On a recent trip to Bocas del Toro, on the Caribbean side of Panama and bordering Costa Rica,
I walked through a primary rain forest that was as magical as it gets. The thick, moist air coupled with spectacular flora
and fauna placed me in a dream-like state as I trekked. Such vibrancy in design and color observed in nature making it no
small wonder for us to imitate it within the designs of our living world.
From this trip, the family of my hosts, the kids, expressed interest in hand painting their own canvas bags and totes. After several days in Bocas, we returned to my farm in the hills of Santa Barbara here in Costa Rica . The workshop, recently
revamped, allowed for a more efficient workspace, so the three kids had plenty of elbowroom.
With a rain forest trip fresh under our belts, I expected
the designs they would create would stem from the natural world. However, these kids had their own ideas: pink with a wavy
black design, burnt orange with cheetah-like squares and a colorful combo of blue, purple, green with splashes of yellow
and orange. One could see the natural order of their designs offered up individual and creative interpretation.
Great Idea! When designing prints for canvas rugs, canvas bags,
or canvas wall hangings, applying stamped designs over others provides texture and depth to the finished product. This works
as well: apply a sponge base color as background and stamping other design(s) and color(s) atop for a layered effect. It is
all in the experimenting!
Website Update
See the photo of our new jungle design listed
on the canvas rugs designs page. Can you guess the inspiration for it? The photo here is a small detail of the larger finished rug.
We will soon be adding something new to our repertoire of services for those who like to get their
hands busy in creative endeavors. Small classes will begin in November for special 1 and 2 day Creative Intensives, allowing
you to hand-paint your own canvas item. A special offer will go to our newsletter family of readers, first. Watch for
it next month!
In the News
A Costa Rica interior design firm, Indigo Homes of Tamarindo, has recently commissioned us for several canvas rugs for their clientele. The rugs will be utilizing our striped design
creating custom colors to work with existing furniture. To read more, visit my blog.
Until next month! Thanks
for reading.
Laurel
http://www.laurelsoriginals.com
Follow Me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/laurelsoriginal
CLICK HERE to Shop for Canvas Rugs & Gift Certificates
(we ship internationally up to a certain sized rug)
