluctance on my part.  My friends and family, however, had a surprise in store for me and forced me to acknowledge this new decade in my life (thank goodness wine was involved).  I'm slowly coming around to the idea of 30, but could use some support and advice.  Any words of wisdom for this single, 30 year old living in the city, running her own business?

Laura and D.R. update

I've been cranking on this painting these past couple of days and have made some progress.  Take a look...

Back to Canvas

Back to bouquet paintings.  Seems like it's been awhile since I've sat in front of a canvas.  My plan is to crack down on the next one because there is a lovely lineup of paintings to follow.
So, here she is....

Stats:  16 x 20 inches
           Ivory bouquet of roses, calla lilies & orchids
           Bride and groom- Laura & D.R.
           Wedding location- New York, NY

 Checkout the full shot of this cascading bouquet!  I think I've alluded to the fact that it has a cascading feature in the composition chosen.

 

Next post, some paint on this puppy.  Anyone want to place a guess on how long this one will take me?

The Great Michigan Adventure

6 days, 3 cities, lots of job connections.  I just finished up my whirlwind weekend of visits with friends and work work work in Michigan.  When I return to Michigan, I can't just stop in one place and do one thing....no, I feel the need to hit up anyone and everyone in the area.  The triangle visit started in Kalamazoo where I reconnected with some friends (one of which is getting married and has interest in a painting).  From there I headed up to beautiful Traverse City for a most interesting project.
First of all, check out the color show currently going on in this state.  The commercial has got it right with the whole "Pure Michigan" campaign.

I am so lucky to have the greatest of friends to stay with when I visit Traverse City.  My old college roommate and the rest of her family welcome me in with open arms and make my stay extra special every time.  Plus, this is the view I have from their house....you can't get this from the local hotels.

The main reason I ventured up north was for a specific painting project.  I was hired by The Inman Company to paint haunted mansions at 2 different casinos.  Now, this is a little off the Reenie Rose beaten path, but I love these opportunities that give me a challenge and allow me to use my skill in a totally new way.
So, 2 haunted mansions, 2 casinos, 3 days.....talk about a challenge.  The first part of the process was to paint all of these cutout pieces to place on the facade.  Because these were houses that people would not be able to go inside and experience, the outside had to have a special character to it.

 

To go into the complexity of this project would take too long, but let's just say that a team of 5 of us came together and created an unbelievable display at these two venues.

27 hours of my time spent at Turtle Creek Casino and here's the result!  Everything with gray paint was done by my hand.

Love the Adam's family!!

Once Turtle Creek was finished, we moved on to casino #2...Leelanau Sands.  This one was smaller, but just as intense.  We got to the casino at 3pm and worked until 11:30pm.  It was like sprinting a marathon.

 

 I'm so proud to have been a part of this project and want to thank Shane of The Inman Company for allowing me to be a part of it....despite what my aching body is now saying.

From Traverse City I headed to Grand Rapids to visit with another couple of friends, enjoy GR's new found glory...Art Prize and speak to a couple of illustration classes at my alma mater, Grand Valley State University.  What a fabulous end cap to a weekend filled with lots of driving, art and hard work.  Enjoying artwork around the city and speaking to students about my business made me realize how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing.  When business and pleasure blend together without boundaries, it's such a blessing.  On that note, I leave you with an image from Art Prize of a mural currently in the top 10 to win.  I voted for it.