DIY art

Nothing makes a home look more unique and cultured than large canvases and original paintings. The reprints are ok, but you lose the texture that makes originals so appealing. I didn't want to spend too much money on paintings and was giving myself a budget of $200 - $250 for each piece. I started my hunt by checking out the Eastside Culture Crawl, browsing through Craig's List posts, and going to local art galleries.

There was a lot that I liked ... except for the prices. My taste gravitated towards large canvas abstracts with a lot of colour, ranging between $800 - $2,000. These prices seemed a bit bloated since I figured I could paint something similar myself. I know this type of thinking can end in disaster, but with a little courage and some time you really can create something you love. If you are not an artist (which I am not), it may not turn out exactly as you planned, but it can be fantastic in an unexpected way. Best of all, it is a LOT of fun.

At Opus you can get a large 30 x 40 inch canvas and supplies for around $100. It isn't dirt cheap which can make you a bit hesitant when taking your first stroke, but be fearless and go for it. If you use acrylic paints, you can wash it off and start over.

I started the blue painting by covering the canvas with midnight blue. I then filled a balloon with light blue paint and a bit of water and poked a hole in it. By squeezing the balloon, I sprayed a stream of lighter paint over the canvas. I let it dry and did the same the next day with less water so the colour would pop out more in the corner. For the green and red painting I started with the same method as above, but didn't like the results to started to wash it off. It created a green-washed border, which I liked and decided to keep. I knew I wanted to feature some red on the canvas so I just took a brush and painted one curved stroke. I love both of them and the colours fit perfectly with my decor because I picked them. I had so much fun doing them - I wish I had more wall space to fill!