Turn Your Pregnant Belly into a Work of Art

Now here's an idea that would make an unusual gift for any mother-to-be. It's called Art Bellies and it's all about turning your pregnant silhouette into a work of art inspired by Japanese brush painting.

"Pregnancy is a time of beauty and our easy-to-use art kits let expecting families capture this precious moment in a truly novel way," said Paola Dias, owner of Art Bellies.

The idea for the kit came about when Paola and her husband Michael decided to trace her growing belly against the wall to visually track the changes. They then started experimenting with different canvases, brushes, inks and paints and eventually hit upon a combination that made their jaws drop.

They made a few kits to give away as gifts and people were so excited by them they wanted more.

"We certainly didn't set off to create a business - especially in this economic climate - but things grew organically and we truly love and believe in what we offer to new families," said Michael. "There are no words to describe the joy of seeing your partner and your little baby turned into a unique work of art."

Art Bellies pregnancy art kits are easy to use and require no special skills or artistic background. Each kit contains three sheets of handmade paper which serve as the canvases, 6 sheets of practice paper, a one ounce bottle of earth-friendly Japanese calligraphy ink, 2 high-quality sheep hair calligraphy brushes, natural earthen dyes (in either Earth, Water, Fire or Air colors) and a full instruction booklet that guides the process step by step.

Each pregnancy art kit will create at least three different types of pregnancy portraits. Make a bold Asian-inspired Zen-like outline that depicts the pregnant silhouette. Play with colors for a two-tone print or creatively track the pregnancy by tracing the belly every few weeks.

When my son was little, we did the marks on the wall to show his growth, Art Bellies is a lovely translation of that same idea beginning when your child is at the very start of his journey.

If you want to know more, visit Art Bellies online.

What do you think of this idea? Would you like to immortalize your shape as a work of art?