Are Nayolia art sessions available year-round?

The warm weather months are beautiful for paint sessions to be held outside. Your own yard is perfect for this.

And yes! During the cooler winter months, we are equipped to run paint sessions in my newly retrofitted Thornhill studio! If our scheduled date looks like rain there’s always that fallback during the summer too. 

Don’t wait if you’ve been wanting to do this- any season, holiday, or celebration year round is perfect.

Do you sell a kit for us to do this at home, on our own?

It’s awesome that your kids enjoy getting creative at home. However, Nayolia art is different in that it’s guided by my expertise and style, and so the results are really a collaborative experience - guaranteed to be worthy of showcasing.

Are the paints safe for my baby?

Safety is always the main priority. All paints are certified non-toxic and safe if accidentally ingested. Babies who are currently mouthing are encouraged to come with a pacifier if they take one.. because yuck, right? 

At what age can my child create their own Nayolia masterpiece?

Babies younger than 12 months make the cutest hand and footprints but can’t do this on their own! They can definitely get involved if they have older siblings though. I love to save the baby prints for the end so they remain visible and part of an adorable family collaboration. Starting from about 18 months (depending on your child’s interest, and ability to follow/copy directions) is old enough to create their own art. We utilize techniques using hands, feet, groove and print making tools, so your child can experiment with all of these. 

How long does the whole experience take- start to finish? 

Before your session, you will want to take a bit of thought and time as to the placement in your home, colours, and sizing you want to go with. Once that’s finalized, I prepare your canvas for your session. The background gets a first layer of colour, and I like to make sure the colours are working well together. This takes a couple of days. 

After your session: the paint will take 24 hours to fully dry and over the next couple of days will undergo a few layers of high gloss to keep it protected from dust and damage.  At that point, it’s up to your framer to have your art stretched so it’s ready to be hung. This can take 2 weeks or more, depending on where you go. Total time depends on availability from booking, but can be as little as one month till your finished artwork is in your home.

What is stretching and framing- and is that part of my Nayolia art package? 

Similar to photography sessions where you are after an artistic eye and beautiful memories (but not necessarily the hard copy for your wall), there is still the component of readying the artwork to be hung which I am not equipped to do. 

“Stretching” is the processs where the loose canvas and a wooden backing meet.

The canvas gets wrapped (stretched) around the wood so all you see is the artwork on the sides. It’s now ready to hang. 

Stretching canvas involves stocking large pieces of wood in many sizes and the proper tools to build the frames. The artwork does need to be stretched, but framing it is your choice. 

However, I am always happy to facilitate the stretching and framing aspect for you with a local framer to help make sure your artwork is up and ready to be enjoyed as soon as possible! 

What if my child doesn’t like... painting?

Lets be real- it’s possible they won’t enjoy this at all, right? But kids can change their minds like the flip of a light switch, and as parents we can support that by allowing them the flexibility to try and keep making those decisions for themselves. 

It’s entirely possible this will be a new experience where they will... have the satisfaction of squeezing out an entire tube of a paint... love getting completely messy... and be apart of something beautiful that they could be proud of. New experiences are often the best things we can give our kids.