Kids' Art? (What Do YOU Do With It?)

[Audrey]

Hey guys!!

Marc's post of his artwork--I would assume it's kid's art?--has me curious.

What do you guys do with kids' art, and what's the most outrageous price-tag you've ever seen on framing for it?

I live in a rather "snooty" area of San Antonio, where kids drive BMW's and have charge cards, and their mothers look like walking Anne Taylor ads, and I've noticed a trend recently where they want to frame the hand prints of a five-year-old like they're the fingers of Van Gogh. (Or perhaps the ear? http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/wink.gif)

Usually I reach for the more playful frames and mats, because children's art is so colorful in nature, but recently I've had women sternly stop me, and insist that they want "little Dakota's masterpiece" to be framed VERY SERIOUSLY...i.e., rag mats, UV glass, conservation style framing complete with large gold/darkwood frames, etc.

How seriously do you take this? *evil grin* I mean, I was lucky if my little sketches made the FRIDGE; I was ecstatic if it got my favorite magnet. I realize that the more the parents want to spend, the more lucrative it is, but don't you think from a personal standpoint that this is getting a bit goofy?

A woman came in a few weeks ago and framed what was basically a BLOB for about $200. The "artist" was no more than six. I mean, I can understand framing stuff seriously if you have an older child who really likes artwork, and works very hard on it....but to frame the thoughtless finger-swirls of small children like they're original Van Goghs seems ridiculous.

What do you think? Is this a sad commentary on the way children are being indulged these days, or am I just a crusty, childless framer? LOL

I'd love to hear your stories. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/biggrin.gif

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I don't care what color your sofa is.

[Charles Lowry]

Audrey, every night the news blasts us with sad commentaries on how kids are being raised and indulged. I agree with you.

The customer is always right, especially the proud, the rich and the kid-obsessed. In my humble opinion. If they want it to look like it hangs in the Louvre, so be it. As we used to say, 'The price of poker just went up.' As long as the customer's satisfied, I am too. This is not to say that I would charge usurous prices, or gouge them, but if they want a $500 frame job on a blob, I'd make it the best $500 job I could.

[Kit aka emrr]

I agree. If Mommy wants to spend a bundle framing a child's art work LET HER! It makes as much sense as framing a painting by someone you've never met - van Gogh, for instance. And yup, I recommend UV glass on kid's art. It's irreplaceable. Having said that I must admit that I was a practitioner of the stick-it-on-the-refrigerator method of display. I've checked with my kid and he insists that he's not suffering any long term psychological damage as a result. Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana

[jframe]

Have you never had a customer lose a child? It will break your heart. It will just about kill you if you knew that child yourself.

Their art is precious and it deserves the best, including whatever style the customer prefers. It is not about indulging children, it is about preserving family memories.

As for those kids and their high priced cars, now is the time to turn them into YOUR customers. You can't tell them what to frame, but you can educate them about framing. They have the money, they want something nice, they have chosen you to help them, make the most of it.

[framechick]

We frequently show finished corner frames on kids' art. Not too long ago I did a high relief mask in a lined shadow box with Tru Vue museum glass size - 12 x 20
retail, about $900.


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[Janet]

Kit, I also am the mom of a 19 year old son in college who doesn't appear to have suffered psychological damage from having his artwork "displayed" on the refrigerator. I must confess that he may have suffered "physical damage" when I whipped his butt for drawing on his bedroom walls at the age of four.
He's planning a career in golf course management and has been collecting golf prints and photos since taking up the sport when he was 13. His Christmas list ALWAYS includes prints and he picks out the way he wants them framed. Me, being Santa Claus always comes through as I'd rather invest my $ in collectibles for him than his childhood art that, in his words, "sucked". His all time hero, Ben Hogan, is an expensive hero when trying to collect any prints of him on a golf course. So I guess I'm one of those parents who "indulges" their kids "wants" too!

BUT, you are correct in that this younger generation IS collecting artwork and purchasing some of it themselves. They will become our customers of the future and the future is already here as I'm seeing them as customers now! I love it! I do find that their taste in framing is much more contemporary and they do want the artwork they have purchased (or been given) to be framed properly to insure it's value for the future. EDUCATION! Here's our golden opportunity to make sure these customers entering frame shops for the first time in their young lives become informed and are treated with the respect they deserve.

This reply is getting a little off the original topic of children's artwork, but I am so happy to have a young (high school or college student) enter our shop as a potential customer. These kids are not the ones with credit cards. I'll work out a payment plan with them where they pay me a % each month until the work is paid for and they can take it home. I was touched at Christmas this year to have some of these young kids as repeat customers wanting to purchase framing for artwork they were giving their parents.


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How cheap do you want it to look??

[Ainsley]

As we traveled the world somehow the art of our children disappeared and they had none of it left when they married and started their own families. Last year an old friend died and her daughter called me to say that a drawing my son (age 8) had done for her had been found. She had framed it 25 years ago. They graciously returned it to me and I reframed it and gave it to him at Christmas.
I don't usually get to see him cry but he sure did when he oppened that gift.

