On the Other Hand...

There is something acrylics are good for.  Canvas!

As soon as my good friend told me she was pregnant and what bedding she'd chosen for her little girl, I knew what I wanted to do.  It's called "Zoo Garden," but my friend called it "Purple Jungle."  I immediately found what she meant online when I got home that night.

 

Really cute!  I decided that I wanted to do a painting that went with the set, without actually matching, so I wouldn't just be copying.  And the fact that my friend had called the set "Purple Jungle" gave me a little license to add other animals that are found in the jungle.  I looked up giraffes, elephants, and hippos to make sure, and confirmed that they're all found in Africa.  Well, so are zebras and feral honey bees, so I added those too!  After all, zebras are really cute, and it just wouldn't be "me" without bees.

 

I drew it out first in pencil and Sharpie on paper to get the placement down, and then tackled the canvas with a vine charcoal stick.

 

I wanted to avoid black, and keep the paint colors soft ,but not bland.  It was a fine line to walk, for sure.

But in the end, I think I accomplished what I wanted, and my friend loved it!  Hopefully as her daughter grows up, she loves it too.