Couple's Hobby Canvas

I was commissioned to paint this canvas back in September. It was to be given as a Christmas gift, hence the late post! The vision behind this project was to create a collection of the couple's favorite hobbies. Painted with a cream background, burgundy, hunter green & gray lettering, the result is an outdoorsy-themed tribute to a fun & active couple. I hope they got a kick out of it!

Declan

Here we have a nice BIG canvas for a nice little baby. The canvas is 18 x 24 inches - the largest birth announcement I've painted - and it is for Andrew's cousin who lives in Columbus. We happened to be in town for a concert the night before, so we stopped over the following day to drop off the canvas and have lunch. We had a great time catching up & meeting baby Declan for the first time. He is quite the snuggler!

Kid's Bath Sign

Hey everyone! Just popping in quick to share this canvas I did for Andrew's cousin, Tara {that I'm delivering it to her tomorrow at a family cook out, yaaaay!} She plans on hanging it in the kid's bathroom at her house. It turned out pretty well - and hopefully the kids will do as it says…

PS: Putting a votive filled with Q-tips on top of a mason jar filled with cotton balls is a great way to spruce up the bathroom & put those spare jars to use. Try this!

Custom Canvas Wedding Announcement

Here are some shots of a custom piece I did - It was given as a bridal shower gift.
The canvas commemorates important "firsts" for the couple: first date, first kiss, the address of their first home, and the date when they will tie the knot and first become MR & MRS. I think it turned out really cute!

Best wishes to the bride & groom!

Canvases...lately

Hello readers! Just wanted to quickly share two of my recent paintings. The first is a birth announcement canvas for my friend's daughter:

The second is also for a baby, so I guess it's baby season! Fun fact, my mom is the one who taught me this poem. Although I don't have any kids of my own, I always like passing it along to expectant mothers:

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow
for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, and dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep"

That's all for now. I hope everyone is having a good week!

Custom Canvas Birth Announcement

Hello! This type of project is one of my favorites and it gives me great {hand lettering} practice. My paintings have virtually endless possibilities - just tell me what you the canvas to say, and I can paint it! Most recently, Andrew's cousin approached me to paint a birth announcement for her son. She showed me a picture of something similar online, and I got to work.

Before creating, I need to know:

• canvas size
• color scheme
• text/quote 

From that point on, I refer to any picture(s) I have been given for reference and add whatever creative touches I see fit. Because these are made by hand, I can't offer a "proof" if I am making a painting for someone else {I usually just make these for myself, friends & family}.

I begin by pencil sketching the lettering. This part covers my work surface in eraser shavings until I get everything just right. When I am satisfied, I move on to painting. My medium of choice is acrylic paint. It's very flexible, forgiving of mistakes, and dries to a semi-firm plastic. It's also a thicker consistency that doesn't run or bleed, and colors can be blended easily.

Painting is the most time-consuming portion of the process, and I use many different sized brushes to achieve a clean look. To preserve the canvas for years to come, I always seal my work with Liquitex matte or glaze varnish.

Here are some photos of the the process:

Due to the fact that I work full-time, I'm unable devote my entire schedule to this sort of thing {Maybe someday…} I typically work on painting in the evenings/on weekends. I find it especially relaxing & therapeutic to paint after a long day at the office, and while enjoying a cup of tea! Talk to me if you want to learn more!

 

Keep creating, DIYers!