Priceless Artwork

The other day I cleaned the clutter off the fridge as I was doing some straightening and cleaning.  There were written notes from Grands, watercolors from Grands, crayon works from Grands, and a plethora of photos that were somewhat out of date.  I was ready for a clean slate and was tidying up in preparation for a baby shower that was hosted here.

As I was taking down the pieces, I thought with regret that these priceless treasures couldn't be displayed somewhere.  Then, an idea hit me...

I am reclaiming the basement...ahem...Guest Quarters after Mike's daughter and family had stayed down there for about six months.  As I was placing furniture and utility pieces like the ironing board in my sewing room, I thought that I needed some sort of artwork on the walls to make it more cheerful and creative.  The Grands artwork would be just the trick.

So, off to my frame stash I went.  I had a couple that would work.  One needed a little paint job and I needed a few more to complete the idea I had in my head.  A quick trip to the local Goodwill and a search in the 99 cent and $1.99 area provided the others I needed.  I am sharing that art exhibit today as I just love it and it makes me smile each time I see it.

Original Art Gallery

I chose a grouping of simple frames.  Some needed painting so that all of them would be black.  Nothing fancy.

Lillie's 6-year-old contribution

Lillie did a watercolor painting of our dog, Toby, playing out on the back deck.  This was a piece she painted last summer when she was here for her Days (more Days).  I love how she included such strong detail as the rails and the floorboards.

Cassie's 6-year-old contribution

This is a crayon work that Cassie did this past winter sometime around Valentine's Day.  She was into drawing hearts for the season, as you can tell and she included a beautiful butterfly.  (Cassie, Evie, and Lydia have had Days, too.)

Evie's 4-year-old contribution

Evie also did a crayon work just before Valentine's Day this year.  You can see that she practiced her heart drawing and a few letters.

Sadly, I had nothing original that Lydia had drawn or painted.  I had some coloring book pictures that she had decorated but I really wanted some sort of original artwork of hers to go along with the artistic creations of the other Grands.  (Wonder why she didn't do this during her Days?)  So, I gave her mother a call and spoke to the little mite herself.  Then, I sent a photo showing that I had a frame waiting for her artwork.  A day or so later, her mother sent me this cell photo:

Artiste at work

Lydia's 5-year-old contribution

Lydia's is a watercolor that she calls Grand B.  I think it looks just like me, don't you?  I love the flowers and the bright sunshine.

Harris's 6-month-old contribution

I added Harris's painting that he gave me for Mother's Day.  Every time I look at it I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he and his parents were capturing this artwork.  They had a hard time getting the footprint to suit them because he kept holding up one toe.  He also wanted to 'squoosh' his hands around.  Maybe he is already a budding fingerpainting master!

When we were digging furniture out of the storage room, my friend, Angela, also stumbled across some photos and valuable works.  I thought this one was ultra sweet, so I included it in this Gallery.

If you look closely, you can see that it says Mike - 4 yrs.  So, I guess that either he traced his own hand or somebody traced it for him on a piece of tablet paper.  (I cannot believe he was still long enough for this!)  I thought it was the perfect addition to add a generational dimension to the Art Gallery.

I was talking to my Mom on the phone and telling her what I had done with the Grands' artwork.  She told me that she had stumbled across a collection of my report cards and important papers that she had kept.  She gave it to me the other day and I am considering adding this piece that was in that collection:

It looks like I laid my hand down on a piece of construction paper and somebody spritzed it with tempra paint.  It was in the second grade pocket of my School Days book.  So, I would have been about 6-years-old.

Creating this Art Gallery has made me want to find works of our children to frame and keep as treasures as well!  I wish you could have seen the looks on Lillie and Lydia's faces when they saw their creativity framed and displayed.  Such a simple thing but it is meaningful, beautiful, and boosts the confidence in the children.

Of course, Lillie, being ever the oldest child, said that she thought she could produce something much better than that as artwork now.  Maybe she will get the chance when she comes for her days and we can have a rotating display!

Right now I am just enjoying the smiles this one provides for me every time I have to press out some wrinkles or stitch up a rip!