Never underestimate the power of the past!

This is the story I tell customers when asked it its worth framing.

[Audrey]

Maybe it's because I'm not the boss, so I don't get to keep all the money these parents are spending.....LOL I agree that children's art is irreplaceable, but frankly it blows my mind the money that is sometimes spent on it. Pictures of the children, yes. Portraits, etc. But FINGER PAINTING? *grin*

I did actually have an older woman come into the shop a couple of weeks ago whose grown daughter--probably in her forties--had died three years ago of leukemia. She was just now bringing in all the recent pictures she could find of her daughter; she even had enlarged photocopies of very informal portraits, and she wanted them all framed.

There was one nice picture--obviously candid, but one where the photographer had gotten lucky--and I convinced her to frame it as lavishly as possible. I went with very warm, wide, feminine fabric mats in greens and creams, and a thick, gilded silver frame, UV glass, etc.; all my co-workers asked me who it was, because it looked so "important."

And bless her heart, the woman nearly cried when I showed it to her.

I told my co-workers that it WAS someone very important. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

And I think this re-emphasizes the need for people to take as many pictures as possible, because you never know when they'll be all you have left. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/frown.gif

Framing that picture for that customer and seeing the look on her face when she saw it made my day.

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I don't care what color your sofa is.

[Susan May]

As I think of how to answer this thread, I have to remind myself that I'm one of those "Proud" mothers' that you are all talking about. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

My daughter is six years old, and last year I asked her to do a drawing for me, so I could frame it for our wall. I wanted to show our customers that you don't need to put your child's art up on the wall with thumb tacks, or allow it to get ruined on the refrigerator. Her drawing was not anywhere near as good as it could have been, but you should see her face when she sees it on the wall. The pride alone is worth the price.

Obviously, you are not going to put a lot of money in to every drawing that your child does, but don't you think that encouraging children to draw is better then ignoring them and letting them watch TV?

(I have never heard of a child snapping, and killing their classmates with crayons. But I have heard of a boy who killed a six year old girl because he was doing a move he saw on the World Wrestling Federation.)

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Sue May :)
"You want it when?!?!?"

[Kit aka emrr]

I recently framed an autographed photo of The Backstreet Boys with concert tickets incorporated into the mat design - for a twelve year old customer. Get 'em while they're young! Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana

[Rick Granick]

This is a good thread. I agree with what jframe said. I would add that school art teachers are really creative these days, and we have had some kids' art in to be framed that was so cool, I'd like to hang it in MY house, even though it's not even my kid.

A personal story: When I was in about 5th or 6th grade, my father attended a parents' night openhouse at my school. He admired a pen-and-ink drawing of a construction site which he saw hanging on the wall. Upon closer inspection, he realized the "artist" was ME. When I brought it home, he had it framed. Knowing he was so taken with my drawing helped get me interested in art, and you know where that ultimately led. Dad has been gone since 1979, but I still have the drawing. Up until last year it was still in its original framing (plain black wood right to the edge, art up against regular glass). At that time I reframed it in charcoal gray simple wood with conservation matting, shadowbox spacers, etc. It is hanging above my computer right here in my home office now.
I love framing kids' art!
;) Rick

[FramerDave]

I don't give a rat's behind if my customer wants to frame for example, a discarded gum wrapper if she's willing to pay me $500 to do it. The fact they they are ASKING for expensive gold frames, UV glass and conservation quality mats tells me that this picture is valuable. I'f they'll pay me to do it, it's not up to me to question if it's silly or not.
Once upon a time I took a workshop with Mr. Raines. He told us that he once had a lady drop off a piece of kid's art and picked out an expensive gold frame, all rag mats, fillets, the whole conservation treatment. Total of about $700. When she picked up the finished order, he gently asked her what made her want to spend so much on it. She told him it was the last picture her 7 year old daughter drew before she died of cancer.

[JPete]

Framing kids art is the encouragement and praise we should all give our kids, grandkids and anyone who wants to express their creativity. Where on earth do you think the Masters began! This is not spoiling or indulging, it's taking an interest in your child.

Art education is not a priority in too many schools. Studies have shown the students participating in music and other art forms generally do better in those all important courses like Math and Science that we want to compare the whole world to.

Quality of life is enhanced by enjoying your surroundings and what better way to do it than through the eyes (art) of a child. Just my soap box. You may disagree but I'm not into debate so please don't quote me unless it's to a customer on why they should frame it. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

[rosetl]

I think "Kid Art" is one of my favorite things to frame. A framed child's drawing, etc. stands the test of time--and will be of personal value years later when all the other trends are long gone-----and framing it to current trend and colors just helps make it more fun as the years pass as it adds to the memories.

TL - Studio Frame

[Jean McLean]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by framechick:
We frequently show finished corner frames on kids' art. Not too long ago I did a high relief mask in a lined shadow box with Tru Vue museum glass size - 12 x 20
retail, about $900.


the answer is whatever the traffic will bear

Some days it's all Nielsen #15<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can't believe you get that much for a job like that! Wow. Move over, I'm moving in. Jean