My first Sister/Brother custom canvas!

I was hired to create a special Sister/Brother canvas for someone.  Her daughter is five and her son is two and she gave me this quote to use.  A lot of the little details I added were things that she shared about their likes, nicknames etc.  It was really fun to do something new but the boy hair was definitely challenging for me.  I do this as a hobby and I don't consider myself a professional artist.  I have never taken a class (maybe I should!) but she was beyond thrilled with the final product!!

5th grade graduation gift!

My daughter just graduated from 5th grade and got "promoted" to middle school.  I cannot believe this year is over and my baby is no longer in elementary school.  I made this 12x12 canvas as a thank you for her 5th grade teacher.  I have been trying to branch out and not use my favorite paint colors for ALL of my canvases.  Turns out she loves these colors so it worked out great!

Preschool Pinwheels!

My little man just transitioned from one classroom to another at his preschool. I really love his teachers because...well, they really love him.  I wanted to create something special to let them know how much I appreciated the way they cared for and truly loved my son.  I came up with these fun pinwheels on a 12 x 12 canvas.  I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.  However, I kind of went crazy with the canceled stamps underneath the paint and I think I will go a little lighter on my future creations.  I think part of the fun of collage is to have all of those unique elements of surprise. On the other hand, sometimes they can make the end-product look a little busier than I would have preferred.

Once again, I used my favorite paint, "spa blue".  I just can't get away from it.  I really do try and experiment with other colors but I never end up liking the way they turn out as much as I do the ones I create using, "spa blue".  And, in all honesty, who really cares?  If I am making them for different people, it's unique to them, right?  :)

Flowers for a dear, sweet friend!

I created a 12 x 12 canvas for one of my dear friends who also happens to be a co-worker. We met about two and a half years ago when I moved into a different position within my company.  We have one of those friendships where we almost can finish each other's sentences. We are each other's go-to girl whenever we need to get something off our chest's.  I have a lot of great friends of course but there is something different about this friendship.

Sometimes we just need to have the kind of chat, where we just are there to listen to the other without giving advice.  And, of course, like any good friend would (or would not) do, we never judge the other.  I wanted to make her a special canvas to let her know just how much I love her to pieces. I started looking for a quote on friendship and I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this one. It was perfect.  This has to be one of my all-time favorite canvases to date.  I hope you like it too!!

Fourth grade flower!

Yes, it's been a while.  Sigh.  I have not touched a canvas since the beginning of February because I simply don't have the time. However, I LOVE being able to create these for so many reasons but with two daughters in elementary school, an infant and a full-time job I just have not been able to squeeze it into my schedule.  And, shhhhh, don't tell anyone but I am a bit of a work-a-holic. I really am trying hard to find a work-life balance but it's not going so well as you can tell by the lack of activity on this blog!  Can you say life coach?  I think I need to go see one to get it figured out!

I had started this flower for my daughter's fourth grade teacher in December and it sat in my office/craft room for six months due to the reasons I mentioned above.  The school year came to an end and I just knew that I had to get it finished so we could give it to her as a gift on behalf of the entire class.

It felt so incredibly good to spend a couple of hours working on a canvas.  I decided that I need to find the time to create.  I have so many ideas that I want to get on paper canvas and this last project got my creative juices flowing again. Woo hoo!

I blurred out the name of the teacher and school for privacy reasons but you can get a good idea of how this one turned out.

Happy summer!!

Pretty pinwheels

I was so excited to step out of my "flower" comfort zone and try something new.  I love, love, love pinwheels, buntings and cute little flags.  I thought it would a lot of fun to make a canvas with pinwheels accompanied by a quote that speaks to me.  I love Emily Dickinson quotes and thought this was the perfect sentiment for my happy little pinwheels on this 12x12 canvas.

12x12 "Cant's into cans" girl!

