Priceless.

From the moment we learn to pick up crayon, pencil or paintbrush, we become the most popular artists in the world. (Or at least at home.) Even if we did have a real Picasso, Monet, or van Gogh, there is little doubt which would have first dibs on the wall or refrigerator.

We have a lot of art hanging in our kitchen and home. It’s on the wall, cabinet and other areas—but not on the refrigerator; we have a paneled unit and we just never have placed anything on it. We did in our last home, but it was a basic white front. (Good background for art.) The artwork changes throughout the year; some of it seasonal with fall/spring colors, we’re always good for a Turkey at Thanksgiving and of course, when Santa comes to town, so does his art. As our kids get older, their artwork does get better. This area did not come from me by the way---I used to paint, but those days are long past and I doubt I could draw a straight line any longer.

What’s amazing about some of the art we have in our home, and what we see in some of our friends’ homes, is how good it is. I am not talking stick drawings; I mean this stuff is good! Our oldest daughter, who is going to be a senior, is really artistic. So is her sister. They have done art that has been showcased at their school---along with other art, schools have to be careful you know---and a photo taken by our oldest was selected to be on the cover of the high school directory. It’s a really good picture.

This past Father’s Day, my youngest daughters made me a card---always better than store bought---and it was made up of drawings they felt reflected my interests. From turkey sandwiches to cameras to a self-portrait of she and her sister. It was really fun to receive---and you can bet I kept it. These are magical moments you just can’t replace.

So what do we do with all of the art? Well, it all depends. If it gets ripped up in the kitchen and can’t be repaired with traditional “Scotch” tape, then it ends up in a landfill somewhere. Some of it has stayed up long after the season it reflected, and my wife does file a lot of it. I know the kids will appreciate her doing this---I have no idea where any of my artwork is from when I was a kid. Actually I do…it’s probably dissolved and in a dirt field somewhere in St. Louis.

When I was younger, a lot younger, I did have a piece of artwork selected for a show; all I remember was when we got to the show, there was piece of paper on it. It had been purchased by a local hospital for their kid’s wing. I don’t remember much about the painting; I do know it was entitled, “The Happy Hippy,”had a big red mouth with black teeth that resembled a piece of water melon and it was pretty weird. That dear “Snap. Shot” readers is/was my 15 minutes of fame in the art world.

The photo above was taken of my youngest daughter holding her thank you art to “Mrs. Keck”---her pre-school teacher. My wife made sure she captured this work of art digitally, because once it was given to Mrs. Keck, it was hers. Whether it ended up on her wall, cabinet door, or wherever she wanted to place it, the pride in her art was evident and I am sure Mrs. Keck knew it. As I see it, famous artwork can be priceless---but never more priceless than our kid’s masterpieces.

Thanks for stopping by.