Art Inspired Palette: Aileen Leijten

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Color Inspiration

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aileen leigten, blue, books, brooklyn, children, felt forest, fuschia, green, illustrations, neutral, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow

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.

Art Inspired Palette: Bomobob

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Color Inspiration

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antique, bomobob, cream, decor, flowers, grass, green, ivory, lavender, nature, pastels, peach, photography, pink, purple, summer, vintage, wedding, wild flowers

If you are looking for gorgeous inspiring photographs, than this shop is the place to find them. Canadian photographer and fellow Etsy shop owner, Bomobob has an incredible collection of art to choose from. Perfect for whatever space or project you are working on, his work is nostalgic, peaceful and beautifully captured.

Although it is hard to pick just one (you will see more of his work in future palettes), for now I chose Pastel Summer. Since spring is finally here I thought this piece was perfect. I love its color scheme with lavender, pinks and creams. The image is so lush and whimsy – I imagine myself laying in the grass among the fields of wild flowers, inhaling the sweet scents of nature. Seems like a perfect moment you wish could last forever.

There is tons of inspiration one can get from these photos. Weddings, parties, showers as well as interior spaces. This one in particular would be a sensational palette for a garden wedding with rustic accents or any event in the spring or summer. Make sure you check out more of Bomobob’s work and also his other shop, Aunt Aggie’s Attic.

Brighten Up Your Space with Spring Inspired Palettes

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration, Everyday Design, The Home

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beige, better homes and gardens, bright, brown, gray, green, navy blue, olive, orange, pink, purple, reds, spring, yellow

March has finally arrived and with it we have sunny days and cool breezes. It’s time to get ready for Spring and brighten up your space with colors that make you feel alive and happy. This month, Better Homes & Gardens shared a few palettes that are nature inspired and eclectic at heart. These various color schemes will bring warmth, fun and maybe even a little romance to your spaces.

Shades of Purple + Warm Gray
BH&G suggests moody purples with a touch of gray. Since purple can blend with various colors and warm grays tend to calm the purple down, they make a good match. For accents, throw in some citron and berry for a little brightness and fresh feel.

{Misty Lilac: benjaminmoore.com, California Dreaming: acehardware.com, Agreeable Gray: sherwin-williams.com, Tin Lizzie: olympic.com, Glazed Raspberry: behr.com}

Golden Olive + Tobacco Brown
Pairing up tobacco brown and green give a space an earthy warm feel. Choosing an olive works best here. Using yellow, fuchsia and coral as accents add a touch of whimsy and brighten up the dark neutrals. These should be presented in small amounts through accessories or accent furniture.

{La Fonda Spanish Dancer: valspar.com, Straw: acehardware.com, Mona’s Mane: valspar.com, Tropical Smoothie: behr.com, Jekyll Crane Cottage Green: valspar.com}

Deep Navy + Fog Gray
This classic palette includes strong neutrals and high contrast accents. The navy is the perfect backdrop to the bright but muted fuchsia, turquoise and chartreuse. The gray keeps the palette calm and because it has blue tones it works well with the navy.

{Ruby Red: acehardware.com, Jamaican Dream: olympic.com, Savannah Moss: benjaminmoore.com, Hale Navy: benjaminmoore.com, Smoke Embers: benjaminmoore.com}

Color, Patterns and Paper, Oh My!

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Color Inspiration

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anthropologie, balloons, basic grey, birds, blue, butterflies, flowers, french, green, lace, letters, nature, paper, paris, pink, red, wallpaper, white

Oh, do I love paper. Even when I was a child I had a special relationship with it. I loved stationary and would always want my Mother to buy me new pads and notebooks, just so I can have plenty of paper to write and draw on. Today, I simply adore it.

Being an artist you learn how to appreciate paper more. Most of my handmade crafts are made with it as well so I have used more as the years passed. Searching for unique patterns and designs is easy thanks to all the talented people out there creating such beautiful work. From tissue paper to wallpaper, there is something to be found for everyone.

Here are some cool finds I came across upon my searches that I would like to share with you. Get lost in the magnificent glory of all these fun and gorgeous items and let them inspire you, like they inspired me.