Who Needs Art In a Laundry Room? Me!

"Oh for the love of mercy, I'm the daughter of an artist!"... yep, that was my retort to my husbands quizzical eye-brow arch at my desperate search for wall art for a laundry room. I could read the question in his eyes, why did I have need for art in a room I barely spend time with my head up in? 
Seriously? It's art, it's pretty, it makes me happy, I want it absolutely everywhere, oh and I'm the daughter of an artist so what do you expect. *grin* But there are more reasons to display art in unexpected locations; remember that it completes the feel of any space, as if the room were dressed. So don't be afraid to add that finishing touch (the yummy icing on the cake) to any space!

Prints for Less
I was busy bemoaning my poor luck at finding laundry related prints when a thought hit me... Now, I confess this thought should have hit me years ago (I had quite the "uh duhh" moment), but I suddenly realized that if I just searched for a photography book I might actually have prints to put in the myriads of gorgeous empty frames I'd been collecting over the years, and not just for my laundry room but the entire house! 

I promptly planned a trip to my local library's monthly book sale, and imagine my glee and sheer joy to find two fantastic photography books for 25 cents a piece! Well, I didn't find laundry related art, but for a quarter I think I'll get over it. 

Finally the stars were aligned...or something. That same week I was looking through Burlington's home goods department when I spied these silver frames at $3 a piece!! It was a 70% markdown! At $3 a piece I couldn't very well leave them behind, they were just begging for a home.

My trick to fit the smaller pictures from my newly acquired photography book into a medium or large sized frame? Double matte! I'm using inexpensive smaller sized mattes under the mattes that came with the frame so they will "fit in" nicely. 

I love the bit of silvery sparkle these frames will bring to my laundry room. They will go perfectly with the brushed chrome pulls I've purchased for my cabinets!

At just the right time of day, when the sun is pouring through the back laundry room door, the light bounces off the frames and all over this room casting the prettiest reflections! 

Step-by-Step Abstract Art

Do-it-yourself art has become increasingly popular. Many of us want walls filled with art, but don't have the budget to accommodate. What about you? Have you braved wielding the brush and sparing the pocketbook? Art is subjective, so don't be afraid to whip out a canvas and create something you love...after all, it can't hurt to try! Banish your painting fears and give it a go, the most you'll lose if hate it is a little bit of time and paint.

Matte Maker, Matte Maker, Make Me a Matte...

So, what do you do once you've bought or painted the perfect picture for your space, and then discover that it is too small for the matte? Apparently you panic, then you make a run to a store that does custom framing, then you hyperventilate when you hear how much it will cost, then you say "no thanks", run home and get creative!
Well, ready to get creative? *grin* I guess I'm going to be the matte maker this time around. I was the artist last week, so why not attempt a matte revamp?

Ok, you're wondering how I could miss something so obvious. *chuckle* I didn't really. This size canvass was on sale for a mere $5, and any larger size would have been north of $30! I decided to save my money and buy a new matte or re-size the current matte. Well, you know me, I chose the cheaper solution. In my defense, I'm po'.

How To Re-Size Your Matte

1. Select the two adjacent corners you want to shorten. Cut the matte from inside corner to outside corner. {Tip: Use a straight edge to ensure a pristine cut}

2. Overlap matte to shorten to desired new length, use straight edge to help you cut a new edge. {Tip: Be sure you hold your exacto knife at the same angle as your original cut for a snug fit}

3. Snugly fit new edges together, and tape {Tip: tape either the back of the matte, or a in a spot that will not be visible if double matted}

Final Tip: No need to do this to all 4 corners. Cut the two adjacent corners that need to be shortened, following the steps above. THEN just score the other two corners to make it look as if it has been cut. 

Painting Your Matte
Occasionally there will be color discrepancies after re-sizing an old matte. The visible edges of mine were lighter than the rest of the matte. My solution, paint the matte to my preferred color! Matte's are a thick enough material to handle acrylic paint...but don't water your paint down, you don't want to warp the matte.

I'm using the same gold folkart brand paint that I used on my painting. After all, shouldn't your matte be an extension of your painting and highlight its best qualities?

A blob of metallic gold paint (or your paint color of choice), and a sponge brush, and presto you've added the finishing touches to your brand new matte.

My matte is ready, my DIY art is ready, time to hang it! Click here to see how I painted the piece below.

While You've Got That Paint In Your Hand...

