To throw out my mother's paintings?

[NeedaCostume]

My mother paints as a hobby. Her job involved drawing and I think she misses it. Good for her.

The problem is she has started painting pictures for us, her children, and expects us to put them up in our houses. I don't like them much. Some are ok, some are downright dreadful - misshapen people and garish colours.

Now we're moving house and I don't want to drag them all along to the new house. AIBU to chuck them out? I don't think a charity shop would take them.

She is living abroad temporarily but when she comes back she will notice their absence and I am scared of admitting getting rid of them.

Could you start giving her some to go back with in exchange for the new ones she brings?

Or claim to have inherited her artistic genes and start doing some paintings yourself, some of which you hang up (at least while she is there!) and some of which you give to her 'isn't it lovely mum, I'll have some of your pictures on the Walls to remind ne of you and you can have mine up to remind you of me'. And then she'll maybe realise that it is not so good to impose your pictures on someone!

You definitely need to produce a painting just for her, but I'd suggest making it a 3D portrait, creating a papier mâché head exiting the picture. Get your children involved in the monstrosity project and give it to her for Christmas.