The Fridge Door Gallery

Gone are the days of sticky, indecipherable artworks brought home to adorn her kitchen. Pat McDermott laments the lost art of fridge decoration.

- Pat McDermott

Hovering at the school gate on the last day of term a few years ago (okay, 25 years ago), I saw my five-year-old approaching. She was wearing a paper crown covered in silver stars and carrying a drippy painting. It looked like a house or maybe a turtle. I’d learned to wait for clues before saying, “What a lovely cat.”

“Do you know what Miss Fogarty calls painting and craft stuff?” she asked, placing it carefully on the car seat – paint-side down.

“No. What does she call it?” I asked. You could count on Miss Fogarty to say something nice.

“Pointless busy work.” Miss Fogarty made a good point about pointlessness, but fortunately, I’m a fan of school art and craft. Nothing says, “I love you”, like a teapot stand made from clothes pegs, red felt and superglue. Although the green clay house with “Dear Mun Hapy Chirstmas xxx fr Geoffrey” on the bottom runs a close second.

“Who’s Geoffrey?” asked the MOTH (the Man of the House). Our boys’ names are Patrick and Rowen, but if they know, they’re not telling.