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!

Preserving the Olympics

Week 1 of the Olympics has passed and I admit...I am an addict.  No, really.  I've downloaded an app on my phone so I can constantly stay up to date on metal count, the schedule and top news, I've stayed up way to late to watch every single highlight and race (even 3am one night so I could watch the prime time segment I missed earlier), I pride myself on fun facts and knowledge about the Olympians, and have even found myself fantasizing about which sport I would participate in in my imaginary Olympic future (rowing, swimming or equestrian).  So you can see, I have a problem.  Thank goodness this obsession will only have a two week shelf life....I need to get on with my productivity!

In an effort to combine my infatuation with my occupation, I started brainstorming.  Ok, if I can't become an Olympian in this lifetime, maybe I can somehow integrate what I do into this piece of history.  Had Chicago gotten the bid for 2016, you'd bet your bottom dollar I'd be out on the opening ceremonies stage all lit up in LED lights and dancing around or beating a drum, passing out metals and bouquets......wait.  Bouquets.  That's it!  That's what I do.  So I've distracted myself away from the Speedos and spandex to focus on the bouquets.  Have you seen them?

So pretty!  4,400 victory bouquets have been produced by London florist Jane Packer (whom actually passed away last year).  I love the four different roses being used in each quadrant: Illios (yellow), Marie Claire (orange), Wimbledon (green) and Aqua (pink).  Separating each set of roses are the very fragrant English lavender, rosemary, apple mint and wheat.  Made to look like the London 2012 logo and symbolize all the vibrancy the Olympics bring, my thoughts were brought to all the bouquets that will be left behind post games.  Flowers in customs are frowned upon.


Wouldn't a Reenie Rose painting be the perfect way to remember one's Olympic experience?!  Yeah, there's that whole medal thing that could be displayed, but imagine one of these paintings framed in the metal color of your success.

   

So I've altered my Olympic dreams a bit.  Maybe I won't marry Ryan Lochte or row over a finish line, but I could paint the flowers of London 2012 in a way that would make any Olympian proud to hang their victory on a wall....beside their medal of course.  Go U.S.A!!!

Which Flowers are in Season for Summer?

It's August 1st.  Where is the time going?  Wasn't I just posting about fireworks like weeks ago?  Well yes, approximately 4 weeks ago according to the calendar.  Rather than dwell on the days that have passed, Geena, my intern, has put together a colorful guide to the flowers that shine during these summer months.  Let's enjoy these warm days while we have them!!


Using fresh flowers that are in season for wedding bouquets and decorations is the most economical choice and often the freshest. The following list is the availability of suitable flowers for June, July and August. I haven't heard of some of these flowers so I searched them and they are absolutely beautiful!

My personal favorite would be the Sunflower because it reminds me of summer with the gorgeous color of yellow!

A flower that I never heard of and think is interesting was the Cosmo flowers. They come in many different summery colors but the picture below with the hint of pink is my favorite. Not only do I think they're beautiful,  but I think the name is catchy...why not have your favorite drink be part of your wedding bouquet too! ;)

- June | July | August -

• Asiatic lily ... 

• Black-eyed Susan.... 

• Cosmos... 

• Delphiniums ....  

• Gladioli... 

• Columbine .... 

• Larkspur... 

• Rose ... 

• Clematis... 

• cockscomb... 

• Daisy... 

• Sunflower... 

• Viburnum...

• Zinnia...

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!

Milwaukee...a Sister City

Happy Monday!  I feel like it's another one of those times where I've taken a crazy hiatus from blogging and now have so much to catch up on.  I'm finding myself antsy right now cause I really want to get painting instead of writing (no offense).  Ah, but it is my duty to shower you with fun happenings and neato images.

Can you believe the 4th of July has come and gone?  Part of my leave of absence was celebrating this holiday up at my cottage in Wisconsin but not in the cottage.  Our un-airconditioned space kept me away from a computer and swimming in 80 degree water at night.  Unfortunately, the weather left us without fireworks due to a county ban....way to dangerous to shoot them off since there hasn't been rain for ages.  I got my fix during a brief encounter indoors on the tv.  Thank you Fox 6 News...

In order to beat the heat, my parents and I decided to capitalize on some free ac and visit the Milwaukee Art Museum on Thursday.  Now, even though I am an artist, I am terrible at keeping up with the art scene (still haven't been to the Art Institute's "new" Modern Wing).  Visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum has been on my list forever, but somehow getting down to the beach and out on the lake always trumps a culture boost.  Who would have thought a 90 degree day would prompt an outing!?

The architecture is beautiful in this space and provided many a photo op.

Besides the ac and free Thursday, our other reason for our visit was the amazing exhibit the museum is currently featuring:

Ah, to be back in Paris for a couple of hours among the dancing girls of Montmartre, bright colors of a color lithograph, and swanky history.  If you find yourself in the Milwaukee area, I highly recommend this exhibit.  It was excellent and enjoyed by everyone.

An additional attraction to the museum is the Burke Brise Soleil by Spanish artist Santiago Caltrava.  This amazing structure actually opens and closes when the museum itself opens and closes.

Open

Closed

Architectural genius!  The day started out brutally hot, but ended in perfection.  Thank you Milwaukee for such a lovely experience....I should visit you more often.

Ok, you'll have to come back to the blog later....I really want to go paint now.  You know there will be updates to come!!