We’re so excited to share our newest collaboration with West Elm Kids: a collection of artwork by some of our favorite independent artists, all framed by us. This lineup is full of playfulness and personality, featuring animals, abstract forms, florals, and more. This collection was designed to grow with your kids and spark creativity at every stage.
To mark the launch, we caught up with a few of the featured artists to hear more about their process, what inspires them, and how they envision their art bringing joy into kids’ spaces. Read more below.
Photo by West Elm Kids, featuring art by Sally Murphy Design
For those new to your work, can you share a brief introduction about yourself as an artist?
Evelyn Henson: "I grew up in GA, with a deep appreciation for creativity, and I discovered my true passion for painting in college after deciding to paint a floral still life for Mother's Day. Since then, I haven't put down the paintbrush—art brings out my brightest, happiest self and helps me find joy in everyday moments."
Christopher David Ryan (CDR): "I seek to create simple yet emotive works that explore themes of positivity, connection, and curiosity, with a style that blends graphic sensibilities with touches of whimsy, aiming to spark joy and inspire reflection."
Sally Murphy Design: "I am a surface designer that lives outside of Boston. My work is inspired by the natural beauty around my home and my slight obsession with my flower gardens."
Shelby Monteverde: "I look for beauty in the magical mundane details of even our most common days, and I find comfort in the nostalgic feelings of the days that have already come to pass. It is my calling to listen to my heart and follow my eyes and let my hands lead the way into creating paintings that bring attention back to the things that really matter."
Lana's Shop: "Hi new friends, I am a mama of two and nature lover who hand-illustrates (mostly in gouache paint) cheerful paper goods ranging from stationery to wallpaper. Everything I create is with the intention of helping spread kindness and smiles, one design at a time. Simple moments shared outdoors with my family in the mountains are what inspire me most."
Ampersand Design Studio: "Together, Morgan Georgie & Carrie Kiefer, make up the wildly fun Kansas City-based art and design partnership, Ampersand Design Studio. Carrie & Morgan’s combined style is modern, artful and always colorful! Morgan met Ampersand co-founder, Carrie Kiefer, in college. They both worked at Hallmark Cards for almost a decade before deciding in 2009 to follow their longtime dream of starting a business creating patterns and artwork for modern, everyday living. These days, Ampersand Design Studio sells goods out of their Kansas City brick & mortar shop, but they also license art and surface pattern to partner companies on products like fabric by the yard, stationery goods, home decor, bedding, rugs and wall art!"
Photo from West Elm Kids, featuring art by Christopher David Ryan
What inspires your work for West Elm Kids?
CDR: "The collection was inspired by the boundless imagination and creativity of children. I wanted to create pieces that feel open to interpretation, where each viewer—child or adult—can find their own story."
Sally Murphy: "My favorite piece for West Elm Kids this season is my 'Stand Tall' print that illustrates coneflowers from my garden. I was inspired to make this print for my daughter's room and added the inspirational message on the bottom to remind her to always 'Stand Tall.'"
Shelby Monteverde: "I had just finished a collection of paintings that were full of tight gestures and straight lines, so I was craving movement that was lumpy and organic and free! What’s lumpier than a duck!?"
Lana's Shop: "My best friend’s daughter's name is Daisy and I was thinking, what would I want to make for her. There are so many gorgeous Daisy designs out there that I really wanted to make an art print that felt different. And for the safari prints, I’ve been lucky enough to go on safari in South Africa, so I have my own camera rolls of inspiration to paint from. These animals, that I’ve seen up close, are magical and near and dear to my heart."
What does your creative process look like?
Evelyn Henson: "I start with an inspiration board that includes both images of the subject, color palettes I love, interiors/rooms I like, etc. From there, I draft sketches using Procreate on my iPad... Once I have sketches that I feel confident in, I start painting using those as a reference point."
CDR: "My process starts with a lot of exploration, primarily through drawing—sketching out ideas and experimenting with forms and colors. I often lean into spontaneity... Once the overall foundation feels right, I refine the compositions, executing them in various media before finishing them digitally."
Shelby Monteverde: "I had a reference photo/mood board taped to my easel and a timer set for one hour... I painted 'Summer Haze' from start to finish in exactly one hour, which is not usually the case for a painting. However, this one came about so effortlessly."
Ampersand Design Studio: "Our creative process always starts out by old school sketching with pencil and paper, then we move to creating with paint, collage and digitally. One of our favorite mediums is cut paper, so our studio is constantly filled with painted papers in the entire spectrum of the rainbow and leftover pieces from cut-out shapes of all sorts. We work closely together and frequently work on the same piece together. Once we have moved any creation to the computer, we even share files back and forth until we've landed on the perfect color combinations!"
Photo from West Elm Kids, featuring art by Lana's Shop
How do you imagine kids engaging with your art?
CDR: "Kids might see entire worlds in the compositions—while adults might connect with the balance of form and color on a more abstract level. I love how children bring their own uninhibited perspectives."
Shelby Monteverde: "For some reason, I imagine a child looking at this and quacking. Maybe that’s because my daughter is a little over a year old and we are teaching her all the animal sounds."
Lana's Shop: "My hope is that the artwork will grow with kids as they grow. So, while I can see the giraffe in a nursery, it could also work for an older child, or animal loving adult. It could be incredible in a kid's bedroom but also a bathroom or dining room. My designs are all a bit whimsical with tons of heart to be appreciated and enjoyed at any age."
Ampersand Design Studio: "We LOVE seeing art through the eyes of kids and we frequently ask our own kids what they think! Carrie has three kids ranging from 2nd grade to 8th grade and Morgan has two kids, a 4th grader and 8th grader. So we have a pretty great sampling of ages to get opinions from in our own homes :) They always see things in a different way than we see them and it's so refreshing."
Any favorite pieces or styling tips?
CDR: "I'd choose 'In The Shade'. I’d love to see any of the pieces in the collection paired with a clean white mat and a natural wood frame to let the artwork shine while adding warmth to the room."
Evelyn Henson: "All the scallop things—that’s my favorite decorating detail right now and I think scallops play so well with the butterflies and fish... almost reminiscent of the butterfly wings and fish scales!"
Sally Murphy: "This print is the perfect complement to the Flower Table Lamp and Flower Floor Lamp; they share the same green colors to create the perfect garden setting for any nursery or kid's room."
Shelby Monteverde: "I am obsessed with this cloud baby blanket hung over the crib. Maybe because this painting is pretty much all yellow sort of acting like the sun, I like the way it looks paired with a blue sky and clouds."
Lana's Shop: "I adore the National Geographic Rug paired with the dinosaur print and I think any of the other safari animals would be great with this rug too. The colors all tie together so nicely."
Ampersand Design Studios: Morgan says, " I just love the modern whimsy going on in "Shape Collage"! it's playful, fun and feels like a little portal into a child's imagination. I'd pick a white or black frame with mat and hope this piece gets to live on a colorful wall!" and Carrie says, "I'm partial to the "Mod Floral" collection and I think they'd be stunning as a set of four in the natural wood frame with no mat! It's a current take on pop-art with a floral twist"
Photo by West Elm Kids, featuring art by Lana's Shop and Sally Murphy Design
Maybe even more than adults, artwork in a kid's room or space can spark creativity, imagination, and play. That’s why we were so honored to expand our printing and framing support for West Elm into the Kids realm and invite new and existing artists into these collaborations to showcase their vibrant works.
For art inspiration beyond this collection, check out:
- Lana's Shop
- Christopher David Ryan
- Shelby Monteverde
- Sally Murphy Design
- Ampersand Design Studio
- Evelyn Henson
