DIY Air Dry Clay Sculptural Fish Art

I had purchased a package of air dry clay years ago, filled up a Pinterest board with clay and pottery ideas, but couldn't actually commit to a project until I fell in love with this stunning ceramic artwork and was (finally) inspired to make my own clay fish art.

My DIY clay art pales in comparison to the gorgeous ceramic piece that inspired me to unearth my clay, but I don't care because I just really enjoyed the peaceful process of making these clay fish!

Supplies:

(I'm still on my craft-with-supplies-I-have kick and I happened to have everything on hand to make this air dry clay craft project).

• Air dry clay
• Rolling pin
• Cutting board
• Shimmering acrylic paint (I used Artist's Loft Metallic Cobalt Blue)
• Small plastic container with water
• Small paint brush
• Fish shaped cookie cutter
• Fine grit sandpaper
• Toothpick
• Paper towels
• Textured wallpaper sample or scrapbook paper
• Cardboard
• Epoxy
• Picture frame (no glass)

The first step was to cut out my school of clay fish.  My air dry clay had hardened into one solid brick over the years, so I tried my best to stab at it with a knife to make some punctures, then I poured a 1/2 cup of water on it and let it sit in a sealed bag.  Like magic, my clay became workable again, so I kneaded and rolled it into a cutting board (like cookie dough) and started cutting out fish shapes with my cookie cutter.

I dripped a finger in water and ran it along the edges to smooth out the obvious cut edge of each fish.

I used a toothpick (food skewer works too) to poke a little eye, then I shaped my fish to curve different ways - some are flat, some curve left, others curve right.

I set my fish aside on my cutting board to air dry, per instructions.  When the clay was dry, I gently sanded any rough edges with a fine grit sandpaper and then gave them a glimmering coat of paint.  I just took some teal paint with shimmer and watered it down - adding a few drops of paint to a tablespoon or so of water.  I lightly brushed the paint on, trying to keep my application loose and messy.  I let the fish dry, flipped them over, and painted the other sides too.  I ended up doing two light layers of paint, but actually preferred just one coat.

Here's where I made a little mistake: I wanted a glossy top coat, so I tried using some leftover varnish I had, but it made the paint crackle a little.  For this project, it helped my fish look more fishy, with texture that resembles scales, but for any other kind of clay project this is a word to the wise: don't cheap out on craft supplies and try to substitute something else.

I happened to have a textural, beachy wallpaper sample on hand, but there are so many gorgeous scrapbook papers that would work too.  I glued the wallpaper to a cardboard backing for the rigidity and then started gluing on my fish.  I dry fit everything to form my "school" and then, using my 5-minute epoxy, starting attaching my fish - some to the paper, some to each other.




I let everything dry for a couple of hours - just in case! - and then checked to make sure I had glued all of the fish.  I had missed one!  But luckily I caught it and glued it down before popping everything into a simple white IKEA frame I had on hand.  I used this same epoxy for my DIY agate slice art and, almost five years later (wait, what?) it's still holding strong.

I love how this DIY clay fish art turned out - it shimmers when the sunlight hits it, and it has such a fun, modern coastal look.  This would be such an easy project to get kiddos involved with too.

The only trouble is, the best light for photographs is also the best spot for watching the lake, so I had various puppies blocking the light, making it difficult to capture how well these fishies shimmer:

P.S. Even though this clay fish project turned out cute, and I'm so happy I finally found the motivation to work with my air dry clay, I still think the original ceramic art by KaroArt is much, much, much (!) better.  If you have a chance, check out the Etsy shop of this talented ceramic artist from Dublin, Ireland.  Karo also makes gorgeous ceramic bowls, dreamy storm cloud ceramic mugs, and heart-shaped wall art.

DIY Abstract Art for the Bedroom

Recently I chatted about wanting to take more time to craft and create, to help work through my grief.  Working in the only room I could possibly call a "studio" (a.k.a. "the fish room" on the lakehouse tour) was a bit counterproductive because it's so dreary and dirty in its current state, so I pushed the dining room furniture out of the way and dragged my easel inside.

