Photography by: Paula O’Hara
Professional Illustrator & Watercolor Artist, Lauren Taylor Engel with “Lauren Taylor Creates” Photography by: Paula O’Hara
Lauren Taylor Engel is a globe trotting illustrator and watercolor artist with a passion for creating beautiful art and exploring the world. Specializing in beauty, fashion, and travel illustration inspired by both current trends and classic themes.
With a degree in International Business, Lauren has combined creativity with business savvy to turn artistic passion into a viable brand that can bring your visions to life. She is uniquely gifted at creating an image you can “feel” utilizing imagery that can transport the viewer to another time and place, be it a 1950’s Vogue fashion shoot or the iconic La Casa Rosada.
Inspired by the architecture, scenery and people of the world, Lauren’s creative zeal is only matched in intensity by her bright and genuine charisma and curiosity. Lauren is available to give her unique perspective to your editorial or commercial project, as well as a range of client projects, from personal illustrations to branding, to live illustrating.
Premier Bride of Mississippi and Premier Wedding of Mobile Bay writer, Jenny Cox Holman, interviewed Lauren Taylor Engle, Professional Watercolor Artist & Illustrator to gather some amazing ideas for customized illustrations to make the whole wedding experience extra special for the bride-to-be and fiancé!
Lauren, tell our readers about yourself – what brought you to your career as a watercolor artist and illustrator? How did you get started?
“From a young age, I was obsessed with drawing and coloring and anything creative, and after winning a few art contests, I knew I wanted to be an artist. But when it was time to go to college, I settled on majoring in International Business because it seemed like a more secure and practical path to follow. Though I dabbled a bit at art in college, it wasn’t until my Junior year of school, when I was studying abroad in Seville, Spain, that I really began painting consistently. Exposure to international influences and traveling around Europe gave me a serious case of wanderlust and artistic inspiration. I basically painted during any waking moment possible. Slowly, I began re-evaluating what was most important to me and came to the realization that I wanted to create a lifestyle for myself where I could live out my two greatest passions: traveling and creating. In 2011, I came upon Etsy where I built my shop, Lauren Taylor Creates. And then I created my own website in 2014.”
Photography by: Paula O’Hara
What special services do you offer for a bride-to-be and her fiancé?
I offer a range of illustration services that can be customized to make the whole wedding experience extra special for the bride-to-be and fiancé, whether it’s creating an engagement illustration, a save-the-date announcement, a “will you be my bridesmaid?” card, or an illustration of the bridal party. And, of course, I also do wedding announcement design, illustrations of the couple after they’ve tied the knot, as well as ones of the entire family.
Tell us about your commission work such as portraits, personal maps, save the dates and wedding maps.
“My commissioned services are customized to the needs and desires of the requester. Once a project has been confirmed, a client will send me photos and inspiration to help direct their vision. For personal maps, I’ll receive a list of favorite spots, memories, and experiences to incorporate into the painting. Save-the-dates are also dependent on what the bride envisions – I try to make the entire experience as seamless as possible, making sure that the client’s visions take priority.”
What types of work can you do for gifts for the bridal party and also for anniversary gifts for couple?
“I’ve had such a great time creating lasting gifts – memories of a special moment captured in a unique illustration. The fun thing about illustrating is that you can exaggerate certain features or unique styles that you wouldn’t be able to capture in a photograph. For the bridal party, personalized paintings and portraits are a really unique way to thank the people closest to you for being part of your special day. The first year traditional anniversary gift is paper so what’s a better paper gift than a painting? These are usually portraits of the couple on their wedding day or a map painting of places that are special to the couple or where they got married.”
What do you like most about what you do?
“I love working with people and get so much joy creating something that carries meaning to another person. I love being creative and collaborating to make someone’s vision come to life.”
What are the current trends in engagement/wedding illustrations or commissioned art?
“Watercolor and hand written calligraphy are really big right now. I think every couple wants their wedding to be unique and these small details do just that. The beautiful thing about illustrations and artwork is that there are so many ways you can use it in an invitation. One person’s save the date might be a painting of the couple, another could include flowers around their names and another might have a painting of the location the wedding is taking place on their invitation. It’s a great way to show off the couple’s personal style. Another one of my favorite trends are beautifully illustrated maps that go along with the invitation. They not only show where the wedding venue is but often other points of interest for the guests to enjoy and can be kept as mementos from the special day.”
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
“I’m a watercolor artist and illustrator and I’m heavily influenced by my travels, fashion and beauty. I’m constantly trying new mediums and styles to push myself out of my comfort zone and learn new techniques. I try to create art that evokes a feeling or captures a memory in a unique and beautiful way.”
How far in advance do you need for a bride to schedule your services? What is the best way to reach you?
“My typical turnaround time is six to eight weeks. I can be reached at laurentaylorcreates@gmail.com.”
What do you see on the horizon for up and coming trends in weddings for this fall/winter 2016 and spring/summer 2017?
“I personally really love the trend of getting married in a national park or somewhere really scenic and letting the natural beauty be the backdrop and decor for the wedding. I love bouquets that look like they were just picked and are full of local in season flowers and foliage. I also like that wedding cakes seem to be moving away from lots of fondant work and instead are decked out in delicious looking buttercream frosting. I think that trends can be great inspiration and source of ideas, however I think it’s important to not get wrapped up in what’s trendy and to focus on what the couple loves and what elements reflect their love story best.”
Can you tell us how to reach your through social media?
Of course! Please visit me on Instagram @laurentaylorcreates, on Twitter @LTCreates, and on Facebook at @laurentaylorcreates.
Would you like to see more of Lauren’s amazing work? Check out her website! For more creative wedding ideas, visit our blog!