In 2008, I read an article in a home decorating magazine about a couple who used their Paint by Number paintings to decorate the wall going down the stairs.  I loved the idea and took the writer's advice to look for the paintings online, specifically on eBay.  At that time, Paint by Numbers were still considered "hobby art" but still appreciated for their beauty and cheerfulness.  I found dozens of paintings for sale, mostly for just a few dollars, so I was able to buy a lot of them very inexpensively.

I soon fell under the spell of their charming serenity, bright colors, and peaceful beauty.  But often when I unpacked a painting, I discovered that they were so old that their colors had faded and they were scratched and worn. 

Where to start?  On-line research helped me discover the best resource of all, the Paint by Number Museum, a collection of thousands of these paintings, which I could refer to in choosing the best colors for every restoration project. Bringing many of the paintings back to life became an obsession for me--it was so satisfying!

At first I hesitated to restore someone else's work, but I came to feel that the original artist, who had enjoyed hours of painting their beautiful work, might be happy to know that their efforts weren't lost.  Instead, I was giving their creation the tender loving care it deserved and preserving it for future generations to enjoy.