Oh, and one last little tip while you have that paint in your hand... If you love the design of your frame, but the hue is just a little off, a thin transparent layer of the paint of choice may just make all the difference! 

Happy matte making you artist you!

The Wannabe Artist

Being the daughter of an artist can be...well, inspiring, sometimes frustrating. Occasionally you watch him paint and it makes you think "hey, I can do that!"...but you can't. Nope, you never can. It has given me a healthy appreciation for having art on my walls however.
Now, I'm desperate to find the perfect stunning piece for my high living room wall, something that your eye is drawn to when you enter the room, something that sets the tone, and the pallet just tumbles off of into the rest of the space. 
Then I saw this gorgeous painting by Emily Jefford... 

...and now no other piece will do! Bummer! I can't have this specific piece, I can't afford to commission a piece...uh oh, I feel that artistic pull again, you know what this means.  I have fallen back into that fantasy, that somehow I can "do it myself". So here we go again...
And because I am dedicated to sharing all the details and how-tos, artist or not, fail or succeed, I'm sharing how I created this piece for my living room inspired by Emily's perfect piece. 

My Studio
Just kidding, I don't have a studio, just my living room. I wanted to paint the piece in the lighting from the room it would hang, so a piece of cardboard atop the coffee table is my station for today. And by the way, you shouldn't try this at home! When I wield a paint brush or roller, I'm meticulous. Crazy as this sounds, I don't usually use plastic when I paint walls, I never drip, and I don't get paint on my clothes unless I intentionally used them as a brush cleaning tool. Accidents can always happen, so I should have at least protected the area from spills, but I confess I didn't. *shrug* Let's paint!

My Paint Materials & Tools

Much like my studio, I admit my supplies are a bit...shall we say ghetto creative? *grin*
We've got wall paint, craft paint, and real painters paint half dried up! I'm using paper plates and bowls as my art pallet, and my kids paint brushes from their school art set. Yep, nothing too fancy here!
The most profession items I am using are these leftover gouache paints my dad sent me years ago, most of them were dried up but some were still viable! I read up on gouache paint to make sure it would mix with the other paint types, which they do with the exception of a couple possible colors/brands.  If you are afraid your leftover paints won't react well together, test them before use. 

As I mentioned, I am also using a wall paint sample I got free from Lowes (after coupon), and a small assortment of acrylic and "craft" paints (which I just realized are actually just acrylics labeled for the consumer).

However the star of this show is going to be the metallic gold paints. I am mixing my greens with a very buttery gold to get more sparkle, and I'll be using other golden hues for my mountain ranges.

Let's Talk About "How"

First let's talk about my mistakes. Hopefully you can avoid them and get a leg up on this project.

Mistake #1: I wish I had prepared the canvass with a couple layers of gesso before painting. I prefer a smoother, less canvass-y texture.

Mistake #2: I should have laid down a better paint base. Once my first painting attempt dried, I realized I could see white canvass spots peeking through at me. Basically I dived right into "detail" without starting with a base. Big no-no, I should have known better. I had to go back and paint over top a second time. 

Mistake #3: I was timid with my colors and brush strokes. When I look back at the inspiration painting, I see a greater use of colors to create dimension. For example: when non-artists like you and I paint a tree, we think brown for the trunk and green for the leaves. In reality, artists understand that there is a much greater range of colors that make that tree realistic. They will use purples to make the shadow, leave smudges of yellow and grey to make reflective spots, etc. If you want to imitate a painting, look at it for what it is, then take a more literal look at the colors actually used. You might discover that your favorite painting of a tree didn't have any brown or green. Neat right?

Mistake #4: Not keeping my brushes moist enough. Whether not using enough paint, or not keeping my brushes wet, somehow I had a lot of dragging brush strokes to correct. Almost as if the paint lost steam across it's stroke and puttered out. Not the effect I was going for. 

One of these days I'll get a professional on the blog to show you (and me) how it's done. In the meantime, you want the deets on how I managed my novice version? 

Here are the basic strokes I used... 

1. Lots of sweeping strokes. Especially using curved sweeping strokes for my sky. 

2. Let's call this motion dabbing. I wanted to use the brush to create the subtle texture of bushes and grass.

3. I like to call this the drag and drop. I wanted the light areas to associate a little more with my dark areas, and would occasionally drag my brush from one hue into another and drop it there leaving a fanned brush imprint.

Well, I've learned from this experience that I am no skilled artist, but I can sure enjoyed painting! I learned a few things, and as they say "practice makes perfect". 

