Abstract Painting How-to + New Kitchen Photos

The painting I made for the kitchen really breaks a lot of "rules" about art.  I wanted something pretty, something vintage-y but modern, something that "went" with the kitchen & I set to work with these goals in mind, which is a big no-no for many professional artists and I respect that.  Art is about more than decorating.  So, I want it to be clear that what I've made is really more "craft" than art.  A fun project, a hobby I enjoy, and not an artistic statement.

Finally - a slightly sunnier day for a fresh new photo
P.S. Ignore the bananas, we're on a fruit smoothie kick

How-to:

First I bought a large square canvas on sale (I have been stockpiling them whenever I find a good price).  I tend to just move paint around as the mood strikes (see here & here for examples of other paintings I have made), but this time I challenged myself by doing something a bit more controlled: circles.  I cheated and sketched them out first:

Then, with a variety of paintbrushes (one big, a couple small - all with shorter bristles for more precision), I worked the circles and background alternately so that there would be "movement" - I didn't want the painting to look like a flat wallpaper pattern (although that would look nifty too).  I used my brushes to create subtle texture and followed the perimeter of the circle with paint, instead of painting across the circle.  I used acrylic paint because I like the fast drying time and easy clean up - plus you can easily paint over areas you don't like!  That is something I definitely did once or twice.

Mmmmm . . . textured.

My tip: to make a crisp, clean pastel (think Easter & nurseries) use a white like titanium white.  For the vintage-y pastels (you can really see the difference in the pink circles) use titanium buff.  You'd be surprised how little of the coloured paint (red + white for pink, etc) you need.

Inspiration:

Although I was initially inspired by the pattern on a vintage lunch set I have (first photo), I used the painting to unify elements in the kitchen: the red accents, black & white floor, black & white houndstooth chairs, and (of course) the pale green and turquoise that I love.

My original inspiration: my vintage luncheon set
 (there's two more with the set!)

Black & white floor we've chosen to work with
(as opposed to replace)

   

Black & white houndstooth print I chose to recover the chairs with,
to go with the floor

Colourful kitchen accents

I also tried not to compete with the artwork in or near the kitchen, like Hubby's grandpa's painting (below) or my mom's print (above the kitchen sink).

And that is it!
To see more kitchen pictures (or to read about the "before," the backsplash tiling process or how we re-varnished the cabinets, click on the links).