Putting your own artwork up in your own house - is it cringey?

[SinkGirl]

I used to make and sell papercuts as a job before I had my twins. I developed a way to turn photographs into layered pieces and developed it using stills from film, TV etc as well as family photos.

Quite a few of the film based ones sold but I mainly did commissions - I still have a stash in a drawer (there are probably 20 or so of various sizes from A4 up to A2).

I only have one on the wall, which is one I made for Christmas for DH one year.

Since I don’t have a shop any more they’re not going to sell and I’m worried about them getting damaged just knocking around but it feels a bit narcissistic to put my own work all over the walls!

What do you think? FWIW we have a lot of wall space especially hall, landing / stairs and our bedroom so maybe I put them up and then replace them over time?

Weirdly I don’t have any issue having stuff I’ve knitted etc around, although I tend to make stuff for other people so there’s not much other than things I’ve made for the boys. This feels different and I’m not sure why - maybe it’s a confidence thing.

They are fab. You should definitely hang them up.

SinkGirl to be honest I can see why he finds it scary. I tried to copy a Klimpt 'mother and child' where she's resting her head on the babies head but she's too sideways and looks a bit horror movie-esque

Camomila wanna do a swap for my big Dexter? I reckon he would give any kid the wiggins 😂

I've painted a mural on my son's bedroom wall so no getting around having my own artwork on display! I love it, though. Also have plenty of cushions, rugs, curtains made by me around the house as well as photos we've taken. Nothing cringey about it, I think it makes the house more of a home. I hate going to Homebase and seeing those big photo prints of New York at night and the like - unless it's a memory, is it really worth having up? Lots of other lovely things to put on your walls, including your own art!

I sat for hours punching butterflies out of those free paint test strips you get - put it in an Ikea frame and it’s above my mantlepiece now. I love that it’s unique - I live on my own so I am happy to put my stuff up even if no one else likes it - it brings me pleasure x

My exes parents had a massive painting above the stairs. i didn’t really take
much notice until one day I noticed the initials. His dad had painted it and I thought it was nice that he made something for their home.

It's only cringey if it's crap

I have a (very stylised) self portrait up in my house, a Lino cut I did as a teenager. Clearly I'd win on the narcissism front I personally love seeing art people have done in their homes, most people I know with artists in the family will have their work up everywhere!

We've got one of DH's paintings above the stairs. I don't like it much, but I love that he painted it because he thought I would like it. Never occurred to me that it would be cringey.

It's only cringey if it's crap

Uh oh 😬

most people I know with artists in the family will have their work up everywhere!

I wonder if this is my problem. I struggle to think of myself as an “artist”. My mum, uncle and sister were / are all very talented artists and I dropped art ASAP at school as I can’t draw! Took me a long time to get the confidence up to try different things and ways to be creative, never imagined I’d end up making a living off anything creative. People who meet me now tell me they think of me as a creative person which is really weird to hear. Not long after I started my friend talked me into entering an art competition and I got shortlisted, went along to the viewing feeling like an absolute fraud and then came third. I was 😳 Then obviously I sold quite a lot of pieces and got commissions that were quite a lot of money which is a bit bonkers.

So maybe that’s why I feel funny about it. But I will heed the advice here and get frames to hang them, it’s silly not to!

You should OP, and then use it as your own gallery to let people come and buy them!

This sounds like a local artist who we have bought 2 pieces of artwork from. We saw some of her work at a local art fair and she mentioned that she has many more pieces to choose from at her home if we wanted to come and look. So we turned up and almost every wall in her was filled with pieces, all with price tags on too! I felt like I was wondering through an art gallery as I traipsed up and down her stairs and reception rooms but it makes sense to use your home as your own art gallery!

That’s a good idea although I suspect the general toddler tat may spoil the gallery mood 😂

@SinkGirl I may have this wrong but you're not the poster who created a pattern for a knitted wreath are you?

@SinkGirl haha just hang it up!

Not cringey at all. I do photography as a hobby and have printed & framed several of my own photos, mainly of our dc but also some of my cityscapes - we have a massive one of Leeds in our living room.

If you like your work and are proud of it, show it off. No point hiding it away in a drawer!

I may have this wrong but you're not the poster who created a pattern for a knitted wreath are you?

No not me! If you’ve seen me on the crafts board it will be posts I made about accidentally making giant toys for my twins recently 😂