Ideas for new cards come from a variety of sources: my desire to create a card for a friend or family member; my observations of the world around me; suggestions from those who buy my cards and are looking for something they’ve not yet seen; and in this case, a special order from a group of friends.
My sister and her husband are die-hard Virginia Tech football fans. They both attended the school as undergraduates and get together often with classmates who now live in Northern Virginia. They frequently make the long drive from Alexandria to Blacksburg on weekends in the fall to attend football games (and all the socializing before and after the games) to watch their favorite team play. So when my sister said that she and her friends would love to see a card featuring Tech’s iconic football stadium, I decided to accept the challenge.
And indeed, it did turn out to be quite the challenge! I typically paint my cards on watercolor paper measuring just 4″ x 6″. My first attempt to paint the wide vista of a football stadium was a disaster, as it was impossible to recreate the lettering on the field using such a small canvas. I ditched my first attempt, and moved to a 5″ x 7″ format. The stadium itself looked much better, and I loved the dark sky with the bright fireworks, but the identifying letters of Virginia Tech looked like white blobs of paint scattered across the green field. I also struggled with just how much detail I should include in the painting, especially with regards to the fans in the stands. I worked on these problems with successive versions, finally settling on an 8″ x 10″ original painting that combined sharply detailed lettering with much more abstract depictions of fans. The end result, I believe, captures that feeling of being in the midst of a crowd at a special moment where you truly feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself. You can see the final version made into a greeting card by clicking here https://clacreatives.com/product/vt-lane-stadium/
I loved going beyond my comfort zone to create something so different than my usual work. I can say with certainty that I never would have come up with the idea of painting the opening moments of a Virginia Tech football game on my own; it was only due to my sister’s request that I found myself learning about The Hokie Effect and the magic of jumping in unison to the sound of “Enter Sandman.” Once I finished Version #5, I hung the painting in my studio and found myself gazing at it repeatedly, always finding a new aspect of the piece to examine and enjoy.
Is there something special you would like to see made into a greeting card? If so, let me know by sending me a note at carol@clacreatives.com It could be anything: a favorite landmark, vista, creature, or flower. I also accept commissions for custom paintings to give as gifts. You can take a look at some of the art I’ve created for others on the Commissions page of this website: https://clacreatives.com/commissions I look forward to hearing your ideas!