On the Bench

16"x 20" Acrylic on Canvas
sold

The Mean Green Machine - kindergartners Amherst Baseball 2016.

Be Ready for the Next March!

E=MC(squared) Hat

Pi Hat

I have a variety of pussycat hats crocheted and can do custom hats if you do not see a color / material you like.  Crocheted with love and empowerment!  To view what is available today, please visit my Etsy store:  WillaDoreCrafts or email me at lanafiala@gmail.com

Be ready for the next march - a "March for Science" is taking shape to happen in Boston on April 22 (Earth Day).  

Living near Webs, the largest yarn store in the country,  I go often to find beautiful discounted yarns so I can pass on those savings to you.

I'm donating $1 to Planned Parenthood for each hat sold.  

Getting Ready

18"x24" Acrylic on canvas

Getting Ready to go onstage!

Bubble I, Bubble II & Bubble III

The Bubble Triptych

18"x 24" Acrylic on canvas

This is my triptych "The Bubble" depicting my son, Theo, in a pre-ballet class at Amherst Ballet.  Ms. Kelly taught them to "blow a bubble" to learn how to raise their arms above their heads.  They were warming up for their big end of the year performance at Bowker Auditorium.  Theo was 5 years old at the time, having just finished his last year of preschool.

This photo was taken at my participation in the Amherst Art Walk at the Emily Dickinson Museum, "Art at the Homestead."  Not the most even of lighting, but a great event!  

The Bubble

12"x36" Acrylic on canvas

Study for what will be three larger paintings

Practice

12"x12" Acrylic on canvas

Children's Cupcake Hats

Hand crocheted "cupcake" hats.  A variety of colors and sprinkles topped with a cherry.  Now available at Sawmill River Arts at the Montague Mill.

Getting Ready - study

11"x14" Acrylic on canvas

Study for a larger version -
Theo's dance class getting ready for their big spring performance at Amherst Ballet.

Montague Mill Montage

24"x 24" Acrylic on canvas

Done after the photo collage by Roy Mansur, a fellow member of Sawmill River Arts.

Getting Ready

5"x8" Pen on Paper

Theo's dance class getting ready to go on stage!

Sammi at the Window

8"x10" Pen on Paper

Getting back into my sketching.

Autumn Lane - Montague

12"x16" Acrylic on canvas

An early autumn painting.....en plain air in Montague, MA this past Monday.

Mill Montage

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas
sold

This little study is based off of fellow Sawmill River Arts member, Roy Mansur's photo collage of the Montague Mill.  I'm working on a 24"x24" version.

North Leverett

12"x12" Acrylic on canvas

This is the North Leverett Baptist Church and Leverett Mill.  

BTO/OSN ("Boston")

12"x12" Mixed media on canvas

When my twins were 3 years old, they’d get hold of post-it pads and scribble all over them….leaving little heaps.  I came across these little treasures (below) after they had spent some time copying city names onto a pad. Inspired by the patterns of the mixed up/merged letters as well as the fun of figuring out the city name, I’m working on a series of collage/paintings using this “technique” of which BTO/OSN (“Boston”) is the first.

City Names (below):  “Paris”, “Instanbul”, “Budapest”, “Boston”

Lady Killigrew Cafe - Montague Mill

24"x24" Acrylic on canvas  
sold

If you know the Montague Bookmill, you know the Lady Killigrew Cafe.  This is a relatively large canvas for me and was lots of fun to paint.

Lady Killigrew Study

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas
sold

Study for larger painting.

Beacon Hill

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas

A fun little impression of houses on Beacon Hill.

Wish for Spring

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas

Hoping this long New England winter is finally coming to an end, I came across a little post-it note written sometime in the last year by my son, Will, who was then 3-years old:

"One Day I Saw An Ant"..... and was inspired to paint a little wish-for-spring painting.  The ant didn't make it into the painting, but two friendly lady-bugs and a busy blue dragonfly did.

WillaDore Balms

Introducing my line of handcrafted balms, WillaDore™.   

Named for my twin boys, William and Theodore, WillaDore™ Balms are made with love in small batches in Amherst, MA, and contain no preservatives or petroleum products.  They are currently available at Sawmill River Arts at the Montague Mill, Montague.

WillaDore™Comfort Chest Rub
WillaDore™Sleepy Time Balm
WillaDore™Calendula Salve

WillaDore™"Theo's Treat my Feet" Balm
WillaDore™"Treat my Feet" Kit which includes the WillaDore™"Treat my Feet" Balm, a pumice stone and cozy non-skid socks

WillaDore Chest Rub

With 4-year old twins, our household often has at least one stuffed nose.  I found myself using a popular vapor rub on my boys quite often.  After doing some research, I was alarmed to learn that this particularly well-known vapor rub included petroleum products and even “turpentine oil."  Although listed under “inactive ingredients," it’s hard to see any benefit these ingredients, even in small quantities, could add.  Using healthy, simple and recognizable ingredients , I crafted my own small-batch, home-made version.  After trying various combinations, we perfected the WillaDore™ Chest Rub – named for my boys, William and Theodore.  I’m thrilled that my little boys will grow up with the natural scent of a homemade chest rub to make all the colds and stuffed-up noses a little bit more bearable.  I hope that the WillaDore™ Chest Rub will be shared with your family too.

