You know I really busted tail last weekend to make enough crafts to last the 7-10 days I planned on being out of town. It's kind of strange looking at these things with fresh eyes a week or so out of the time they were actually created.
These are wall hangings that I had named "grunge paintings". It is very, very possible that these might not be to your taste at all. And that's totally cool, but they are to mine. I am a big, big fan of abstract art. While I in no way shape or form consider myself an artist, I did take an awful lot of art classes in college.
It's pretty easy when you take one or two art classes per semester to start to build your own personal style. My favorite art professor said that my work was like "dirty math". In need of some art for a corner of my living room, I decided to take a couple of canvasses that had long been sitting in my craft closet and make it happen.
I have to tell you, it's the first time I have actually hung a canvas that I have painted in my own home. I've given them away as gifts and even sold a few (less than I have fingers on one hand, but still). To be honest, it's still weird for me. I can cover the home with my craft projects and it isn't the same...
At any rate, while talking on the phone to my sister and working on these paintings she asked if they were going on the blog. I said "NO." She soon convinced me that I needed to put my insecurities to the side and get it out there. So we start in a bit late, but I'll do my best to put my process out there for all to see and love or criticize!
STEP 1: I feel like I've read a million canvas craft projects where they say "paint the canvas all crazy". I hate to join the ranks but since I didn't photograph the very beginning, that's kind of where we are at. Here is what I do... I take the main colors that I want on the canvas. Here I was mimicing the colors in my living room rug so it was blue, green, brown and gold. Take acrylics in the colors you want and squeeze them out onto a palette.
If you don't have a palette you can purchase disposable palette sheets (which are actually what I prefer to use) or use a piece of heavy scrap paper or a new paper plate.
Use a large brush and use sweeping motions to smear the paint onto the entire canvas. I never really noticed until I was trying to think of how to explain, but I tend to go in the shape of a circle. It doesn't need to be perfect.
STEP 2: This is one of my favorite ways to paint. It is messy and it feels really creative for some reason. Take a spray bottle and fill it with an inch or so of water. Take your acrylic paint and add to the water. Give it a really, really good shake. Spritz your first couple of sprays onto junk paper or your tarp as it will be mostly water.
Take the bottle and spray onto your canvas. If you want the color to pool up into randomly shaped splotches, lay the canvas flat first. If you want a drippy effect, like I did, let the canvases stand and let gravity take care of the rest. Change out the paint and water with different colors for a great effect. Allow to dry fully, like overnight would be awesome.
STEP 3: Bust out your handy dandy roll of masking tape. If using two canvases, I like to tie them in together by having lines that bridge the space between them both. Then, you can either measure out and space out a pattern or just place them randomly. I went with random this go 'round.
STEP 4: Fill in each shape with one of your main colors. I went heavy with white and also used my blue and brown. Allow to dry and then remove the tape. If the color isn't quite what you were hoping for, as in my white was waaay too white, make a wash with more water than paint and brush over. I made water/gold acrylic and toned down my white significantly.
STEP 5: Go over your painting again with your bottle of homemade spray paints. Again, either lay flat or stand up for pools or drips. Go lightly or as heavy as you please. After all, this is abstract.
It is totally optional to set up a tarp when using your spritzy paint. As you can see, I did not and now I get to repaint my office. Ah the joys and pit falls of a craft crazed whim.
STEP 6: Use a picture hanging kit to turn your canvases into actual wall hangings. I used wire and hook eyes. Measure it out, hammer in your nails and get that art hung.
If you're like me and a feel a bit awkward about hanging up your own "art" just ignore it for a couple of weeks until it becomes a part of the scenery. I have and it's working out pretty darn well. :) Happy, happy weekend, folks!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 
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