What brought me to Belgium artist Aileen Leijten was her felt creations. Her etsy shop, Felt Forest, is filled with nature inspired felt items that are fun and whimsy. As I looked around her shop I came across her children illustrations and I couldn’t resist using a piece for a palette.

A Waldorf graduate, Aileen also writes and illustrates children’s books. Bella & Bean and Hugging Hour are a few you can find on her website, which is cleverly designed and so much fun. Here is where you can also learn all about her exciting career  working with big time companies as well as the many awards her animations have won. Lets just say she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Or in this case maybe we should say talents because she clearly represents a wide range of skills.

Now living in Brooklyn with her husband and children she focuses on children’s books while selling her little treasures in her etsy shop. I highly suggest you roam around Aileen’s world of art for there is so much to discover.

The piece I chose for the palette spoke to me in a number of ways. The color scheme is mild and pale with shading and detail to die for and the composition as a whole is genius. Her characters are so unique you just want to see more. Look to her work for neutral palettes with a lot of dimension. They translate well to interior spaces and parties.