Note:  contains essential oil of peppermint, which should not be used on children under 2 ½ years old.   The WillaDore™ Sleepy Time Balm is gentle enough for babies 6 months and older.

WillaDore Sleepy Time Balm

After coming up with a chest rub that is a success with my then 3 ½ year old twins, I wanted to formulate a natural balm similar to the WillaDore™Chest Rub gentle enough for babies.  The WillaDore™ Sleepy Time Balm contains essential oils safe for babies that traditionally encourage relaxation and sleep, including chamomile and lavender.  For babies 6 months and older, massage onto bottom of feet.  Can apply on chest rub for older children.

Also a great bedtime moisturizer and de-stresser for grown-ups!  Dab in your dry, wintertime nose before bed.  For babies 6 months and older, massage onto bottom of feet.  Can apply on chest rub for older children.

WillaDore Calendula Salve

The WillaDore Calendula Salve is an all-purpose salve to moisturize, protect and promote healing.  This is my go-to everything salve that I carry with me daily.  With the constant hand-washing parents of young children endure, hands can become dry and cracked, especially in the winter months.  Year-round, I use the WillaDore Calendula Salve as a hand salve and lip balm to help keep dry, cracked skin at bay as well as sooth the countless scrapes my twin boys accumulate.

Made with the one of the highest absorbable natural base oil (grape seed oil) and butter (mango butter), this salve absorbs quickly.  The grape seed oil is infused, over low heat, with dried calendula flowers.  Calendula (marigold) flowers have been used for centuries to heal wounds and skin irritations.  Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent and anti fungal properties.  It is useful for treating minor wounds, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed skin and is gentle enough for babies, children and animals.  A little goes a long way; rub a pea-sized amount on affected area and add more as needed.

Theo's "Treat My Feet" Peppermint & Tea Tree Balm

Rejuvenate tired, dry feet.  A combination of coconut oil, olive oil and cocoa butter, this balm delivers luxurious hydration.  Essential oils of peppermint, tea tree, lavender and chamomile add disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, anti fungal and antiseptic properties to cool and relax tired muscles while energizing the spirit.  Best used in conjunction with pumice stone and socks, as sold in the WillaDore "Treat my Feet" Kit.

WillaDore Summer Balm

 Cool down and calm nerves with the WillaDore™ Summer Balm.  This aromatic balm contains essential oils traditionally used to sooth and balance the central nervous system as well as subdue surface heat and skin inflammation.  Massage a small amount on your temples, under your nose, on nape of neck or on pulse points (wrists, inside elbows, back of knees, under earlobes.)  Or, simply breath deeply from tin for 10 to 15 breaths.  Here's looking forward to not only surviving this season's heat, but also enjoying the rest of our summer with the aromatic WillaDore™ Summer Balm.

Window Perch

16"x24" Acrylic on canvas board

This is a "snapshot" looking down on the Sawmill River from the walkway above.  The building is just a sliver of the Mill....a small roof under a window of the Lady Killigrew Cafe. 

Glimpse Series - View from Mt. Sugarloaf

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas
sold

This is a miniature of the same composition of a larger piece (20"x 20"), "Mt. Sugarloaf - Autumn", I did in the fall of 2011.  I really like my composition of the CT river on a square format and thought it would be fun to try varieties of colors, textures and even styles for my "Glimpse" series.

Glimpse Series - Gables

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas
sold

View of the Bookmill gables and roof tops from one of the Sawmill River Arts windows.

Flower Sill

8"x10" Acrylic on Canvas
sold

This little vase of flowers was sitting on the window sill at the gallery during my last shift.

Blue Door - Montague Mill

8"x10" Acrylic on canvas
sold

The view of the Bookmill and bridge from Sawmill River Arts at the Montague Mill.

Glimpse Series: Sawmill River Arts

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas
sold

Looking out on our lovely sign (which I helped paint).  I was attracted to the light and shadow of this little scene from the front porch of Sawmill River Arts at the Montague Mill.

Glimpse Series: Night Kitchen

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas

sold

This is our view looking out our backdoor at Sawmill River Arts.

Detailed Perspective I

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas
sold

I really liked this segment of "Certain Perspective", so I painted this from my other painting....a fun exercise.

Certain Perspective - Montague Mill

12" x 36" Acrylic on canvas

A viewscape from Sawmill River Arts at the Montague Mill looking out on the bridge that leads to the Bookmill.

Amherst College Art Mug

11oz ceramic mug

$11.95  

online price

This Mug features The Octagon, Mead Art Museum & Stearns Steeple, Johnson Chapel, Pratt (now Pratt dormitory), the Robert Frost sculpture and Memorial Hill with its iconic view of The Notch.

If you are an Amherst Alum interested in placing an order for class souvenirs, please email me and I can send you a price list including discounts for bulk orders and/or customization.  Here is a sample:

If you are interested in additional Amherst sites, please view the rest of my blog.  I also have several other art mugs:  The Emily Dickinson Art Mug and The Five-College Art Mug.