I love art with meaning, whether it's made by my children, found in a thrift store, or purchased from a beloved modern artist. Today, let's create something meaningful for your walls. I promise, you don’t have to be an artist!

Step One:

Gather your supplies. 

I have a large canvas I'm using which you can grab from any craft store near you or simply use a piece of paper or poster board if that's what you have on hand. I also have a variety of paintbrush sizes, some bowls for water and mixing, a drop cloth to put under and protect the table, and some additional things like colored pencils, crayons, and charcoal sticks. 

Step Two:

Next find your inspiration. I wanted to create something that we would actually like seeing on our walls, so I went with a Coastal Maine color palette. Our family has loved spending time in this area so I looked back at a few of the pictures and grabbed about five colors that match the theme. I have blues, browns, greens, a little red, and we will mix some of these together. Don't worry too much about the colors. Just grab about 5 or so that appeal to you 

Step Three:

Next, I'm going to start by mixing some paint with quite a bit of water and spreading a large amount over the canvas. There's really no rhyme or reason to this. Just make some big swirls and swooshes layer one is done. Great job!

Step Four:

Grab one of your kids for layer two. Try the same thing with another paint color and layer it around in different areas on top of the first layer. Make these strokes a little bit smaller. You can almost think of a tiered cake where you have the largest layer on bottom and keep getting smaller or more defined as you go up to the top. 

Step Five:

Let's grab our next color now. Have someone create some lines or design on top of what you have. With kids it's usually best to just let them go for it a little bit rather than trying to control it too much because everyone will end up frustrated. You want this to be a fun memory that you look back on when you see it on your walls. 

Step Six:

Now you can take this any direction. For the next layer you can add some more paint. Maybe less watered down this time. You can add a few splotches or stripes or swirls. Sometimes it's fun to create a design that has the impression of something in nature like a flower or leaves but doesn't exactly look like it. 

Step Seven:

Make sure everyone has had their turns and is happy with their contribution. Now, if you like, you can take a moment at the end to refine it into something that you will love having on your walls. This might mean blending some areas or sharpening up some areas. I think it's nice to have a combination of what I would call softer lines and sharper lines. And it's always fun in art to have something surprising. So maybe a color outside the color palette as a final dash of brightness. Or a mark or line or circle in an unexpected spot. 

Sept Eight:

Now let it dry. It won't take too long if you used acrylic craft paint. Tack on a way to mount it on the back of the canvas. I have simple hooks from the craft store and mounting hardware but you could frame yours if it's on a piece of paper and hang it up. 

I think you will be so happy every time you walk by it!