April 16, 2012

My Cabinet of Curiosities …

There’s a small bookshelf in my bedroom that contains some of my favorite possessions – all the strange and fascinating clay sculptures my kids have made in their art classes over the years.

It usually starts with the humble pinch pot.  I’ve received one from each of my school aged peeps. The first was a Mother’s Day gift. Another was found in the bottom of a backpack during a clean out.  The last was clutched in tiny hands behind a certain boy’s back while he grinned with pride at the surprise he had for me.

I’ve got a special place in my heart for this little bluebird.  He’s so happy I can almost hear him tweeting.  And the shell dish has sentimental meaning because it’s an impression from a shell we collected at the beach.

I know these creations aren’t perfect in their artistic form and style, but they are perfect to me.  They don’t “go” with the aesthetic of my house or bedroom – they are garishly loud in color, some of them kind of creepy looking and most of them wonky in all other respects, but every time I look at that shelf I feel so loved and happy.

I’ve run out of room on this particular shelf and I still have little Owlie to go through elementary school, but I’ll make room on another shelf for his handmade lovelies.

Do you have a shelf of curiosities?

5 comments:

Apis Melliflora said...

There's no dedicated space for 3-D art in our house, although we do have an art board in the playroom.

So it's a little bit everywhere. I like that you've made a collection of yours. Good idea!

Aiketa said...

ha! This reminds me of my own art projects from school. I had many!!! From mud art, to masks, to puppets... As I said, many, maybe even too much!

So one day I threw away most of them except for those ones I liked best (my very fav a lion mask).

I don't have a special place where to put them, some are in boxes and others are displayed in my room or my sister's.

AllisonK said...

I wish I had saved more than I do. So many were destroyed in one of the moves. It's such a lovely display of love.

The Queen Vee said...

I still have the snail you made, I gave Chris the pot he made ... I actually think that they (C & A) use it for something. The item Matt made finally broke, I think it was a pot w/a face. Happy memories, keep saving them. I know you'll find room for Owlets creations.

brendag said...

I have a shelf very similar to yours in my bedroom too! Love kid art!