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'Sam's Jungle express'
Posted by Bonnie Warner Blackburn on
Let's face it, the world of children's bedrooms already has a plethora of Thomas the Tank Engines (yawn)... but how many kids have an image of their very own personalized train on their wall? Giving an inanimate object a face and personality is classic Disney and Pixar magic. And it's a sure way to help a child connect with and enjoy their special work of art. In this case it's 'Sam's Jungle express' (large canvas 20" by 30"), an adventure painting for big boy Sam to enjoy. Vibrant and tropical, I wanted it to be a big landscape vista with lots to...
'Captain Kian' ..comic book hero
Posted by Bonnie Warner Blackburn on
Who wouldn't want to have their very own superhero title, comic book cover, cape and insignia? The brief for this one was to create a fun, personalized super-hero themed piece for an adventurous, crazy, energetic superboy. I made it a painterly, comic book style artwork on loose canvas, then framed it up in simple black. Hopefully (I like to think) this is the type of artwork that a little person can enjoy long beyond toddler-hood and be something a bit cool and special they would like to keep for many years... maybe have it make a retro appearance on the...
'Peyton's fairy tree house'
Posted by Bonnie Warner Blackburn on
Peyton's mum wanted me to create a small wall 'mural' full of references to her own happy childhood memories, and to some of the magical and mythical creatures that we find in childhood tales and dreams.. fairy godmothers and tooth fairies, Easter bunnies and yellow brick roads. A place with a pot of gold and pixie dust and a tree big enough in the foreground to attach a specially purchased fairy door. Her original imaginings of this work saw it being painted as a mural directly onto the wall but she wasn't overly keen to have it as a permanent work on the...
'Animal triptych' (original)- everything is better in threes!
Posted by Bonnie Warner Blackburn on
Simple, minimal, classic, refined.... yet still very cute. I have done 3 of these animal triptychs on classic cream/ off-white backgrounds. This was the first, commissioned for baby Georgia. They obviously seem especially suited for those who prefer clean and classic decors, but the art if still very relatable for a little person who is learning their first shapes, colours and animals, with a simple composition and a raised interesting texture. 'Animal triptych' (original) 3 x small canvas 10" by 10" ... including original sketches of ideas for this composition which my young daughter used for colouring in practise :-) ...
'Riley's Grove'
Posted by Bonnie Warner Blackburn on
This was my second animal commissioned painting after my first Ark. Specially commissioned for Riley, the brief was to create a fun, colourful piece with all sorts of animals peeking out from jungle trees and foliage. I played a lot with texture in this one, using modelling paste as a base on many of the animals and leaves. To customize it for Riley it became his 'grove', to help him identify with his art and make it special for him. 'Riley's Grove' commissioned painting on large canvas 20" by 30". (Featured image) and details below: An original sketch for this...