If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): children's art

Showing posts with label children's art. Show all posts

Mia Van Beek Turns Your Kid's Art Into Actual Jewelry, Keychains & Bookmarks.

Jewelry designer Mia Van Beek of Formia Design has come up with a way to turn your children's art into fabulous everlasting mementos in the form of pendants, charm bracelets, earrings, brooches, keychains and bookmarks.

Working with all types of metals [sterling silver, gold, stainless steel, etc], she expertly transforms two dimensional drawings into metal versions of the same.

She can create them as either positive or negative [outlines] pieces and is able to reproduce anything from stick figures to even the most enigmatic representation of a child's imagination.

Words do not suffice, take a look at these examples.

Pendants:

Keychains:

Earrings:

Bookmarks:

Charm Bracelets:

To learn how to submit the art and order your own wonderful piece of her work, go here.

About Mia:

Education and experience: 
1988-1991 Jewlery school in Sweden 
1992 Journeyman diploma
1996 Goldsmith Master Degree
1997 Degree in design at Collage of arts in Linkoping, Sweden. 
2001 set up my own business Formia Design in Stockholm, Sweden
2004 Received Best New Designer of the year award at Stockholm Jewlery show 
2004 Established Formia Design LLC in Virginia, USA

She not only creates these whimsical pieces, but it an expert goldsmith and creates other fine jewelry. Visit her website to see her many other jewelry designs.

follow her on Twitter.

Shop her online store.

For Budding Designers, MoMA Kits For Modern Kids (And Their Parents)

Chronicle Books has introduced an innovative and uniquely playful new line of children's products created in collaboration with New York's Museum of Modern Art. Through original formats and eye-catching design, these irresistible books and kits are designed to inspire and foster creativity that lasts a lifetime.

The Modern Playhouse and Modern Family are DIY kits with modular pieces and removable vinyl clings so you can create numerous variations of your own modern home and family.

MoMA Modern Play House

Includes: 6 nesting boxes, 8 mix-and-match furniture pieces, 12 removable vinyl clings, and endless possibilities. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

MoMA Modern Play Family

This hip press-out family includes 5 people, a cat, a dog, a doghouse, and over 150 mix-and-match vinyl cling clothes.

A part of the MoMA Modern Kids collection. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Chronicle Books also made this cool stop-motion video to showcase the creative possibilities of the new MoMA Modern Play House and Modern Family:

Of course you can buy these at the online MoMA store BUT as part of the promotion, you can purchase these kits directly from Chronicle books with free shipping and 30% off if you use the code MoMA at checkout here.

The Whimsical Paintings Of Amberlee Rosolowich At The Hespe Gallery

Amberlee Rosolowich, a recent graduate from San Francisco's Academy Of Art University, is having her first solo show at the Hespe Gallery this month.

One of my favorite sites, Inhabitots, introduced me to these fabulous, organic toys made from the actual drawings of little kids, called Aminals in their weekly newsletter.

Each Aminals organic doll is inspired by the brilliant, unfettered imagination that only comes through in children's drawings.

These organic kids toys embody the exaggerated proportions, squiggly lines, and bright colors that come with creative expression at its most honest and fun. From these children's drawings, the designers at Dreaming Lion LLC have created a series of huggable-soft characters, each of whom has its own special story and is ready for new adventures with your children.

Aminals' motto is "from their world, for their world," meaning that the toys have been created from kids' creative lives for the future world that they will inherit.

dady and momey:

sistur and brothr:

duggy and eflant:

ceeta and dinasor:

smal bayr, wayul and liun:

Aminals are made with materials from organic farms, making Aminals safer for your children. Certified organic ingredients, like organic cotton and the low impact and natural vegetable dyes that must be used with it, are free of synthetic poisons that are absorbed into the bloodstream through skin contact, meaning your kid can hug his or her Aminal all he or she wants.

all images and information courtesy of Dreaming Lion LLC and Aminals.

Buy them here.

Aminals is certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) an internationally recognized body that certifies that all fibers and processes involved in the manufacture of Aminals meet strict standards for organic, sustainable and humane textile production. Every processing step that brings Aminals to you, from farming through spinning, weaving, washing and dyeing meet or exceed these criteria.

Storyopolis: The Kind Of Bookstore & Art Gallery You Find In Fairy Tales

If you read a lot of "Best of Los Angeles" lists, you may already know that Storyopolis, once located on Robertson in Los Angeles and now located on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, is one of the greatest children's bookstores ever. What you may not know, is that the Gallery at Storyopolis is home to several fine art pieces as well... and not only fantastic original illustrations from children’s books by world-renowned artists.

Above: an original John Marciano (illustrator of the original Madeline books)

Above: an original Geral McDermott

While a large selection of their artwork lifts the stories off the pages and onto the walls of children’s rooms or those of the nostalgic adult who never wants to grow up, they also have works by several of todays' hottest lowbrow artists and hippest illustrators. And several you can purchase online.

Above: Ana Juan's Leo DiCaprio, available to buy here

Above: Gary Baseman originals can be purchased online at their site
buy them here

.... as can sculptures by Jim Bauer, buy them here.

Their editorial art includes such amazing portraits of rock icons by Sterling Hundley, fashion illustrations by Chesley McLaren and the surreal images of Joe Sorren. In addition, they have an extensive selection of lithographs and serigraphs bound to appeal to both the beginning and experienced art collector.

Above: Sterling Hundley's painting for William Henry Harrison

Above: fashion illustrations by Chesley McLaren

Above: Nicoletta Ceccoli's beautiful, ethereal illustrations

Their artists work in various mediums including oils, watercolor, gouache, pastels, ink, etc. The collection includes many different dimensions and styles that will compliment a range of decors and personal preferences.

above: Eric Joyner's The Usual Suspects is one of their many original lithographs

Decorators, designers and style consultants find them a wonderful resource for their clients looking for traditional fine art or for those seeking out the hottest, most edgy pieces not found anywhere else.

above: two of several original New Yorker cartoons in their gallery

And they carry one of my longtime beloved items, vintage Odille Ousley book pages, featuring the work of the well-recognized illustrator for the Dick and Jane books:

Buy them here

Between their books and their art, there's something for everyone.

They have a wonderful selection of well designed and compiled gift baskets of all types. Never again will your kids whine "books for christmas?...yuck".

Above: the 'Things That Go' Basket, available in 3 sizes

Above: the Hanukkah basket available in various sizes

They even have baskets that feature award winning books like the Caldecott and Newbery shown below.

Shop for their gift baskets here.

Every Thursday at 12:30, they have their own storytime readers regale the children with fabulous tales and sometimes even a surprise guest.

Above: Actress Hayden Panetierre gives a reading at Storyopolis

The gallery is open seven days a week 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday.

Visit their website at www.Storyopolis.com to see and shop from their huge selection of fine art, original illustratons, lithographs, scultpures, gift baskets and more. Or take yourself and the kids there for an equally enjoyable experience for all.