Paint By Numbers...Love them??....Hate them??
I'm curious about how you all feel about vintage paint by number paintings. Maybe you have no feelings about them at all. Maybe they make you feel all warm and nostalgic inside or maybe the sight of them makes you gag a little. Do share with me your feelings please. Here is why.
Over the years I have come across literally hundreds of these kitschy wonderments at estate sales and flea markets. I have sometimes felt like they were super cool and purchased them for resale and sometimes when I'd look at them in the store I'd think "why the heck did I buy that?" They never seemed to hang around for too long so I'm guessing that there are others out there that think they are worth something.
Well lately paint by number mania is happening everywhere. Museums are holding exhibitions of them. Collections of them are making it into all of the home magazines and the humble do it yourself paintings of the 50's and 60's seem to be developing a huge following.
This photo is from June's Country Living magazine. You can read the article here. I do think that they look much more interesting in a grouping like this. It kind of makes you want to stop and take a closer look.
Now this is something I've never seen before. This creative and patient soul recreated a paint by number image on the wall. I really love it. I wouldn't want to be surrounded on 4 walls with something like this but it sure does make a cool feature wall. I stumbled upon this story on the apartment therapy site. Check it out.
This is my recent paint by number purchase. It is much larger than most of the ones I come across. I had never personally seen this image before so what the heck...I bought it. So I'm weighing in with I like them and if I like the image and the price is right I'll buy them. Now....what do you all think?
for a second i thought this picture was taken at your house...i though-hey who do those cute yellow polka-dot shoes belong to? then i saw the bright yellow and green wood work and realized that it wasn't your house. so what do you think it says about me that out of everthing going on in that top picture i noticed the shoes first?
Posted by: lindsey | June 05, 2008 at 10:27 PM
It says that when it comes to paint by numbers you have no feelings at all....but when it comes to cute shoes ...well lets just say I could envision you with a wall of shoes as art.
Of course I already have personal insider information about your shoe love problem.
Posted by: megan morrison | June 05, 2008 at 11:32 PM
I like paint by numbers... cos I'm not a good painter :P
Posted by: bunny | June 06, 2008 at 02:41 AM
Megan, paint by numbers reminds me of the curly-haired man wttw who used to paint on Saturday mornings. I always thought he was kinda creepy, but the pictures were awesome. So I guess my official ruling is they remind me of my childhood, but in a way that I don't want to revisit!
Lindsey, I didn't even notice the shoes until you said something about them. But I think they would totally fit your personality.
Posted by: The Sacred Rooster a.k.a. Avonne | June 06, 2008 at 09:31 AM
yea, not sure how I feel....I agree in a group they look neat. On etsy I happened upon someone that cuts them in the shape of one's home state....hehehe...They are sorta cool lookin.
Posted by: Stephanie | June 06, 2008 at 02:44 PM
I'm not crazy about their whole paint by number idea in general but in group, they do look pretty cool.
ps:I Love your shop
and I love the fact I found this blog!
Posted by: la chipie | June 07, 2008 at 11:01 AM
la chipie...I agree with you that they look better in a group.
Avonne....what's the sacred rooster. I'm out of the loop.
Posted by: megan morrison | June 07, 2008 at 03:06 PM
Stephanie...the pictures cut out in the shape of states sounds cool. People are so clever.
Posted by: megan morrison | June 07, 2008 at 03:08 PM
megan... ninja squirrels rule, roosters drool.
Posted by: sandra | June 07, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I dont know...I love the colours ( and THATS how I always spell Colours)...But I dont like oil paints. I suppose it was the little pots they came in, with a stupid plastic top you had to pry off, then spill the linseed oil scum all over your pretty painters' smock (AKA dads' old shirt). Then you got a flimsy brush, then you had to refer to the chart of colours. Seems like a bother. Thats why I am a watercolourist. (Ha Ha..I got to spell colours FOUR times in one paragraph). And the fact that you had to take your time. I need instant gratification. Now, Pat the Gadfly at work, this guy that can make the most innocent thing seem like Big Brother Government Wants to Control you would sniff "Yeah, right, just another way for the Goverment to CONTROL you in the 50's. Make you paint in the lines. And the scenes.
Mountains
geisha girls
Ships
Sunsets
No people ever....no real people, just cactus and a sombrero. That was the United States trying to control your every move and how you spent your free time.
OK PAT THANKS>>>GOODBY
Posted by: Adrienne (the new girl) | June 09, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Megan...the Sacred Rooster is the one who one-ups the lowly ninja squirrel at every turn by doing things like taking the gift that the ninja squirrel gives and using it ON the ninja squirrel! Thereby making the ninja squirrel hiss and spit and walk around with purple ears!
Posted by: The Sacred Rooster a.k.a. Avonne | June 09, 2008 at 11:20 AM
I'm scared of hissing squirrels and crafty roosters. Can't we all just hug and get along???
Posted by: megan morrison | June 09, 2008 at 09:11 PM
Okay. Was that THE Megan Morrison (aka "no touchy") who wrote "Can't we all just hug and get along???" That must be a trick rhetorical question.
Posted by: angela | June 09, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Yeah...I like to throw some sarcasm around just to see if anyone's paying attention. Thanks for noticing!
Posted by: megan morrison | June 09, 2008 at 10:04 PM
well...i don't know what that word sarcasm means... i'm on my way in for a great big group hug of roosters, squirrels, sisters & MEGAN! woo and hoo!!!
Posted by: sandra | June 10, 2008 at 08:19 AM
We do get along but...I haven't been hugged, or even threatened with a hug, in quite a while. Wassup with that?!
Posted by: The Sacred Rooster a.k.a. Avonne | June 10, 2008 at 11:29 AM
paint by numbers are not my favorite. i know they are a hot collector item which is probably good that i don't care for them because that would just mean more stuff in my house.
Posted by: lisa | June 11, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Megan,
Me again...go check out the paint by numbers i got today!!! I am in love!!!!! I have gone to the dark side!!!!
Posted by: Stephanie | June 12, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Stephanie...I like your new painting. A new collection perhaps?
Lisa...you have so many beautiful collections already and hey you're a wonderful artist so you certainly don't need any pbn's.
Posted by: megan morrison | June 14, 2008 at 07:59 PM
Interesting idea. I just watched "Mona Lisa Smile" last night and there's a whole scene/thing with 1950s paint by numbers in the movie (specifically, Van Gogh's Sunflowers). These remind me of those water color paint books from the 1980s; I had a ton of these, like Barbie, Rainbow Brite, etc. :)
Posted by: Christy | June 24, 2008 at 05:25 PM
All I remember from Mona Lisa Smile is that it had a nice soundtrack. I forgot about the paint by number scene. Thanks!
Posted by: megan morrison | June 24, 2008 at 06:37 PM
I love the old paint by numbers. The artists were better for the earliest ones. I wish I had gotten the reissue of the first paint by no., Abstract no.1, when it came out a few years ago.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 01, 2008 at 12:12 PM