5 Questions: Tiny is the new huge

So, browsing around one day looking for some gift ideas for my best friends then unborn baby; I came across these lovely little paintings perfect for hanging in a child's room. And when I looked a little closer I also saw some super cool Polaroids of toys. The shop was christarenee

In her personal life Christa is a Mom, a wife and a graphic designer, but as she says in her Blog Heir and a Spare's Profile, not necessarily in that order.

What's the best thing about christarenee ? In my opinion the simplicity of the colours and subject matter. Her paintings are cute enough for a baby/ child's room but the style she paints with allows for use outside of the nursery. I'd happily hang any of her tiny paintings in my daughters room as well as in the living room, dining room or in my studio space. her animals and robots have huge personalities that pull you right into their little worlds.

What got you started?

I am a graphic designer and have had my own business for over 5 years. I love being able to work from home, so I can be with my kids (Henry, 4 and Leo, 2) and my husband, who is the full time parent. We spend a lot of time in our PJs and we like it that way. I started my Etsy shop as a way to work another creative outlet into my routine. It had been years since I’d painted. I love my job, but I create things for other people all day, so the Etsy shop allows me to create whatever happens to be in my brain that day.

Who has influenced your work the most?

I don't know if I can say for sure that there are people who have influenced my work directly, but there are artists who I admire. Probably too many to even name one right now. I'm also always inspired by cool web sites — one of my favorites is designspongeonline.com. I check it daily.


Can you describe the palette you use to create, what pigments do you always reach for?
I love warm colors. And I love brown for detail work. I almost never use black.

What life or art lesson have you learned that has shaped your work?

For just about everything I create, it's all about less is more. That is a motto for many parts of my life. And an art director I used to work for had a saying that I loved: "When in doubt, make it big. When still in doubt, make it red." I think about that a lot when I design.

Which Children's book character would you be and why?

The best answer I can give to this question is to say that my hero when I was little was Harold of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Don't think I wanted to BE Harold, but I thought he was pretty awesome.