Printables to colour in
Win vouchers to spend
Interviews with artists
on Little Flea brands
We have teamed up with 9 amazing artists for this crafty and interactive booklet. These super cool artists have created a selection of printables so that your child can get creative. Just download a printable and get colouring, making, drawing or painting! Be as artistic and as colourful as you like. Then you can email a picture of your completed artwork into Little Flea Towers to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic voucher and arty prize.We can’t wait to see all your artistic creations!
Nia Tudor
Nia Tudor lives on the Welsh Coast with her husband and 2 children. She specialises in custom portraits and has just finished illustrating her first children’s book. Nia enjoys putting her feet up with a good cup of coffee whilst sketching with her three mischievous cats around her. What do you love about art? The freedom you have to express yourself. You can make art whatever you want it to be and it can be about anything and I think that's an incredible feeling to have. How did you become an artist? I had a background in art but ended up abandoning it for a very long time. I started illustrating again when my eldest was a baby as a way to feed my creative side, from there everything grew to what it is today. What is your favourite piece of art? I don't have a favourite piece of art. I'm a big fan of patterns and textures and love seeing them not just on paper, but on textiles, buildings and in nature. What inspires you? Inspiration for me can come from anywhere, whether it's a nature walk with my family, a pro-
gramme on TV that's triggered an idea, or the children's books we read at home. Favourite place? Aberystwyth. It's a very special place for me. What is your most important artists tool? Right now, it my iPad Pro and pencil. It's where everything begins. From a quick sketch whilst out, to completing finished illustrations. It's my holy grail. How do you start a project? Everything starts with a sketch, whether it's a digital piece or a watercolour painting, I start by sketching my ideas on paper or digitally, and build from there. Why is art important for kids? It's an outlet, a way to express themselves on a whole new level. Should school play a part? Absolutely. If I hadn't have been so fortunate to have such a great art teacher in school, I most definitely wouldn't be doing what I love, today. I was very much the loner in school and found art helped me open up and explore my creative mind.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? Before I started illustrating full time, I used to teach piano and harp, so I'd likely be back doing that.
Which cat is your favourite?
Nia’s love of cats shines through in this cute colour in printable that she has kindly given us.
For custom orders and to see more of Nias work visit her website at www. niatudorillustration. co.uk.
Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize.
sarah lovell
Sarah Lovell is an illustrator living in Devon. She makes beautfiful illustrated greetings cards, colouring books and art prints, all of which are very popular for children. All of Sarah’s designs are hand drawn, and then printed in Dorset, using biodegradable inks and on ‘Carbon Captured’ paper.
How do you start a project? I normally get inspired when I'm outside, often when I'm out running or sometimes in a dream, that leads to pencil drawings and then paint or ink.
What do you love about art? I love art because I can get lost in it, it makes me Why is art important for kids? Art is so important for kids, so they can express feel free. themselves. Art is never right or wrong which is one of the greatest and most freeing things about How did you become an artist? I have drawn since forever, so I guess I have al- it. It can be an outlet for all sorts of emotions, it's just wonderful. ways been an artist! What is your favourite piece of art? A painting called Monkey by Laura Owens. What inspires you? My children, wildlife and magic! Favourite place? The beach. What is your most important artists tool? My brushes and fine liner pens.
Should school play a part? Definitely. I used to teach Early Years at primary school and used art daily in my teaching. It is such a great tool for making learning fun. Now I have my own family, and my children are at school, I think it should be used a lot more. If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? In my dreams I would like to be a stunt horse rider!
Sarah has given Little Flea a selection of beautiful colouring in printables for you to enjoy. Choose from a butterfly, unicorns, elephant, bird and shark. Experiment with crayons, watercolours, pens or pencils. Can you create something really colourful and different. Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. To see more of Sarahs work visit her website at www.sarahlovellart.co.uk.
Laxmi Hussain
Laxmi Hussain’s drawings and watercolours exist somewhere between the abstract and the realistic, often presenting what appear to be the free-flowing organic forms of nature through intricately ordered patterns. Her finely detailed line forms are rooted in a fascination with architecture, a subject she studied for several years before shifting her focus to the unconstrained creative possibilities offered by art. What do you love about art? Art can be used to communicate almost any message you wish to get across. It can evoke emotions, be hard hitting and stimulate changes in almost anyone. The relationship to people and art can sometimes be so much more powerful than words and used to highlight issues in so many varying ways. How did you become an artist? I started drawing when I was about five, always being fascinated with how I could depict a situation, tell stories and it just never really left me. I decided to pursue this more as I had my kids, and found it an outlet to express my own feelings about my own person and issues close to my heart.
