Some of the world’s best art hangs in some pretty prestigious museums. The rest of the best stuff is hidden away in private collections around the world. That doesn’t have to stop you hanging up some cool pieces. Great pictures and photographs add a certain something to our living spaces. They provide a focal point. They can give you somewhere to rest the eyes and dream a little. A good picture invites you in, and every time you look at it, you’ll see something else. Above all art takes us out of ourselves and adds to the atmosphere of our surroundings.
You can buy prints of famous works, or you can pick up original art from galleries. The internet has exploded with choice and is proving to be a great place for artists to sell their work. You could even make your own! Have a think about the type of art you’d like.
The Big Stuff
We’re talking about serious canvases here. Big paintings invite you to walk right into them. The bigger the better. You’ll need to measure your walls though! Most of the bigger paintings you’ll see are acrylic. Most will be finished with a varnish to keep the surfaces fresh and clean. Canvases come stretched and ready to hang. You don’t have to worry about a frame as a deep edged canvas is usually painted around the sides. You’ll find a great selection on Etsy, whatever your taste; abstract or figurative.
If you fancy channeling your inner Jackson Pollock then why not have a go at making your own? You can buy prepared canvas from an art store. You’ll need a few brushes and a choice of paint. Simply lay your canvas down and get splattering! There are some great tutorials on youtube. Experts will tell you it’s a complicated process. But they would, wouldn’t they?
Watercolors, smaller works and drawings
These tend to be more delicate and smaller in size. The nature of most watercolour paper dictates that the finished piece won’t be that big. But it’s not all about size! There are some lovely pieces around. A great tip is to buy the artwork unframed and have it mounted and framed yourself. Once you know the size of your piece it’s easy to get your picture mounts to fit and then framing is a simple process.
Photography
Hanging some photographs on your walls can be evocative and effective. Strong landscape photography can work very well. Again, the web is a great place for choice and there are no shortage of images. It can be worthwhile paying a small amount if there is a photograph that you like.
It’s easy to take your own as well. Photoshop gives you the ability to adapt and edit an image and play around until you get that perfect tint and crop. From there it is a simple process to get to the print shop. Use the same method to have your photograph mounted and framed. You can even get non reflective glass so your creation can be properly appreciated.
Whatever you choose, there is something very satisfying about hanging art that you enjoy, whether you are the artist or not.
