new print: "forever yours, faithfully."

A new love-inspired print is in my shop, just barely in time for Valentine's Day! (Sometimes I'm more on top of my release timings than others...)

A print of my original watercolor & gouache painting, this stardust silhouetted couple surrounded by the swirling atmosphere is inspired by the lyric written in calligraphy beneath it: "I'm forever yours, faithfully," from a song by Journey (one of my favorites).  *Print will not include the watermark (© Mary & Luna).

You can get it in my Etsy shop!

Hope you like this little daydream of mine :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

new painting in progress...

I don't want to share the whole thing yet because I want to surprise someone! so here's a little peek at a new painting...

full piece will be posted soon! I like it so much I think I'm going to put it in my shop as a print in June... it feels like a June painting :)

I'm currently in crazy planning mode for the year- what pieces I want to make and when I want to release them and attempting a real marketing plan. I'm excited about all the creating!

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

last of the holiday photoshoots!

In the insanity of the holidays, I didn't get a chance to post favorites from every shoot! I had a couple more, but I'll make this the last. I would love to share some new art, but it will have to wait another week while I finish up a bunch of other business tasks I'm in the middle of. I love this January hibernation. I've been organizing 2014 and planning for 2015, and my little introverted spirit is at ease :)

So here are my favorites of my friend Nicole's family session back in November. You'll remember her cute little diva baby from many other shoots I've done! She's hilarious and wild and you have to catch her before she gets her "over it" attitude haha :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a low-rate portfolio-building session with me for you and/or your kids in OC, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

photoshoot: the mama + son bond

I'm trying so hard to get back into the swing of things after being knocked out by a bad cold that is still lingering- 2 weeks of this! Rough start to 2015.

I thought I'd share a session from mid-December that resulted in some of my favorite photos I've taken. This mama and her tiny son at a little cove in Laguna Beach. It was so sweet. His little feet & legs got hit by a wave at the very beginning of the session and he was traumatized for most of the shoot! I had to be super patient and gentle with him so he would be comfortable, and eventually he was. I focused a lot on just how tightly he was clinging to his mom, and capturing that bond. There's nothing else like it.

That golden light, right?! :)

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com. 

if you’re interested in a low-rate portfolio-building session with me for you and/or your kids in OC, visit my website or email me! maryandluna@gmail.com

happy 2015!

how it got to be 2015, I have no idea. I've finally gotten some time off since Christmas, and it was so necessary after such a busy Autumn. I'm quite relieved I can be really introverted again. I spent today journal writing, deeply reflecting on 2014 and planning 2015. Although it's daunting, I really love having creative control over my life. Dreaming and then building; it's a very natural process for me. I have what feels like a million goals and tasks for this year, both personally and professionally, but here's what I'm focusing on in 2015:

For Mary & Luna, my focus will always be growth and evolution. I will continue to create art that I love, and I will continue to capture childhood through my camera. I hope my art and photography reach more people this year. 2014 was very challenging for me to balance life and work, but for my first full year in business, I suppose it went considerably well! I had a list of big things I wanted to do for Mary & Luna in 2014, and I did 4 out of 5, so I'm happy with that! Onto planning the big stuff for each month of 2015 now!

I hope you all embrace the refreshing feeling of a new year and use it to build the life you're dreaming of. 

xo, Michelle

Follow me @maryandluna on your favorite social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. See my art in my Etsy shop or on maryandluna.com.