What’s your favourite piece of art? Picasso's Nude Woman in a Red Armchair - I've always been quite fascinated with Picasso, however a few years ago my husband was travelling across tourist spots in London with his two sisters who live in Dubai and they went to the Tate Britain. He took a picture and sent it to me with a few words telling me the picture reminded him of me and of the strength of women he has seen through me. What inspires you? Strength, femininity, the endurance of humans. Favourite place? My mum's town in the Philippines (Urdaneta City), but probably also New York, I love NYC. What is your most important artists tool? My hands, without them I'd not be an artist at all and with them I can play with any tool. How do you start a project? Pretty much by accident most of the time, drawing and studying the forms I love and experimenting.
Why is art important for kids? Art helps them to see beyond what is in front of us, gives them a world of unimaginable communication and helps them to understand that there are many ways to thinking about everything.
Challenge
Should school play a part? Definitely! Art for me was above all the other classes. I was fortunate to excel in most academic subjects but I was never as interested as I was in Art. Whilst I kept up my grades, the world was so much bigger when I was in an art class. Art can also engage children in such a different way, for example, my kids are so much more descriptive when they are drawing - they can explain a whole day's events in one drawing where they might struggle to explain this is words. Vision and imagination. in my opinion develop so much faster as a communication tool that language in children. If you weren't an artist what would you be? A surgeon, definitely! Random I know!
Techniques
Check out Laxmi’s different techniques and give it a try on one of these superb printables. Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. Visit her website at www. thislakshmi.com
As well as illustrating our beautiful shoot on page ??, Caz has produced work for advertising, publishing and the odd private commission or two… plus she has recently started working with walls (generally found in houses, offices, bedrooms, nurseries & commercial spaces) with her own customised wall paper and painted murals.
Caz Swanne
What is your most important artists tool? My hands and then pens. Maybe an 0.1 fineliner!
What do you love about art? It’s a bonkers job that means I’m drawing perfume bottles one day and painting on people’s How do you start a project? With lots of roughs, completed in pencil. I also faces the next! gather reference, lots of which is through surfing the web, which my University teachers would How did you become an artist? The rather conventional way, I went to art school, slap your hands for... and then wouldn’t take no for an answer when I Why is art important for kids? graduated! It is so very important! For them to learn to break the rules and just go a bit crazy in the name of What is your favourite piece of art? self expression. Life isn’t all about maths or sport, Jeff Koons bubble dog sculptures. this is a nice world where every kid can at least participate and get to make something. What inspires you? Art galleries, which I still need to take my one year old boy to go see, I think he really loves Should school play a part? Completely, but I think in a way perhaps that art bright colours. shouldn’t be graded, so many people I speak to are shamed at an early age into thinking they are Favourite place? not creative. As kids hearing ‘you can’t draw’ is so Japan - Studio Ghibli over Disney any day! inhibiting.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? Well, I was one of those studious kids who liked lots of subjects and reading. Maybe I’d have been a book reviewer or perhaps failing that, owner of ‘The Grubber’ (from The Giraffe, Pelly and Me’) Caz has illustrated two amazing cut and colour print outs (see below) where your child can colour in the characters, then cut them out and play dress up. You can be your very own stylist! Can you recognise the clothing from the new AW 17 collections? Once you’ve coloured in and styled your outfit, why not enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize.
To see more of Caz’s work visit her Instagram page @a_midnight_express
Ingrid Petrie
Ingrid Petrie offers a range of modern, design-led prints for kids spaces and the contemporary home. Ingrid designs all prints from her home studio in Glasgow and prints are produced locally using quality, environmentally-friendly paper.
out on a country or beach walk. What is your most important artists tool? My sketchbooks for the constant doodles. I then draw digitally but I am always overflowing with ideas so need to capture them as I go.
