Is It Heirloom Art?

It's Sunday afternoon and our son, John, just came by to drop off some artwork that I had done for the grand-kids years ago for their bedroom.  It seems the girls are growing up and it's time to change the decor.  They're "big girls" now.  They said they would like to keep them for when the girls are grown, but their house is small and they just don't have the room.  They thought maybe I might just want them back to keep, or I could recycle the canvases...One of them is especially precious to me.  Don't know if I can bring myself to paint over it or not.  It's a bit crazy and funky, like me and my house, so maybe I'll find a place to hang it.  

Little Leah and Lizzard Lizzard..."Good Morning Hugs
and Kisses"... xo xo xo

Before everyone writes to tell me that I've misspelled "lizard", let me tell you the story that inspired me to paint the piece.

We were going to take the two grand-daughters on an overnight trip to Birmingham to visit relatives.  We had them spend the night at home with us the night before, so that we could get up really early the next morning and hit the road.  Three year old Grand-daughter #2 had forgotten her nightgown, so I told her to sleep in one of my plain white t-shirts that I wear when I'm painting or working in the yard.  It was falling off one shoulder, but it would work. She had brought her stuffed animal lizard with her, and when she called it's name, it sounded like, "Lizzard Lizzard"...Anyway, we all went to bed and all I remember of that night was waking up to something poking me on the arm and saying, "Good Morning Hugs and Kisses!"  I looked at the clock and it was 3:00 in the morning! She stood there with that t-shirt falling off her shoulder, holding Lizzard Lizzard and was wide awake and ready to roll. I made her go back to bed, but that image was forever burned into my heart.  It was a cute image- one I didn't actually want to forget. So, that was the inspiration for this piece...and, that's why it's special to me.

I also painted one for Grand-daughter #1, because I don't do something for one without doing for the other one too.  It was different though...no real inspiration.  I just had to come up with something, and I hate painting on demand.  I'm just not real good at it...I do my best work when I'm feeling inspired to paint, and to paint what I want to paint...Nevertheless, I had to come up with something that would be meaningful.  Does this make sense to any of my artist friends out there?  

Grand-daughter #1 was always doing her hands in a heart shape, and drawing hearts everywhere, going through art supplies and glitter glue like crazy.  So, I did her painting all about hearts, with the caption, "Sweet Shaina Loves Hearts & Glitter & Hugs",  and I put an "interactive" heart box on it.  She could actually store little trinkets inside the box.  She liked it, and that was the most important part.

Sweet Shaina Loves Hearts & Glitter & Hugs

Oh, did I mention that they're BIG?  Leah's painting is 36" x 40" and Shaina's is 30" x 36"... They do take up a bit of square footage...I suppose I shouldn't paint over either one.  It's probably something that they would be happy to have when they're grown, which is not all that many years from now...They're growing up fast.  I guess I'll spend the rest of the weekend trying to figure out where to put them...

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Judy

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