Follow up post to Part 2, the on location bay map painting here, these are the actual treasure maps sent out.

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Archival quality printing on gorgeous creamy Indian artisan papers, with plenty of texture and deckled edges for a whimsically authentic treasure map feel!

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Follow up from the set of save the dates I created a few months back here, this is the actual (digital) invitation for green queen Janine and her beau, Ken.

Greys and Yellows, click to zoom in.

There was a change in wedding color schemes from bright and bold sunset shades to subtle and romantic soft grays and yellows.  I really love the new color palette which calls to mind the brightly hued yellows of Californian buttercups and poppies and the subtle gray-green shades of succulents that are common to the wild coastal landscapes of central California.

More to come-placecards and cake toppers, stay tuned!

In the spirit of my travel digital-only workload, I am featuring my latest map creation: a digitized DIY request for Frankie and Stephanie’s wedding in Massachusetts. They will be printing it themselves and inserting them into little favor bags for their guests -what a sweet gesture!

...in a pink dominant color scheme

Stephanie wanted me to create a map from her list of wedding-related venues in my watercolor style. Apart from sharing that she loves the color pink, the slate was pretty much left up for me to fill!

Blue-black vintage-style ink, whimsical script and pink tone color palette…on thick 300lb hot press watercolor paper.

Re-fresh

Hello my dear readers!

Some changes and goings-on have been brewing under the hood of the studio for awhile and now it is time to bring it to light! I will be away on a one-month travel + re-inspiring session.  There is a long list of juicy changes, inventory update and revamp to be expected during this hiatus which I am excited about and can’t reveal too much right now.

For the time being, please be aware that I am only accepting print-your-own or digitized artwork commissions between now and August 25th. Advanced bookings for future events beyond September are welcomed, of course.

Bliss...

It is no secret by now that I have a lifelong love affair with trees!  Well, we now have our very own canopy tree in our (new) backyard- a lovely low hanging tree with the perfect umbrella shade and hundreds of large, golden lemons hanging like lanterns from it. Perfect!

Our little slice of heaven.

I cannot stress enough how such a simple little piece of garden space make our lives so much richer, calmer and inspired!

Since the weather here in Southern California is almost always gorgeous and sunny-warm clear days and comfortable cool nights, I have no trouble at all imagining many happy future days under this tree- curled up with a book, sipping home made cocktails or painting while the birds chirp excitedly around us!

Juicy golden lanterns

We love lying on our blanket and looking up to count the lemon lanterns.

Hello everyone, I apologize for this long silence but the studio and house move and recent visitors have thrown me off my blog schedule! I promise that there will be lots of juicy posts to come on what’s churning behind the scenes here at my new mint green studio!

There is so much to share about the projects I have been working on but to tide things over, here is a little teaser….

Fine Bone China! Click to zoom in.

I have to confess, this was an extremely difficult piece, first of all for being totally unlike what I normally do- monochromatic (no watercolors!), classical colors, ornamentation, formal (not whimsical) calligraphy , bright (and not off-white) white cotton papers.

In the end though, if I may say so, I am rather pleased with the result, it has quite a romantic bone china feel to it that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Let’s hope the bride and groom agrees

More stories to come…thanks for being patient with the silence, folks!

Captivated.

Follow-up post to Part 1 here and mention here, slight change in thematic direction.

Words cannot describe the beauty that is the North Carolina Core Banks and to be able to work on a special (treasure) map for a special couple on location was a tremendously wonderful experience. Giant oak trees, boat rides, beautiful shells (Inspired Monday post to come), crystal clear turquoise waters, bait balls, fishing, seafood and great company!

The Original

This is the original painting, measuring 30″ x 11″ on thick watercolor paper. The idea was to work on a jewel-toned wedding map with pirate treasure map influences (the notorious Blackbeard once lived in the area) that would highlight the beautiful oak tree the couple will be wedding under, and would be an extra-special keepsake gift for their guests.

A Pirate History

The map would show all the important places for the wedding and point out noteworthy local attractions for out-of-town visitors. The towns in the vicinity were founded in the early 1700s and are one of the oldest towns in the country.

Wedding under a giant oak tree.

