Art, Photography

The Walls of My Home Have Become My Refrigerator Door

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Earlier this week I wrote a post about a whiteboard on my refrigerator. I was surprised to realize that what used to be covered in childhood art created in elementary school or in spontaneous ways at home was no longer there. “The art studio (refrigerator)” is being used for its purpose now, and that’s about it.  I remember just last year sorting through all of Rylee’s school paper piles; we pulled out the neatly stacked and tied piles representing each year…she kept the selections she loved the best, and the rest got recycled.  Rylee is 19 and my eldest is 23.

I realized, however, that with the emerging of the refrigerator door and sides of the appliance (they’re nearly clean now) came the decorating of the walls in my home.  Both my girls are artists. Rachel studies art in college and Rylee is studying to enter an artistic vocation.  There are samples of their work all over my home.  Here, let me take you on a tour:

This is an image by Rachel I see when I wake up in the morning. It is on my west bedroom wall. The morning light plays with the sketched lines influencing the image to range from dreamy to wistful.

This beautiful lady hangs in my bathroom above the tub. I just noticed something - I'm caught in the image taking a photo of the work.
In our music room on top of the music cabinet stands a beautiful handmade drum, the top stretched taught with animal skin. It gets played from time to time and the sound reminds me of the accompaniment to beat poetry.

Are my children whimiscal at times? Yes. This "leaf monster" was created by Rylee and reminds me of something that should have been trampling around the ankles of the "Wild Things."

Creating ceramic boxes with well fitting lids is difficult. Here's one that sits on my shelf by our fireplace.

Here are two pieces, one drawing and one photograph, waiting on their wall. When I place the art on my walls I have to feel right about the space. I'm still thinking about these two.

Sometimes the most beautiful portions are those not so easily seen when walking through the house. I like to flip this one over and look at the base.

But then, the top side is beautiful too.

This 8.5 X 11 print was left in my office as a surprise. I came in to work on day after the kids had been there, and...there it was. A tiny glimpse into what must have been a grand-feeling-of-a-time. It's kind of like hunting Easter eggs at my house sometimes. The kids are sneaky, and they just giggle and wait until I find things they've left me. Frequently, it's new "wallpaper" on my computer screen...(grin).

Some have stories of Challenge. We ordered the old shoe (background) from a historical clothing shop and Rachel created this ceramic replica (foreground) as a project for school. The work was extremely tedious for her, but she did it.

Even the base side is replicated.

Some remind me of the art I see in New Mexico when vacationing around Sante Fe or Angel Fire.

Some were simple "samples" created to test various glazes and patterns.

And some, like this one, represent personal growth of my children for me. It was very difficult for Rachel to be in close proximity to a nude male model when studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, but she got through it. To me, this sketch represents her growth as an artist, although it was created almost six years ago. I'll let her or Rylee decide if they should be displayed when we have grandchildren running around some day. Who knows...by then I just might have another work to replace the space, eh?

As I was walking around the house taking photos, these are the works that caught my eye THIS time.  That’s not always the case.  Sometimes I focus on the fun ones.  Rylee has a macaroni bowl that makes me smile each time I see it.  I’ll save that for the next time I take you on a tour of my new refrigerator door.

[kelly]

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2 thoughts on “The Walls of My Home Have Become My Refrigerator Door”

  1. Some of the pencil drawings remind of those hanging at the Hideaway (and that have been *there* since I was in high school!)

    Good stuff!

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