While redoing the guest room (like I said, it never ends, a redo steam rolls!), I gathered up some old family photos and drawings that had hung in there and moved them to make a display in my stairway.
This is a drawing I did of my grandma about 30 years ago, from a photo of her as a young girl. The frame had broken, so while it was out, I gave it a little revamp with some color pencils and I've done a bit of digital editing to it, by cropping and adding a background of text from a handwritten note by her mother. I'm going to reframe it to go with the rest of the pictures on the wall.
This is how it looked before I added to it.
Of course, the original doesn't have the text, that is just in the digital copy. But I did add color by hand to the original, not digitally.
This sketch is of my dad's mom, that I did at 16.
This is a watercolor of her husband, my grandfather Harry, done a couple years later.
And a quick sketch of Ryan as a little boy. (with his Kevin Bacon hairstyle, he LOVED Footloose as a kid)
This one is a watercolor that I did of a photo of my husband's grandmother, Gladys. The photo sits on a quilt that she had made.
The collage of my sisters and I is a more recent work, but not all that recent. 7 years ago, maybe? Before I discovered photo editing, that photo I used of us is kind of dark. We are standing by a road sign for Downey street, our maiden name.
As I was hanging the pictures in the stairway, I knew that not a single art piece was a good example of work, and that none of the frames went together well. It is a hodge podge grouping, of some cool, some cheap frames, some really nice antique frames, old photos, and some so-so drawings, that don't really have a cohesive look together.
But all are meaningful to me. And a home can't have all perfectly groomed decor, or it becomes a showhouse, not a home. My house will always have a place for so-so artwork, family mementos, and sentimental items. Even if they aren't the prettiest items around. Maybe someday, I'll reframe them all in a better way, but for now, I just enjoy walking by them and seeing them as is.
PS- I've got 50% off the Boutique right now. But you MUST use this link:
http://www.karlascottage.com/?code=Fling
to get to the sale site. If you go through the regular link, the 50% off won't register. If you can't click on it to get to the page, you might want to try cutting and pasting it to your browser. Thanks for helping me spring clean!
I think Dewdrop looks a bit like your grandmother in the first drawing. Nice artwork!
I love the drawing of Ryan- it’s just the sweetest.
He’s kind of gone from a Kevin Bacon look to a Tom Cruise look.
You like the puppy, Beth, and you know it!!!
I vote meaningful over matchy-matchy and personal over anything else. I think they are splendid.
Karla, Don’t change a thing! It looks wonderful and the comment you made about perfect decor turning a home into a show house is so true. I enjoyed each and every piece of artwork you shared. Wish I had your talent!
Thanks, Yvonne, some of them are a little cringe worthy to me, but I still hang them because Im sentimental!
I have copies of your drawings of Grandpa and Grandma Downey in my bedroom as well as the old farm house and barn near Dabney. Don’t think it was 7 years ago that we made the trip to Downey country but may have been. Good memories.
Im not sure when it was, but it has been a while. Im glad you have the copies and like them, Judy!
I agree ~ meaningful over matchy-matchy ANY day! What lovely treasures they are!
I ordered myself a little something because I just can’t resist one of your sales Karla! Your drawings are so meaninfuland a real treasure.
I tried cutting and pasting the link you gave but it doesn’t take me anywhere except google and this post.
Hmm, I just copied it and tried it, it was fine. Sorry about you trouble with it. Try this please:
http://www.karlascottage.com/?code=Fling