At last we get to take a closer look at Lulu, aka Tuffets ‘n Bows, aka…the girly chair. This one is just so much fun to paint! I love the color palette, all vivid pastels, and the riot of ribbons going every which way, and most especially the velvety lavender pillow. I wish I had a real pillow like that. I would carry it around with me and put it on every chair I ever sat on, and instantly feel princessy and pampered.
Hopefully those feelings will translate to the past and future owners of this model, because that’s what I was going for. I know of one young lady who drags hers to her desk for homework, and then to the dining table for dinner time–that is some serious commitment to princess-hood which I applaud.
In this model’s second incarnation, the client asked me if there was any way I could work in dinosaurs, as her granddaughter had a current passion for them. This was a puzzler for a while–should I throw in a stegosaurus and drape some ribbons around its neck? Should there be an inexplicably benevolent T-rex reclining on the cushion? It took a while, but I finally came up with a solution that I felt wouldn’t be too jarring: I designed a crest with a Triceratops Rampant, and painted it in gold on the aqua field just under the front of the seat. I have to say I found the little guy rather fetching–and hello, the fact that triceratops have a frill made it sort of a perfect fit with this frilly chair–and the client was pretty pleased with it.
It wasn’t until its third incarnation that this model won its name…it couldn’t be helped, the little girl I made it for is everything this chair is going for, and her name is just…well, perfect. So, here you go, meet Lulu. She’s a sweetheart.
Lara Eve Designs 