The wedding ceremony would take place under this giant oak tree and the couple wanted to include it in the map. What a lovely symbol of longevity in love!

Fun

Fun activities for the reception to entice guests.

Polaris

The stylized north symbol with the personalized wedding logo.

Ditty

I suggested a ditty for the map greeting, and the bride came up with this awesome poem above!

Please tune in next time for Part 3, the making of the keepsake map from the original painting…..

Sometimes...

Altered photograph, original provided by Andrea

Its been an exceedingly wonderful but busy few weeks, and I haven’t really had time to venture outside my studio. But here’s a little secret: we are planning a trip back East for a mini vacation and I am going to be working on a piece of wedding artwork for a betrothed couple’s invitations, RIGHT on location!

The wedding would be under this beautiful ancient oak tree (you know me and trees, so I am thrilled to bits!) by the ocean bay. I am hoping for many glorious outdoor inspirations, seabirds, seashells, fresh crisp air, historical buildings, and abundant native vegetation to inspire the artwork.

Will need to tote my pens, inks and the like but who could turn down this opportunity for a little plein air studio time? Do stay tuned for more from this upcoming adventure….

Feeling a little playful and thoughtful today so here’s a little note in my own hand-writing font!

Just a Little Note

When I first read Andi from Tennessee’s charette entry, I felt a pang of familiarity and melancholy for having moved away from the South! Andi, an actress and non profit organizer, and Drew, a public defender and musician are both steeped in the performance arts but have a steadfast fondness for the South, where Andi is from and where their wedding will be.

Andi shared with me their love for old Southern trees, wildflowers, the Appalachians and bluegrass music and how difficult it was to find invitations that really reflected who they are.

Andi and Drew's color scheme: Lavender and Sunflower Yellow, click to zoom in.

I was most drawn to their vibrant earthy likes and having lived in the South and married a North Carolinian, it really resonated with me, and my challenge was to come up with something that combined that with their performance arts background. My first thought was wildflower-seeded handmade paper! I can’t pass up this opportunity to incorporate in their design considering Andi’s love for wildflowers.  From their descriptions,  Andi and Drew’s invitation suite needed to be two things: 1. theatrical, 2. rustic but vibrant with a southern flair.

I  felt that the invitation wanted to be in a narrow, panoramic format that hints of theaters, stages and film.  It is a folded piece, with a longer back flap that folds up to the front like an envelope. This serves several purposes: to conceal a hidden message, to set the scene with backs of theater seating, and to keep the piece closed which I will explain why next.

At first glance, the main invitation, printed on yellow textured handmade seeded paper shows a windowed scene- a cut out of a dramatic oak tree reminiscent of the lush South trimmed with vibrant abstract wildflowers.

How it works...click to zoom in

I wanted the first glance to feel like you are about to see something unfold on stage amidst dramatic trees and wildflowers. Behind the window is a simple lavendar backdrop (lavendar-colored handmade seeded paper) with the words: “Presenting Andi and Drew. A WeddingDay Production.

Once you fold down the ’seats’ flap, you will see the words : Coming soon to Huntsville, Tennessee, Aug 21st 2010, their wedding venue and date.

At the far right end of the card is a cut-out indicating PULL. Reach in and pull and the lavendar backdrop slides out. This is a ‘ticket’-inspired RSVP piece with a perforated portion that can be torn and returned to Andi and Drew. On the back of this ‘ticket’ is additional wedding info and the perforated portion to be returned is set against a backdrop of painted wildflowers (available in perhaps 5 different schemes for variety) .Guests would sign on it and return the piece. The different wildflower schemes make for an attractive scrapbook or framed montage of signed RSVPs!

Once you pull out the RSVP ticket piece, a scene unfolds of a hand-painted southern backyard wedding party, the most important component. Silhouttes of dancing and laughing figures against a purple moonlit sky. A barbecue, beer, a bluegrass band, and lots of joy. With the card folded , and the backdrop/ticket piece removed, the invitation becomes an excellent wedding keepsake for Andi and Drew’s guests, something that can be framed up to remember that special day by.

What fun! Wishing Andi and Drew all the best…