Update: June 30, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS, ARIA!

After two weeks of long deliberation we are thrilled to announce the winner of the Bliss Kids Arts Festival - eleven year old Aria Curameng from Fort Washington, Maryland.

Aria’s design submission stood out for its creativity, imagination and technique. A composition of Thai inspired elements including a Buddha head, a warrior, an elephant, and exotic birds, the design is a bright color story of red, purple, blue, yellow, and green created in pointillism style where small distinct dots of color create the impression of a wide selection of other colors and color blending. (Check out a photo of Aria’s artwork below!)

The winning design was selected from nearly one hundred submissions and will be adopted for a special duvet set to be featured in the Blissliving Home Spring 2010 Collection (launching in January 2010, stay tuned for updates). Ten percent of orders placed on the duvet set will be donated to Children’s National Medical Center, one of the best pediatric hospitals in the United States. Aria Curameng will receive two sets of her very own bedding.

Blissliving Home congratulates Aria Curameng for her outstanding accomplishment, as well as our runner up, Darwin Lau, and would like to thank all participants again for making the Bliss Kids Arts Festival such a wonderful event. A special thank you also to Children’s National Medical Center and the New Horizons team – it has been a wonderful experience partnering with you and we look forward to what lies ahead.

INTERVIEW WITH ARIA CURAMENG, WINNER OF THE BLISS KIDS ARTS FESTIVAL

 

Blissliving Home: Aria, you have been named the winner of the Bliss Kids Arts Festival – congratulation! I suppose you are excited? How do you feel about the news?

 

Aria Curameng: (Scream) I feel very excited and grateful!

Blissliving Home: We love the striking motifs that you have created in your art – the Buddha head, the elephant, exotic flowers, temples and all the other elements – how did you come up with them? Do you have a motif that you like best in your design?

Aria Curameng: I followed the suggested instructions by surfing the internet for both old Thailand – Siam – and new Thailand. I also just watched the musical, King & I.

Blissliving Home: Your design also stood out for the pointillism technique that you used. Can you tell us about this? How did you come up with that idea?

Aria Curameng: My dad taught me about the technique of pointillism in a science fair project using primary colors and creating secondary colors using dots. I didn’t want to use black. So I used pointillism to create light and shadow.

Blissliving Home: We asked all contestants to find inspiration for the designs in the beautiful and exotic country of Thailand, also known as the “Kingdom of Smiles”. Did you ever visit this country or do you have any friends from Thailand? Would you like to travel to Thailand one day?

Aria Curameng: I have never been to Thailand but would love to go one day!

Blissliving Home: How did you hear about the Bliss Kids Arts Festival and why did you participate? Have you participated in any design contests before? Or maybe even won one?

Aria Curameng: I heard about the contest through my cousin. I have entered two Washington Post holiday contests before and was a finalist for both.

Blissliving Home: You already are an impressive little artist -do you enjoy any other creative arts in addition to drawing and painting?

Aria Curameng: I love singing, dancing and acting and sewing, too.I am in Disney’s High School Musical at the Lazy Susan Dinner Theater.

Blissliving Home: Your design will be adopted for a special duvet set and a few decorative pillow, and will be sold within the Blissliving Home spring 2010 collection, becoming available in January next year. You will receive two sets of your very own bed. Do you know yet what you will do with them? Will you give the second set to a friend maybe?

Aria Curameng: I think the sets are twin size. So I will use both for my queen size bed!

Is there anything else you would like to share about your design or yourself?

Aria Curameng: I am thankful for the opportunity to express myself through art and to enhance a little bit of the Asian culture.

 

Update: June 8, 2009

AND THE FINALISTS ARE...

The Bliss Kids Arts Festival ended on May 31, 2009 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the young artists who participated in our bedding design competition for making it such an exciting and successful event!

Nearly one hundred budding artists from all corners of the country participated in the Bliss Kids Arts Festival, and we could not have been more delighted with the stunning designs that kept on coming in throughout the months of April and May.

After a week of careful review and long deliberation, we are thrilled to announce the names of two finalists: Aria Curameng, age 11, from Fort Washington, MD and Darwin Lau, age 8, from Virginia Beach, VA.

Both Aria and Darwin have been notified of their current status and are awaiting the winner announcement – which is expected for the week of June 15.

INTRODUCING THE YOUNG ARTISTS AND THEIR DESIGN SUBMISSIONS:

 

 

 

 

Age 8

Virginia Beach, VA

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Design Your Own Bed!

