Sometimes you open up a can of worms for yourself. I initially created these illustrations for my talented photographer friend, Nadine Nasby so that she might showcase her photography packages, but it's become personal.  About a month ago, I checked out a book from the library about displaying things you love in your home. This art project, combined with reading that book, has left my head swirling. Now I'm longing to really fill my hallway with pics of extended family. 

I've done a good job framing and hanging pictures of my husband and kids, but I'm craving some ancestors up on the wall. With the exception of some fridge pics, our grandparents and great grandparents are poorly represented. I'm a firm believer that knowing where we come from helps our families to feel a part of something bigger than just ourselves. In turn, my hope is that this will help them to believe that they are representing not only Christ, but a long line of people who do (or would if they were still with us) love them greatly. 

I've always loved learning about my grandparents and great grandparents. I know my children love to ask questions about and spend time with their extended family as well. While I'm bad at making phone calls, I am good about telling stories and talking about family. Since we are a visual bunch, what a great way to support this by incorporating more photos. 

My problem is that my home is small. Very small. Really, if I choose my spot carefully I can plug in my vacuum and hit my entire house. This forces me to get creative and selective with what I hang up. It also forces me to use bathroom wall space for some interesting choices. So today I'm going to make a goal to hang some beautiful photographs that I've kept in hiding. Hopefully these illustrated groupings will help you to do the same.

I'm told that it helps enormously to first stick pieces of paper to the wall the sizes of your frames. It's much easier to reposition paper and tape than fill your wall with holes. Feel free to comment or share your favorite hanging tactics. 

I'm working on a watercolor project for a friend who is a professional photographer. She has asked me to create little illustrated vignettes of her photo packages in use. This project could not be any more up my alley! We met and together planned what the groupings would look like. Now I'm hard at work (but having so much fun) painting little scenes of furniture that showcase how a homeowner might group their new family photos on their walls. 

I have a couple of groupings of her work in my own home. When you walk into our kitchen from the side door brick patio, you can't help but see one. I consider this grouping to be the focal point of my kitchen and dining area. I'm thrilled to be a part of helping other people create bold groupings in their homes. I will certainly be showing you the completed product once this set of six scenes are finished, but for now, here is a sneak peak of the bedroom illustration.

Have you ever struggled with creating a photo grouping for your home? If so, leave a comment on what helped you and check back to see all of the groupings we've cooked up.

From piñatas to watercolors, self portraits to food sculptures, we made it! The campers were fabulous and always seemed ready to dig into trying something new. One of my favorite parts of the camp day was recess time. I think it was just being able to be in the sunshine kicking or bouncing a ball with them (which is hilarious if you know me) and watching them be kids. 

I'm so grateful to the parents and families who shared their children with me this week! I was able to show them just how fun different mediums can be. More importantly each day we discussed a new character trait taken from Ephesians 5:22 - The Fruits of the Spirit.  We talked about how a life lived in Christ helps us to have those Fruits! Being able to share a love for The Lord and art together is one of my biggest blessings. 

If your child missed out this year and you want to join us next Summer, please sign up for my mailing list to find out about upcoming classes and the art camp dates as soon as I have them set.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have questions.