The Gift of a Painting

Last week I had the pleasure of making a special delivery to a client.  It seems like the last few paintings  I completed were either shipped out of town or delivered to the gift giver to present to the couple in which I received lovely emails stating how much everyone loved their painting.  It is not often though that I actually get to play the FedEx lady and see the reaction of my painting owners.

You've seen the progress of Maria and Alex's painting, but here's a little recap:

Beautiful May wedding

Complete Reenie Rose painting

Maria seeing her painting in person for the first time

It was so wonderful to sit and talk with Maria and her mother-in-law (the oh so generous gift giver) for awhile and hear all about the wedding and how Maria came to choosing her bouquet flowers.
My paintings are just paintings of flowers until they are connected to the couple....then they become so much more.  Anyone can paint flowers, but when you connect a couple's story to the final product, that's a Reenie Rose painting.
Thank you Maria and Alex for letting me document your wedding and to the groom's parents for your never-ending generosity.

Artisan Wedding Fair

Oh happy weekend!  Can you feel the tease of fall in the air?  I don't think our 80 degree summer days are quite over yet, but it's nice to have a reprieve and peak into a season that, come September, most people welcome with open arms.  All this being said, it seems like perfect timing that I will be participating in a wedding fair tomorrow (Sunday).  Grab a cardigan and meet me out at the Lillstreet Art Center for their Artisan Wedding Fair.

I hope you'll join me at this amazing location where art is created, sold and inspired.  I was so impressed with my first visit there.
I still have 2 tickets to give away for free.  Leave a comment below with your email address to receive this special gift!

Also on view at this event....Maria and Alex's completed painting!  Here's a sneak peak, but you know that it is so much better to see in person!

Let the Games Begin!

Time for another update on Maria and Alex's painting:

In other news, I finally received a coveted badge of honor from the queen herself.  Ok, so I'm not referring to the Queen of England and referencing the Olympics.  Nor am I referencing that Martha Stewart actually sent me a personal email with a jpeg in it.  Fine, some editor's assistant sent me the following badge to plaster all over my materials.  This is more than most wedding vendors have which allows me to inflate it to something bigger than royalty and games broadcast over the entire world.  My world just got a little more start-studded.

College Flashbacks

I've been working on Maria and Alex's painting lately, and every time I'm painting it, there's something familiar about it.  Yes, I've painted many a calla lily and fiddlehead fern, but that wasn't it.  No, it isn't the flowers.

It wasn't until I got to a certain area that I realized, "I've painted this before!"  Memory triggers usually occur with sound or smell, but I had a very strong visual remembrance....take a look.

This is the section that triggered the memory:

Here's where it flashed me back to:

Flashback to 10 years ago, 200 hours of painting and many overnight stays in the art building. This is a 6 x 6 foot painting I created for my college thesis.  Crazy, right?

Can you see the resemblance though and how Maria and Alex's painting would take me back in time? 

Close up of thesis painting

There are so many colors going on in one area that it's kind of like an iridescent rainbow effect.

I no longer paint like I did in college.  I've simplified my process and technique to be much more time efficient and a tad bit tighter.  I don't allow myself to see and paint every color of the rainbow like I did for this college painting...thus the 200 hour tag on it.  I often wonder what this college thesis painting would look like if I painted it today.  Would it be as interesting looking as it is now?  How long would it take?  Funny enough, I still have the printout of this piece, so maybe one day in my spare time I'll try my hand at a recreation.  Ha!  For now I'll just feel nostalgic while working on my current masterpiece.

Family Traditions

It's Friday the 13th and I've decided it is in my best intention to stay indoors tonight and paint.  I'm not that superstitious, but it may be smarter to play it safe and be productive.  That being said, allow me to introduce you to my newest painting:

You'll remember Christina and Jovan's painting...

Christina's lovely mom purchased her painting as a gift....and now she's having one made for Christina's brother and new sister-in-law!

I love these kinds of family traditions!  How about this composition too!?  

I can't wait to show you future updates as these colors start to pop and the cala lilies and fiddlehead fern come back to life.
 
Happy Friday!