ALL our Prints are Stories!

Did you know that every time you buy one of our limited edition prints, there is a certificate of limited edition included that let's you know which number out of the edition your print is, AND there's also an activity suggestion that comes along with your print.

It's a simple but very effective and fun activity. Here is the gist of it:

Looking at your Draw Me A Lion limited edition print, pretend that the image was the cover of a picture book. What do you think the story might be about? Who might be in it? What might happen next and ...how might the story end? Write down the answers and draw a picture to go along with them. The result will be a fun story that you will have created yourself...with a little inspiration from Draw Me A Lion. 

Here is a little bit of my inspiration. Always a fan of picture books of any kind!

AND, more excellent news: 

This suggested activity is now included in ALL of the Draw Me A Lion prints, limited edition AND ongoing edition! So no matter what print you get, you'll always have a fun and easy way to create a story out of it! 

That's why our motto is: We need Your Imagination!

Inspiration: Alexander Calder

                               

We all know Alexander Calder for his amazingly beautiful mobiles, but I did not know until some years back that he was also the creator and ringmaster of a very magical circus that he made and also performed with as a 'one-man-circus-art show'so to say. This is something I would have really loved to see live. However, not to fret, there is a great video of him performing his charming circus on hand.

I had the chance to see this video and others on Calder along with several rooms full of his amazing mobiles and the inhabitants of his circus when I went to Seattle with a good friend of mine back in 2009 at the Art Gallery there. It was most likely my favorite art exhibit I had ever seen. Which really means a lot, because I have been to quite a few in my life time. :) 

 Alexander Calder's mobiles are so full of life, and move so elegantly that they seem actually alive, organic and it is as if you can watch them breath, each in it's own strange rhythm. If I will ever get my hands on tons of money in life I'll be sure to be the proud owner of a living and breathing Calder mobile. So inspired by this man's creations and so in agreement with his philosophy on life and art. 

Eric Carle's Father

I have recently read the fantastic book "The Art of Eric Carle" in which Carle not only talks about his art, but also about his life, his upbringing and inspiration. Carle loved his father who was also artistically inclined but was unable to realize this goal himself because his family did not allow it. So while his father could not be an artist himself he installed and fostered Eric's artistic side, encouraging him to paint and look closely at the world around him. Eric and his father were very close and if you look at any interview with Eric Carle he will always talk about his father as his main inspiration and the person responsible for giving him the gift of love.


When Eric Carle lists "some of the basic ingredients to a few of his books" in "The Art of Eric Carle" the following quote is one of them.

" My father's love and his sense for passing on existing knowledge"


I also found this cute video of Eric Carle's book "Papa Please Get Me The Moon" and which of course is dedicated to Carle's Father.




Here is another post about Eric Carle I recently wrote for my I Heart Picture Books blog. Enjoy.

A Card for Dad

I didn't have a dad growing up myself that I could dedicate this entry in the honor of father's day to. It's no big deal, my mom and dad split up before I was even a couple months old. We never saw him again and I don't bear any grudges, it was probably for the best. Today when I think of the word 'Dad' I don't think of my own dad, but I think of all of my awesome friends that are now dad's themselves. I think of how great they are and how proud they are of their kids and how they are trying to do everything they can to make their children have a safe, interesting, exciting and fun childhood. 

My friend Justin is one of my oldest friends who now has a son of his own and I'd like to dedicate this fathers day card to him and his super cute son Jude.  

I'm pretty happy with how colourful and happy this card turned out and I'm even more happy to let you know that it comes with this -brand new to the shop- 100% recycled kraft envelope. Yay for dads and yay for recycling! Grab one and get ready for that special dad in your life!