I am drawn to cityscapes. Take a look at the amazing work by Minneapolis artist Mike Welton.
Using photos from your trips both far away and close to home is a great way to personalize the art in your home.
Here is my latest project and some other ideas too!
I took this photo from the “never-ending bridge” at the Guthrie Theater one night last summer. I think it really has the look of Mike Welton’s work…..so-
- I used my photo editor to crop and tweak it a bit for color,
- then sent it to Walgreens Photo center and had a 11 x 14 poster print made for $ 9.99.
- I had a 16 x 20 frame from Goodwill…but it was white…so I painted it to pretty closely match the frame of the Mike Welton print.
- Using my trusty mat cutter- I cut the mat and put the print in the frame.
- Now I just have to wait for John to have time to help get it up on the wall….
The Foshay Tower print is in the stairway on a tall wall. I think the Guthrie photo will look great above it.
Some things to think about if you decide to do this yourself:
- Go on-line and look at photography websites and see the types of photos the pros take
- When you are out and about on vacation or on stay-cation -take some photos with your walls in mind….you never know!
- Go through your existing pictures….I bet you have some great images that with some “tweaking” would look fabulous if you enlarge them.
- Look for interesting lighting and angles when you take your photos.
- Take your kids on a field trip to a park with a skyline view. Have them do a pencil sketch of the scene. Frame it for a “Real” treasure.
- Show your kids a picture of a favorite place and have them do a watercolor for you….instant contemporary art.
- Get your frames at a thrift store or garage sale. Look for standard sized frames if you don’t have a mat cutter or a way to customize your mat.
These are 2 pictures taken by my son in Moscow and Amsterdam. The enlarged and framed versions now grace the wall of his home.
My daughter sketched this Minneapolis Skyline when she was 9 years old….found it mouldering in a stack of things I am “gonna do something with”…better do what I say huh?
Lastly….A crossover idea for Sweetwater Junior:
One of the art projects I used to do when I taught 2nd grade was to give the kids a large piece of paper, a ruler, and a black sharpie. Then after showing them photos of skyscrapers. I had them start creating. Many times I heard from parents that they framed their kids masterpieces.
Use these images for your kids inspiration:
I would love to hear from you about any fun and inexpensive ways you use your photos or kid’s art!
Have a happy Wednesday.
It just kinda takes your breath away, every time.