What do you love about art? So, so many things but probably mostly that it How do you start a project? Depending what it is, I’ll be discussing with a nurtures imagination. customer and sketching from that or if it’s my own thing probably drawing with the kids. How did you become an artist? I can’t remember a time I was never not creating something as I’m lucky to come from a very crea- Why is art important for kids? I see my daughter get so much benefit from it in tive and artistic family. terms of her own development, I think creating is so good for her sense of self. Whats your favourite piece of art? I love Matisse’s cut outs, though I couldn’t pick a Should school play a part? favourite! I love simple, expressive pieces. Of course, any chance for creativity to grow and develop should absolutely be encouraged and What inspires you? Everything! But especially drawing with my valued. daughter, who’s 5: she is a daily dose of inspiration. If you weren’t an artist what would you be? I have another job but it’s too boring to end on! I’ll say a writer, then I could still live in imaginary Favourite place? Cuddled up with the kids (if they’ll stay still) or worlds.
These gorgeous group of penguins by In- Enter our competition to be in with a grid Petrie can be printed out and colour- chance of winning a prize. ed in. Visit Ingrids website at www.ingridWhat colours will you choose for the rain- petriedesign.co.uk to see more prints and cute illustrations. bow? Wll you make the stars sparkle?
Doodle Moo
Doodlemoo is the creative mix of Emily, an illustrator-graphic designer and Chris, a fine artist-illustrator creating prints, cards and stationery. Their designs are full of colour, playfulness and humour combined with an element of design and typography.
Favourite place? One of my favourite places is the Southbank and East London there's just so much creativity going on. What is your most important artists tool? My brain
What do you love about art? I love the fact that there are infinite possibilities. How do you start a project? Anything can be art and it constantly surprises By doodling! and challenges you Why is art important for kids? Because it helps develop their imagination which How did you become an artist? I remember being encouraged early on by been is one of the most important things in life. Let's given the space and freedom to create. Plus I was them express themselves and explore the possibilities and look at the world slightly differently. always making, drawing, crafting. Should school play a part? What’s your favourite piece of art? MIRO is one of my favourite artist so any piece Definitely yes, schools should be encouraging children to create in a slightly different way and from Joan Miro. not focusing solely on stem subjects. What inspires you? It can be colours, an impactful image that stays If you weren't an artist what would you be? with me for a while, something that makes me I wanted to be an Astronaut or secretly an Acfeel a strong connection, then I translate it into tress! my own.
Doodle Moo have given us a selection of cute boxes to make and colour in. Choose from a doughnut, a unicorn and an icecream. Or why not print out all three?
Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. To see more of Doodle Moos’s work visit their website at www.doodlemoo.com.
Vanessa Stone People inspire me - their personal journeys, their resilience and their thirst for knowledge and adventure. What is your favourite place? I am a pure Moonraker and country girl, so being out in the fields and on Salisbury Plain is always the best place to be. Vanessa Stone is a cut paper artist based on the North Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire border. Vanessa uses a scalpel, scissors and glue to make really bold and intricate layered collages, using paper as her palette to cut into revealing shapes and forms. She is inspired by lots of the town and countryside around her and has developed these images into a range of greetings cards, tote bags and digital prints.
What is your most important tool? I naturally reach out for my scalpel these days as its a kind of extension of my hand! But i really, really cant do without a pencil as you can usually draw on most papery things! How do you start a project? I do a lot of research! Lots of thinking time, making notes and getting to the heart of whats really needed.
What do you love about art? I love its huge variety and how incredibly ingen- Why is art important to kids? ious humans are! Art is fundamental to children. Through art everything can be taught, but not just that...it How did you become an artist? teaches resilience, a real sense of self and it can I trained originally as a carpet and rug designer bring us all together when we become adults! Its on the uk’s only degree course but then tried all awesome! sorts of things from designing patterns for swimwear and stationery to being involved in making Should schools play a part? very ornate church embroideries! I started to spe- Yes, absolutely. It should be an essential part of cialise in cut paper from 2008 and haven’t looked each school day. Parents are equally important back...... too in giving out positive messages to their children that art is a very good thing. What is your favourite piece of art? Oh tricky! Very hard to choose.....impossible re- If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? ally! I love the work of artists Sassetta, Dufy, John I have wanted to be an artist since i was about Piper....its a long list! 16 so there was never anything else really, but I’d love to work on a farm as i LOVE talking to sheep What inspires you? and being near things that grow.
