A Peek into the Studio – Bouquet Wedding Invitations

I don’t try to  hide my love of flowers.  You can spend a mere 5 minutes on this site and know that every curve and texture of the bloom inspires me.  So I do love this time of year when our spring and summer couples are indulging in all things floral.  We’ve spent years perfecting our hand painted wedding invitation technique and over the last few weeks we have really stretched ourselves creatively.  A mix of thick, opaque inks, sheer watercolor and juicy shimmer washes are just some examples of our newest experiments in paint.

Maria’s bouquet is soft but abundant and thickly painted in a subtle nod to Impressionism.

Shannon’s bouquet in shades of purple was painted with shimmery inks against a smooth matte finish stock.

 I can only share a peek of these incredible invites…but the teams spent over a week painting this richly layered pink and white peonies onto clear plexiglass!

Meryl’s very southern wedding could only be introduced with white magnolia painted save the date booklets.  Reminiscent of a Victorian dance card, mean to fit in the palm of your hand.

Shades of white here have me captivated.  I especially love the hand drawn lace pattern details throughout!  This painting technique is one  of my favorites, where we layer brushstrokes of opaque white first and then sheer shimmer – the layering effect is so stunning!

Well I’m off to paint what is left of 9 yards of silk organza!  More on that later! XO

My Story is Art – Art for Art’s Sake

My Dad recently, very recently in fact retired from a 40 year career at a local jewelry shop in town.  He is now officially our first Momental Guy.  He has already become an integral part of the team in just a few short weeks as I can’t imagine the studio before him, but of course I’m biased because he is…, well, Dad!  Yesterday I gathered a team for a an art shoot at a local favorite, The Cottage at Hillside Farms.  You may remember, we had our 10 year renewal there in 2010?  It was my Dad’s first photoshoot experience and I could see the fascination…well maybe, confusion on his face as the day evolved.  At one point, as the last details of the table installation were complete he asked very candidly, “so why do you do this?”.  I paused for a minute and replied.  “It’s art.  Just like a pull out my brushes and paint, this is just another way for me to express an idea.  It’s Art for Art’s Sake“.

A few sketches beforehand.

So this phrase is steeped in history and as is the same with most philosophical comments, carries with it a bit of controversy and skepticism.  For me, it is about creating art for the purpose of feeling the experience, regardless of the result.  I add a specific caveat though…it has to take effort, significant effort.  Art for Art’s Sake doesn’t hold the same magic for me if it is quick sketch in a notebook – that is a brief effort, not requiring much investment on the part of the artist.

From top left:  Some produce, heavenly Hellebore, Amanda shooting stationery and the lovely models being coiffed.

I create art everyday, but admittedly it is most often with a very specific purpose in mind and usually intended for a very particular person.  Of course, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything but I do crave an outlet, to create exactly what I have rolling around in my brain, for no other reason than I must get it out!  There you have it, the very reason I crave these elaborate projects with like minded creatives.  These photoshoots are a way to just create and make, the exact way we want to create and make….no parameters, no expectations.  We free ourselves of these constraints and open the door to making art in a big way.

From top left:  Tanti’s bouquet, Natalie filming, Jess being silly.

So yesterday, I put down my brushes and let this scene become my tool.  An elaborate wedding table and brightly hued gowns became my paint.   These beautiful people I worked with were my partners in creation and together we made something beautiful, just because we could.

Behind the Scenes – Vintage Southwest Wedding Inspiration in Destination I Do Magazine Part II

I’m back today with more from our editorial in the latest Destination I Do Magazine!  Have a look here and here to get caught up…

Initially inspired by the Segoe Lily, the stationery took on a decidedly more muted palette, so pops of aqua and red could be the standouts when they occurred.

The studio shot of the suit shows of the various textured stocks and painting techniques used.  Sheer, shimmery gold, creamy whites and aqua and peach watercolor tones tell the stationery story here…

The light that day changed faster than we could imagine.  From washed out sunlight at every turn,  to intense golden rays turning everything into sparkle, we soaked up every ever-changing opportunity to capture this land’s fickle nature.

Just before the sun went behind the cliffs, the entire valley was bathed in golden light…

Our fresh take on the escort card table: Paintbrushes adorned with seating flags by Paloma’s Nest were meant to paint a bit of the image before guests took their seat.  At the end, our couple was left with a redrock masterpiece painted collectively by their guests.

More studio shots…

Ellipses were drawn overlapped, again and again as an abstract interpretation of the sunset…Painted with washy tones of amber, red and aqua the look took on a subtly modern finish.

