September 1, 2010

My Story is Art – Monet and A Field of Poppies

Last week I introduced a new blogging series not so much out of planning but of necessity. Read the post here to learn more about what I will now call the My Story is Art series!

My inbox was very happy this week. Whenever an email comes from Daniel Lanton I am sure to be a happy girl. Daniel recently came out to the studio for a last minute shoot for a very special project you will hear more about at the end of this year. I had this grand idea to re-create on of my favorite Monet paintings, A Field of Poppies. The translation of this epic work of art was not meant to be literal but instead pay homage to the more fun and playful elements of the artist’s vision.

We painted nearly 15 canvases with bold, splashy flowers and filled my favorite vases with loads of red blooms. Of course poppies are not in season so gladiolas and snapdragons were the perfect replacement. Daniel scattered us and the flowers about in the field behind our studio and the rest came to life organically. We all had a blast and let Daniel bring the idea home; the result were imags I will treasure forever.

Monet

A Momental Girl Gets Married – Meet Steph!

Hiring a new employee is always terribly nerve wracking for both parties involved. When I met Steph for the first time, my nerves were instantly calmed. Her bubbly presence mixed with a serious sense of her own artistic style and knowledge of the wedding industry were impressive. It is not often that silkscreen save the date hankies are part of a prospective employees portfolio. Steph is now our newest Momental Girl and we already love her. Now here comes the fun part….she is getting married!! Yes, there it is, the news I have been dying to share. One of our very own Momental Girls is getting married. Did I mention I was excited? So I am taking some time today to introduce you properly to Steph because of course I will be asking her to come online from time to time to share bits from her planning adventure. From her quaint and lovely venue to her uber creative poster style save the dates plus her teeny, tiny obsession with all things Joy Thingpen; this girl has a lot of good to share!

Steph graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem PA with a degree in Studio Art. Her artwork is full of luscious brushstrokes and smoldering color. Steph and Tyler will be tying the knot next summer on June 25th. She claims she has finally chosen colors (will share soon) but is most excited about the save the dates she and Tyler are designing all inspired by the cutest proposal story ever…well maybe not ever, but it is REALLY good!

Here is a little about Steph in her own words:

We currently reside in a cute little home nestled between the mountains and the river in Shawnee on Delaware; perfect for late night summer fires, vermilion bedrooms and Halloween decorations in the month of October.

We met in my first art class at Moravian College. I was quiet and serious. He was boisterous and disorderly and only sometimes funny, all I could do was laugh silently to myself. Having no time for him then, how could I have known we would meet again a year later through a mutual friend. After a couple horror movie screenings and a few late night campfires, we had a record setting first date, filled with beer and cheese soup, surprise lilies, and a funny photo on Santa’s lap. The rest is history and I wouldn’t trade the wonderfully unforgettable two years and nine months to date.

Self Portraits, Oil on Canvas

I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to hear more about that proposal and those save the dates!!

http://www.joythigpen.com/

My Story is Art, Painted Beautifully

Elizabeth Messina

Every so often I feel the need to wax poetic; please forgive me in advance…today is one of those days. After creating handmade, hand painted wedding invitations for over 7 years, building a team of 8+ employees and traversing the many highs and lows that owning a business can bring; this girl needs to take a moment and just be grateful. It seems in this life we breeze about our days in a rush to the next big moment, project or trip. We scoop up every opportunity to make a name for ourselves, our employees and for me the friends I have the joy of working with each day. Don’t get me wrong, drive and passion are all good things but only when balanced by a strong sense of the life you are creating alongside a business or career. I read this post by Liene Steven’s and this one by Sean Low earlier this week and both spoke to me in so many ways. Our businesses and brands are so closely intertwined with our souls and personalities that it can be immensely difficult to have a life or even desire moments that exist outside of creating our art. As an artist though I have mindfully chosen to craft moments where I can just be me; admiring and feeling life, not always the me going after life, if you know what I mean.

I read a little excerpt from the Elizabeth Messina studio tour on Brooklyn Bride a few weeks ago where she was speaking about her blog.

“…its been so wonderful to share a little bit of myself without anyone editing me or my work….i feel connected to the world in a way i couldn’t have imagined….”

In a way I imagine Ms. Messina’s connection with her blog is her mindful moment to just be and carefully share bits of herself with the world. So with that being said I plan to do the same…take a day each week and break from Peeks into the Studio and Behind the Scenes posts to share a bit of myself; what makes me tick, what get’s my creative juices flowing and what gives me rest.

I am an artist. I see, hear and feel the world in color. I like what I like and sometimes it defies description. I can fall in love with a simple shadow in a photograph, texture or pose and have it make me want to paint. These simple, un-categorizable types of moments are those I plan to share. Our lives are full of moments…more of the kind hopefully that make us want to sing and paint, dance and write. My story is art and makes me want to paint it beautifully with passion, generosity and care. Join me?

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Posted by kristy | Filed under: color, Elizabeth Messina, inspiration

Behind the Scenes – Utterly Engaged is Sew in Love Part II!

Each bloom was crafted from a variety of papers. Thick watercolor sheet were torn into strips and then painted with our signature Watercolor Stripe technique. As each bloom was sculpted tiny tears appeared on the paper edges; such a lovely happy accident.

Recent Louis Vuitton ads provided the perfect inspiration for the shoot. For me the moody settings and old Hollywood look of the ads fed my creative mind on this project. Cameos and vintages laces were woven into each bloom. I have a thing for collecting little baubles and lace runners. A pair of scissors and a bit of pinning was all the runner needed to become elegant bouquet handle wraps and bloom detailing.

This little bouquet measured at a petite 6 inches and was crafted from a stunning handmade pattern paper that I then hand painted in shades of peach and gold. A starburst like broach was woven into the bouquets center and sparkled like crazy every time the light changed. This little guy didn’t make it into the shoot but I loved it just the same!