Skate Bag

Custom for my skates!!  Thanks Tess at Beehive Sewing for the help!

Sewing Still Life

9"x12"

Yellow Warbler

12"x12" Acrylic on canvas

Bluebird

12"x12" Acrylic on canvas

Bird Celebration

20"x20" Acrylic on canvas

This piece will be in the upcoming group show at the Barnes Gallery at the Leverett Crafts & Arts Center.   The Opening Reception is Saturday, March 17, 1-4p.  There will be live music and refreshments.  I have six new paintings in this show. 

Still Life Practice

8"x10" Acrylic on canvas

First time I've painted in months!  Glad to get back to painting - thanks to Louise Minks for holding her winter painting class, which is always an inspiration.  This was an exercise using just two colors (a light and a dark) to paint a quick study.  I also tried to limit my brushstrokes to keep it fresh and fast.

The Nebula Shirt

Theo's request actualized! 

Flannel Shirts

It's that time of year.....time for flannels.....long or short sleeves.

Perfecting the Shirt!

Love making shirts for my boys!  Will picked out the fabrics....check out the buttons on the music shirt (black)

Sandwich Wrappers

Octogonal Sandwich Wrappers

(with food safe PUL liner)

Love these!!!!  Food safe PUL liner material from Wazoodle.com.

Can you tell whose sandwich wrapper is whose?? 😄

Science Shirts

Made these "Science" Shirts using McCall's M6972 pattern.  Love making custom shirts!!  Having fun expanding my sewing abilities.  Thanks to Tess at Beehive Sewing in Northampton - wonderful sewing classes, studio space and ongoing help!

Throw Pillow Covers

Throw Pillow Covers

Having fun in my latest adventure in sewing.  

Happy Pi Day!

Numbers circle around the hat

Numbers just on front of hat

A Successful Show Opening!

 Theo  staffing the kids refreshment table

Thanks to everyone for coming!  The show runs thru Sunday, April 2nd at Sawmill River Arts.

Gallery Hours:

Monday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tuesday, closed

Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Thursday – Sunday, noon – 6 p.m.

At Bat

5"x7"

Acrylic on Canvas

Baseball & Ballet

Art Opening This Sunday, March 12th

1p-4p at Sawmill River Arts Gallery

(please click on the link for info and directions to the Gallery)

Located at the Montague Bookmill Complex, Sawmill River Arts Gallery is a cooperative gallery of local artisans.  Although no longer a member, I was a founding member and am happy to be this month's guest exhibitor.

Please stop by and enjoy the art, environment and refreshments!  Hope to see you there!

Not Mine

5"x7" Acrylic on Canvas

On the Field

5"x7" Acrylic on Canvas

Amherst Baseball Little League......gotta love the 6 year olds daydreaming on the field!

Bluebird with Berry

6"x6"

This will also be in Louise Minks' "Birds & Butterflies" student show at Leverett Crafts & Arts Barnes Gallery on Saturday (March 11th), 2p - 4p.   

Warbler

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas

This will be in Louise Minks' "Birds & Butterflies" student show at Leverett Crafts & Arts Barnes Gallery on Saturday (March 11th), 2p - 4p.   

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.