At first glance this might appear to be a very silly and clumsy painting but it is actually very sweet and tender. My sbmission for Illustration Friday's " clumsy" theme is " a celestial life." I painted this in August of 1992 for friend Tracy Walsh because she was about to marry her longtime love Shep Lonsdale. Tracy loved my art and has been quite a wonderful and supportive collector of my work. When she came to me and asked me to do her invitations I was happy and tickled because this was my first wedding card. I have done quite a few now but this was my very first one and she wanted a child like image using all the things she loves! This is my favourite kind of client, someone that tells me what they enjoy and I get to do whatever I want :D Tracy wanted the sea, the stars, the moon, and the feeling of infinity, love and the universe. Not your traditional invite to be sure, oh and the best part she wanted all valgal colours featuring their dog Jade. In order to make multiples I had the image offset printed and then I made cotton rag paper in my studio, dyed to compliment the painting and I added this beautiful old glitter to the batches to make it sparkle. We printed the typeface on a see through vellum and it was a limited edition art card for all the guests. I framed up some for her bridesmaids gifts and the gift that went to the person that married them. The funny thing about the man that performed the wedding Cliff Potts, he is Johns best friend for 40 years but I did not know him then and had not yet met John. I live on a street with 3 houses now and he lives in one of these houses and has been my neighbor for 13 years! Tracy is a travel agent, her mom was a very well known British travel agent who's clients were Elton John etc. and Shep is a musician and was in the band Gaelic Storm which you might have seen in the movie Titanic. When Leonardo Dicaprio takes Kate Winslet downstairs to where the real people are hanging out, this is the band that is playing. Shep is a very cool dude and Tracy is a very cool lady. I am happy to say they are enjoying their marriage to this day :)
btw: The wedding was at the Hotel Bel Air and it was the best wedding I have ever been too. They have swans floating in ponds there!valerie walsh 1992
