Much as I love some of the prints out there that are designed especially for kids, there’s a lot to be said for widening your horizons a little when it comes to artwork for the children’s bedroom, and taking a look at some of the art that is just…well, art. For everyone.
For starters, you get built-in longevity: when that learn-to-spell poster has long since been relegated to the bin, these will still hold their own. Then, you get to hang something that you yourself enjoy looking at – always a bonus during those long Lego sessions.
Finally, you can pretty much be assured of finding something a wee bit different from the prints hanging on all your friends’ kids’ walls: whatever the equivalent of Keep Calm and Carry On is for the under-fives (and I’d welcome suggestions in the comments), this is one good way of avoiding it.
So, once you’re out of the safe waters of child-dedicated art, how can you judge what’s suitable? For me, it is all about finding the same quality that exists in the most timeless picture books: a sense of magic – and that’s why I leapt to bring you the latest Sally Elford print, Northern Lights.
So much that seems magical falls away as we age – think Father Christmas, snow, public transport…! But here is a subject that astonishes any child, and seems somehow to stay that way into adulthood.
Elford is represented by the fabulous Boxbird Gallery (where, if you’re convinced by my ‘adult art for kids’ argument, you’ll find plenty more to choose from), is a limited edition, and costs $175. If that seems a lot, see my earlier point about longevity.
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