Fridge to Frame

Working with your child's art to get it off the fridge and into a frame.

How it works:
- You send me some photos of your child's art and a list of favourite animals.
- I choose which artwork is most suitable.
- You post or drop off the original (up to A4 size).
- I create the finished artwork and send it back to you.

Introductory pricing:
- Artwork only £45 (plus postage).
- Framed option (gift ready) £65.

Some tips for best results:
- Watercolour paints work best, but any child's acrylic paint is fine.
- Best to use fairly heavy weight paper (180gsm and above).

Send me me a message on my contact form with the subject 'Fridge to Frame' and we can start a conversation.

We all remember our child's first word, but what about their first drawing? Those drawings were a precursor to talking. By making marks on paper your child is working out how they feel about the world and expressing something. It is an activity that experts deem crucial in a child's development, helping them to build confidence and develop the fine motor skills they will later need for writing. It can also be a powerful tool for regulating tantrums.

For many parents the fridge has long been the default display space for their children's art. Artworks will exist on there for varying degrees of time. Some have the shelf life of a carton of milk, favourites may enjoy a longer stay, but ultimately most children's art ends up in the bin. It's a shame because those drawings are so much more than random scribbles.

I love it if you already have some of your children's art framed on the wall, but if you'd like a helping hand with turning it into a special gift for someone, I can offer 40+ years of drawing experience and a promise that it will be appreciated by the recipient. I'll help you to get it on the wall, but the love for the artwork will come from the fondness that person has for your child.

Fridge to Frame was inspired by collaborations with our daughter, Marella, with whom I have been making art since she was one year old.

MARELLA & MART ON INSTAGRAM

How it started...

How it's going...

Our collaborations are helping to support wildlife conservation. Through the sale of art we have so far raised £1873 for wildlife charities.

I started drawing on Marella's doodles in an attempt to drag myself out of a long stretch of art block. Finding shapes in my child's playful marks helped me to reconnect with the joy of creating art by letting go of expectation and simply enjoying the process. My passion for making and sharing art has never been stronger. I founded Wild Art Philanthropy IRL (WAPI) to provide access to art materials for school children in Kenya. 12 schools in the Maasai Mara that previously didn't have any art materials are now stocked with art pencils, and I recently hosted a series of workshops where we took some students out on their first ever safari and spent the afternoons experimenting with a variety of different art materials.