Did you know that babies, just like us adults, have preferences for certain kinds of art? I didn't either - until last Summer, when I came across a fascinating study. Researchers showed babies famous Van Gogh paintings and found that they were naturally drawn to bright colours, certain shapes and strong contrasts - just like adults.
It turns out that choosing the right artwork for a baby's nursery can do much more than simply 'add to the decor'. It could also help your baby's brain to develop, along with their vision.
When creating my nursery art collections, I wanted to design more than just colourful pieces. I looked deeper into whether babies have preferences for colours, shapes and patterns. I honestly was not expecting to find anything at all but the evidence was actually surprising.
Babies are little art lovers in their own way, and what they see can truly impact their development and growth.
What Babies See in Art
My rabbit hole research brought me to the University of Sussex's Baby Lab, a department dedicated to studying little ones' early brain development. Their findings? Well they were surprising. Babies, just like adults are naturally drawn to bright, colourful images with varying light and dark areas.
I had always thought that babies mainly saw in black and white, but this study proved me wrong. In fact, when babies were shown Van Gogh's paintings saw they stared at those with intense colours just as long as adults did, captivated by the contrasts.
What is also fascinating was that these babies stared at the paintings for as long as the adults did. Personally I thought babies would not have the interest or attention span for static pieces of art but I was clearly wrong!
Little Ones and Their Preferences
One key difference stood out - babies prefer simple, basic patterns over complex designs. Their developing brains are more drawn to clear shapes, curves and defined edges which help them to process visual stimuli without becoming overwhelmed.
That's why my nursery art is intentionally designed with bold subjects (animals!), curved edges and a clean, white background to help artwork pop for little eyes. It's more than just a style for me as an artist but also an intentional step to support their early development.
How Art Supports Your Baby's Development
I hope by now you can see (and agree) that nursery artwork is more than just added decoration to a little ones space. Visual stimuli for babies helps develop different parts of their brain.
Vision: From birth, babies' eyes are learning to distinguish between shapes, colours and patterns. Art hanging around their cot, play area or changing table provides regular, familiar opportunities to stimulate recognition and memory development.
Cognition: Brain development involves processing visuals like images, paintings and patterns in their environment.
Attention: Grab their focus and develop their attention span with eye-catching designs that they can interact with daily.
Prints from Colours by Shannon are created with these milestones in mind. Vivid, whimsical animals and bright, bold brushstrokes fit perfectly into any baby's developing sensory needs.
Read More: Thoughtful Easter Gifts for Babies that Last Beyond Chocolate
Feedback from Parents
Since starting Colours by Shannon I've received wonderful feedback from mothers who confirm their baby's engagement with my prints. A few mothers have commented on their daily routine of saying hello and goodnight to the rabbit print hanging in their child's nursery. Another new mother told me this:
"She loves looking and smiling at it and it holds her attention for so long. So when my friend had her baby girl I knew it would make the perfect present."
Want to hear more stories from parents whose babies have engaged with our prints? Visit them here.
Why Thoughtful Nursery Art Makes the Perfect Gift
Hearing genuine feedback from parents reinforces the mission of Colours by Shannon. We want to instil the love of art in little ones from their earliest days in the world. Just because the image is not moving doesn't mean they won't engage with it.
Adding a personalisation to a piece also means it is tailored to a little one. Seeing their name daily helps build early familiarity with letters and sounds, laying a foundation for future reading milestones.
When you gift a piece from Colours by Shannon, you're giving more than decór - you're supporting milestones, creating memories for parents and planting seeds of creativity that will last a lifetime.
Shannon x