Little Ben's BIG BIKE

Pairing little people with BIG artwork always results in cool bedrooms.

Little Ben and his new Moto X bike certainly have a room that is ready for the great transition from crib to big boy bed.

One of the greatest aspects of this room is the amount of time his mom has invested in making this something personal, original and all-in-the-family. Choosing a fun theme is crucial to creating a kids room, but classic keepers are those themes that remind their child of family members and trigger great stories about loved ones. This room is destined to reign as one of my favourites and I am looking forward to seeing the final product.

Viking blue walls are contrasted by strong red & black accents. Vintage motorcyle lamp and pick-up style truck adorn the side table, a bold blue replica of an old-fashioned gasoline pump and black & white family photos of Grandpa's racing cars, Dad's motocross racing days as well as the familys favourite K-9's hang over his headboard.

Ben's Moto X custom artwork from Sweet Pea is based on a photo of his own dad's bike, with a twist in colour to help add to the ambiance of the room, in a funky (and large!) 4x4 foot square canvas format. The Viking blue background to match the wall base, gives this canvas more of a blended feel to look like a mural built right into the wall, but has the advantage of being a lifetime keepsake.

Not unlike the process for the classic train and vintage bi-plane designed for the Grant boys in the 1990's, many pictures have to be collected and graphed out to be sure the proportions are accurate. Loads of motocross bikes (handle bars, wheels, bodies) all with different edges and angles were researched to come up with a good crop for this square piece. To begin, colours are roughly splashed on layer after layer and slowly the images starts to take shape with fine details and highly stylized shading. Spending this much time with your art...makes it really hard to hand over when it comes time for delivery!

Appropriately, I get to deliver this piece on Family Day; hopefully adding the icing on the cake to this beautifully designed bedroom and a happy little boy as he moves from his crib to the trendiest room in town!

Ponikarovsky!

Alexei Ponikarovsky requires one, extra wide jersey;)

This canvas takes the cake for the longest names yet on Sweet Pea jersey sets. However this true, blue Canadian Leafs fan knows who he likes...and as it turns out it is two players who both began with Dynamo Moscow. Ponikarovsky is a Ukraine-born Maple Leaf player with a very long last name; 12 letters actually. Alexander Ovechkin (Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin) from the Washington Capitals dons the 2.5x5 foot canvas as well.
I would be in big trouble if jerseys required any more than last names!

It's Baby J's Big Day!

Wonder. Dream. Explore.

It is Baby J's big day! He turned a tiny two years old on February 2nd.

To celebrate, Sweet Pea has painted him his very own set of wheels;)

The earthy tones and strong black shading make the image stand out and will prove to be mature enough as he grows into a little man.

Currently, the scroll is hung from a black rod with arrowhead finials and topped off with a blue satin ribbon. However as Baby J grows, the satin ribbon can be replaced with rod brackets fastened directly to the wall.

Wishing him all the happiness & love he brings to his family and many celebrations to come;)

Happy Day, Baby J;)

Spring Baby!

A warm congratulations to my dear friend Jurga and the love of her life, Segal. This Spring they will welcome their first child! In celebration, we are sending this Bunny My Honey nursery scroll to Ireland in hopes that it will arrive in time for baby's big welcome to the world.

The shy baby Bunny, acrobatic Miss Mouse and hopping Duckling are inspired by Anita Jerams, All Together Now; a gorgeously illustrated storybook about three animals who come together as a family despite their apparent differences.

With a robins egg blue background, tall ferns, plump mushrooms, rosy wild strawberries, four-leaf clovers and playful baby animals, it entails all that is Spring. It is painted on loose primed canvas and measures 28x23" (and is waiting to be wound round rod and finial and topped off with a blue satin ribbon before it makes its long journey across the ocean.) A perfect accent to a nursery for baby boy or girl (we are not sure yet, but we hear that baby is quite the kicker!)

We send our love to this family of two, soon-to-be three and wait patiently for the warm weather and a little angel.

Lucky Number Thirteen

Thirteen is not an unlucky number this time around. Lucky #4 is turning lucky #13 this Sunday and what a surprise it will be.

This 5x2.5 foot canvas was designed especially with the birthday man in mind, right down to the details of his very own hockey stick, gloves and helmet. Not to mention the fact that he gets to share the locker room with two of his biggest sports idols; Sid the Kid and the NJ Devils goalie, Martin Brodeur. What hockey fan, young or old wouldn't love to be thirteen?

Primary colours; red, blue and hints of yellow are set on a neutral background to help to lend to the timelessness of this piece.

Wishing a lifetime of dreams-come-true and the happiest of birthdays to the newest member of the NHL locker room.

Thirteen is as lucky as you make it.

Mini Fan ROCKS

Let me introduce you to a mini Oilers/Cowboys fan. He doesn't know it yet, but these are his all-time favourite NHL/NFL teams. As you'll notice, he has already started the art of the one-handed wave!
A year ago (this month actually) I was up at his 'crib' painting the helmet and hockey puck you see flying overhead. Above his closet, another swirl of Cowboys stars and Oilers jargon, "YOU'RE IN OIL COUNTRY."
To start this year, and serve as the main attraction for his sports-themed room, his parents (who happen to also be fans of these teams;) have requested this double jersey canvas. They have included their lucky numbers and name of their favourite little fan, making this a keepsake for years to come.
Though I predict a strong wave of jersey-themed rooms, based on the number of requests that pour in, it is always nice to see that every family caters their custom work on the individual canvas' and in this case, by complimenting wall accents to make the room complete.
I also predict that this little guy will be a heart-breaker by the age of two;)
The kid ROCKS!

Three Musketeers: Happy New Years

There is no better way to ring in the New Year than with a new addition to the family; welcome to the wee-est musketeer of the L family and the tiniest of 2007's customers (sleepy baby owns the first Sweet Pea canvas scroll; the Frog Prince.)
His big, handsome brothers, as you can see, have eased right into their role (the eldest of the two clearly has had some practice already;)

Wishing all of you & your wee musketeers love, peace, health & happiness as we enter a new year full of fresh surprises...and little bundles of joy.
From my family to yours...Happy 2008;)