Perhaps, like me, you'd never really thought about it or considered it to be too important.
However...recently I saw a documentary about modern art and it got me thinking...I looked around my own home and counted a total of 12 works of art up on my walls.
Pieces that...for whatever reason....had drawn me to them in stores, that I had purchased and hung on my wall...without any idea where they really came from. Who made the original design? What was the thought process behind it? What does it represent?
I spent a fascinating few hours looking at them and mulling these things over, and it started me thinking about how children view art.
Credit: Flowers In A Jug by Giovanni Santiago
I know as a child I was taken to art galleries, but I was never very interested in much of what I saw there....But then I was never really encouraged. We didn't have any art at home - our walls were adorned with family photos, but nothing else.Perhaps Tyne will have no interest in art - but how will I know if I never encourage him to learn about it?
And so I thought about hanging some pieces in his bedroom - I already have some photographs and some framed personalised prints detailing his name and birth details in there, as well as some framed quotes - but wouldn't it be nice to have something more thought provoking in there too?
Of course it will be lost on him for a while, but no doubt if the right piece is chosen it could be something that draws his eye and helps to encourage his perception of colours and shapes as he gets older.
There are many wonderful prints available here at Saatchi which would fit beautifully into any nursery...I love "Flowers In A Jug" for a little girl's room or the wonderful "Magicians Raindrops" which conjures up such wonderful storybook imagery perfect for a room like Tyne's.
Credit: Magicians Raindrops by Ivana Flores
And as he gets older still, wouldn't it be nice if it encouraged him to think about what the artist might have been wanting to convey with his work or what they might have been feeling?And hopefully, in turn, this would encourage him to explore art himself and express himself creatively through drawing and painting, or whatever other media he chooses.
From paintings hanging in the Louvre to paintings hanging on the fridge ... it is all art after all, and should all be embraced.
How do you encourage creativity in your children? As always, I'd love to hear from you.
