Springtime in December

Those falling blossoms

all return to the branch

when I watch butterflies

Japanese Haiku

by Moritake (1452-1540)

For those of you who like me, enjoy the snow for Christmas and then wait patiently for Spring to return, I offer a little glimpse of the warmer days to come. Julia's Cherry Blossom, as pictured here, is a tiny 6x12" made-to-order gift for a little sweetie's 12th birthday. Candy pink blossoms and chocolate brown branches, stretch out over the tops of the canvas, adorned with glimmering fuchsia and pearl sequins.

These pieces are popular with parents for birthdays & baby shower gifts especially. Colours can co-ordinate with the child's room and accents reflect the child's interests; butterflies, ballet slippers, ribbons, frogs, fairies, pirates... They range in price starting at $15 and vary in sizes; 6x12" & 12x36" are most frequently requested. Of course, there are more options than simply the child's name as the central focus; perhaps a single word (Baby, Sweet, Prince/Princess..) or small quote from a well-loved poem or song.

Very Happy Birthday wishes go out to Miss Julia in her last year as a tween;)

To all of Sweet Pea's customers, wishing you and your wee ones a very happy, healthy holiday.

Thank you for your continued business and I look forward to the painting challenges ahead!

Chocolate Pirate

With the countdown to Christmas speeding up, Sweet Pea is on the homestretch to completing the last of the pre-holiday orders.

This has definitely been a hockey jersey year with a hearty handful of families requesting this specific theme and several already booked for 2008.
Creating chic spaces for boys has been a learning experience for me, as I am used to preparing petit boudoirs for princesses. So it is nice to add these sports jersey canvas' to my portfolio. Despite their growing popularity, each piece is a one-of-a-kind creation that caters to the wee one it is designed for.

The canvas pictured is a 30x40" and fits two jerseys nicely, complete with shelf and quote from Guy Lafleur, "Play every game like it's your last."
The shelf is made to match the colour of the childs furniture, as best as possible and the neutral background in tan lends nicely to any wall colour. By keeping the background neutral, the canvas will grow with the child even if their room matures in colour and styles over the years.

As I understand, this piece will be revealed to its new mini owner on the big 2-5 next week. Fortunately, during my home consultation with his M & D, he was too busy counting down with several chocolate advent calendars to notice what this painter lady had come over for;)

Previously, I mentioned my wee customer that likes to don his Superhero cape when I come over, but this little guy turned out to be a chocolate (advent calendar)-eating Pirate, all decked out in his swashbuckling gear! My job is just that much better when I get to meet the wee ones; little Superheroes & Swashbucklers always remind me what dreams are made of.

Here Comes the Spiderman!

Not all of my customers turn out to be superheroes (or offer to don their capes when I come over to deliver orders!)

This tough guy is the exception;) More than happy to show his enthusiasm for his new Justice League canvas reproductions, I couldn't help but snap a few extra shots. Unlike most SuperGuys, he didn't shy away from the flash (no pun intended).

Last summer I delivered his first two installments of his now growing collection of 18x18" canvas. He strongly requested Batman & Flash. Recently Santa got a hold of me and suggested a third hero would be nice. So the Supe (a.k.a Clark Kent) is on his way today in time for Santa's December 24th rounds.

These images, duplicated from classics, are reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein's 60's pop art that brought the comic strip to forefront. The bold colours, strong black outlines and in-your-face icons are easy for the eye to navigate. Although these replicas of the classic heroes are exaggerated in their features, they are not meant to represent the stereotypes that Lichtenstein worked so hard to achieve. Batman, Flash and now Supe are basically just fun to look at and add a little extra flare to an already trendy playroom.

Spidey, as you see him in full form above, is one of my favourite wee customers to deliver to. So I was sorry to hear that Peter Parker will be playing hockey when I deliver this morning.

Gotta stay in shape as you never know when evil will strike;)

Good Things Come in Small Packages

...and grow up too fast!

Lovely Little Miss Colleen's parents will have a chance to chart just how quickly their little bean sprouts with their personalized Mr. Men & Little Miss height scroll.

Carefully parent-selected characters have been painted on this primed canvas with fringed bottom. The scroll stretches to slightly over 6 feet tall and boasts a rainbow of silly storybook characters performing a balancing act. Combining colours, shapes, numbers & expressions, this becomes a fantastic early learning tool and keepsake for years to come. To top off the piece? The lovely Little Miss perched on Mr. Funny's top hat with a butterfly landing on her bow. Though I am afraid that Little Miss Tiny simply cannot do this baby justice! Just look at the Sweetie Pea!

Sending best wishes to this friendly family of three as they celebrate baby's first Christmas!