Art that Teaches

When my grandmother passed away about 10 years ago, the only thing I wanted was a piece of artwork which had hung on the wall as you entered her kitchen ever since I could remember.  It reminded me of her because it reminded me of being at her house.  Recently, I visited the home of a cousin and saw a piece of artwork that had been in HER mother's home for years.  Even though I was quite young when I last was in that home, I remembered that painting and where it had been hanging.

Art, like music, can have a big impression on our minds.  

If you were to visit our home, over half the artwork on our walls is related to the Gospel.  From the poster of the Sacred Grove in our entry to the painting of the temple we were married in to the 9 Be's over the fireplace in the family room.  Even upstairs is a poster in the hall that says, "All I Need to Know I Learned in Primary".  Right under it is a wooden plaque that says, "I am a child of God".  

Even the prints by Danish artist Mad Stage that hang over our fireplace in the living room are special to us because my husband served his mission in Denmark.  

Most of them mean very little to visitors in our home.  Occasionally, someone will ask about the temple painting or read the "Home Rules" by the front door or look at the photos adorning the mat around the large framed "Proclamation on the Family".  But most people just see it as artwork.  

We hope that our kids will remember these things in our home and that they reinforce the gospel-centric nature of it and that when they leave home someday, they will desire to either take some of our artwork with them or get their own.

Recently, we redecorated the bonus room and turned it from a playroom to a "Man Cave" for our adolescent boys.  It's a place for them to go hang-out with their friends.  The colors of the room are kind of a bright khaki green and chocolate brown.  In trying to decide what to put on the walls, we came across these VERY COOL "Real Hero" posters.  We ordered 6 of the large posters and today I framed them (thanks to Michaels for having their frames 40% off this week!) and put them upstairs.  While I was carrying them up, the non-LDS boy from across the street kept saying, "Who's that?"  Every time I came up with one, the boys told him the story.  They had a discussion about David and Goliath and Daniel and the Lions.  When I brought up the framed poster of Ammon, my boys filled the non-LDS boy in on ALL the gory details to which he responded, "COOL!!!"

Both of my boys want me to order more so they can put some up in their own rooms.  How can I say, "No"?  

There are many worthy works of art to adorn the walls of our home.  When I was growing up, there was very little in the way of LDS-themed art although there were many wonderful LDS artists.  I'm so happy that we can now easily and inexpensively cover the walls of our home with pictures that remind our children of the gospel and give them opportunities to share the gospel with their friends.  

I hope in the future, they will desire to take some of these paintings and pictures to their own home and that our grandchildren will have the same fondness and recollection of the things hanging on the walls in our home.