Artwork, Artwork & MORE Artwork

If you are a parent you know how much artwork I am talking about. Let's see Luka has now been to four different schools or daycares since we lived in Mozambique and we have collected many priceless pieces of art along the way. Now Sam, since last year, has started his own collection.

What do you do with all of it? Do you toss it? Save it? Keep a few? Well, I realized in this move (to Chile) that it is not really practical for us to keep so much of it. The refrigerator is only so big and all the drawers full of stuff just takes up too much space. I guess I felt a little guilty because growing up my mom would keep everything, but with our life as nomads this doesn't really work.

Back in Maputo I thought I had come up with a solution, scan the work and create a portfolio. Here are some sample pages of the book I created in iPhoto:

Okay, this seemed like a GREAT idea and I love the book, but then I found out a couple of things in the process:

1. We don't hang up the art and get to appreciate it as a family...only if you open the book.

2. As Luka has started "real" school it is nice to separate things by year and I found that I also had tons of photos to go along with his school moments. This portfolio was for all his art created while living in Mozambique.

What to do...

So this is what I decided. I know that most of you are hanging on the edge of your seat...ha ha.

1. Have a rolling art gallery wall for the boys next to the playroom area. With all the art framed in similar styles and I will use frames I can swap out as they bring new art work home. (I am working on the selection, frames and displaying this week...photo to come at the end of the week).

2. I will still scan our favorite pieces and make a Yearbook for them at the end of every school year. This will have photos of the boys in class and doing other school-related activities, but the back of the book will be a portfolio. Very similar to what I did for Sam here.

So problem solved...the boys will get to see their art hanging in the house and then we won't feel bad tossing those as new pieces come in to display because they are scanned and will go in the yearbook at the end of the school year.

So, let's see that means I will have to create 2 photo books/portfolios in May (one for Sam and one for Luka) and then 1 family yearbook in December. If you are thinking what is a family yearbook....well I decided that instead of trying to do photo books for all these different events, vacations, visits, new cities, etc...I will keep it simple. At the end of every calendar year I will create a van Herksen Family Yearbook with all the photos and special moments from that year. I got the idea from here. I love that family and their blog. I receive daily inspiration from Young House Love.

I was driving myself a little insane..I am OCD with photos and albums and I always had a photo book to do for this, or one to do for that event. I decided to simplify and came up with a solution I think works best. Three books a year...easy peasy!

I hope this post helps and inspires you to showcase your photos or art in some way.

Now here are some scans of Luka's art for the wall...

Here is one of Luka's earlier drawings from 2008. I think it is the first drawing he made...EVER.

Here are some from KG3 and 2011 in La Paz.

These are from KG4 in La Paz.

Now I have to scan Sam's collection...that post coming soon!