Description
“I had always wanted to work for Celestial Seasonings, and after trying to get in the door for a few years, I was finally hired for a really great project in 1998. Not only was it to reimagine one of their flagship products, Morning Thunder, but it was a favorite tea of mine!
However, it wasn’t until 2003 that I was hired for another project, which was an expansive one creating all the art for their new line of Teahouse Chai. The connecting image for each package was of the Himalaya-like mountain with glowing sun rays behind it. This was hand-painted/airbrushed with acrylics on archival CS 10 board, and measures 9 x 14.5 “. The painting of the tea cups for Chai Reg & decaf measures 9.5 x 18”, and they were meant to be extracted and placed over the mountain. Though these two pieces are segments of what became the packaging art, they are very attractive in their own right. They are also the only original paintings of mine NOT hanging in the collection of Celestial Seasonings corporate headquarters in Boulder, CO. To my knowledge, I don’t believe any original art created for the company has ever made it into the marketplace. The discerning collector might appreciate owning a small piece representing a popular brand whose identity has always been so closely identified to the beautiful art they’ve commissioned throughout the years.
The interesting part of this project was that I was beginning to work digitally at the time, but Celestial Seasonings still only wanted traditionally painted art. I became more and more frustrated painting the tea cups because I knew it would be easier and more effective to create them in Photoshop. I finally begged them to let me finish the project on the computer, even telling them if they weren’t happy with the art they wouldn’t have to pay me for my time! Thankfully they loved the results, but even more importantly they recognized the value in having me create the art digitally, especially for the ease of reformatting packages. My relationship with the company became jump-started, and I continued to work with them on a regular basis until 2017. In fact, I was the only artist they allowed to work digitally for many years, and with 70 – 80 projects under my belt (including the updated Sleepytime Bear), I was responsible for more art than any other artist in their history!
Over 30 years of creating art in the upper echelon of the illustration field has given me the skills to bring out the best in my photography – from color, drama, detail & composition to simply being able to visually tell a story with an emotional and thoughtful eye. These original art offerings from Timeless Editions is a way to showcase another important aspect of my creative life, and give people the opportunity to purchase some rare and unusual paintings.”
