Inspirations – Happy Valentines Day with a Rustic Floral Pattern for Utterly Engaged Magazine

Today is the official landmark day for love and its one I’ve admittedly left in the dust since college.  I’ve been with my hubby since high school and over the years we’ve taken a much more low key approach to this controversial Holiday.  To play or not to play is typically the question amidst those of my generation (slightly pre-millenial) and those to follow.  We’ve seemed to take a stance on celebrating the many loves in our lives on just one day.  Because, (enter cliché) well love should be celebrated everyday.  So friends, my casual boycott of Valentine’s day is not because I don’t love the sentiment behind the day but simply because I try (and sometimes fail) to love passionately everyday.

In the spirit of loving simply and without fanfare…I would like to share a very special project recently revealed in the inaugural issue of the beloved and until now digital wedding magazine, Utterly Engaged.  Our contribution was this Rustic Floral Pattern Artwork piece…

The editors reached out to request a piece of original artwork be created…of course inspired by a favorite love quote.  Well this one was rough for me because, again I’m not a hopeless romantic but more of a silly, loving, affectionate,  everyday kind of romantic.  In high school I fell for the work of Kahil Gibran, in his work The Prophet.  Every word feels real and riddled with sometimes very real and raw emotion.  Romanticism mingles with desperation, longing and vulnerability.  He conjures images of quiet and piercing emotional moments that loves share when they live their days closely intertwined.  His words always resonate with my view on real love and what it takes to live in a marriage that fulfills and fires passions big and small.  Daffodil PaintingThe last sentence “And to sleep with a prayer for the beloved on your heart and a song of praise upon your lips”.  Just divine…and really the words cut right to the core of what I believe marriage to be all about; a daily commitment to loving, true compassion and sacrifice.

AND SO THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTWORK  Immediately an organic, eclectic pattern was swimming around in my brain.  The poem’s metaphors grew into imagery of rustic landscapes, curious critters and of course, lush, bountiful and romantic blooms.  To take the look a step further I painted and sketched on a wood panel which was whitewashed before many layers of defining inks were applied; all in the vain of creating a warm and inviting finish.  I kind of want to crawl inside this scene and take a nap.

Raspberry and Floral Artwork for Utterly Engaged Magazine The hawk is symbolic for me of majesty and honor, while the bunny of sweetness and gentility.  Oh and the hubby’s nickname for me is bunny, so there you go…

Bits of hand gilding were in order…

Whimsical Wildlife SampleIt has been a while since I’ve created artwork meant to translate a piece of poetry…much more the sort of project I’d see in college.  It was however a mini-rebirth in my art life, to experience painting and thinking in this way again.  Thank you Utterly Engaged for the chance to revisit some old ways and to trade in my realist romanticism for just a touch of Valentine’s Day style indulgence. XO