Every now and then, I get to work on a really fun commission. Something totally out of the ordinary, challenging and exciting!
Not since the creation of my South African Animal Alphabet have I been this thrilled with a request for a whimsical children's illustration...
The brief alone already sounded enticing: An original baby name for a long-awaited baby boy. This incredibly special gift will become the centre piece in his nursery, which has a modern "greenery" theme with baby SA animals in tow.
The concept for the watercolour illustration came to me in a dream. My word, that sounds ridiculously lame...! Not like some dramatic, wind-swept vision, mind you. I woke up one morning, and there it was. I'm sure many creative problem solvers can relate -- the best ideas often come when you relax your conscious mind and actively stop thinking about the problem at hand. In fact, this is such a common occurrence for me, that it has become a running joke in our household...
Anyway -- back to there it was: Some of South Africa's most gorgeous beasties enjoying the life and love of a beautiful camel thorn tree. And there, amongst the branches, the name of a miracle baby boy: André.
A one-of-a-kind, original illustration like this one can only be ordered by contacting me directly. Get in touch via Whatsapp (there's a button in the lower right-hand-side of your screen!), or find my details by clicking below. I only have one more spot left in my calendar for a gift like this, delivered before Christmas! Contact me early to avoid disappointment.
Absolute baby stages: just a mere pencil sketch! As you can see, my assistant, Kitty, is hard at work doing what she does best...
A blue undercoat to establish the shadows of the tree.
Messy work station... In the kitchen!
Is that really what my face looks like while I'm painting?! Lol... Clearly I'm concentrating hard! And clearly it was still pretty cold - I'm wearing my favourite winter woolies! AND I hate being photographed... Oh, and look out for the time lapse video of this awesome illustration, coming soon!
Framed by my amazing husband, Alex, from The Modest Toolbox. The frame is hand-crafted from recycled pallet wood, and stained to resemble the oak tones in André's nursery.
Order a custom baby name illustration for your nursery
A one-of-a-kind, original illustration like this one can only be ordered by contacting me directly. Get in touch via Whatsapp (there's a button in the lower right-hand-side of your screen!), or find my details by clicking below: