Art Attack!

Following up from my post last Thursday on DIY Butterfly Punch Art, this week I am going to focus my blogging efforts on an assortment of other great ideas for wall art (think of it as a dessert buffet of sorts - little samples of all kinds of delicious treats).  

I am in all kinds of love with DIY art projects right now because, for the most part, I can do them inside while the weather outside leaves much to be desired. Making your own art is also great because it can be relatively inexpensive and (contrary to popular belief) you do NOT have to be an artist*.

*For all you non-believers scoffing at me right now - I am proof that you can make art without an ounce of artistic ability

I'm going to kick things off with my favorite kind of art - using your very own photos.  

Oh how I love this idea...it is extremely personal, gets those creative juices flowing, and offers endless options for theme, colour, size, shape...

Your Decorating Hotline

Yeah, Yeah, I've heard all the excuses... camera equipment can be expensive, I don't know what to photograph, there are a lot of complex settings that you need to understand to properly compose a great picture... 

The truth is that now days almost everyone has a basic point and shoot camera or camera phone that can be a great jumping off point (if a more advanced camera is out of reach). There are a million different photo ops each and every day and the Internet has an overwhelming amount of tutorials and articles about getting the most out of your camera.

Impromptu photo of dinner last summer

I was lucky enough to receive a Nikon DSL camera a couple Christmas' back and LOVE it! I still don't completely understand aperture and sometimes shoot on the auto setting but I am learning with each new picture I take - slowly and steadily. I also use Photoshop software to refine the pictures I take. Although I'm not a huge fan of overly edited photos (especially for wall art), I like that photo editing software lets me make subtle changes that have a huge impact.

My favorite kind of photos are black, white and oh so dramatic! Here are some photos on display (or in the process of making their way to the walls) at my house right now...

 

 

So go out this weekend and start taking some pictures - or look through what you already have. Photos of special people or places that you treasure are great because they act as a constant reminder. I gave my Dad framed prints of our dogs in black and white (like the one above) and he loves them. After you find a picture you love all you need to do is find a frame, get a print made to fit, and hang it up.

As a guideline - I focus on surrounding myself with what I love, be it a picture of friends and family, a random photo I snapped on a gorgeous day, or a picture with great colour or composition that I just really like to look at.

Enjoy!

Calli