Art Girl ~ DIY Wall Art ~

Last summer I took an art class.  A drawing class to be specific.  I loved it.  I filled up my summer with inspiration and reminded me of a talent I have and forgot how to use.  Since the class was over I tried to do some projects on my own but without a deadline to meet and so many other responsibilites I didn't really get around to doing anything.  Work, right?  It keeps us all from what we really want to do.

So, two weeks ago I saw a woman on the Marilyn Dennis show.....it's a talk show here in Canada on CTV.  They had a show about home decor and the guest did an art project which could be customized to your own decor.  Tah-dah!  I thought.  There's the project I've been waiting for.  I will make a custom painting for my newly renovated bathroom ensuite. 

LINK ---->  DIYWallArt

I bought my supplies from a few different stores.  I bought canvas from Michael's.  It came in a two pack 16 X 20 and lucky  me....it was on sale for $6.  I bought a small roller, putty knife and craft paint from Dollarama.  The craft paint was $1 a bottle and larger than what you'd find at Michael's.  I also got an assortment of brushes.  The drywall putty was purchased for approx $6 from a paint store which I just happened to be at buying paint for the new bathroom.  I got the kind that goes on pink and dries white.

The first step was to apply the putty to the canvas.  It is not supposed to be smooth.  In fact, the messier and lumpier the better.  This is what gives the painting that funky texturized look.

Before it was dry

I took a yellow colour and did a base coat once it was dry.  Later on I decided I didn't like the colour of the edging and made it a brighter yellow, but I'll get to that.  I used a roller for the base coat.

The base colour turned out rather peachy even though I wanted yellow.

The next step was to put my paint colours on plastic plates for easy access.  Then all you do is dab the different colours all over the canvas making a kind of checker board kind of effect.  That in itself looks pretty cool and you could stop there if you really wanted to.

To get the super coolio dreamy impressionistic effect, you take a clean brush and dip it in a tiny bit of water.  Then you drag it through the paint from one side to the other.

HAZZAH!

The effect was amazing!  I would have never thought that would happen.

I let it dry over night and even though I really liked it, it was also lacking pazzazz and personality and the yellow colour I desired.  So I took a brighter yellow and rolled it on the edge to tidy up the drips and then I dabbed more on throughout the painting itself....wet the brush and dragged it through to distribute the colour. 

AND VOILA!

Art a la Sandra

The colours I used were Cargo [from the sample of paint from the bathroom wall colour], dark red, white, burnt amber, and mellow yellow.

The best part is.....I have another canvas to do another customized project!  I have an idea so stay tuned for the reveal of what that might be.  If it turns out, because, you know.....sometimes these things fail.  Although, I am told, some of the best mistakes also make the greatest art.