Nurturing Mothers and Their Babies

The inception of Lillunia took place in a nursery, with an original watercolor made to celebrate the birth of a certain baby during the feeding of that baby during her first months of life.

Sustenance.

What we know about our art, is that it is nurturing as it portrays animals in the wild nurturing their own babies. What is unique, is that Lillunia art nurtures both mother and baby.

Through endless hours of nursing her newborn, Eve, Lillunia's co-founder, was inspired, moved and, indeed, nurtured herself by the loving portrayal of a mother Giraffe and her young calf. There was something there, so tender and simple that spoke to her- that speaks to all of us, about nurturing our little ones and being a fundamental part of this great and glorious landscape of life.

At Lillunia we nurture parents and their children; our work places them in a context with other parents (elephants, dolphins, lions, horses, hippos, koalas)- all of whom share the world and love, protect and NURTURE their offspring.

Our art speaks to children, of course, they are our future, but our art first speaks to their parents...the nurturers of all that we collectively hope for.

ILLUSTRATE ILLUMINATE ELEVATE

www.lillunia.com

A Commitment to Animals: Portraiture

In the larger Lillunia family there are many four-legged members: from Thurman to Kimba to Pudding to Jack to Putty to Melvin to Charlotte—we adore them and thank them every day for bringing so much love to our lives and for helping us teach our children how to care for and respect other living creatures.

It is no secret that Lillunia parents and friends, in large part, share our enthusiasm for our non-human companions. And we have realized that there is an endless demand from our constituents for portraits of their animals. Certainly, beyond Lillunia, our artists are fluent in the genre of pet portraiture; we just never considered it as one of Lillunia’s genres.

BUT – alas, by overwhelming demand, we are excited to offer unique, aesthetically Lillunia portraits of peoples’ very own beloved animals. In this endeavor we will still strive to illuminate, and to infuse each portrait with our fundamental message to: “nurture the world that nurtures us”. After all, we know all too well the kind of nurturing that our animals bring into our lives; in many ways it is a vital part of our sustenance- what actually makes us human.

And so- we are honored to offer our family, friends, community and customers Lillunia’s “take” on your most magnificent non-human family members.

We are currently working on a new section of our website to house Lillunia pet portraits, for now, please contact us directly at info@lillunia.com for information about price and timing.

www.lillunia.com

From Disaster Comes Opportunity

We hate to sound trite or cliched, but there is some consistent truth to the notion that out of difficulty, indeed out of disaster, comes hope- even opportunity.

We are far from learning or even being reflective about the indescribable tragedy that is Haiti. We are still in the throws of urgent reaction-- which is exactly where we should be. But from this horror we will learn many many lessons about ecology, climate change, politics and economics, the fragility of human life and its endurance, grief and perhaps most important, humanity.

There is still so much work to do, care to give, support to rally, funds to raise and aid to distribute to the most brutalized nation. Most of us will be doing what we can directly, but from afar; and this is extraordinary.

But there is something else we can do with this time- perhaps similar to what so many parents found themselves doing after September 11, 2001; talking to out children about what is happening. There is an opportunity here to show our children how precious life is...every life; and to help them see themselves in the big WE of the world, a vital part of it and a contributor to our collective future.

It is a beautiful and moving experience to see so many people and families rallying to do all they can to help untangle the disaster; this is something to share with our children.

For those of us with babies too young to understand what has happened, perhaps we can think about our own part in the global community- and what types of people we want our children to become; what will matter as we fill those beautiful little minds with all that we can. What decisions can we make now.

Each life matters. Haiti will teach us many many invaluable lessons from the breath and scope of its tragic circumstance. We owe it to ourselves, our families, our global community and certainly to those who have lost their lives, to learn these lessons and to teach them well.

ILLUSTRATE ILLUMINATE ELEVATE

Social Responsibility: Ecological Content

When companies say they are “green” or “eco”, to me this means that they are using ecologically sound materials, ingredients etc. in order to make their product (or at least it should mean that). And this is terrific (under regulated- but terrific).

But what does it mean for a product to be ecologically sound AND have an ecologically sound message? That is harder- because what kind of message can organic pureed pears have besides “mmmm, yummy”? or organic combed cotton P.J.s besides, “mmmm, soft and cozy.”

Certainly, we understand that ecologically sound products send a resounding message to the world and to our smaller communities about what kind of world their purveyors hope to live in and what kind of place we as consumers when we purchase them, want to leave to our children and the animals with whom we share this magnificent earth.

When we, at Lillunia, talk about an ecologically sound message- we know that what we create is uniquely situated to deliver a powerful message about our hopes and goals for the environment; because our content is ecologically sound. Every image we create, every subject matter we fall in love with and then lovingly portray sends our message to the babies, children and parents who live with our art.

