We are a father-daugther team living in Toronto, Canada.
Our shop name WHISTLE + WORK pretty much sums up our creative philosophy.

Thank you for visiting!
Una + Aleks

If you want to know a little more, here is Una's interview with the Toronto Etsy Street team:

Can you tell us about yourselves?
Whistle + Work is a father-daughter team. I’m Una - a freelance art director, artist and travel blogger. Because I work on a wide variety of projects I love the fact that no two days are ever the same. This is great kick-start for the creative process.

My father Aleks has spent his career working in architecture, design, urban analysis and illustration — also wearing many hats throughout his working life (sometimes even a beret).
We came together to form Whistle + Work in order to collaboratively create affordable art. Because who doesn’t need a little more art in their lives?


How did you get the idea to form a father-daughter team?

We’ve definitely always looked at each other’s work and offered help and advice, so it was the natural next step to collaborate. I get this question a lot: “What’s it like to work with your dad?” It’s a rewarding experience with lots of mutual respect and trust. I constantly learn new things, but there is room for role-reversal too!

What types of things can we expect to find when looking at your shop?
We are focused on hand-cut 3D illustrations and paper gift boxes. Each starts out as an original ink drawing that is printed and hand cut. The prints are then framed in shadowboxes allowing the layers to play with light and shadow. The gift boxes are assembled into various shapes and some can double as ornaments. We are also working on hand painted ceramics, coming soon!

What does Etsy add to your lives?
Etsy is an amazing avenue to reach people globally and in a more personal way. We love the idea of participating in a new type of economy that values sustainability and social good. It’s also a constant source of inspiration and support from fellow artists and the Etsy team.

When did you start Whistle + Work?
We are very new! We started Whistle + Work in November 2013, though it’s something we’ve talked about for ages.


What's the story behind your shop name?
Whistle + Work is basically how we’d define our working philosophy: Working hard at what you love = happiness. We also like the fact that it’s a two-part name representing a two-person collaboration.


Do you sell your work outside of Etsy? If so, where?
You can find us at the beautifully curated Likely General store on Roncesvalles, in Toronto. http://www.likelygeneral.com

What's next for Whistle + Work?
We just collaborated with Yen Magazine, a cool-kid Aussie publication on a DIY gift box project with an custom illustration. http://www.yenmag.net/artery/diy-palm-tree-gift-box

In the New Year we will be adding more prints to the shop and looking to participate in local markets.

You can find more of our work here:
Website: http://whistleandwork.ca
Twitter. @unagotlost
Una's Portfolio: http://unaart.com
Una' travel blog: http://lets-get-lost.com
Aleks' illustration portfolio: http://aleksandar.urbansquares.com
Aleks' website: http://urbansquares.com