art+design

Commission Project Update

Thank you for the wonderful response with the Commission Project! We’re almost sold out. There are about 50 spots left so if you are interested in getting your very own oil painting commissioned in time for Christmas then act quick. They make a great present or even as a group gift for something special. You just send in a photo and the paintings ship no later than December 1st. The shipping cost is included in the price and the paintings are shipped framed, ready to be hung. Go here to read more and to purchase.

I want to give a special thanks to some of my blogger friends for letting us use their photos for samples. Naomi of Rockstar Diaries, Rachel of Black Eiffel, Joy of Oh Joy, Melanie of You Are My Fave and Megan of Not Martha. Thank you thank you!

Photo Credit: Naomi of Rockstar Diaries

Photo Credit: Rachel of Black Eiffel

Photo Credit: Joy of Oh Joy

Photo Credit: Krode Heaver

Photo Credit: Megan of Not Martha

New Art

Paul was taking some friends to the flea market last month and he found a piece of art he thought we should get. (We have a tradition where every year we buy one piece of art.) It was large and had a really affordable price so when he got home he looked up the artist online. He found a picture here of a similar painting online to show me. He said “it looks a lot like the one from the flea market but its a little less creepy than this one.”  I saw it in person and loved it so we ended up buying it but when we got it home and looked again we realized that it was the same painting from the internet just someone painted over the “scary” mask with a hat and rosy cheeks. Ha! It makes me sad that someone ruined such an old painting but I really love it and it makes a great story.

Bella Foster

I love this Bella Foster print. Flowery but moody too. There are a limited number available here.

Painted Words as Art DIY

This post is part of a series on how to make your own affordable art. See my abstract art DIY right here and my potato prints DIY right over here.

While we are in our semi temporary digs here we needed to get art on our walls. I brought home a cheap frame and mat from the art store and then made a little piece of art to fit the frame.  I love the book The Little Prince. In fact I gave Paul a copy while we were dating that we still have. The phrase “Dessine-moi un mouton” comes from that book. It means “Draw me a sheep” and if you are familiar with the book its alluding to the idea of staying childlike and “seeing with the heart.” We had it on our wall in San Francisco so we decided to make one for our Paris apartment too. Obviously you could use whatever phrase you wanted or that had meaning to you. This DIY is so easy I’m almost embarrassed to call it a DIY. Really, it took 5 minutes from start to finish.

Materials Needed: Frame and Mat, small paintbrush, acrylic paint, 2-3 pieces of nice paper, scrap paper

Step One: Think about the design. Figure out how big you want you art to be (consider the size of the mat board opening.) When thinking about the design make sure it has enough “white space” so it doesn’t look to crowded.

Step Two: Get some paint and put a little on a palette (a plastic plate works great for this.) Then using your paint brush mix in water so it’s viscosity is closer to liquid than paste.

Step Three: On the scrap paper practice painting the phrase until you find something you like. I find my handwriting is too “cutesy” for this kind of stuff so I usually have Paul write it.

Step Four: Paint the phrase on the nice piece of paper. Let it dry (or use a hairdryer if you are impatient like me) and then pop it in your frame. Et Voila!

ps: My friends Aubrey and Charlotte gave me the pretty paper flower hanging on it. She found at the flea market. It’s so pretty, I love it.

The Commission Project

Most of you know my husband is an oil painter. Last year we started The Commission Project as a way to make art a little more accessible. We’ve decided to offer it again this year. If you don’t know about it here is how it works. First, you purchase a painting right here for $240. That price includes a 5×7 commissioned painting, with a frame (you choose the color), and includes the price of shipping. Next you email the photo you’d like painted to Paul for approval. Last, you sit tight next to your mailbox and early December you’ll receive your painting. All paintings will be shipped by December 1st, just in time for the Holidays! These paintings usually sell for $450 in a gallery, by offering it like this we are able to cut the usual costs so you get an excellent deal on an original piece of art. Space is very limited and last year we sold out in just a few days so if you are thinking about it don’t wait!

Go here for more information and

Go here to purchase.

photo credits: baby photo: Black Eiffel / car photo: Eleanor Jones / sparkly shoes photo: Oh Joy