Christmas in Spring

Happy belated Easter!  I hope the weekend found you basking in the sun, enjoying good food and company.

With spring and the Easter holiday, life is starting to freshen up a bit, sprout something new and remind us of the brighter days ahead.  Delivering Kristen and Mark's painting was also like a "bud of new life" for me.    Finishing this painting kind of felt like winter after awhile.  It kept going on and on, and I couldn't believe how much time it was taking.  But then the delivery came.  Seeing the excited look on Kristen's face gave this painting and the process a whole new meaning.

I met Kristen and Mark over at Andrew's Garden to do the reveal.  What a reminder of spring!  The store was filled with color and sweet smells.

It doesn't hurt that I like to make receiving a painting feel like Christmas a little bit.

I love that all mouths are agape.

I'm looking forward to seeing Tonya's reaction photos from another angle.

This is my favorite.  Spring has sprung.  There is such amazement here.

So happy.

Being back at Andrew's Garden, delivering a painting that started with a love for flowers and my work made me want to start pulling at the buckets and putting together something new.  Onto a new season,  another painting and having my windows open regularly.

Here's some inspiration for you.  Who wants to customize their own painting with these beauties...

Big thanks to Andrew's Garden for all their help in making this painting possible.  Their support is unimaginable.
And, a gynormous thank you to Kristen and Mark for bringing my art to life in a way I had not yet experienced.  I'm forever grateful.

FORM Recap and Painting Reveal

Inhale and exhale.  FORM has come and gone.  Inhale and exhale.  Kristen's painting is finished.  Inhale and exhale.  What's next?  Oh there are always more things lined up.

First off, let's recap FORM: ART + floral 2014 held at Room 1520.  Wow!  What an evening!  We had an amazing turnout and lots of funds raised for Snow City Arts.  We couldn't be prouder and more humbled by our team that made the whole event come together.  Big thanks to all of our sponsors:

Room 1520

Elysia Root Cakes

Pure Kitchen Catering

Speedpro Imaging

Kio Kreations

Jennifer Kathryn Photography

Art of Imagination

Classic Party Rentals

The florists really pulled out all the stops on their creations this year, but it was all thanks to some amazing artwork selected by our curators, Marcela Andrade and Jeremy Kreusch.

More pics to come from Jennifer Kathryn Photography, but for now, here are a few amateur setup shots.

Flowers Flowers

Life Made Pretty

Kio Kreations

Fab Flora

Wild Orchid

Number two item up for release….Kristen and Mark's painting.  I finally finished it this weekend, and I could not be prouder of it.  Topping out at 79.25 hours (longest to date), I think this is the custom painting they were looking to have created.

Saturday is the delivery date for this perty piece  We are all meeting at Andrew's Garden for the reveal, and you bet I'll be documenting it!  Can't wait to share!

Onto my next projects….another painting, a bridal shower, a monogram sticker project, and some prints going up on the Etsy page!  Gotta get to work!!!

Progress for the Sake of Progress

I hate when you start to second guess yourself.  I'm doing that with this painting and the progress of it.  I've really been putting in some quality time, but with these paintings, sometimes that doesn't mean a thing when it comes to nearing the finish line.  I'm not declaring defeat just yet, but I am saying that giving a client a wet painting might not be the best choice….

What would you do….pull all nighters like a college kid or stick to a level of professionalism that delivers a truly finished product?  Hmm….

P.S. Wonder why I've skipped around so much….white paint takes longer to dry.  Get that done first so it has a longer drying period. Fun fact of the day.

Spring Wedding Walk

Happy Spring!  Thank goodness the sun is shining today.  We need some hope that warmer days are ahead.  Jumping ahead to next weekend, mark your calendars for the Wheaton Wedding Walk.

I will be painting at the Ivy Restaurant and showing off Kristen's finished painting (fingers crossed).  I have a lot of work to do, but my plan is to give Kristen the painting after the walk, so come take a look before it's gone.

Tickets can be purchased at http://wheatonweddingwalktickets.eventbrite.com.  Let's hope the weather is beautiful for the walk!
Enjoy your weekend!

Update: Kristen's Painting Progress

With the hint of spring on the way (until tomorrow's snowfall) and a good book coming out through my computer speakers, I'm in a painting groove.  I'm awfully fond of the greens I've been painting (maybe it's the approaching St. Paddy's Day anticipation), though I'm always adjusting their yellow v.s. blueness.  Overall though, I'd say that it is coming along quite nicely.

For some close up details visit my Instagram page (http://instagram.com/loreen_rose).
Simple as that.

Andrew's Garden for Kristen's Painting

It's happened….another painting is on my easel!  I love the story of this one….kind of because it ISN'T a wedding bouquet.  Here's the story:

I met Kristen and her family at the anniversary event while I was painting at The Dress by Nicole last month.  She was actually shopping for a dress for her daughter's confirmation when she stopped to admire my work.  She tried to recall her wedding bouquet from years ago, but couldn't pinpoint the look of it.  We talked a bit more about my work, she continued around the store and left…and then she came back.  Wedding album and family in tow, she declared that she did not like her wedding bouquet but loved my work and wanted me to paint something for her.  Nearing the end of the event and being in a prime location, I had her meet me over at Andrew's Garden to put together a bouquet for her.

Needless to say, Andrew and I were like two kids in a candy shop with this new project.  He played the florist while I art directed, and together we came up with an amazing arrangement.

Andrew's Garden is such a perfect place to put together an impromptu, fresh group of florals.  It felt like we were at some Parisian flower market picking something out to enjoy for the day.  Kristen was thrilled with the process too and was able to choose from a variety of blooms out on display.

With Andrew's wife Tonya at that camera, we worked a photo shoot like no other.

The result was the perfect arrangement created for Kristen's painting.  She loves the colors, textures and types of flowers included….and she is going to love this painting.

This will be my first non-wedding bouquet to paint in years.  I'm pretty excited about it since it means that Kristen really admired my talent before admiring the concept behind what I do.  This is much more than just a bouquet of flowers.
Let the painting begin!!!

*Be sure to follow along with the process and get some exclusive detail shots via my Instagram feed (loreen_rose).