Custom Wedding invitation

Recently these two love birds got married and I was able to make their wedding invitations a little more personalized that the typical invitation. I used photographs of them to work from in their wedding attire and painted them separately in their oval frames.  

I love how they turned out on the wedding invitations! I just think it is such a unique idea and the watercolor sketches really make them lighthearted and fun!

They even used them for the cake toppers!  I love it when things are repurposed for different uses like this.

I used the original painting that I did for the commission as a gift to the lovely couple.  I also included the addition of a portion of a bible verse and their wedding date.  It was such an honor to be part of their special day in this small way!  

Live Family Sketching

This week I had a fun evening of live fashion sketching!  I went to a local house and joined a family in a birthday party get together.  I have never done live fashion sketching for a family like this before and it was a really fun experience!  At the end of the 4 hours I felt like I was part of the crew, they were so inviting and so fun!  They came over to me and posed for me as I needed them.  I even used a photo to add a family member into the painting who wasn't able to attend the party.

That night I painted 18 people total from the family!  This is a great way to capture a group of people in a loose and fun way instead of the typical photograph.  Doing quick sketches really pushes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to try and capture the essence of the person instead of every detail. 

If you are interested in having this done at your next party or event, please email me at taratories@gmail.com to start the conversation!

All framed up outside of the room I painted! 

Custom Birds Nests

Back by popular demand for the 4th year is my custom birds nests!  In case you missed these last year, here is a little info on what these are about.  I make 9X9 inch mixed media paintings on canvas of nests with eggs representing children in them.  There are many customizations that I do to make these little gems as personal as possible.  These make great Mother's Day gifts or any day gifts and look great on a collage wall! These will be for sale for a limited time through May 6th.

1. Number of eggs- Depending on how many children are represented, I can paint as many eggs as you like!

2. Size of eggs- You can have larger eggs painted representing children, or smaller eggs painted to represent grand children.  Or you could combine and do both!  You can also use the smaller eggs to symbolized miscarried babies if you wish, I ask that you email me first to request unique customization like this before ordering.

3. Color of eggs- Depending on whether they are boys or girls I will paint either blue or pink.

4. Speckles- This year I am offering the choice of either brown speckles, or gold speckles if you are looking to add a little bling.

You can order these nests on my website www.taradeetscreek.com or by clicking HERE.

Shining out of the darkness

Recently, I had someone reach out to me about doing a commissioned painting that she would give to her older sister for her birthday.  She shared some photos with me from her childhood and she wanted to capture this moment in time from when they were children. She had fond memories of her older sister draping both of them in fabrics to play "dress up."  This photo was the only remnant that she had from that memory.  She also gave me some clearer photos to work from to capture their likeness so I combined the photos to make the finished product.

In the radial design around the older sister I used her name, "Charlotte" to form the design.  I have done this before with my art students but have never done it in my own work before.  Her name is flipped and mirrored in every other section.  Look directly under the peacock, start at the gold "C" and read the name all the way to across to the purple "E."  It was fun to make the name into a hidden element in the painting and it was really fun to watch my client and her sister try to find it!

"Shining Out of the Darkness", 20X20

When I drew out the design, the tails of the "E" letters linked up together to form a star! I couldn't believe it!  I used the negative space around the letters to paint the gold to reveal the star.  I love that it was around Charlotte's face since she was supposed to be the star of this painting!  Capturing the light on these sisters was really fun and I am inspired to paint some more portraits with unique lighting. To accentuate the sun's light, I used shaded letters on their dresses, heads, and bodies.  If you have a memory that you would like to capture in a unique painting designed custom for you, email me at taratories@gmail.com and we can start the conversation...  

The Faces of Arbonne

Recently I had the opportunity to do some really unique commissioned fashion illustrations.  I met someone who works for a company called Arbonne and she wanted to give a special custom gift to 4 of the ladies that she works with in the company.  Each of these ladies received awards for huge accomplishments they have had in their careers and she wanted to commemorate this moment in time for them.  I was able to incorporate the Arbonne logo in the circle behind them, and also their awards written in script.  What a treasure for these ladies to have a momento from one of the biggest moments of their careers, and, of course, in their most fabulous frocks! To order a custom fashion illustration suited to your needs, visit my shop HERE.

Business Card Watercolor Illustration

A little while back, my friend Lindsey asked me if I would do a little watercolor illustration of her to put on her new business cards.  I have never done something like that before, but I loved the idea and think it is a great way to put a handmade touch to a business card which can often feel cold and lifeless.  I love working with people because it causes me to do things that I have never done before. These new challenges help keep me on my toes and it so fun being the one to help people implement their creative ideas!  If you are looking for a quick watercolor sketch to use on a business card, other printed material or anywhere else, go to my shop and place your order for one today!