I love this little decorative tray! I have one on the wall in our bedroom, and another in the new bathroom.

I had to take it off the wall and into the art studio to use as inspiration.

The colors, patterns, flowers, and birds immediately sparked some ideas:

1) I need to draw birds!

2) I need to felt these flowers!

3) I see a kids’ art project using sponges as stamps to make the triangle pattern!

4) I love this color palette!

It was nice to have a guide to loosely follow for this needle felted flower.

This felting uses the color palette: cream, tan, pale pink, greens, orange

Let’s be honest, I say this is a kids’ art project, but just as fun for adults! I used sponges cut in triangles to make the triangle border. Painted flowers with acrylic paint for the border. I drew one bird with pencil and one is watercolor painted. Then it gets all glued together as a mixed media collage. (Along with scrapbook paper). The finished product is a totally different vibe than the tray inspiration piece – especially with the black background (can’t help myself!) but all the elements are there.

Then I took to the iPad…adding the tray photo, color palette, and practicing drawing

Need lots of practice with birds! I found it easier to draw birds with a real pencil, rather than on the iPad.

More drawing practice. I enjoyed the challenge of copy and practice, using the images to inspire and spark more creativity.

I looked it up online and saw that the tray was probably made in 1980; not quite an antique!

Here is where the tray lives in our room. I’m trying to fill the wall with flowers!

And the other in the bathroom, more flowers. I don’t apologize for flowers. That’s how God chooses to decorate, so it’s a good plan to follow! 🤣

All in all, a super inspiring piece to spark lots of creativity.