Now have an art piece that I can call my own, and a few hundred still in my pocket (or being spent on our heating bill).

Always saving a buck (or yet another $50!) I had to be a little "creative" with the matte and frame to house my new piece, but I'll share more here. *wink* 

DIY Spray Paint Art

I have been enamored with the gorgeous hits of gold all over Pinterest. Soooo I've decided to add my own little hit of gold and sparkle via some art. 

There are so many ways to obtain this, through gold leaf, or gold flecked paint, but I'm in the mood for a 15 minute project, and the gold tinted spray paint seemed like the way to go! 

How to Make Your Own Art In 4 Easy Steps
Did you know you can spray paint on paper? You'll need cardstock with a slight gloss on one side, and tape or a large shipping label. 
These steps aren't just easy, they are quick and it doesn't really require any thought. Some days you just need a project you can enjoy the results of without too much effort. 
The spray paint I am using for all of these art pieces is the Krylon Brushed Metallic line, this one is the Satin "Sparkling Canyon" hue. I love their entire metallic line, but oooooh there is just something about this particular hue that keeps drawing me back! I always have one or more of their metallic paints on my shelf, so anytime I have an inkling to tackle a quick project like this one, I grab and go!

Arrowhead Art

1. Design arrowheads, or shape of choice on Microsoft word. Or use my chevron template here, and cut one piece into an arrowhead.
2. Print onto an 8.5 x 11 shipping label, and cut out your designs. 
3. Lightly spray paint and let dry. Don't try to make your painting even, it adds more texture and unique design to allow the paint to pool lightly in some areas and heavier in others. Allow to dry thoroughly.
4. Peel the backing off your label, and adhere to card stock. Cut to size and frame it!  

Painters Tape Art
Even easier than printing designs onto labels is using painters tape to create a design on your card stock, spray paint and peel before it is totally dry. 

The nice thing about painters tape, before painting you can play with different designs until you have come up with something you like, and it doesn't really cost you anything to do! Just peel up the tape and place until it's just right. Just remember to use the glossy side of your card stock or some of the paper will tear when you pull it off.

Chevron Art
Create Chevron Art much in the same way you create art using painters tape. The difference? You print and cut out the chevron design onto an 8.5 x 11 shipping label and adhere it to your cardstock with a little space between each chevron. Spray paint as before, and peel before completely dry. This method is much easier than trying to create a chevron design using painters tape...it will be more consistent and a fraction of the time. Click here for my chevron template. (Ssshhhhh, it is actually a printout I created for a plastic drawer cover project, but we use our leftovers in this house! ) 

A few other design ideas...
Be creative and have fun with it! Don't just use printouts or tape to create your one-of-a-kind art. There is a myriad of items around your house and yard just waiting to become a template. I tried out a few other designs...after all, it didn't take any extra time or effort, but stuck with the three I liked best. Here are a sneak peak at a few other design ideas I tried out. 

Use Sticky Dots>>

Cut Your Own Template>>

Use Mailbox Letters, or Scrapbook Popouts>>

Happy creating! 
(See the before & after of this space here.)

Scrapbook Paper Art

My friend 'L' made these fantastic little Scrapbook Paper art canvasses for my daughters room.
I loved the idea of something so simple, yet so cute as art for a child's room. Doesn't it remind you of a hanging patchwork quilt?

Creating this art is easy as pie, and maybe just as delicious! I may not have made these particular canvasses, but I will share the steps I personally use.

Step 1: Paint canvass edges. I like to use a little metallic paint around the edges. Who doesn't want a little bit of sparkle to add drama and refinement to their art? Use a color that compliments your chosen scrapbook paper.
Step 2: Trace & cut scrapbook paper. Lay your canvass face down on the backside of the scrapbook paper and trace. Use a gliding paper cutter to cut as opposed to scissors, this will keep your edges crisp and perfect.
Step 3: Glue scrapbook paper to canvass. There are many types of glue you can use, I recommend the fool proof method (speaking as an art fool myself), spray glue. Simply spray your adhesive onto the canvass, no need to worry about where it sprays as it will dry clear. Carefully lay the paper atop the canvass, and press the paper smoothing as you go. I prefer spray adhesive because it usually takes a couple minutes before "holding on" which gives you time to re-position as needed and makes for no air bubbles.

We "hung" our canvasses using Command picture strips. These canvasses are so small and light, it only required one strip right at the top. This makes putting up art a breeze, no more measuring, hammering, and installing. Thank goodness!