We are so lucky to have been given a template to make some amazing cut paper creations. Just follow the step by step instructions on how to make them on our website.
Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. For details of Vanessa’s artwork visit her website at www.vanessastoneartist.com. Š Vanessa Stone www.vanessastoneartist.com
Cut out each shape along the dotted line
‘Sas and Yosh’ the design house was founded in 2014 by two creative like minded artists Sarah Bellisario and Yoshie Allan. Their luxury and quirky, exclusive lifestyle collection includes wallpaper & wall stickers, printed tshirts & sweatshirts, beautifully hand made cushions & bags, stationery, homewares, art prints and more. What do you love about art? Everything! But particularly the way it can challenge you, amaze you, make you emotional and surprise you!
Sas & Yosh
Different cultures, pattern and colour Favourite place? Wrest Park and inside a good book. What is your most important artists tool? A pencil.
How did you become an artist? We have both always drawn and loved creating How do you start a project? art since we were kids, so its kind of something With a brief from a client or a theme that we that has become part of who we are. Born artists! decide would be fun to draw for our own stuff. Whats your favourite piece of art? Oh my goodness that an impossible question!!! Anything by Grayson Perry and Charlotte Gastaut, and a million other things. What inspires you?
Why is art important for kids? Art helps kids learn about freedom of expression, imagination and creativity. Also so much of art teaches us about history, culture and society, and engagement in the arts and cultural activities helps to develop critical thinking.
Should school play a part? YES! its one of my biggest bug bears that its overlooked in so many schools for the reasons in my answer above and especially when the creative industries contribute enormously to our economy (and are growing three times faster than the rest of the economy!) Soft subject (swears lots) If you weren’t an artist what would you be? An artist! Or a ballet dancer, or a historian.
Get lost in the magical world of Sas & Yosh with these stunning printables. There’s a monster menagerie and a beautiful mermaid design. Enter our colouring in competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. Visit the Sas & Yosh website at www. sasandyosh.com
nate to get a picture book deal when I graduated. What’s your favourite piece of art? Not one piece of art but my adored picture book collection, which I’ve gathered over many years. What inspires you? Nature, pattern, colour, fun and drawing and designing for children. How do you start a project? I always start with simple pencil and paper. Scribbling and sketching ideas, shapes and gestures. Favourite place? By the seaside. Myself and my family love days spent exploring the beach. What is your most important artists tool? My eyes for seeing and absorbing the world around me everyday. Always taking in new ideas and inspiration which I apply to my own work.
Little Carousel
Why is art important for kids? Art is a vital part of kids language and self-expression! It helps them to really look and see the world in a unique way. Art transcends all cultural and social barriers so it is wonderful for teaching children to accept and celebrate differences. Should school play a part? Absolutely! Art should be valued by schools and form a large part of the school’s curriculum and culture.
Colour, fun, character and playfulness are at the heart of Little Carousel. Colleen, the founder, takes inspiration everyday from time spent with her own young daughters and injects these experiences into her illustrations and handmade toys. If you weren’t an artist what would you be? A photographer or a Children’s bookshop owner! What do you love about art? I love that art continually surprises and delights. Little Carousel have given us this fab printable to allow your childs imagination to fly. What masThere are always new and exciting things to see terpiece will he or she come up with? in the art world. How did you become an artist? It was always my favourite subject at school. I studied it all through university and was fortu
Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a prize. Visit the Little Carousel website at www.littlecarousel.co.uk
Art Competition We are running a super-duper art competition for kids. Just click on the link below to go to the printables page and choose which one you’re going to colour in or make. Email a pic of your childs finished artwork to Little Flea Towers and we’ll choose a winner. Kids of any age can enter, we just want to see creativity and a love for getting arty shining through. There are three prizes - a £50, £30 and £20 voucher to spend on any Little Flea brand, plus an arty goodie bag for each winner!* Print out and get colouring *Terms and conditions apply.
1ST PRIZE
Fifty pound voucher to spend on any Little Flea brand plus an arty goodie bag
2ND PRIZE
Thirty pound voucher to spend on any Little Flea brand plus an arty goodie bag
3RD PRIZE
Twenty pound voucher to spend on any Little Flea brand plus an arty goodie bag
Mermaid artwork by Sas & Yosh