NationStates Jolt Archive

I did two comparatively small paintings for my mom for christmas, both in very much the same style, only different in detail. I liked them a lot, but when my mom opened the present she tried to unwrap the paintings cause she said they looked like gift wrap to her.....
Yes, it is somewhat disappointing, spending hours on something special and having it mistaken in such a profane way.
I photographed one of the paintings before giving them to her, so my question is, if you got this for christmas, would you assume there's something wrapped inside it? Or would you recognise it as a painting?

http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs14/300W/f/2007/002/0/1/Branches_by_Shenshen.jpg

Link to detailed view (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45800394/)

I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference between paint and a printed wrapping paper...

Um.


...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkj4Wm6INFY&NR

Sorry I couldn't be more help. :(

what is the medium?

it looks very cool on screen. maybe she was too close or had something entirely different in her head so she had a brain glitch when she saw it? did she REALLY try to unwrap it?

I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference between paint and a printed wrapping paper...

It's painted on tinfoil, and then glued on canvas on an 15x25cm frame. She must have thought it was fancy wrapping paper or something.....

Very fancy gift wrapping! Although I can see why she would think It was gift wrapping, especially with the momentum you can get of opeing lots of presents.

I did two comparatively small paintings for my mom for christmas, both in very much the same style, only different in detail. I liked them a lot, but when my mom opened the present she tried to unwrap the paintings cause she said they looked like gift wrap to her.....
Yes, it is somewhat disappointing, spending hours on something special and having it mistaken in such a profane way.
I photographed one of the paintings before giving them to her, so my question is, if you got this for christmas, would you assume there's something wrapped inside it? Or would you recognise it as a painting?

http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs14/300W/f/2007/002/0/1/Branches_by_Shenshen.jpg

Link to detailed view (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45800394/)

It looked like wrapping papper to me.

what is the medium?

it looks very cool on screen. maybe she was too close or had something entirely different in her head so she had a brain glitch when she saw it? did she REALLY try to unwrap it?

She was trying to tear it open at one corner, but I could stop her in time. No damage done.

Sell the pattern to a giftwrap company and make some $$$$$$!

But really, it looks really neat. I like the pattern, very pleasing to my heathen eyes.

was it framed?

im looking at your gallery. i love your abstracts

Mistakes happen, so do brain glitches.

Did she at least try and laugh it off as a mistake and tell you what she thought of it? or...?

oh i see you answered my question above...

shes a phillistine.

I must be a philistine too.

Sell the pattern to a giftwrap company and make some $$$$$$!

But really, it looks really neat. I like the pattern, very pleasing to my heathen eyes.

Hehe... I'm thinking of maybe trying to sell some paintings this summer in Merrion Square (http://www.dublinks.com/index.cfm/loc/19/pt/0/spid/506B992E-1743-46BA-954F1C22F7D29CF7.htm) ;)

was it framed?

im looking at your gallery. i love your abstracts

It wasn't framed. The canvas is mounted on a frame that's about 3 cm deep, and the tinfoil is glued to that.

Maybe she was expecting LEGO?

Mistakes happen, so do brain glitches.

Did she at least try and laugh it off as a mistake and tell you what she thought of it? or...?

Sort of. But it was that kind of nervous laugh that really says "I'll be polite and pretend I like this kind of art".

Damn it. I should have taken the paintings back home again with me, not left them at her place. I really liked them myself.

Sort of. But it was that kind of nervous laugh that really says "I'll be polite and pretend I like this kind of art".

Damn it. I should have taken the paintings back home again with me, not left them at her place. I really liked them myself.
You'll know how she truly feels when you come over and see them on the walls...

You'll know how she truly feels when you come over and see them on the walls...

Well, she has till November to find a spot ;)
I won't be in Germany before that. My guess is she'll put them up, but somewhere out of the way in a corner.

I usually recall wrapping paper being papery and artful.

Well, she has till November to find a spot ;)
I won't be in Germany before that. My guess is she'll put them up, but somewhere out of the way in a corner.

Well i suppose it depends on whether they're to heavy to attach to the fridge with a magnet.