Our message is a simple as it is powerful: Nurture the world that nurtures you. As a company we live by 3 simple principles in order to do this: Illustrate, Illuminate, Elevate; by illustrating for our children that the world is filled with nurturing families in the wild, we are able to illuminate their imaginations and their intellects, with the precious goal of elevating their sense of self in a great human and animal community and instilling in them an understanding of their vital role in our collective future.

We LOVE that we can do this. We are so lucky and thrilled to share what we create with you!

www.lillunia.com

Lillunia Art in the Nursery

We are thrilled to share with you, some beautiful nurseries that feature Lillunia Art.

Enjoy!

hayden's koalas and olivia's koalas are installed in Ava's nursery (Central Park West, Manhattan (NYC))

lily's lions, liam's lians, lola's lions and anya's Giraffes are featured in Sebastian's nursery (Chelsea- Manhattan (NYC))

all three lions are hung in a row above a love seat near the crib...

anya's giraffes in a cozy corner of sebastian's nursery...

anya's nursery picks up on the warm earthy tones from emily's elephants and sophia's vervet monkey to complete its tranquil African theme (East Hampton, New York)

Please visit us at www.lillunia.com see all of the images shown here, and our collection of animal-family themed nursery art and accessories.

Ava and Her Koalas: Some Inspiration

We installed Hayden's Koalas and Olivia's Koalas in a beautiful custom nursery on the Upper West Side of Manhattan this past weekend. A cherubic little one-year-old named Ava has the most charming chocolate and petal pink nursery: so unexpected and cozy.

We are always thrilled when we watch the munchkins interact with our art for the first time- never solicited or prompted- they always have amazing reactions.

Ava was immediately drawn to Olivia's Koalas (a huge focus image of a mother Koala with her baby on top of her head). Ava was transfixed…giggling and pointing and speaking her still incomprehensible language of excitement. The image framed was nearly as big as her crib and we hung it directly above.

Ava's reaction to Hayden's Koalas was entirely different. She started pointing to the Koalas in each of the 4 images in the frame. With her tiny little finger she pointed and said "mama" "baby" "mama" "baby" as she

worked her way around the images. Her mother and I chimed in asking "where is the mama" "where is the baby" "which baby is in the tree" "which baby is sleeping" – to each question she responded with e giggle and pointed to the correct image; Truly inspiring (with no wires or animation or digitized voices)!

Of course we believe in what we do and in what we create, our goals and the people, animals and principles we hold dear- BUT we feel overwhelmed with satisfaction when we see that a little child understands, in her own sweet and perfect way – just exactly what we mean.
please come see Hayden's Koalas at: and Olivia's Kolas at: http://www.lillunia.com/-FOCUS-SERIES-ART/Olivia-s-Koalas-p63.html
and Hayden's Koalas at: http://www.lillunia.com/-ART/Hayden-s-Koalas-p57.html

The Little Bears That Could: Real Generosity

For as often as I am driven completely mad by my fellow humans and want to swear off the species entirely- I am consistently taken aback and overwhelmed by the decency and genuine kindness I find in so many people.

Lillunia is a young but mighty company and we are so grateful for the wonderful reviews and press we have received so far in our brief lifetime. Our work is currently being reviewed by The Eco Chic (www.theecochic.com) … and yesterday they sent us an e-mail. They let us know that they had received our work…and had some very kind words to say about it. Then to our surprise and delight, the generous woman writing the email asked for our permission to allow them to use the art for a silent auction at her church…as they are trying to raise money for Haitian relief efforts.

I can’t tell you how I felt…so touched by her gesture, so honored to be a part of the relief, as well as feeling the great satisfaction in knowing that something we created was being used in such a noble way.

The “things” we create…children, animals and art included—we send off into the world and hope they will do something wonderful- affect positive change and bring happiness…and, in this case, something we created has done exactly that.

Thank you The Eco Chic for being wonderful and generous and making us feel happy to be human.

you can find ashley's bears at: http://www.lillunia.com/-FOCUS-SERIES-ART/Ashley-s-Bears-p69.html

www.lillunia.com

Why Content Counts: Art Changes Lives

There is no question that we humans have a profound effect on our shared planet and have made some pretty brilliant and some pretty stupid decisions over the past several centuries.

We need to attempt to learn from both the good and the bad. And I think many of us try to do this (challenging as it is with all of our other responsibilities).

But what is it that we can learn from other creatures on the earth? Certainly we are able to look at contributions to the earth in terms beyond physical skills or mental acuity…(the same mental acuity that would allow us to essentially destroy the shared space we live in—don’t forget). Are there other attributes to admire, learn from and even emulate? Yes- Many.

