NicEvents in Equally Wed Magazine

i'm so excited about this!

a few months ago, equally wed -- a new online wedding magazine for same-sex couples -- asked me to design a few invitation suites for their premiere issue. one for a female couple, and a gentlemanly-style one for a male couple. and i'm so very excited to announce that the magazine just launched today at noon.

you can see my two designs above, or on their site at equallywed.com. you can also fan equally wed on facebook. and while you're at it, don't forget to fan NicEvents too. =)

inspired by mucha

i've been doing a lot of research for my invitation line (which will launch in may 2010). one of my main sources of inspiration for a particular piece is alphonse mucha.

one of my favorite artists of all time, mucha's art is beautiful, lush, dramatic, and romantic. it celebrates the natural beauty of women and their curves. it explores the hidden gems in fabric folds, in floral arrangements, and in the open space between objects. line weight and design both are addressed in his paintings.

i thought it might be wonderful to have a mucha-inspired wedding. especially when it comes to bridal attire and flowers -- both of which are celebrated in mucha's work.

like the painting above, the dresses below are romantic, flowing, with dramatic skirts and lines.

dress above from amy kuschel.

dress above from renella de fina.

dress above from vera wang.

mucha shows the drama of gowns in his time, at the turn of the 20th century, which often included billowy sleeves and lovely details.

the dress above from pronovias has a jacket with billowy sleeves, much like the mucha painting above.

head wreaths are common in mucha paintings.

the head piece above from florica evokes the same romantic feel.

different in approach, this mucha painting has a much more severe but still whimsical head piece.

and like the mucha painting above them, these headpieces by stacey hannan are metallic and dramatic, almost like a bejeweled headdress.

all mucha paintings evoke lush surroundings, like these two huppas above. the top is by matthew robbins (photographed by christian oth), and the second is by designs by rose.

why not try a fruit centerpiece, inspired by the mucha painting above? below centerpiece from martha stewart.

try something dripping with lush flowers and dramatic lighting to finish off your mucha feel. top arrangement by matthew robbins, the second is by designs by rose.

the wonderment of it all

my little lady, anna jae, has started to really enjoy looking at "pictures". and i mean paintings. she points them out everywhere she goes. she seems to like the colors and the scene. she loves the piece mommy did for her birthday, points at it all the time as it hangs on the wall above her toy chest. and just yesterday, when we got home and i flipped on the computer, she saw the same painting on my screen wallpaper and pointed at it, and then pointed at the one on the wall. THAT was pretty cool. =)

taking her to museums these days is a fun task. we took her to the tim burton exhibit at the MoMA 2 weeks ago, and she lapped it up. she loved the drawings, she loved the sculptures. she pointed at everything with her signature "wa da?!" (what's that?), and smiled when i showed it to her. sure, the images were a bit creepy, and i'm pretty sure that she woke up with nightmares from it that night, but for the time being she just loved it.

so i've started her on crayons and coloring books. anna doesn't know much about the point -- to color in the characters and all that -- but she does love whirling that crayon around! she likes to look at what i'm drawing here every day. and she likes to learn about "pictures" -- who is in them, what they're about, what colors are used.

do we have a little artist on our hands? i have no idea. i think dave hopes that we don't. HA! but i do love to see the wonder in her eyes. =)

i won! thank you!

my poster won! it will be generously printed by red dog graphics, inc. i'm so very happy about this -- i wasn't sure what quality of printing i could have afforded, and i'm glad for the opportunity to have it printed so well. i know that red dog will do an amazing job.

thank you to all of you that voted for it! i was in extremely good and talented company, and i am so flattered to have won regardless. i'll keep you posted as to when the poster will be available for purchase from the haiti poster project. please buy your own print -- it means that a great cause will get a boost.