 

We are excited to announce the launch of the Bliss Kids Arts Festival – a national bedding design competition open to boys and girls 12 years of age and under – hosted by Blissliving Home in association with Children’s National Medical Center.

The winning artist will have their design produced in 300-thread count printed cotton sateen and receive two twin-sized duvet sets for their room. Plus, the duvet set will be featured in the Blissliving Home Spring 2010 Collection for sale via our online boutique, printed catalogue and select premium retailers around the globe. To top it off, Blissliving Home will donate ten percent of orders placed on the winning bed to benefit Children’s National Medical Center, one of the best pediatric hospitals in America.

Participating in the Bliss Kids Arts Festival is free, easy and a lot of fun!

Join us today and create a design inspired by the beautiful country of Thailand. Let your imagination run wild and embark on a trip across the globe to the “Kingdom of Smiles.” In this exotic land, find inspiration from colorful flowers, dancers, night markets, temples, native animals, trees, fruits and plants, beaches, cities and countryside, people young and old, tall and small.

We have created a downloadable inspiration board with many images of Thailand. Please make sure to take a peek to get your creative juices flowing!

For all details on how to participate please check out our participation kit below.

The Bliss Kids Arts Festival ends on May 31, 2008 - entries postmarked later than this date cannot be accepted. Have fun & thank you for participating!

 

Participation Kit
• Rules (downloadable PDF)
• Submission Form (downloadable PDF)
• Thailand Inspiration Board (downloadable PDF)

Official Rules

1. Participation in the Bliss Kids Arts Festival constitutes acceptance of the Rules.

2. To participate, you must be 12 years of age or under, and you must be a resident of the United States.

3. To participate, you should create a design inspired by the beautiful and exotic country of Thailand. Imagine a trip across the globe to this exotic land, “The Kingdom of Smiles.” Find inspiration from colorful flowers, dancers, night markets, temples, native animals, trees, fruits and plants, beaches, cities and country side, people young and old, small and tall. Look for ideas in books from your local library, travel magazines, maps, postcards or photographs. If you have access to a computer, enlist an adult who can help you “surf the net.” Maybe you know someone who has traveled to Thailand–how about interviewing this person?

Please take a few minutes to take a look at our photo slideshow or our Thailand Inspiration Board, and find inspiration in the colors and shapes found within these images.

4. Your finished design should be on 22” x 28” white poster paper – available at many grocery and office supply stores.

Suitable poster paper can also be purchased online - below are a few suggestions:

Office Depot, 10 Pack of White Poster Boards, 22’’ x 28” - $4.39
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/858277/Office-Depot-Poster-Boards-22-x/

Staples, 10 Pack of White Poster Boards, 22’’ x 28’’ - $4.79
http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/p4_White-Poster-Boards-10-Pack-22-x-28_10720_Business_Supplies_0_10051_SC1:CG101:DP2087:CL140932

5. You are allowed a maximum of 6 individual colors (not including the white paper)

6. You may use any medium such as pencil, marker, crayon, colored pencil, or paint (please don’t glue anything to the paper).

7. Have fun! Fill the paper all the way to the edges and add as much detail as you like. Remember, your design will grow to a real bed-size. Areas left blank will become larger blank areas.

8. Complete the submission form, or have your parent, guardian or teacher complete it for you. Also, your parent, guardian or teacher must sign the form for you.

9. Mail your artwork along with the completed submission form to:

Bliss Kids Arts Festival
5515 Security Lane
Suite 1100
Rockville, MD 20852

10. The Bliss Kids Arts Festival ends on May 31, 2009. Submissions that are postmarked after this date will not be accepted.

11. The winning design will be announced by mid June 2009 on Blissliving Home’s web site – www.blisslivinghome.com

12. All submissions will become the property of Blissliving Home, who shall also be the owner of the copyright. Blissliving Home will not accept liability for loss or damage to any work submitted.

13. The winning artist will have their design produced in 300 thread count printed cotton sateen and receive two twin-sized duvet sets. The duvet set will also be featured in the Blissliving Home Spring 2010 Collection for sale via Blissliving Home’s online boutique, printed catalogue, and select premium retailers around the globe. Blissliving Home will donate ten percent of orders placed on the winning bed to benefit Children’s National Medical Center.

14. All submissions together with the artist’s details may be used in publicity campaigns surrounding the Bliss Kids Arts Festival.