Anyone who has spent time with animals does not have to be told how much joy and happiness they bring into our lives- but that is not why they are on this planet…to slavishly make our lives better places to be.

Is competing, ranking and judging the only way we can perceive value and contribution? All you need to do is watch a mother Robin guarding her nest, feeding her hatch-lings and eventually coaxing them to fly out on their own; see a mother Koala carrying her little cub around on her back or belly for months and months until s/he is able to walk, climb and eat on his or her own; or a heard of Elephants with a new calf, fawning and doting and all making certain he grows and lives a healthy Elephant life. They are magnificent nurturers. That is something we all share.

What else can we learn? Animals don’t worry as much as we do, they seem magnificently well adapted to deal with and anticipate danger (we generally run head-long into it) and they don’t fear death. Believe me; it is not because they are unaware that death happens…anyone who has seen a heard of Elephants mourning one of their dead will see something extraordinary. And this is true of many animals.

Domesticated animals become our partners and helpers, and they make as many choices (believe it or not) in the animal/human relationship as we do.

We love animals as a topic for children’s art because we know how many lessons they teach us about life and love and nurturing. We know that what we surround our children with has a huge impact on their understanding of the world and their roles in it. There is no question about this.

Lola's Lions and Lilly's Lions above can be found at www.lillunia.com

How Lucky We Are!

We, at Lillunia, spend an amazing amount of time looking at and thinking about animals and art and their effects on our children.

HOW LUCKY ARE WE?

There is no doubt, I do an amazing amount of dry, miserable paper/busy work each day...BUT, lucky me, when I have a moment, I get to re-focus on just exactly what I want to be focused on...what I love!

I have often thought, if people did, each day, what they loved doing and what they had real aptitude for- what a pristine and serene world we would all share. The reality is that many/most of us have to keep "the day job" while cultivating the magnificent kernel of joy and creative energy on the side...as a second and/or third job. Oh yes, and then there is baby, and husband and fury babies...YIKES! There is a lot on the plate.

But when we do what we love, what we have real talent for, that is the essence of a good life; the exquisite spirit of productivity and satisfaction- which I can't help but believe is the heart of what it means to nurture.

Because, what exactly is it that we pass along- that we teach and give to the next generation if not passion and conviction and the love of people, places, animals and goals to which we are committed.

For LILLUNIA: Children, Animals and Art

ILLUSTRATE ILLUMINATE ELEVATE

Ecologically Sound Toys

In many ways our media saturated digital culture drives me mad. Gone are the days when you could take a drive and quietly spend an afternoon without the cell phone ringing and the blackberry e-mailing. Gone are the days when people made "friends" looking at each other in the eye, rather then "friending" and "being friended" on line. Ok...c'est la vie- we must go with the flow (Luddite though I am)

At the same time, I am eternally grateful to be alive at a time, when medicine and science are so advanced that an ever growing percentage of people and animals in my life are ALIVE and healthy because we live when we do...breathtaking really.

That said- our time also has given us (more recently) a wonderful number of choices as consumers...and ever increasingly "green" ecologically sound choices. This is awesome.

For parents- there have been many scares in recent years about products made with dangerous chemicals. There have been a number of recalls making everyone feel vulnerable and suspicious...for good reason. The good news is that there are now so many wonderful and safe choices choices we can make when finding the right toys for our little ones.

In our wanderings we have found some really nice places to look for ecologically responsible toys.

For wonderful wood toys, we suggest having a look at North Star Toys:
http://www.northstartoys.com/collections/all-collections/

Green Toys has a terrific selection of recycled material toys:
http://www.greentoys.com/

And Tree Hollow Toys has a great mixture of all types of responsible and safe toys.
http://www.treehollowtoys.com/

We have been browsing and buying- but you need to make the decisions for yourself...we just want to share our excitement about the possibilities we are finding in this brave-new-world- options that simply were not there, or very remote just a few years ago.

As you go forward and look around..we found the following really useful checklist courtesy of: http://www.toxinfreetoys.com/general/eco-friendly-fun-4-ways-to-identify-green-kids-toys/

1) What Materials are the toys made of?
Identifying what is classified as a ‘green toy’ starts with the materials used to create that toy. Choose toys which are made with natural or easily recyclable materials. Choose toys made with:

Leather
Wood
Organic cotton
Metal (aluminum is easily recycled)
Fabric
Avoid toys made with plastic as plastic is a non biodegradable oil based product.


