“Stalactites and Stalagmites” DIY Art

Thank you all for your sweet words about the master bedroom photos I shared the other day! Obviously the star of the show was the brass canopy bed – if/when I die I’ll put in my will that it is to be raffled off amongst you, alright?

Several of you were also lovely enough to comment on the painting leaning against the wall, which is a huge deal for me because I painted it myself and I consider myself anything but good at art.

Can I build and wire a light fixture myself? Sure.

Can I use my hands and paint to execute my artistic vision on a blank canvas? Not usually!

I mean, I am slightly past stick figures, but not in a way that looks adorably artsy or indie. And abstract art that is gorgeous layers and blobs and swirls of colors is deceptively difficult.  At first I thought – Yeah! You just sling some paint at a canvas and it will be art! And then I spent several days realizing that I am not skilled enough to “just sling some paint at a canvas” and have it look good.  Also I am too perfectionist-y and type-A to ever achieve something so beautifully chaotic.

So this is where I ended up:

I call it “Stalactites and Stalagmites”.

I personally love how it turned out – likely due to how much labor I invested in its creation! – but hilariously enough, Bryan hates it. He thinks everything about it is hideous; the colors, the shapes. So if you hate it as well, what can I say? You’re in good company.

My favorite part is the gold wash I did over the charcoal gray, which you can see better from an angle:

Okay, I also really like the drizzled coral paint going up:

I mean, we won’t be hanging this next to the Mona Lisa, but it really was fun to DIY. And please trust me when I say this: if I can do it, you can! (Probably much better than me!)