Art has always been a subjective thing. One persons art can have another person raising their eyebrows, another person rolling their eyes and yet another person objecting vehemently. The point of art, however, is to make the owner/creator happy so who cares what others think.
Wall art should definitely make one happy since it does, after all, surround one. Yet, what is wall art? Wall art is anything on the walls that is intended to be decoration. This can include framed photos, a collection of baskets hanging from screws, decorative plates, shelves of collections such as shells, figurines or mugs or vintage clothing on hangers. Wall art can also be something that the owner creates.
Collages – These can be made in several styles and on different mediums. Photos can be used and positioned on a canvas or poster board with glue. Then a layer of glue diluted with water (homemade or purchased at a craft store) can be brushed over the photos which will seal them, protect against dust and humidity and give a light gloss. Poster board can be cut into various shapes, thus, making the collage even more unique. Circles, hearts, stars, numbers or letters spelling out a name are all easy to cut out with an X-acto knife and can personalize the wall art.
Collages do not have to be photos. They can be scrap-booking paper, wallpaper, cut-outs (these are available at craft stores), pretty pages from a magazine, catalog or an old calendar, paper napkins (craft stores have many designs), cloth and just about anything with a print. Collages can also be done in 3-D. Small items such as beads, shells, pebbles, feathers, dried flowers and twigs can easily be hot glued onto a canvas, frame or a block of Styrofoam. So can tiny toys such as marbles, little dolls, cars, blocks or animals; this makes great wall art in a child’s room.
Collages can also display a collection. Hot glue groupings like bookmarks, pencils or shells onto a canvas in a pattern. Bookmarks can be laid out like a patchwork quilt, pencils can be laid out in geometric patterns and shells can be laid out in a large swirl.
Groupings – Wall art placed in a group can make a strong impact. This can be anything that can be hung on a wall. A group of old empty window frames hanging in a row makes a great impact upon entering a room. They can be different sizes, colors and styles. Or they can be painted one color for a monochromatic look. The window frames can stay empty or have something placed inside each for even more decoration such as a photo, a single silk flower or mementos from past vacations.
Another good idea for a grouping is purchasing Styrofoam blocks and covering them with some pretty paper, fabric or gift wrap. Drawings from children, old letters, book covers from favorite books or ticket stubs from favorite shows would also look good.
Groupings can also be placed on shelves. A collection of blue glass bottles, a group of apothecary jars or a medley of vintage salt and pepper shakers would all look good on a shelf in the kitchen. Bottles can be empty or hold flowers, either way would look good. Jars can hold gumballs, teabags, different varieties of rice or sit empty.
In the end, wall art is about what makes a person happy. Some people like to be surrounded by photos and collections while other people like to have one large piece of art on the wall. Anything goes when it comes to wall art.
Related Resources:
Little Window Shoppe: How To Make Affordable Wall Art
How About Orange: How To Make Fabric Panel Wall Art