I must be a philistine too.

if you received ANYTHING glued to a canvas and mounted in some kind of frame (im not sure what she meant by that) you would assume that its art no matter whether you liked it or not

Well, she has till November to find a spot ;)
I won't be in Germany before that. My guess is she'll put them up, but somewhere out of the way in a corner.

ask her for them back and give her a toaster as a replacement gift. that painting is too nice to hang in a corner of her home unappreciated

I think it's very pretty Cabra, and I wouldn't have tried to unwrap it, but you gotta forgive your mom.......I mean I almost threw away a sculpture of my daughter's once, I didn't realize that it wasn't trash (but that's the risk she takes leaving them around when her medium is "found objects" which is code for "trash")

ask her for them back and give her a toaster as a replacement gift. that painting is too nice to hang in a corner of her home unappreciated

I think I might do that in November, if she's really put them up somewhere out of the way.

if you received ANYTHING glued to a canvas and mounted in some kind of frame (im not sure what she meant by that) you would assume that its art no matter whether you liked it or not

Ok, I didnt word that quite right. I wouldnt try to rip it because if it was in a frame its obviously not wrapping paper, still looks like it though.

To be honest though, I wouldnt be able to create something like that myself so these comments are mostly coming out of jealousy.

I think it's very pretty Cabra, and I wouldn't have tried to unwrap it, but you gotta forgive your mom.......I mean I almost threw away a sculpture of my daughter's once, I didn't realize that it wasn't trash (but that's the risk she takes leaving them around when her medium is "found objects" which is code for "trash")

Hehe... my mom is a great one for throwing things out. If I had made trash sculptures, they wouldn't have survived a single day at home ;)
Well, it's my mom. She's got a talent for putting her foot in her mouth.

I don't see too much wrapping paper out there that looks like that. I think it looks cool, actually.

They're absolutely beautiful paintings BUT the style of them (flowery and pink) could easily be mistaken for giftwrap - that doesn't mean they're not beautiful though.

Forgive me, but I'm laughing hysterically at your problem right now.

You have to admit, it's pretty damn amusing from an outsiders perspective.

The only advice I can give you is this. "Learn to roll with the punches". If you can learn to laugh when stupid things happen, you'll find life to be a lot more amusing. Someone mistakes your painting as giftwrap? Try to see to look at it from their perspective, and find the humour in the situation. The humour in this one being that modern art makes very good wrapping paper ^_^

I guess it could be mistaken for a very expensive wrapping paper. I've seen some wrapping paper that has a similar effect to what your painting has in its background.

I can see there's something like leafless trees in the foreground. I think it looks really good. Perhaps me and your mum can swap xmas presents?c.c

"It's partially an expression of my teenage angst, but mostly it's a moo cow!" -Chris Griffin.

I thought the painting was very striking, but I've done way stupider shit than that to people I care about, so fear not, it was just a brain glitch I'm sure.

Forgive me, but I'm laughing hysterically at your problem right now.

You have to admit, it's pretty damn amusing from an outsiders perspective.

The only advice I can give you is this. "Learn to roll with the punches". If you can learn to laugh when stupid things happen, you'll find life to be a lot more amusing. Someone mistakes your painting as giftwrap? Try to see to look at it from their perspective, and find the humour in the situation. The humour in this one being that modern art makes very good wrapping paper ^_^

I'm not one to take art overly serious myself, to be honest. Don't mistake me for one of those stuck-up would be post-modernists who try and find the deeper sense in Joseph Beuys' bathtub full of butter...
But I am slightly offended by the fact that my mother, who has known that I like art and love to paint for as long as I can remember, would actually act so callous about it. It's not so much that I see my art misunderstood, but that in a way I regret spending so many hours making a personalised gift for her and she nearly tears it.... ah well. That's parents for you, I guess. ;)

I guess it could be mistaken for a very expensive wrapping paper. I've seen some wrapping paper that has a similar effect to what your painting has in its background.

I can see there's something like leafless trees in the foreground. I think it looks really good. Perhaps me and your mum can swap xmas presents?c.c

Why? What did you get? ;)

"It's partially an expression of my teenage angst, but mostly it's a moo cow!" -Chris Griffin.

"I call it 'Metamorphosis'. It's a study about the interaction of the individual with society, demonstrating the constant struggle of the artistic self to retain its integrity faced with commercialism, materialism and general fatigue. It outlines the intricate network of connections that feed into the creative process.... but mostly I wanted to get it done before having tea." - myself in 8th grade art class. ;)

If I were you, I would forgive your mom. Mostly because if it was wrapping paper and you did have another gift inside, she would have looked pretty silly thinking that was the gift. Although, I must say it is quite good, I would hang it in my house.

looks pretty awesome to me. she must have not had her glasses on or something.