Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison McClanahan.
Hi Allison, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My dad was in the Air Force and I grew up watching my mom write letters to her far-away family and friends. She passed that love of letter writing to me, and I loved decorating my envelopes with stickers. As an adult, I picked up a calligraphy pen and became obsessed right away.
I started by writing letters to others, then addressing people’s wedding envelopes. I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to do more. Now, I work with my clients to create their entire invitation suite. I now utilize various types of calligraphy and watercolor artwork to create custom wedding papers. I love what I do!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I firmly believe in learning before doing, so I rarely jump into anything new without a lot of research. I started slow, took classes, and printed samples before creating for others so I was confident in the process. I’ve had a few small hiccups, but because I have been prepared, I’ve been able to handle them quickly.
One thing I wish I would have started earlier is organizing my schedule. In the beginning, it was easy to handle 5-6 clients without a lot of thinking about the time it would take. Now that I have more clients I am working with, I have to have a good handle on my calendar or I end up needing to work late and being stressed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I create custom invitations featuring watercolor artwork and calligraphy. Invitations are the guests’ first glimpse of the day to come and they are excited to open their mail! I work primarily with weddings, but I sometimes create for other events too.
Most of my suites are marked by cheerful colors, and I get so excited when the couple wants to add whimsical elements (like their dog drinking champagne under a disco ball). I pair my watercolor illustrations with different calligraphy styles, and I especially love pairing traditional, flourished copperplate script with fun artwork. I like that it looks traditional but happy and fun.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Utah! My family enjoys the four season (summer and autumn is our favorite), the gorgeous mountains, hiking, jeeping, and exploring. Utah is such a unique state in that we have so many different climates and ecosystems. From the red rocks of Capitol Reef to seeing elk in the high Uintas, I love every inch of living here.
The thing I like least is hard! I don’t like that some of my favorite roads close in the winter. We love driving the scenic byways looking for moose, and I wish we could access them all year!
Contact Info:
- Website: wildwoodcp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodcalligraphyandpost/
Image Credits
Pepper Nix
