The story of Nayolia Child Art begins on a sweltering Florida afternoon in 2012, when my 18-month-old daughter and I went outside to play around with some paint. I had a four foot sheet of raw duck cloth lying around, so I plopped her down in the middle of it and we started squeezing out the paint. She thought the sounds were hilarious, so we squeezed out more, all over the cloth.

Before long, her baby soft arms and legs were glistening with metallic gold, plum purples, and cranberry. She was so pleased, and we played around until every inch was covered. A week later, we hung her masterpiece over our family room sofa. In a wonderful plot twist- it was spectacular!

And then an interesting thing happened. As life continued, I noticed jaw-dropping reactions to the new piece we’d acquired by almost everyone who entered our home. Friends started requesting that I “make one with their children” too.

And so, the Nayolia concept was born. Nayolia is an amalgamation of my children’s names: Talia, Naomi, Ayla, and Nate. This combination felt elegant, yet fun and nostalgic- which is exactly how I view this venture. For most people, it seems to be so many things at once: a tangible reminder of the tiny parts their children once had, a completely customizable gallery- quality art, and the impactful result of when family comes together to create something magnificent to cherish.

Today, much of my early-day process remains the same, while additional details continue to emerge as I find artistic inspiration in each family that I work with. Before the session, I spend time discussing painting dimensions and customizing a color palette for my clients. The family members arrive in paint attire, and the session is guided using hands and feet, along with some fun texture-making rollers and tools. Afterwards the artwork is finished and glossed, then stretched and framed. Once the finished piece of artwork is delivered, the children involved feel so proud!