the wit and wisdom of whirleygirl

Muralists Corner: Soft Butter Yellow Base

My whole mural process starts with a free consultation - this is a chance for me to meet with my new client, get their ideas, show my portfolio, etc. etc.. Sometimes, a client will know exactly what they want - and that is great! Other times, a client has no idea where to begin - only that they want a super fabulous room for their kiddo - and that is great too! We find a point of inspiration and build off of that - which i'll get to in a later post. One of the most crucial decisions is what the base color the wall should be. This color serves as a backdrop for all that i will be painting - and can sometimes be tricky to figure out.

Today I'd like to focus on a lovely shade of pale buttery yellow. It is a great shade that can work for a girls room or a boys room - perfect for the parents-to-be that are waiting to find out the gender of the baby! Pantone ( THE leader in the world of color) actually named a shade of yellow called "mimosa" as the color of the year for 2009...it is stated:

"In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. "

(Remember Michelle Obama's Inauguration outfit? - looked like a similar shade of mimosa to me!) 

A little optimism works for me and a lovely pale version of this color works as a great imaginative backdrop for various themes in a child's space! Here are a few examples:

This is a little dress-up corner in 2 lucky little girls "sweet shop" playroom:

 

and here, a similar base color is used a nursery for a baby boy (this nursery was great because it was created with the idea that perhaps one day, another little brother or sister would use this same room):

 

and just for fun, here is an example of the same base color used in a "princess" themed room - proving not all "princess" rooms have to be pink :)

Add little buttery yellow into your life - it can brighten a room...even on a cold and dreary Chicago winter day!

(If you have a decorating dilemma for your child's space, feel free to email me your question or leave in the comment section)

 

Happy New Year! This may seem a little overdue for some, but with Obama's inauguration tomorrow, i do feel it is REALLY a new year! And ooohhh what a time for change!

As many of you may have heard, The CPSIA  (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) has put new regulations in place regarding items intended/designed for children 12 and under. Although, the concept for this new act - keeping our children safe - is a fabulous one, the wording of the new laws will put many, many, many small businesses such as mine either out of business or force them to shift their business focus. There are articles and info about this situation all over the web - this is a very good overview: http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/ . Also Forbes magazine a had a good article recently, you can read that here. Personally, here at Whirleygirl Designs, i will continue to mural away but in regards to my product line and etsy shop, there will be no more hand painted goodies after February 10th, 2009. (That is unless the regs get reworded so that many of us can continue to do what we love ... check out Endangered Whimsy to see many of the businesses that will be closing) I do have a secret plan that i am very excited about in regards to offering my art in a new format...stay tuned!! :)

Now how about some good news!

As i have  mentioned, I AM excited about Obama - i am looking forward to watching the inauguration tomorrow!! (i will probably cry like a little baby!) I think it has been very neat to see the way children have been encouraged to become part of this history making day. Alphamom.com has some fun  Inauguration Party Ideas that would be perfect for kids of all ages (and of course cupcakes are involved!!)

I also want to send a big thank-you to Lynsey over at cuteable.com for highlighting my bluebird wand last week!! Thank you,thank you, thank you, you cheeky chicken!

So many great new things are ahead for all of us in 2009! As for this blog, i still will continue to share with all of you my new work, inspirations, and discoveries. I also get quite a few emails in regards to decorating children's rooms so i think i will start to answer those through this blog as well. If you have a question in regards to decorating your child's space, feel free to email me or ask  in the comment section!

Happy New Life!

(p.s - as a little art exercise, i have begun to do small daily paintings that take about 1/2 hour to do, just to keep my art mind "free flowing"..the above painting is called "meatballs!" - the inspiration came from my dog Gilbert stealing a meatball from me the night before - just silly fun!)