This is a 12x12 canvas that I made with one of my favorite sayings.  The base of this collage is made of real canceled postcards that are all from the same person.  There is quite a story behind those but it makes this canvas unique and different from some of my other pieces.  It is available and for sale!  What a great gift for one of your valentines! I donated this canvas to an auction for the non-profit organization, "Sibling House" for their auction.  It sold for over $100!  My husband and I went to the dinner and auction and what a cause to be part of.  You can learn more about Sibling House by visiting:  www.siblinghouse.org

Custom Sister Canvas #2

Here is my second of a set of two sister canvases someone custom ordered from me.  This is 12x12 and I LOVE this one!  This is for her sister that lives several states away which explains the quote that I chose.  You probably cannot read the little poem I wrote that I placed on the blue polka dot heart.  It says " even though you're not always near, in my heart, you'll always be, my dear".

This was a very fun piece to work on because I did something I have never done with hair as you can see here!  I was not quite sure how it was going to turn out but apparently it's "super cute" according to my two sweet little girls.  I have their stamp of approval and I look forward to hearing what my client thinks!!

Time to get some sleep!

Custom Sisters Canvas #1

I received a custom order from somebody who wanted to have me create a custom 12x12 canvas for two of her sisters.  Here is canvas number one and I will do a separate post for number two!

I am not in love with the quality of my photos so I apologize in advance.  It's late and the lighting is not favorable but I need to get this post up and ship her order of three custom canvases across the country ASAP!

Custom Mother Daughter Canvas

This is a 12x12 custom order canvas that I did for a Mother to give to her grown daughter as a birthday gift.  She loves her only daughter to pieces and wanted to give her something unique and special for her birthday.  I love being able to "interview" my clients and incorporate special, yet subtle, little details into the piece.  If you look closely, you might be able to see a date on the Mother's dress which is her daughter's birthday.  It was a lot of fun to create and I hope they both enjoy it!

A dreamy bunting

I made this 12x12 canvas for my sweet niece, Hailey, as a Christmas gift.  She is a sophomore in college and the sweetest girl on the planet.  Her parents say that she is an old soul and I believe that to be true.  She just radiates sunshine and I wanted to give her something to put in her room at her sorority that would lift her up every time she sees it.  I feel like the combination of the colors and the quote do just that.  I use this background color a lot in my canvases!  It is my all-time favorite acrylic paint color and it's called "spa blue."

Good Intentions

Up for sale is a 12 x 12 canvas with one of my favorite quotes of all time.  This is $45.00 and is one-of-a-kind original!  Please let me know if you're interested!

A custom order, "Sisters"

This is a 12x12 canvas that someone commissioned me to make as a gift for her sister.  I just love how this one turned out!

Free as a Bird

12x12 canvas.  For sale!

Educational inspiration

Hello!  This is a 12x12 canvas that I made with love for my wonderful boss.  I work in education and her dress is made out of one of our curriculum brochures. 

Happy little 12x12 bunting!

This is a 12x12 canvas for sale and is such a day brightener.  I currently have it on a wall in my office and I find myself constantly drawn to it while I am on the phone for work.  It is so much vibrant and colorful in person than in the photos.  This quote is so meaningful and is perfect for someone going through a tough time.  What a wonderful gift idea to support a special person in your life going down a bumpy path.  Show them you care and that the road will smooth out with this beautiful canvas!

12x12 Thanksgiving pilgrim canvas

This is a 12x12 collage I did in honor of Thanksgiving! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this quote!!!!!! I mean, I literally can read it over and over and ponder the significance of it.  I believe this quote to be incredibly rich with meaning.  It has been quite a challenging year for our family.  I try to keep what I have to be thankful for at top of mind at all times.  I think this quote is really amazing because it points out that material things aren't everything.  If you're happy with the fact that you're alive, you're loved...well, than you have plenty to be thankful for.  

Custom menorah to commemorate Hanukkah!

It's the first night of Hanukkah and I thought I would unveil my first piece of mixed media art work in celebration of this holiday. This 12x12 canvas was commissioned as a gift for the buyer's in-laws. Enjoy!