A bespoke nursery commission featuring hand-illustrated wildlife animals for each letter of a baby's name
Sometimes a commission comes along that reminds you exactly why you do what you do.
The Brief: A Unique New Baby Gift
A little while ago, I was approached by a couple who had just welcomed their baby daughter, Chiara, into the world. They wanted something special to mark her arrival — not a generic print or a mass-produced keepsake, but a truly one-of-a-kind piece of personalised nursery wall art. Something they could hang in her nursery now and that she'd treasure as she grew up. A hand-painted momento of the very beginning of her story.
Their idea was beautiful in its simplicity: paint Chiara's name in watercolour, and bring each letter to life with an animal illustration whose name begins with that letter.
Researching and Illustrating the Animals
This was the part I loved most. Six letters meant six animals to research, sketch, and get to know. I spent time studying each one — not just how they look, but how they move, how they hold themselves, the textures of their fur and skin, and the little details that make each species unmistakable.
A cheetah cub clinging to the C, all oversized paws and spotted fur. A hippo calf — one of my favourite animals to paint — leaning against the H with that wonderful rounded bulk. An indri lemur wrapping around the I, striking in black and white. An aardvark tucked into the first A with those extraordinary ears. A rhino calf nudging against the R, all armour plating and gentle eyes. And another A, this time with a small, quiet aardvark — because Chiara has two As, and I wanted each one to feel different.
Every animal had its own personality, and the challenge was letting that come through while keeping the composition balanced — each creature interacting with its letter rather than just sitting beside it.
The Watercolour Painting Process
I painted the piece entirely by hand in watercolour, building up the animal illustrations layer by layer. Fur and skin textures are where watercolour really shines — you can capture the softness in a hippo's skin, the fine spotted pattern on a cheetah's coat, and the roughness of a rhino's hide, all within the same painting. The teal lettering ties everything together and gives the piece a sense of colour and warmth that works beautifully as nursery wall art.
The trickiest part was getting the animals to feel as though they belong with the letters — climbing over them, leaning against them, peering around them — rather than looking like they've been placed on top. I wanted it to feel playful and natural, the way a children's book illustration might.
A Keepsake That Means Something
When Chiara's parents received the finished painting, they told me it was the most unique thing they had to celebrate the birth of their daughter. That meant everything to me.
There are so many beautiful ways to mark a new arrival, but there's something about a hand-painted piece of art that carries a different kind of weight. It can't be duplicated. It was made slowly, with care, thinking about this particular child and this particular name. And one day, when Chiara is old enough to understand, she'll know that someone sat down with a fine brush and a palette of watercolours and painted a cheetah, a hippo, a lemur, an aardvark, and a rhino — just for her.
Commission a Personalised Name Painting
If you're looking for a personalised baby gift, a christening present, or a unique piece of nursery wall art, I'd love to create a bespoke watercolour name painting for you. Every name brings a different set of animals and a different composition, so no two paintings are ever the same.
Each commission is hand-painted in watercolour and created to be framed and displayed as a lasting keepsake. Whether it's for a new baby, a first birthday, or a special occasion, a personalised name painting makes a gift that will be treasured for years to come.
Get in touch via email bozena@bozenallisonstudio.com or drop me a message on Instagram @bozenaallisonstudio to discuss your commission.
Bozena Allison is a watercolour artist and illustrator specialising in wildlife and nature illustration. Based in the UK, she creates hand-painted greeting cards, art prints, and bespoke commissions through bozenaallisonSTUDIO.com.