A is for Anhui, B is for Beijing

A is for Anhui, B is for Beijing

As a writer I’ve always subscribed to the adage, "write what you know." And I assume the same goes for other art forms as well. (Paper maché what you know!) So it’s not surprising that prolific illustrator and photographer Stephanie Wise...
Oh, To Be a Bird on the Wall…

Oh, To Be a Bird on the Wall…

I’ve found beautiful and timeless children’s artwork before, but Alena Hennessy’s latest collection of giclee prints, the Quiet Dream series, are among the first I’ve seen that I could live with in my own bedroom as well. And as we all know,...
You Light Up My Life

You Light Up My Life

While I would like to think a picture of my children makes a wonderfulpresent anytime of year, I suppose there’s a limit to how often you can hastily drop a snapshot into a frame and send it off to the in-laws.Instead step up your gift-giving through Light...
The Walls They Are A-Changin’

The Walls They Are A-Changin’

It seems to me that what I’m looking for in kids’ room decor has transitioned almost as fast as my son has moved from the infant to the toddler to the kid section. Change is happening and it’s taking my soft, cuddly nursery fabric with it. Someone at...
Finding Your Child Through Art

Finding Your Child Through Art

My five year old is on a mission to find herself–not through junior self-help seminars, but in every movie poster, magazine ad, or book cover she sees. Mimi will exclaim, "I’ll pretend to be that little girl in the picture, Momma. You can be the...
Because I’m the Mommy, That’s Why

Because I’m the Mommy, That’s Why

It doesn’t seem that long ago that when someone mentioned The Rules, my mind leaped to “don’t accept a Friday date on a Thursday.” As opposed to, “no eating the cat litter, kids.” How quickly things change. The By Order of the...
Arts and Science

Arts and Science

As part of my ongoing crusade as a lover of science, my girls are exploring the natural world through trips to planetariums or even just finding ladybugs in the backyard. But I never expected that I could encourage science through art. The prints from Katey Nicosia,...
Kids Art With a Longer Shelf Life

Kids Art With a Longer Shelf Life

As I’ve learned rather quickly–too quickly–the artwork you buy for your baby’s nursery might seem…well, babyish in a very short matter of time. Those sweet little Peter Rabbit prints that made you teary when your boy was just a babe in...
For the Birds

For the Birds

Artwork depicting the ABC’s or 1-2-3’s usually has a fairly short shelf-life (or wall-life, more accurately). Pastels and teddy bears are often deemed "babyish" around the same time that the diapers disappear. This counting poster from the funky...
Art by Actual Artists: What a Concept

Art by Actual Artists: What a Concept

I’ve always liked the idea of turning a favorite photo of my child into a piece of artwork. But a lot of those Warhol-eque services just look like a computer novice took a Photoshop 101 class, and went nutty with the filters. What ever happened to art made by...
White Walls No More

White Walls No More

I admire parents who have the talent and motivation to paint murals for their kids’ bedrooms. My own kids’ rooms remain stark white, because I haven’t had the free weekend to devote to acquiring supplies, emptying rooms, designing murals, and then...