Artist Lizzy Love with her son
As I write this, a tall stack of my children’s artwork they brought home from school last Spring sits down the hall, and I can’t believe summer flew by before I could come up with a plan to frame, display or store these treasures. It’s time to take action before fresh masterpieces start making their way home in bookbags or rolled up with a rubber band and gripped gently by excited little hands!!
Before we delve into some ideas for celebrating children’s artwork around your home, we first turned to three of our beloved Well + Wonder artists and mothers who are particularly passionate about the importance of encouraging creativity at an early age.
Artist Krystal Bilberry's daughter painting
"When my children create, they look empowered and proud of themselves. They look at their finished art and smile in a deeper way, as though to say, "I made this and it's beautiful." I love watching them get lost in building with Legos, looking at art up close, creating with playdough, or cutting newspaper into tiny shreds that cover the living room before they go on an adventure through the shreds (and then hopefully clean them up!!).
A child lost in the world of creativity is such a precious time. Sadly, that world leaves many of us as we grow. If we immerse our children in creativity, give them access to art, and show them it's value, then perhaps the world of creative possibility will linger in them longer. And as they grow, so will the possibilities of what they will create and do in this world."
- Well + Wonder Artist Krystal Bilberry
Artist Lizzy Love in her studio with her son
"Having my son brought a whole new view of creativity to my practice. I am passionate about fostering creativity from an early age because my parents did this with me, and it helped shape me as the artist I am now. I hope to foster his creativity with positivity, always encouraging his efforts, and simply by demonstrating the importance of it by continuing to set aside my time to be in that creative space. He has recently started bringing little art projects home from school that are my most prized possessions!"
- Well + Wonder Artist Lizzy Love
Artist Laura McCarty in her studio with her daughters
“Color is such a gift, and in a lot of ways, I think children are living color in our world. Their imaginations are unmatched. I firmly believe that exposure to art and the encouragement of creativity is critical in their growth. I've seen it firsthand with my 3 year old. She craves creativity. The dedication, pride and determination she has when creating is a joy to watch!”
- Well + Wonder Artist Laura McCarty
Now that we’re all feeling inspired to encourage our children to create art, what are the best ways to CELEBRATE their artwork?? Here are three ideas to consider…
1. Frame your children’s artwork and create a gallery wall in your home. The gallery wall could be in a hallway, a family room, a playroom or even down a stairwell. A friend of mine just converted her basement to a playroom and hung her children’s artwork on the walls leading down the stairs. Her boys LOVE walking down to their special place and seeing their creations on the walls. Hang their art where you want them to spend time!
2. Frame your children’s artwork as a gift to grandparents, godparents, or anyone else who might enjoy hanging their masterpieces. My parents have a gallery wall in their basement in Kentucky with everything from scribbles framed to more detailed paintings by seven and eight year olds. It's almost always the grandchildren's first stop when visiting.
3. Create a piece of jewelry inspired by your children's artwork with Sprout Design. This company was founded by a small team of female engineers who wanted to combine their love for celebrating children's creativity with their passion for engineering design. Their mission is to turn children's artwork into unique, personal heirlooms to be treasured by parents and grandparents for a lifetime!
We hope this article inspires you to encourage and celebrate artwork by the children in your lives! As we know many of you already do! A big thank you to our artists who weighed on on this topic, and as always hit us up here with any questions!
xx, Emily