2) What country are the toys made in?
Surprisingly the location where the toy is manufactured has a large impact on its ‘greenness’ . Most toys these days are produced in China and as a result incur an enormous environmental ‘carbon footprint’ due to the distances travelled. A Toys ‘Carbon Footprint’ increases every mile that toy has to be transported.

3) Will this toy break in the first 10 minutes?
Well made toys are inherently green because they can be passed down and are not designed to be used for a week before they break. Select toys that are robust, made with quality materials and designed to stand the test of time.

4) Can the toy eventually be recycled?
All toys will eventually find their way to the landfill unless their components can be recycled. Some toys are manufactured in a way that allows for their parts to be easily disassembled.

www.lillunia.com

Nurture the Source

Nurture the Source

http://www.lillunia.com/-FOCUS-SERIES-ART/Daniel-s-Dragonfly-p70.html

At Lillunia, we believe all of the system of life on the planet begins with nurturing (from food, to love, to education, to play). We believe in nurturing our families and our animals, the people and animals with whom we share the earth and nurturing the larger environment that nurtures us all.

Do take time, however, to nurture the source: YOU. What does this look like? Well, it does not have to mean the "me me me"-centric version of "personal time" of the last 2 decades. There are ways to nurture yourself that allow you to remain YOU to your and to everyone else who needs you.

http://www.lillunia.com/-ART/Emily-s-Elephants-p54.html

We just want to remind you that you too are a part of the big system we all share- if you spend all your time giving to everyone and everything else you will be 1) exhausted, and 2) lose the beautiful and independent you that is doing all the giving. So-simply - take care of yourself. Don't forget to sleep a bit later- perhaps take a long bath in the evening- buy a really nice bottle of wine- and/or dinner at your favorite place (for no particular reason).

So much is expected of us these days- jobs, families, second careers, hobbies, animals, charities, parents etc. - we must have the energy to handle it all or we will begin to resent. No good.

Keep doing what you do- there is a lot of work for us all in these endlessly changing times, and that is alright. We do it all and will continue to rise to the challenges, and continue to nurture our little ones, our spouses and partners and our shared environment.

Take a deep breath- we are all in it together...and that is awesome!

2009 Lillunia "Coming Out" Party

Lillunia "Coming Out" Party 2009

a beautiful fall evening,

a beautiful manhattan venue, an enchanting celebration of the birth of Lilllunia

...warm grey and tangerine, small gestures of fall...

...art interspersed in an elegant environment...

francesca's foxes

emily's elephants

...the lovely ladies of Lillunia and patrick's polar bears mosaic...

...lucas lions and ashley's bears...

...una festa tutta aranciata e pieno di vivere...

...friends countrymen...(women)...

...cheers!...

www.Lillunia.com

Lillunia's Own Animals Part 1

Lillunia's Own Animals : Part 1

By popular demand- we are proud to present the marvelous mammals in the Lillunia family.

At Lillunia we love animals for their beauty and grace, their strength and intelligence... and of course, for the many lessons they teach us.

What we have here are some VERY spoiled animals the we dearly love and who live with us, inspire us...and sometimes drive us completely mad: Part 2...coming soon (yes...there are more!)

"Putty" ...in repose...2 views

"Christmas Pudding" - licking the delicious tasting wall... mmmm

"Christmas Pudding" ... sun bathing (warmy)

Princess Kimba-Cutie Clementine singing

We adore them.

Part 2...coming soon:

Jack, Thurman, Melvin Neville Jackson, Charlotte and Remy...


Love your families...Love your animals!

http://www.lillunia.com/

News from the Nursery 2010

News from the Nursery 2010

Ok- yes, we hate to gloat, but nothing makes us happier at Lillunia than hearing from parents about their children responding to our art.

WE LOVE IT!!!

Here is a new one: one mother hung Emily's Elephants over the changing table in her daughter's nursery. Her little one- looking up at the new image began to tell the most enchanting story. She let her mom know that the little baby on the left was looking for his mommy; that the daddy elephant was hugging the baby in the middle so the little one didn't have to be scared; and then finally the baby found the mommy in the last image and they were taking a walk together "holding tails" instead of hands.

It was the most enchanting tale- interspersed with ideas like "the baby needs the mommy...and the mommy needs the baby" "they're a family and they need each other-- so the baby's happy".

We could not be happier to hear this adorable story. What we love most is that the little girl started the conversation. The images intrigued her and inspired her imagination.


We love when children's imaginations work on their own- without the need for electronics interfering with the natural magic a child's mind creates.


We are so happy that our art has this kind of effect on kids...it is truly inspiring!

Visit us at www.lillunia.com to see more!

*emily's elephants http://www.lillunia.com/-ART/Emily-s-Elephants-p54.html