Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Review: Honeybee Gallery


When I reached the third trimester in my pregnancy, one of my favorite preparations for baby was decorating the nursery. Deciding on a theme. Picking out the crib bedding and furniture. And choosing the decor. It was all so fun to design a room from scratch.

Since my husband is a boater, it was natural that we went with a sailboat theme for Nate. I wanted a classic sailboat look with red, white and blue accents. Perhaps some vintage elements mixed in. But I had a difficult time finding wall art to complete my vision. All the sailing related artwork I found in stores looked as if they belonged in a company conference room - not a nursery. We actually gave up looking for artwork and decided to paint a wooden life ring and sailboat pegs as decor instead.

If only I had known about Honeybee Gallery last year, we could have found exactly what we were looking for.

Honeybee Gallery was founded by Joanna Hakimi, a mom of two who had the very same problem finding original, child-oriented art. She decided to fill that void by creating a well-organized site with a diverse selection of artwork. You can shop by artist, style or theme. Best of all, none of the pieces are mass-produced or widely available. You can rest assured you are getting a one-of-a-kind item for your one-in-a-million bundle of joy.

As Joanna explains:
I am an experienced family therapist and I work entirely with new moms and their babies. I believe that art has a positive impact on an infant and child's growth and development. Clinical studies have shown that art nurtures creativity, encourages imaginative play, and promotes tolerance. Honeybee Gallery seemed the perfect way to combine my professional expertise and my entrepreneurial spirit
to make it easier for parents to make beautiful art a part of their children's lives from an early age.

You don't have to be an art junkie to appreciate the beauty of these works. Some examples of the artwork displayed on Honeybee Gallery include:

Alpha Tree by Marnie Vollenhals


Wishing and Hoping by Stormy Mochal


Vespa by Julia Gilmore


Star Spangled Bunny by Leisl Lavery


Prices range from affordable ($40) to extravagant ($4,000), depending on the type of artwork (paper vs. canvas, etc.). Considering these are limited edition, original, fine art pieces, the hefty pricetags for some of these are completely justifiable.

Giftcards are available for that unique baby shower gift that will be remembered for years to come.

Don't see what you're looking for? You can even contact Joanna and commission your favorite artist for a personalized piece. How's that for customer service?!

Whatever your taste or your budget, there is something for everyone at Honeybee Gallery.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any products nor was I compensated for this review.

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