Panorama.

The end.

Concept, Styling and Stationery – Momental Designs  ::  Photography – Gideon Photography  ::  Location – LaVerkin Overlook, near Springdale, Utah  ::  Flowers - Bloomers  ::  Production/Styling - Tessa Woolf   ::  Rentals and Production Assistance -  Forevermore Events  ::  Models – Stephanie and Mason Woolf  :: Cynthia Dean – grooming for Mason Woolf , Stephanie Bybee- makeup design  for Stephanie Woolf, Morgan Clark- hair design for Stephanie Woolf -  Enzio  ::  Gown - Anne Barge  ::  Cake Design – Pink Peach Cakes  ::  Custom Flags –Paloma’s Nest  ::  Linens -  La Tavola Linen

Behind the Scenes – Vintage Southwest Wedding Inspiration in Destination I Do Magazine

Amidst the redrock on a sunny yet cool day, we gathered.   At the start,  the sun was high in the sky and felt welcoming as the wind swept through the wide valley.  We were at home with rockface all around…at home in our arid surroundings all charged with energy, warm light and possibilities….

This project happened back in 2010 and is just now making its way to you.  You can see 7 stunning pages in the newest Destination I Do magazine and I’m honored.  These images have been hiding like a well kept secret, anxious for the perfect opportunity to be seen.  For something this magical, we were willing to wait.

I’d been dreaming up this wedding inspiration scene for months, just like a painting begins to evolve in my brain long before I put brush to paper.  Lunaria branches were my initial inspiration…their iridescent glow that captures their surroundings in hints of sun washed color seemed a perfect texture to lie on the table as a delicate runner.  Wedgewood was another important inspiration point for that perfect touch of blue.

With wild Yucca at our feet and Zion National Park off in the distance,  we all felt blessed to be creating amidst such grandeur.

A peek at the stationery suite at each place…an abstract Zion-scape adorned each menu.

We revisited Baby’s Breath for texture and brought in white Ranunculus for their quirky and graceful stems… Bloomers always finds a way to amaze me with their vision.

Along with the majority of our team, Pink Peach Cakes traveled nearly 5 hours from Salt Lake City to be with us for the day and share their art.  Shades of gold cake layers give a nod to the shining sun all perched atop a turquoise wood cake stand.  Here I just had to bring in a pop of persimmon – grateful to LaTavola Linen for their Twitter Tangerine pattern.

Larkspur and Chocolate Cosmos…The light at this point in the day could not have been more perfect.  It trickled into every image with a magical glisten.

A peek at the stationery.  Still in love with this reception card.  “Everything is created from moment to moment, always new, like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator.”

More soon. XO

Concept, Styling and Stationery – Momental Designs  ::  Photography – Gideon Photography  ::  Location – LaVerkin Overlook, near Springdale, Utah  ::  Flowers - Bloomers  ::  Production/Styling - Tessa Woolf   ::  Rentals and Production Assistance -  Forevermore Events  ::  Models – Stephanie and Mason Woolf  :: Cynthia Dean – grooming for Mason Woolf , Stephanie Bybee- makeup design  for Stephanie Woolf, Morgan Clark- hair design for Stephanie Woolf -  Enzio  ::  Gown - Anne Barge  ::  Cake Design – Pink Peach Cakes  ::  Custom Flags –Paloma’s Nest  ::  Linens -  La Tavola Linen

My Story is Art – Zion Desert Cover Editorial in Destination I Do Magazine

I’ve been sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for today…Today is the day I can finally share our news and this amazing project brought to life by a group of good people full of passion and life.  The team at Destination I Do has made our day again and again along this journey to print and I can’t thank them enough for believing in this project and supporting us so very enthusiastically! XO  It has been a very long time coming (more on that later) but for now, just have a look at the 7 glorious page, plus…the cover too!

Much, much more soon!

Concept, Styling and Stationery – Momental Designs  ::  Photography – Gideon Photography  ::  Location – LaVerkin Overlook, near Springdale, Utah  ::  Flowers - Bloomers  ::  Production/Styling - Tessa Woolf   ::  Rentals and Production Assistance -  Forevermore Events  ::  Models – Stephanie and Mason Woolf  :: Cynthia Dean – grooming for Mason Woolf , Stephanie Bybee- makeup design  for Stephanie Woolf, Morgan Clark- hair design for Stephanie Woolf -  Enzio  ::  Gown - Anne Barge  ::  Cake Design – Pink Peach Cakes  ::  Custom Flags –Paloma’s Nest  ::  Linens -  La Tavola Linen