Our Art Wall

Our art wall at Purple Twig was formed out of me trying to solve the problem of what to do with all the art my own children make here at the studio. My home is full of artworks created by both grown ups and children. Full to the brim. The unhung artwork was piling up in bins, which was so sad because I love to look at the work and it was wasting away being hidden away on storage shelves. The solution came to me while at a thrift store scrounging around for art materials and coming across  a bin of empty frames in different sizes. 

Not only has this wall become an attractive point of interest, it also displays the variety  of  projects we make and materials we use here at the studio. Because there isn't any glass on the artworks,  I get the ease of changing them out when it strikes my fancy. It's really quite simple to put up. It's just a matter of organizing the size of frames. I started at one end with one frame and just pieced the wall together frame by frame. 

I'm going to show you how I easily put up the frames if you would like to give it a go. You'll need.

frames
a level
skinny long nails-at least 2 inches
pencil
hammer
artwork

The nails are used to set the frame onto so the nails need to stick out enough to hang the frame.

Use the level and make two pencil marks on either side just below the level.  You are marking where the nails will go. As long as the pencil marks are at a distance smaller than the size of the frame it's fine.

Hammer the nails in at your pencil marks making sure the nails are sticking out enough for the frame to set on.

Hang the frame onto the nails and check to make sure it's plumb.  I then just put some tape on the back of the painting and taped it to the wall inside the frame.

It took me a while to build it across the studio and it's still growing. The more frames and artwork I add to the wall, the better it gets. The varieties in color and materials just add interest to the studio inviting viewers to ponder the possibilities of art making while in our space.

Monochrome

MONO= one

CHROME= color

It's hard to disregard a rainbow whether it's in the sky or hanging in the studio. You ever wonder what adds depth and interest to a work of art? Darkness, lightness, thin lines and thicker lines. There are so many shades and hues of each color to explore. This project is great for many ages, two year olds will love touching and looking at each materials and a 10 year old will figure out how to make an intricate pattern using the same color but in different shades and tones. 

We began by having the children choose one color they would like to work in. I add a little white glue to the paint so it's nice and sticky when we are ready to attach all the other varieties of materials. I gave the children cardboard squares which you could upscale from a box or just use a sturdy paper. Then the kids paint away. I then add a little white to each paint cup for the to mix in. So now we have two tones of color on the cardboard.

If doing this project at home you could walk around the house with your child and see what materials you can find in the color they have chosen. We offered paper, fabric, yarn, straws, lace. buttons, bottle  caps. I absolutely love materials, love the potential in the materials and so enjoy observing the children using them to their interest. 

 

After they explored the paint for a bit. I brought out the other materials one at a time. I like to give the little students one material at a time so they can explore each material thoroughly before moving on to the next. 

The children really get to use the materials how they are comfortable, painting over some fabrics and papers, "hiding" them, stacking materials and sometimes even organizing them into categories. The result is a gloriously colorful mixed media piece with diverse shades of the same color.