IKEA Art Makeunder

Speaking of my dysfunctional relationship with art, I have a bad habit of trying to buy art for a specific space instead of just buying what I like and then finding a way to incorporate it.

Exhibit A (below) is a large print from Ikea that I bought a few years ago while trying to fill blank wall space in the house I lived in at the time. The size and price was right and even though I wasn't crazy about the actual print, it didn't look terrible with the colors and furniture of my first place.

Fast forward a few years and its permanent spot has been leaning against a wall, tucked away in some corner. I though about selling it on CL but framed canvases are worth more than the $10 I would get for it so I decided to test my artistic side and cover it with something I liked. I don't usually advocate painting over art, but mass-printed pieces are the exception for me.

Knowing my artistic limits but also wanting to add some color to this wall in our dining nook, I settled on a mint green ombre effect. The old painting had texture to it which I thought would give it just enough visual interest without being overwhelming like the original print.

I started by taping off the black frame with painter's tape and using a spray primer to cover the old print since I didn't want any of the original colors popping through.

Next, I headed to my favorite store to pick up a few test pots of the perfect minty green. I got a sample of all three colors on the same test strip but looking back, I could have probably gotten away with just getting the lightest and darkest color and then mixing them as I went.

Originally my plan was to paint the lightest color first, let that dry, and move on to the darker colors -- but to get the look I wanted, I figured out it worked better if the two colors were still wet and I used a clean brush to blend them together.

I started this project a while back but finally got around to finishing and hanging it yesterday which then followed with this conversation:

Me: do you like my art?
Mike: oh... it's done?
Me: my artistic abilities are kinda limited... should I add something else?
Mike: how about a bike?

Forget birds. Around this house, 'add a bike to it' is the new mantra. Needless to say, that idea got vetoed. I like the simplicity of it for now and who knows, it might just get a bike added to it in the near future.