As I sat in a Brooklyn patisserie one morning enjoying my perfectly flaky almond croissant, I overheard a mom next to me cooing over a recently commissioned portrait of her son. It was all I could do to refrain from nosing into her business by saying, “Lemme see! lemme see!” Weeks later, I regret being so polite. She probably wouldn’t have minded my interest, in the name of art. Who can blame me for being curious to see the artwork people find and choose to incorporate into their homes?

This got me thinking that it has been nearly three years since my husband and I decorated our soon-to-be newborn daughter’s nursery with a cheery wall color and Blik decals. But in a few months our little girl will move into a new bedroom and into a big girl bed and it feels right to mark the occasion with her first piece of original artwork. My parents did this for me when I was young and years later I am still fascinated by the works they selected for me. Not only are these drawings, watercolors, and prints little windows into what my parents’ tastes were back then, they are also little hints about the kind of world they wanted to create for me. Luckily, they are good examples of the style of artwork popular at the time as well.

If you like the idea of collecting a group of artworks or art prints for your kids, consider purchasing art at intervals so your grown kids will have keepsakes from different stages of their childhood. Do the shopping on your own or include your kids in the selection process, whatever works best for your family. I know my 2 1/2 year old will want to have her say in things so I’ll show her the same images I’m showing you here.

 

 

I’m looking forward to this because unlike the process I get into with some clients who want to buy art as an investment for their children, for me the process is about enjoying the moment,

having fun,

celebrating shapes and color,

exploring imagination,

and creating memories with my daughter.

Be sure to check out this link to a British artist I love: Freya has some wonderful illustrations for both kids and adults.

There is so much fun artwork out there, I can’t resist showing you these that tickle me too…