The evolution of an art director

Hi, I’m Kim. Thank you for visiting Studio Sprig. Let me share how this all came about.

After graduating from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communications, I began my Art Direction career in a New York Advertising Agency and continued later with several Ad Agencies in Pennsylvania. At this time in my career, I was an Art Director for brands like San Pellegrino, Binney & Smith, and B.Braun Medical. It was such an exciting space for me. I loved working alongside writers in creating ad campaigns and designs. It was certainly a highlight for me.

First there was an art Studio

In 2000, I moved to Bucks County, PA, started a family, and began freelancing as an Art Director from my home under the business name Kim Bensing Design. It was through this boutique freelance business that I found my design niche creating award-winning stationery for events. I was hired by countless couples to creatively tell their love story and convert that message into stationery and wedding invitations. This was a dream job and I was blessed to be able to work out of a small cottage on our property, telling love stories while simultaneously raising my three little children. While all of this was going on, I was also still busy creating custom marketing materials for corporate clients such as Lancome Paris. My story-sharing design approach eventually led to features in The Knot, The Bucks Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Intelligencer, Lehigh Valley STYLE, and Bucks County Woman. Here is an example of some of my work as seen in this article by Southern Bride.

then, A Sprig of an Idea

Somewhere around 2015, my event design clients began asking if specialty florals could accompany their custom stationery designs. I did some research on the floral industry at that time and read the book Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart. It was a huge eye-opener. You should read it, it changed my perspective.

Because of that book, I decided to find a few local flower farms from which to source my flowers and learn all I could about what they were growing. I cold-called growers near me in Bucks County and then introduced myself, expressing my interest in their industry, and asked a few of them to teach me what they knew. Several of them were very kind and opened their gardens and shared their knowledge. They helped me learn about the remarkable flower varieties being grown right here in America and why that is so important to understand and support. I knew I wanted in, and I set out to learn the skills necessary to introduce these specialty and sustainable florals to my bridal clientele. So in 2016 I pulled my Art Direction Studio and the love of these fantastic florals together under one roof and named it Studio Sprig.

eventually the sprig grew

I started very small, designing arrangements for holidays and taking a few special orders. It didn’t take long before the beautiful local flowers I was sourcing began to speak for themselves and soon the prom orders were flowing in. In fact, they flew in so rapidly, I was caught off guard. Studio Sprig became a hot topic around town during that first Prom Season. Posies and Boutonnieres were all the rage here for a while. It was a great way to jump into the fire and learn how to create really cool, stylish flower art, as each client required something unique and spectacular. I was working closely with local flower farmers and growing some flowers, herbs, and greenery on my farm while learning valuable skills as I carefully grew the business.

With just one prom season under my belt, the magic of social media, and a lot of local accolades, the local brides-to-be started to take notice of what was happening. They loved the idea of using local, sustainable, infinitely beautiful flowers grown by people they could actually meet instead of flowers sprayed with pesticides, that needed to ship from other countries. Together we plowed ahead and designed some very lovely wedding stories. Despite a short break from events during the pandemic, Studio Sprig has been growing rapidly ever since and is now incorporating a touch of Fine Art , Fabric and Wallpaper designs and an Inspirational Blog into its repertoire.

Branching out

During the winters, while flowers cannot grow in Pennsylvania, the Art Director in me decided to branch out a bit. Through my blog, I share some interesting inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey. I share noteworthy travel experiences, unique events, ideas for home, and styles that intrigue me through the four branches of the Blog. Some of the blog posts are flower-forward while some are just fascinating things I’ve come across in the art & design world. I invite you to read and share the blog often. To receive notifications of a new blog please join by signing up below. And, if you have an inspiring space, place, or idea to share with my audience, please feel free to reach out via my contact page, I’d be happy to create some buzz or bring you on as a guest blogger.

Thank you, and I hope you are inspired! - Kim