Family Home Tour - Avery's Room

I'm back with another home tour this week, and this time it's my crazy cute niece's toddler room.  Avery has a ton of personality and never stops moving (note the blurred jumping on the bed picture).  I created a custom Horrible Adorable for her before she was born, while my sister was choosing a 'strawberry patch' sort of inspiration for the nursery.  The aptly named 'Strawbeary Bear,' that was made to fit in with the decor of her old nursery, has in part influenced the color palette of her 'big girl room.' Touches of bold raspberry hues and juicy apple greens now fill the room.  I can't help but feel cheerful when I step into the space.  Her toys are placed within easy reach for little hands, but can also be packed away tidily when not in use.  I'm not just a little jealous of her pink bed... I'm totally envious!  I'm interested to see how the bear critter continues to transition with Avery's space as she continues to grow, and her room evolves!

Family Home Tour - Piper's Room

On the Horrible Adorables' blog, I try to give my readers an inside peek to the work we create and our processes.  However, I so rarely show finished work properly displayed in a room.  We get many requests to create custom works for children's rooms, and carefully coordinate the colors.  Most times, once a piece is sent out to a customer, I never see how it is integrated into the space.  Today, I'm going to give a little peek at a special Horrible Adorable that I made for my youngest niece, Piper, to match her vintage circus themed nursery.  I love the soft pinks, greys, and butter yellows mixed in with pops of a lively aqua color in her room.  My sister requested a whimsical elephant with a little heart over its eye.  I scalloped the ears and chose it's colors inspired by Piper's cute bedding details and hanging circus lantern.  As she grows older, I hope it's a piece she will continue to cherish, and is fitting enough to transfer over to her 'big girl room.  

Make Art That Sells - Week 2 & 3

I'm more than halfway through the "Make Art That Sells" (Part A) e-course with Lilla Rogers, and I've got to say... the thought of it ending is making me blue!  I'm already looking to sign up for Part B next year!  It's proven to be an incredible class.  I'm so impressed by the talent and support of the community as well as Lilla's kind insight.  Week 2 and 3 covered the Home Decor Industry and illustrating for Children's Books.  

In week 2, I discovered that I really love designing for Home Decor.  It's definitely something I've always wanted to try my hand at, and now getting a taste of it with our assignment, I can't stop obsessing over the possibilities!  Home Decor encompasses ALL the decorative objects for one's home, both functional and non-functional!  Curtains, plate sets, bedding, the list goes on and on.  Our assignment was to create a set of ceramic plates with succulents as the main imagery.  I've always had a thing for quirky vintage ceramic planters.  I even keep a few on my desk to hold my essential crafting tools.  I imagined a fun selection of succulent planters and created pen and ink drawings of them to decorate the plates.  I spent way more time on this project than I had anticipated, but as Lilla reminds us each week, "People buy your joy."  It couldn't have been more true in this case.  My finished piece was even chosen by Lilla to review for the class critique.  She said it was quirky and engaging with great colors and phenomenal art.  Perfect for the Land of Nod customer.  I was so tickled by the sweet things she said!  Very much a piece I am proud to put into my portfolio. 

Week 3 covered Children's Books.  Though I initially thought this was an area I would enjoy and do well in, I finished the project feeling a bit iffy about it.  I'm not so sure  that my art is suited for this industry.  I like my characters and icons just fine, but I don't feel they are as strong when fashioned into story book art.  The assignment was to create a cover for the Aesop's fable "The Fox and The Crow."  I'm a huge fan of the BabyLit line of board books, so I envisioned it as a project for a company like theirs.  I mixed a limited color palette of flat graphics with felt leaves 'stitched' to the cover.  The style of art that can be used for this industry is almost a little too open ended that it overwhelms me.  I think this is a good thing to know about myself and how I work.  Through this course, I am discovering new things about my art every week!

I Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter (if you celebrate it) or at least enjoyed the gorgeous spring weather, like we were experiencing in Cleveland (if you don't!!)!