Art Studio

E l l a 's   A r t   S t u d i o

I know I am supposed to be sleeping while my daughter sleeps but I cannot help myself. I have been high on adrenaline for 8 weeks. I now have transformed my office into Ella's future Art Studio.

 People ask, "What if she is not artistic?" I cannot imagine my daughter not being artistic. I'm okay if she does not prefer it, but I will definitely introduce her to the world of art so she can appreciate it!

I painted my back wall with Black Board Chalk Paint and highlighted the top with her name. I found the ABC play mat at Buy Buy Baby and the tiny toddler table and easel at IKEA. 

It's fascinating to me, but as the pregnancy progressed, I knew my life was changing dramatically. I admit, I had a hard time thinking selfishly about the things I enjoyed might take a back seat. Never in my life was I prepared for this transformation. I cannot keep up with the ideas in my head for my daughter. "My office," for example, was a place for all "my things." It's a place where my writing takes place, a room where I paint, and four walls that hang all my favorite pieces of art, mementoes and pictures.  Now that she is here, my space is now her space and I am excited to share, teach and nurture her with all my favorite things to see, do, paint, create, etc. 

And so... our house has become Ella's and my life is dedicated to her. I seldom leave the house and I have been in the same pajamas for a day now. As she approaches her 2 month birthday I can honestly confess I created a masterpiece with her. Never in my life have I painted like the Manet's and Monet’s of the past or sculpted beauty like Rodin but I, me, and my hubby created the perfect daughter. We are so lucky and I look forward to our future together.

As I sign off, I can hear her breathing while she naps, I look up to the heavens and once again thank all my angles for this beautiful gift of life in front of me.  I just looked over my shoulder and saw one of my favorite illustrations on the wall. It is the one from my children’s book, Maurice’s Daughter, where I am on the floor of my Dad's Art Studio and I am creating my 10 year old masterpiece. I do hope one day she is on this very same floor creating her masterpieces.

I am fulfilled and life is a beautiful journey again...

I think God knew a daughter would be the best gift for me. I now know what my father felt when he had me. There is no love quite like a daughter's love and I am forever changed, extremely thankful and ridiculously blessed.

I started this blog based on my father’s grief and the book that was born from it. Now it has evolved about the lives left behind and the stories that unfold. There will always be the empty chair at the head of the table, the “What If’s” and the memories of his spirit. But most importantly the grief that is left in my heart is a reminder to me that I will never take a day for granted now that I have this new found purpose in my life. I am Maurice’s Daughter but now I am the mother of his granddaughter and I couldn’t be prouder.

Hand paited with love...

All you need is LOVE...

A new chair for another new baby!

I left the back slate of the rocking chair blank until the family comes up with a name for their daughter.

     

Excuse me but I have been on another planet for the past 9 months. I have been quiet on my "website life," but very busy in the new nursery. Below are some things I have been working on...

     Of course I had to include my first children's book that my publisher sent me and the Original watercolor illustration for the book. One thing I know for sure, now that I am a mother, is that God blessed my baby on her journey to me and my father met her first. The bridge in my heart that connected me to my father broke when he died but now is slowly being repaired with her birth. Life will never be the same and life does move on...

 I focused on a black and white theme in her nursery. B/W images strengthen her eye development during the first year. I painted  large B/W (4'x5') Elephant Ears that hang over her book shelves. It is a great distraction while we change her diaper. Most nights we think she is talking to it! I created a mobile from an old piece of grapevine wood and dangled B/W images from it too. Overhead our some B/W fan blades with patterns, flowers, bubbles and the words Dream and Earth Angel painted on it. I have other fan blades on my Facebook Fan Page if you are interested. It is simple to unscrew the blades!

A very special painting that my dad did when I was 3 years old and the shirt that I wore now hangs in the room too...

For the entire 9 months while we were pregnant we did not have a name picked out for either sex. We called him/her "Baby Love."  "Baby Love" spelled out with antique wooden blocks and rubber duckies line up for her over her dresser.

 I created "The Stork Dance" mural that is painted over her crib. Three four foot storks in white is the focal point of her room. Ironically where ever we go as a family these days, (can count on one hand during the winter hibernation of a newborn) white cranes follow us. 

 My Auntie started the ribbon mobile idea in our family with her daughter and we have been creating one for every newborn in our family over the past 15 years. I selected a few colors that matched the nursery and had friends and family members write messages to our baby at the baby showers I had. I incorporated Japanese paper Origami cranes with the ribbons. The cranes symbolize "Good Luck" In their culture. 

I received many photo albums and jazzed them up with beads and shells.

Lastly, I painted a beautiful inscripture to Ella that is spread out around the room over the chair rail.


"Be Gentle with yourself...You are a child of the universe, no less then the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusions of life, keep peace in your soul."
Unknown Author to me...