When I asked our oldest daughter what sort of design she’d like, she clearly stated in her most decided two year old voice, “The Queen of the Dinosaurs.”
With four girl 8 and under (and another baby on the way), you’ll always find me accessorizing with keiki.
All cool ideas come from the bun.
Danielle Villoria
Aloha! I'm Dani, the artist behind these crazy, colorful, and sort of ridiculous flora-covered dinosaurs!
I am an illustrator with a love for all thing botanical. After graduating with a BFA in Fine Arts & Art History from Lesley University in Boston, I returned home to Hawai’i. Now a māmā of four dino-loving girls, my inspiration is a constant parade of imaginative adventures. The tropical hues and vibrant culture of our home on O’ahu are reflected in every dinosaur I create.
We hope these playful dinosaurs will bring a smile to your face and aloha to your home!
It all began with a “portrait” of fern covered T-Rex wearing lei po’o
We had half as many children, which meant I could occasionally pull out a piece of paper during the daylight hours and watercolor. Daddy had just built the girls an indoor playhouse and its bare walls were calling for some art. When I asked our oldest what sort of design she’d like, she clearly stated in her most decided two year old voice, “The Queen of the Dinosaurs.” When I asked her to explain she gave a detailed description of a T-Rex covered in plants (because that’s what Māmā loves to paint) wearing a crown of pua like the ali’i in her picture book. At first I laughed at the idea, but the creative director had spoken, so l got to work making her idea a reality. Just like that, Dinoflora was born! 🦖🦕
As an artist, I can think of many key projects or moments of inspiration that have spurred on a body of work or a direction in art making. What makes this passion project unique is that the inspiration continues to unfold as our girls grow and become more involved. Every little wilted picked flower and fern comes with the message “For your Dinoflora Māmā.” 🥰
So mahalo to our dino-loving little girl gang who brought the spark for this fun project and continue to inspire what we design. My hope is that as this little biz grows, we are able to share the joy they bring into our lives with more and more people, through whimsical designs that remind you to have fun with your ‘ohana, to smile often, and to pick some pua! (But only the invasive ones!)