New - Paint Your Own Canvas Art

Launching a new concept of products for gifts ideal for children and budding artists. 

This idea originally came about when a good friend couldn't find anything suitable for her child to paint herself; "I remember them" was my answer but like her I found the market was limited in offering the traditional paint your own art, so I created one for her (she was my guinea pig to see if the materials and idea would work in practise).

After offering as a traditional chunky canvas, I thought of another way these products could be used and came up with the new canvas board sign styles that Liza J design now offers, not only does this give a less expensive option these could be used to entertain children at a birthday painting party, were the 'entertainment' can be taken home in their party bag for them to keep.

To give the item as a gift, both styles can have a mini water cake watercolour set added to the order with one brush to get them started.

Each product is an original design pencil sketched and outlined using black waterproof archival ink onto a quality acrylic primed canvas. Watercolour paints would be most suitable to use with the canvas, as the child will still be able to see the waterproof black outline when painting.

The two initial designs released are:

Girl's Name Canvas Sign, Paint Your Own

Mermaid Name Canvas, Paint Your Own 

But.... I'm looking for more designs so what better way than offer you the chance to create one! If your child is a budding artist and you would like them to have their very own personalised canvas for them to paint, please let me know what theme you would like and save 20% off the price as well!

Looking for new designs in the canvas art range (20% off applies to either size enter coupon code LJDPYO20 at checkout) please add design requirements to your order or message lizajdesign@me.com.

New design ideas based on original theme:

One character - whether girl or boy describe the hair, clothes.

One theme - hearts, flowers, princess, pirate, jungle animals, farm animals, football etc. 

Keep an eye out on the New & Offers page as occasionally offers become available when a new design is in the making, an original artwork sample is needed to expand the Liza J design portfolio or a one-off sample is sold off at a reduced rate (a limited offer that can be withdrawn at anytime).

Liza Cole,

Founder & Designer, Liza J design

May 2016

New & Offers 2016

It's now into the New Year of 2016 and the Liza J design website has had a little update with some new features. First a new 2016 price list that contains prices for the most popular sizes available (still bespoke larger sized canvases can be ordered and quoted for).

Second, a new page that will be updated when new product requests become available or sample sales held.

PRICE LIST 2016

Prices correct at the time of print February 1st 2016

Prices are set by Liza J design and are subject to change anytime.

GIFT CARD

A6 Matt Finish £3 (£2 when purchased with artwork)

A5 Matt Finish £6

FINE ART PRINT

A4 Mounted £17

25.4 x 25.4cm (10 x 10") Mounted £19

FRAMED PRINT

A4 Framed / White £39

25.4 x 25.4cm (10 x 10") Framed / White or Black Flat 20mm £45

25.4 x 25.4cm (10 x 10") Framed / Oak Flat 21mm £47

HAND PAINTED CANVASES - NON PERSONALISED

Small Square 20.3 x 20.3cm (8 x 8") £29

Medium Square 25.4 x 25.4cm (10 x 10") £39

Large Square 30.5 x 30.5cm (12 x 12") £49

Add a name £6

Add a date or text £1.50

HAND PAINTED CANVASES - PERSONALISED

Small Sign 25.4 x 12.5cm (10 x 5") £19

Small Square 20.3 x 20.3cm (8 x 8") £35

Small Long 25.4 x 12.5cm (10 x 5") £35

Medium Square 25.4 x 25.4cm (10 x 10") £45

Medium Long 40.6 x 15.2cm (16 x 6") £45

Medium Landscape 30.5 x 25.4cm (12 x 10") £55

Large Square 30.5 x 30.5cm (12 x 12") £55

Large Landscape 40.6 x 30.5cm (16 x 12") £59

Large Long 50.8 x 20.3cm (20 x 8") £65

Add a date or text £1.50

Colours adapted add £10

Pony Commission add £20

For a bespoke commission canvas and larger sizes email info.lizajdesign@me.com for a price on request.

All UK orders are sent as standard with free delivery using Royal Mail, orders over £55 will need to be signed for.

New ideas are always being thought out and drawn up, as well as taking commissions for bespoke artwork, sometimes an artist request becomes available.

Keep an eye on the new page 'NEWS & OFFERS' as occasionally offers become available when a new design is in the making, an original artwork sample is needed to expand the Liza J design portfolio or a one-off sample is sold off at a reduced rate (a limited offer that can be withdrawn at anytime).

Current offers featured on the new page at the time of writing are:

Looking for a 'LOL' canvas with a :) symbol, any colour combination (£10 off applies to either size enter coupon code LJDLOL10 at checkout and also receive a free gift card). 

Free gift card with any Graffiti Name Canvas, enter coupon code LJDGIFTCARD at checkout.

Keep looking back to keep updated and remember commissions welcome!

Liza J

February 2016

Resident Artist - Primary School Project, India Art October 2015

I was recently asked to get involved with another project for the local Primary School to produce some artwork to take to India on their forthcoming trip. 

The Project

As the artwork was destined for India, initial ideas decided on a subject matter of 'our local surroundings'; creating artwork representing the 'seaside' near where the children go to school and live.

I've just discovered canvas boards and thought they would be a great base to work on as they are easy to store and travel in the Headmasters' suitcase on the trip to India!

Children where picked from each year group, Upper Key Stage 1 (Year 2) up to Key Stage 2 (Year 5); due to the nature of how the boards would be hand delivered to India unfortunately only a few children where able to be selected in this task and a total of 15 final pieces of artwork was produced.

