Fox Print

Polystyrene Put to Use

Ahhh. 

Art.

It's been a while since I got to creating something.

My eldest daughter and I have started experimenting with print-making, so I took advantage of this time, to get my own creative energy flowing.

We had been sketching on mural paper taped to the floor. 

I often leave this out for a few days and little sketches are added turning it into a large brainstorm. 

I was using shapes to make creatures, when I designed a Fox out of triangles. 

Later in the day, when we were testing out polystyrene for print-making, I etched the Fox.

We used an Olive sampler tub of paint from Home Depot, meant to test or touch up wall colour.
I placed the print in the center of large card stock, the results looking decent enough to frame.

Growing Girl

Hide & Peek Fox

Every year about the time our daughter is about to have a birthday, I tend to go craft crazy. The paintings that are half done and hanging around the house get pulled off the wall and finally tackled. It's actually nice to be able to work on pieces at my own leisure; they seem to turn out best when I have no deadline, wake in the middle of the night with Ah Ha! idea's and go running for my brushes.

Our woodlands nursery theme is my all-time favourite projects, but we ended up never using the nursery, so now our whole house looks like a childs room! The pieces are spread out bringing bursts of tangerine and sunshine yellow to all corners of our rented abode.

The idea for our height chart came before Olivia turned one and I was feeling a bit blue about the fact that we have no permanent place to call home; no doorways to mark up with her height progress, or tree in the backyard to grow along with her. In the end, I decided to stick with our woodlands theme and paint a tree that could travel along with us wherever we go.

The fox was once a raccoon, but he seemed kind of drab.

So last week before O's party, raccoon became a fox.

The owl, now up top was not there until last week either even though the painting has been hanging for a year now! Owl was inspiration from an aspiring artist here in Shanghai, whose work I saw last month. She paints with lovely strong outlines (something I love to do and my art teachers always scolded me for) blocks her colours like a stained-glass window. She goes by the name Keok Ke, but has no website for me to introduce to you. We purchased a mouse pad with Keok Ke's art on it and she got down to O's level and gifted her an artsy button for her coat.

O was very proud to stand against the piece for her yearly 'height mark' and compared it to last year (a whole 9 centimeters taller!) and the day she was born (37 centimeters taller!). And so, our Canadian woodlands follows us around the globe;)

Birch Baby

 Little Orange Owl

 Birch Tree-Stage One

Birch Branches & Leaves

Owls Galore!

 Tiny Tot

Owl Friends

Whoooo is getting a new painting this week!?

None other than our beautiful friend Tara!

Lollipop-like blossoms of teal, tangerine & cotton candy pink, sprout up to the sky while three little owl friends flit around like bumblebee's.

By request, Tara's name is scripted in the top corner to further personalize her one-of-a-kind art.

Big hugs to our friends here in Shanghai!

WHOOO?

Oooh! How I've missed you!

It has been SO long since I have sat down to paint, I started hanging unfinished pieces up on the wall because I could not handle the stress of seeing a pile of half-complete canvas stacked in the closet! Painting is my passion, but something else trumps all; Olivia. Painting is now reserved for the days that Daddy is primed for pillow fort productions which keeps Olivia in a state of bliss for at least an entire half hour!

This weekend the living room was transformed into fortville, while I got my hands a dirty with bits and pieces left on said unfinished works, as well as start (and complete) Miss Owl above. She was painted with a sweet toddler in mind who's mommy happens to be a fan of pink and yellow. Sadly, they are leaving town in the weeks to come. Both Olivia and I will miss them and their good company dearly, but wish them happy trails on their new journey!

Olivia`s Woodlands Nursery

Roots & Wings-Mural by Mama
~Ahhhh! Finally a mural for my own baby girl!
Group of Seven styled tree trunks, baby owl in nest with parents perched on the branch above. Framed in cherrywood, here in Shanghai.

Paper Lanterns
~Dada worked hard to find these! (Crazy to believe it is so difficult to find paper lanterns in China!)
Nursery colours; turquoise, lime & tangerine. Placed near the change table for occupying Stinky Pants. LOVE them!

"OLIVIA" Letter Animals
~Each letter of her name coincides with a Woodlands animal/motif. Frames painted in the three nursery theme colours: turquoise, lime and tangerine.

Woodlands Crib Decor
~"Love" "Foxy Baby" and Retro Felt Fox adorn the crib between naptimes.


Woodlands Mobile
~Owl, Fox, Doe & Hedgehog surround a woodlands tree with bell.

Olivia has arrived!!
Her Woodlands themed nursery is complete.
Now we just have to think about one day moving her into it! Maybe in the Spring...or when she is 20...or something like that;)

A Little Birdie Told Me...

..that our old pals are back in town!

Two years ago, during our first year in Shanghai, we had the pleasure of making dear friends with my British colleague and his sweetheart (of a girlfriend, at the time.) Since then, we have all been married and they have had a beautiful baby girl, Mia who we have only known through photos and phone conversations. Tomorrow is the big day when we will get to meet the little toddler; a visit long overdue!

The Birdie Family is a 16"x 40" canvas scroll complete with fringed edges and ribboned top. It's dark turquoise background lends to the gentle blue, pink and lilac colour scheme, with two-toned greens for the foliage. Wispy branches bend and curl while chubby birds bounce on their tips. Sparkled sequins line their wings; Mama and Baby Bird touch beaks as Daddy Bird looks on from above. "Mia" is written in flowing font to blend in with the branches.

Wishing a healthy, happy 2009 to a very precious little girl!

Happy Un-birthday Gift

Little N is cute enough to receive an un-birthday gift 364 days a year;) Since her cousin is turning two, months before her it might be fun to celebrate being almost two with a trendy piece of Sweet Pea art.

This mini 6x12" name canvas has the shabby chic allure of today's top designs; silhouettes are back. Silhouettes are adorning greeting cards, pillow cases, aprons, wrapping paper (just check out your local trendy card shop!)...and Sweet Pea canvas, but for a modern twist, they are set on bold and funky colours (hot fuchsia, lime green and here...dark turquoise). A perfect demonstration of how simple sometimes says more.
Mama and baby bird are beak-to-beak at the branches end while curly cues reach out towards them. The toddlers name is written in Gigi font with a fresh lime green; a gorgeous contrast with the blue-green background. Darker hues find their way as gentle shadows around the script and designs, to bring them to the forefront.

Little N's Mama J is the QUEEN of un-birthday gift-giving...so it will be delightful to finally give a little back. (But don't tell them yet...it is our little secret.)
Happy un-birthday, almost two-year old!