The ALEXADENAUER collection is inspired by children & cultures. It started out with a set of four elephants - an interpretation of photos of Indian elephants once published in National Geographic . Elephants are supposed to bring good luck & longevity in some cultures so it seems fitting as a start to the collection made for children.

The general feel of the animals in this collection convey symmetry and therefore harmony. Before sketching out an animal I research on features of the animals, compare and contrast features I like & find friendly - even the slightest bump a little too high or too low might make an animal look dull or angry. I make sure they look sweet & gentle by combining the nicest features in my sketches. While the symmetry reflects a bit of perfectionism, the designs & patterns on the bodies of the animals are not "perfect" - this has turned into a conscious decision.

The patterns reflect a childlike character, are playful & more natural. It has turned into a meditative process while painting, reminding of the fact that we must teach our children that not all which is "perfect" is beautiful. Also when looked at closely, not one animal is exactly the same as the other, reminding us that everyone & everything is unique. That is the main message in this art.

The designs & patterns on the animals take their inspiration from the countries I have visited (but also those I have been lucky enough to live in: Costa Rica, USA, Germany, France, Switzerland...). I am fascinated by the development of patterns & their importance in every day lives in different cultures (& also the astounding similarities some patterns might have in countries so far apart from each other).

If a client choses to personalize the paintings with titles (or even a choice of colors), it is equally possible to teach children names of animals, their colors or languages to name a few. Thus education can be beautiful, colorful & fun.

A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF & MY INSPIRATION

On January 2014 our little daughter was born and ever since I have felt even happier than I could have ever imagined. She is my source of inspiration.

I have a BS in Communication with a Major in Advertising (Boston University, USA) & a Master in International Business (HTW in Dresden, Germany). But already at a very young age, while growing up in Costa Rica, my mother caught me painting my clothes, crafting with wood, painting human-sized paintings on my closets, & well just doing anything creative. I strived in my art classes in high school & always gave it my 150% . Art always made me happy.

But it is only until now, as a proud full-time mother, that I have started to do what I truly love again (drawing and painting…I love crafting too but thats another story) & thanks to my family & friends I have been encouraged to "make something" out of what I do.

My aim is to draw things that are educational, inspirational & aesthetically pleasing (for children as well as for parents...& honestly for whoever might like my art as well) . I am continuing to draw and paint more pieces, however as a full-time mother, things don't go as quickly as they used to. But I assure you I am working on it to the best of my abilities.

I hope my art will add as much warmth and joy to any home, just as they do for our daughter. Thank you for taking your time to visit my site and please stay tuned as I will be working on this site continuously.

Feel free to follow me on Instagram & Facebook @alexadenauer

Or visit my site : www.alexadenauer.com