The development of the artwork

The project ran over four sessions, the first session the children were asked to think of their surrounding area and produce a quick sketch and paint the background colour of their canvas board. The second session the children were told to copy their sketch onto the canvas board (with a little guidance for the younger ones, to proportion the scale of the drawing so it filled the board) and then block the sketch in white paint to prepare for the colour. 

The third session the children learnt the art of creating layers onto a canvas to get an overall better effect, by allowing the white paint to dry they were then able to add the first stage colour detail.

The final session was applying another layer of colour to get more depth into the paintings. During this session I also helped the children by tidying the edges and adding the final detail of outlines that were present in their original drawings.

The paintings were then taken back to the studio and spray varnished.

The results:

Beach Huts by Hannah, Class: Lions, Year 5

Beach Huts by Louisa, Class: Lions, Year 5

Beach Huts by Joseph, Class: Penguins, Year 2

Beach Hut, Sand Castles by Charlotte, Class: Badgers, Year 5

Beach Hut, Sea by Noah, Class: Meerkats, Year 2

Beach Hut by Chloe, Class: Badgers, Year 5

Beach Huts by Mishka, Class: Penguins, Year 2

Beach Huts by Amber, Class: Meerkats, Year 2

Houses by the Beach by Marney, Class: Chameleons, Year 3

Hatfield Hotel, Lowestoft Sea Front by Ewan, Class: Chameleons, Year 3

Fireworks by Mikolaj, Class: Sharks, Year 4

Happy Ice Cream by Chloe, Class: Dolphins, Year 4

Ice Cream by Hope, Class: Sharks, Year 4

Seaside Shell by George, Class: Lions, Year 5

Boat by Jude, Class: Dolphins, Year 4

We did have an abundance of beach huts but also had some hotels, houses, boats and ice creams!

So a special mention for students: Hannah, Louisa, Jude, Noah, Hope, Mishka, George, Charlotte, Marney, Chloe, Mikolaj, Joseph, Chloe, Amber and Ewan; you worked very hard and your work will be going over to India very shortly!

All together the canvas boards created this layout, a very bright and cheerful collage; by using the originals I have created a Fine Art print poster (first image) so the school can keep a memory of the art project up on the wall at school.

Liza Cole,

Founder and Designer, Liza J design

October 2015

Resident Artist - Primary School Project, Poppy Mural 2014/15

Last November 2014 it was 100 years since the Great War, around this time I was asked if I could create a large Poppy Mural for the local Primary School so they could get the children involved in remembering and learning about the significance of this piece of history.

The mural was an ongoing project, of which took us into the beginning of 2015, I have now got around to writing about it as it has now been officially opened and the ribbon cut (my myself!)

I thoroughly enjoyed working on such a large scale project, it reminded me how Liza J design first came about; as large scale mural work was always my passion before I came up with an economic way of sharing my work through the postal system to customers! It was also very rewarding working with the children throughout the whole school years doing art and watching them taking great care over their poppy art.

Official opening ceremony of the Poppy Mural at the local Primary School 

May 22nd 2015- photo provided by the school.

Pictured - the children who helped paint the mural. Some of the school children wore their Brownies and Scouts uniforms and during the ceremony read a passage from "We Shall Keep the Faith" to reflect on why the school mural was created.

The Project

Leading up to the 100 year anniversary, children within their classes were asked to paint a picture of a poppy or scene to depict the Great War. With over 400 pupils, there was a lot of pictures to look through when I initially visited the school! After browsing through all the pictures, I was given the task of selecting those that I felt could be inspiration for a large wall mural, approximately 8-10 pictures were chosen from each class. After looking at the children's work, and given only one specified request (to paint the local church on the mural) and three large boards to fit into the designated space; an idea started to form!

Example of the poppy paintings, left -Reception Class (age 5), right -Year 4 (age 9)

Some of the children had painted scenes rather than individual poppies; this gave inspiration for the backgrounds of the three large canvas boards; so three different styles of children's work were copied and painted by myself onto the boards. It soon became apparent looking at the three styles that there was a darker scene, a mild scene and a brighter more cheerful scene; I used this idea as the initial concept when choosing what individual poppy paintings would suit onto each board.

The church and memorial stone that was required and given in the brief I painted onto the 'dark' board. Then gradually I looked through the individual poppy paintings and chose those that I felt would be better placed onto each board, for example some children had painted darker poppy's using black outline and gold centres, these suited the dark board. After choosing a few poppy paintings for each board at a time and roughly sketching the outline of them into position onto the board, those children who's poppy's had been picked were gathered from their classrooms and invited to re-paint their poppy straight onto the large board.

Children painting their poppy's onto the large scenes - images taken from school website.

The development of each board and what it represents

The project commenced late November 2014 and took several sessions to complete during the term time until the Christmas break. I returned in January 2015 in between working on customer orders to complete a forth board.

Board One - Darkness of the War

Board Two - Transition of the War. Remembering, calmer days ahead

Board Three - The War is over. Remembering, brighter days ahead

Board Four - School Commemoration Plaque. Artists own design

The final board contained the words supplied in the brief to commemorate the mural. As I hadn't painted one poppy onto the large mural I decided to write the words around my own poppy design.

Personalised Poppy Canvas, Hand Painted ©2014 Liza J design

http://lizajdesign.co.uk/personalised-flower-girl-canvas-hand-painted/

I thought the children within the school throughout the years took such care and pride in painting their own poppy's onto the large scale piece and hopefully (after a final varnish) the mural will stand pride of place within the school grounds for many years!

Liza Cole,

Founder and Designer, Liza J design 

July 2015