Modern Art

If you'd love to brighten your walls with some new artworks but can't afford a Picasso or a Warhol, why not have a go at creating your own abstract paintings? It doesn't matter if you can't draw, the main thing is just to have a bit of fun. Here is Rita Hill's step by step guide to modern art!

You will need

For the large painting:

• 1 large stretched canvas (or canvas coated board)
• House paint - paint sample pots are ideal (Rita recommended tipping the paint into bowls for easy access)
• Paint brushes - ordinary house brushes are suitable

For the small paintings:

• 9 small stretched canvases
• Jo Sonja texture paste
• Jo Sonja acrylic paint tubes
  

For the memory frames:

• 3 memory frames
• paint
• something interesting or meaningful to frame

Step by Step Instructions

Large painting

1. Roughly paint a dark base colour with crisscross strokes.
2. When the base coat is dry use beige paint to cover the canvas, leaving some dark squares showing through.
3. Now paint in some squares and lines in different colours.
4. Remember you can do any variation on this theme, and if you make a mistake or dribble some paint, don't worry, that's all part of the art!

Small paintings

1. Using acrylic paint, apply a base colour of your choice to each canvas, and don't forget to paint the edges as well.
2. When the base coats are dry, apply a second coat of paint to each canvas in a contrasting colour.(Note: for this second coat mix the paint with texture paste, which is a type of thickener, before applying.)
3. While the paint is still wet, draw simple pictures or patterns on each canvas. If you make a mistake with your pattern you can always paint over it and start again.
4. When the paintings are dry, they are ready to hang in the arrangement of your choice.

Memory frames

Memory frames are almost like boxes, and can be used to display anything you like. Rita gave the frames a coat of paint and hot glue gunned some smooth river pebbles inside each one.

Further information

Stretched canvases can be purchased at art supply shops. They range in price from $10 to $200, depending on size. The large canvas Rita used was $110, and the small ones were $13.40 each. A cheaper option is canvas coated artist's board, which costs from $3. Paint sample pots are available at hardware stores. They are priced from $6.50 to $10. Jo Sonja texture paste costs around $8.50. Jo Sonja paint tubes are $4.55 - $7.00. Both are available from art or craft stores. We purchased our memory frames from Lincraft for $10.50 each.

Copyright CTC Productions 2000