Our guest bathroom has a very neutral palette except for one lone fuchsia orchid on the counter.
And there was always this blank space above the toilet that was calling for something. I could never find exactly what I wanted, so I decided to DIY my own art.
I am by no means an "artiste" but I had a clear vision of what I wanted -- a bold pop of color to play off the orchid. So I gathered my supplies: 12" x 24" frame, paint, foam brush (not roller), water and paper towels.
I forgot to take in-process photos but the instructions are simple:
- Paint a large thick band at the bottom of your piece, gently blending as you move upward. This will be the darkest area of the painting.
- Wipe any remaining thick areas of paint off your brush then dip it in water.
- Gently run your brush along the remaining 2/3 of your canvas trying to create an ombre effect as you go. It is important that the foam brush is wet for this step.
- Then immediately take your paper towel, starting at the top of the canvas, and begin gently wiping off paint as you make your way closer to the thick band of paint.
- As you move down the canvas, decrease your wiping pressure until you reach the thick band. You shouldn't touch that area with the paper towel.
- It should look like a nicely blended painting that goes from light to dark.
The beauty of this project is you can really mess it up and any color will work. If the bottom isn't dark enough, add more paint. If the top isn't light enough, add more water. Then just blend using your brush and paper towel or rag.
It only took me about 10 minutes to make and it's the perfect piece to bring the room together.
See, anyone can be an artist!
