One of my favourite types of commissions are definitely belly paintings. It is such a priviledge to get to paint the bump of a new mother-to-be. It's a beautiful way to celebrate new life and I feel honoured to have my brush strokes capture the special time in someone's life. 

The themes for painting vary and I always try my best to bring the client's wishes to life. Sometimes the painting is given as a surprise present at the baby shower, and it's great to see how spot-on the friends have been with the subject they've asked for the painting! 

These paintings always make the clients smile (or cry to behonest, sometimes they are so moved by the end-result that even I get teary). The painting session is also a good time for the mum-to-be to just relax and enjoy and concentrate on her baby. I love giving them a moment to remember with my art.

Most of my clients have had their belly painted in the beginning of their maternity leave. That's when they have more time to themselves and of course this a great way to spend your time off! :D Naturally "the canvas" is bigger then too, which is great for round shaped paintings. 

Here are some of my latest belly paintings, don't you just love those beautiful bumps! <3
More pictures and information can be found on my Belly painting page.

Yesterday was a super day because there was a feature about belly painting on Puoli Seitsemän (Half Past Six) program on TV. It was an honor to be part of it and talk about this wonderful experience that more and more mothers-to-be want to have. :)

If you missed the broadcast, you can watch it online here on Yle Areena. Belly paint starts from 21:35.

There's also a nice article about it (in Finnish) on Yle's website.

​The insert was filmed last spring and I got to paint this beautiful mandala on Inka's belly. ​
She loved it, and as I say on the clip, when I see that happy smile on someone's face, I feel I've done something special with my painting. It touches me every time. 

You can see more of my belly paintings and learn about this special art form on my Belly painting page.

A few weeks ago I had one of the most memorable photoshoots - I had a chance to paint stunning pin-up and tattoo artist Sini Ariell for the Finnish daily newspaper Iltalehti. She is pregnant on her first child and glowing happiness. It was such an honour to share the day with her and our whole team, so much joy and good vibes that I felt I was flying afterwards. 

Check out these results of that day! Aren't these photos just perfect with that summery happy mood! 

CLICK for the article online and to WATCH A MAKING-OF VIDEO:
Raskaana oleva Sini Ariell upeissa bodypaint-kuvissa: ”Olen saavuttanut elämässä kaiken minkä halusin” (Iltalehti 9.7.2017)

CREDITS

​Body painting artist: Riina Laine
Model: Sini Ariell
Photo: Pasi Liesimaa/ Iltalehti
Assistant: Tiina Willman
Backdrop material: Eurokangas

After releasing my latest artwork "Our vow" and the making-of video of the project, I've received a few emails asking how one can book a commission body painting with me. So I decided to write a little guide on how the process works and how to get your own unique artwork on your wall. If you still have questions after reading this, don't hesitate to contact me. You can leave a comment below and I will answer you the best way I can. ​

For anybody. Being body painted is an experience I recommend to anyone. It should be on everyone's bucket list! Getting your own fine art piece as a result of it is a fantastic present for yourself, your spouse, your family. You can model on your own or together with someone. Fine art body painting would make a great gift for a wedding, for a birthday, for a baby shower for a mother-to-be or it can be just a fabulous experience you can give to yourself. ​

The artwork can be designed so that it incorporates the whole body or just part of it (face, back, feet...) For example for Take my hand I painted the hands of mother Hanne and their 4-month old baby Mimosa. ​

I use ONLY professional, usually water-based paint that’s designed to be used on the skin. The paints I use are make-up and gentle on the skin. They are non-toxic and suitable for children too.  The paint washes off with soap and water or make-up remover. ​

After you've contacted me we will go through the specifics on what kind of piece you would like, who is being painted, where the final print will be placed etc. We will discuss on the phone first and then we'll schedule a face-to-face meeting at your place. This way I get to know you a little bit and see the surroundings of the final print.  We can discuss the colours and the size of the artwork and other details, and of course your story, the "why". You will have a chance to give your ideas to the painting and then I will create it with my interpretation according to your wishes.

The painting takes one day and is usually done in my home studio in Helsinki. We can also arrange it on your choice of location. The day is of course exciting, but also relaxing and it gives you a good time to forget everything else and just focus on yourself. There will be just me and you present, and if you wish, also a videographer to capture the process - a making-of video of the session is a great keepsake for yourself and also a perfect way to explain to your friends how the whole piece was created. You'd be surprised how fascinating people find it! :)

After the actual painting, I will start working on the final piece for the print. This takes some time as I want to make sure I pick the right image, with the right emotion so that the end-result will be nothing but amazing. Once the piece is done, I will show you the raw version of it before taking it forward to be printed. This is the exciting part as you will get a glimpse of what the final artwork is going to be like. Even when you've seen some pictures from the camera during the painting session, the final image is usually unexpected and surprising. The word I hear most often is just WOW. ​

Have a look at my fine art pieces in the Gallery and check out this Behind-the-scenes video of 'Our vow'  below to see how these body painting pieces are created.