Michele Made Me

This Still Life is Cheesy…

by

Nevertheless, I like it!

One of my painting classmates and I had a brief conversation the other day. It went something like this:

Me: “So where will you be hanging that one?”


Painterina: “What do you mean “hanging”? If by “hanging” you mean which closet will I be storing it in, then that would be the spare bedroom closet.”


Me: “You don’t display your paintings?”


Painterina: “Naw.”


Me: “Why not?”


Painterina: “No wall space.”


Me: “Oh.”

I don’t know about you but if I’m going to expend effort, time and money creating paintings, I will be proudly displaying those babies on my walls by Jove.

I mean, everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right? Why do you think a mom proudly displays her child’s artwork on the fridge? Is it because that child has necessarily created a work of genius? In most cases, no. It’s more like a symbolic hug that says: “You and your creation are wonderful. I’m hangin’ it up!”

What’s wrong with giving yourself the same hug? I say, do not hide your art under a barrel – or in a closet – no matter what level you’re at. Hang it up there and be proud!

Me? I carved out a spot for this one in the dining room where we have our meals. I think it will be right at home there with all the other food stuffs.

♥M

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Comments

  3. Deb says

    That's an amazing painting. You have a gift.

    In your classmates defense, I have some of my pastels up on the wall, but I don't have wall space for the photos I want to frame and hang, much less all the drawings I've done over the years. Don't ask about the artwork from my daughter when she was in grade school and my mother found a whole box of the stuff I did when I was in grade school. (My turkey from kindergarten!)

    If you do this enough, this crafting art that deserves to be looked at, you'll find that a house just doesn't have enough display room for windows, doors and everything you want to frame and hang on the walls. You have to be selective. I know a woman who teaches painting at a local art school who paints over her previous work as she teaches a new class. She has 6 she rotates through. Each one is different and worthy to be hung, but she has no room. So, she simply paints over them. There is precedent for this as curators find when they restore works from the old masters. "Oh my. He put birds in the sky but the work we're familiar with doesn't have birds." He didn't like the birds so he painted over them.

    You're an amazing artist. May you have wall space problems in the future.

  9. Karen says

    I agree with you – hang it up! You did a wonderful job with this painting. You are quite the artist, but then I knew that already!

  12. jessica okui says

    I agree, if you're going to put all that time into it, show it off.

    I like the dark color palette you chose for this painting. Your painting looks amazing.