Family Room Art

I am a bit crazy about finding the right art.  It seems personal and permanent to choose one thing to hang in a living space.  After perusing online, in stores, and random ideas I'd find... I decided to make something I'd seen other versions of. In particular, a painting with a few colors painted in strokes blending into each other. 

My plan for the family room has been to mix metals with pops of white, gray and raspberry.  So, I decided to make a set of canvas' with metallic paint in  pearly white, silvery gray, and champagne tones. 

 

before

The metallic paint is from Martha Stewart's line of paint and I bought the canvas' at JoAnn's.  Having checked prices and sales at Hobby Lobby, Michael's and JoAnn, JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts has the best price/coupon deal on canvas' selling them for 50% off every other week.

after


We are pleased with the end result and getting to have large scale art in the space.  Also, the metallic paint catches the light in really pretty ways throughout the day!


-----------A note on store bought canvas'-----------
womp womp womp

After painting the canvas' David hung them for me one evening.  This is what it looked like.

Unfortunately, he did not hang them wonky... both are hanging level.  After using all 3 of our levels to try and figure out the problem we decided that the assembly of one of the canvas' was the issue. The corners are not 90 degree angles.

90 degree corners would result in the frame hanging along the red lines.

 

I share this to say - if you are hanging a series of homemade art, this may be something you want to check (with a level or compass) before painting.

 

In the end, we chose to hang them to look level.  And it works for now.

 

It is humbling, and a reminder perfection cannot be the goal.  Or at least perfection is a standard that too often cannot be reached, especially in the early stages of new projects.  In this case, I am considering paining a new, level canvas to replace the wonky one.

 

With the last few new projects I've tried, I have run into a hiccup each time.  It has been frustrating. Especially so when I thought I planned the project out so well.  At a minimum I've learned to extend greater grace and choose a different standard for projects D does for our home.  Also, going forward I hope I've learned a greater patience in the process of projects and to extend myself more grace in the hiccups.  On the up side--both of those things should be helpful attributes with the transition to a new baby in the near future. :)

 

Over the last 3 years I have learned more about myself from DIY projects and fixing up a house than I ever imagined.  It it awesome to be on the almost-finished side.  And was so much work on the other side.  I had no idea how much it would teach me about patience, contentment, tools, waiting, waiting, waiting, and perseverance.