It was a busy January with some projects for events in Starkville, and I thought I would share one of them this morning. I was able to do some illustration work for this Spring’s unWINE Downtown wine tasting event hosted three times a year by the Starkville Main Street Association. The Spring edition is often held close to Valentine’s Day, so I wanted to do something that would share the love! Here’s a glimpse at the sketches and the finished poster design. Enjoy!
Something about the muted colors, the dim light and strong shadows in this photo has been inspiring me for about a year since I took it. And I love the texture of the beads.
~ taken at Sprout on Lampkin Street in Starkville, MS
My kids and I are celebrating Spring Break at our family’s farm house this week. It’s a joy and a privilege to be able to take time out of our normal routine to enjoy giving them my mostly undivided attention. We’ve committed ourselves to walking the gravel roads and pastures as much as possible in search of treasures. Of course, for me, the real treasure is their smiling, wind-blown faces. But, the flowers and sticks and such will do too! Creatively, I’m spending the week to recharge. I had already prepared a couple of things to share with you this week and I have my sketch journal, but mostly I’m framing up some of our experiences with my iPhone Hipstamatic and my Canon. I hope to share some of the photos this week and following. Meanwhile, here are collages of some of the natural treasures found on our Saturday and Sunday walks. What’s been particularly fun has been finding, smelling and picking some of the Spring bulbs my grandmother and great-grandmother planted on these acres — daffodils, paper whites, irises, hyacinths. Some mark long-torn-down fence rows and homesteads. A real treasure to have gracing our window sill this week.
Just some floral netting in a sunny afternoon window… the makings of wonderful.
I *might* be a packrat. In my defense, I get it naturally from my mother who is actually the one who kept these Santa specimens. Each year when we unearth the hoard of Christmas boxes from my attic, I search down all kinds of yellowed pages like these. They are infused with memories and wonder that have been layered since I was a child. I pulled a few to display in my office last weekend and I’ve been inspired by the nostalgic illustrations this week — ca. 1969-ish. Enjoy!
[Programming note: If you are connected with the Pond through my Facebook Page, you may have read about the changes in our lives over the last three months. I’ve taken a hiatus from Plop! and many other things as we continue to adjust. As we move into 2013, I hope to get back to posting with more regularity and to see with fresh eyes the inspiration that comes from simply living. I cannot express how my heart has been blessed by the support and patience of so many of my business colleagues. I’m convinced more than ever before that good business is human. Thank you.]
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of Small Pond Graphics. I sometimes fancy myself a frog kisser— a documentarian coaxing poignant moments from unexpected places. This blog has evolved from those moments.
The small Pond FIELD GUIDE is part diary, part sketchbook, and part wish list – an archive of ordinary wonders. For years, this space has housed my stories – creative ideas, vintage inspiration, our forays into curious places, and the simple artifacts of quiet of conscious living. Through watercolor, photography, and illustrated tales, these pages uncover the blessing of ordinary days and the wonder found in authentic places and pursuits.
I invite you to open the boxes.
Peek into the drawers.
Rustle through the pages.
I’m honored to have you here.
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Phone: 662.312.4001
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