It was a good move!  For my first painting, I faced the lake and it was just so calming to dab on paint and watch the water.  It was so peaceful - almost meditative - that I ended up painting two paintings, which I hung on either side of our headboard.

I've always wanted art flanking the headboard - in fact, I originally bought two of my vintage posters (the gal with the tweed and the fellas with hats) to hang above each bedside table but because the lamps block whatever art we hang above the nightstands, it just didn't look right.  I like them so much better as a trio above the dresser.

But I don't mind covering up my own art - I like the layered look.  I didn't want anything that would compete with the posters, and I was also trying to tie in some of the blues from the living/dining room, so I ended up creating two soft, airy paintings that pull together the greens and blues from the poster art and the rest of the home.  I added a soft layer of pale yellow, just for fun.

It was so enjoyable to spend an afternoon painting, but moving the furniture was a bit of a hassle.  Now I'm hatching some plans to renovate that random little room at the end of our house to create a functional, beautiful space to work on crafts or do more painting.  It has a window that faces the lake and it boasts a sink too, so it's a perfect studio space (although it's a bit on the small side).  I'll share my plans soon!

In the meantime, if you want to get the scoop on how I made this easy, DIY art, I'm sharing some step by step photos on Hello Yellow - see here.

I think that I might want to build float frames - like I did for my photo that was turned into an oil painting - but for now I'll see if I like them unframed.  Another option is to paint the edges a contrasting colour (black would be perfect) to create the illusion of a frame.

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DIY LED "Celebrate" Plywood Sign

I'm so excited that I can finally begin sharing the DIY holiday projects I worked on with Canadian Tire!  Even though I haven't celebrated Christmas in many years, getting free rein to create some creative DIY holiday ideas was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.  Over the years, some folks who also don't celebrate Christmas have thanked me, not only for sharing my thoughts, but also for not filling their inboxes with Christmas-themed blog posts.  So I thought long and hard about this opportunity but ultimately I said yes because the Canadian Tire team didn't necessarily want full-on "Christmas" from contributors; they wanted fresh ideas and encouraged creative, personal (even a little off-beat) projects.  I think that my Christmas-celebrating readers will enjoy (finally) seeing a few holiday-themed posts from me, but for those who don't celebrate Christmas, you'll be relieved that a lot of my projects are really just wintry and party-friendly (and, most importantly, still 100% me).  I've always loved the glittery parts of the holidays (evidenced by the fact that I've made and sold Christmas ornaments for many years so this was an incredibly fun and nostalgic experience for me. 

Check out the fabulous group of Canadian bloggers involved: Jillian Harris (Jillian Harris Design), Sarah Gunn (Yummy Mummy Club), Kerri Roche (A Pop of Pretty), and Jo-Anna Rooney (A Pretty Life in the Suburbs).

Let's get to my first project DIY holiday project: an LED plywood sign that spells out the word "celebrate":



I'd spotted light up signs floating around the web, and really wanted to try one for myself.  I love how it turned out and I especially like that it's versatile and could be used for any festivity.  I could have used the words "Be Cool" (my second choice) and just kept it up for winter parties (or in my office as a helpful reminder).  See how un-Christmassy my Christmas projects are?  I promise I'm the same old me (just with a ton of glitter stuck in the seams of my hardwood floors).

LED Sign Supplies:

• One package of LED flexible mesh tube lights (if you don't have a Canadian Tire store, these ones I find online could work)
• 3/4" Plywood
• Finishing nails
• Hammer
• Drill
• 3/8" spade drill bit and 1/2" spade drill bit
• Staples and staple gun
• Printer, paper, scissors
• Grey stain (optional)
• Sandpaper (optional)

How to Make an LED Sign:

I used a piece of plywood left over from another project that was already the perfect size - you can cut this sign to any size.  I lightly sanded the surface smooth and applied a coat of grey stain.  I used the grey leftover from the credenza hack, and I like that it hides the finishing nails and staples a bit.  Alternatively, you could wait until the nails that will hold the tubing are in place and then prime/spray paint everything to make the nails nearly invisible. 

While the stain dried, I printed "Celebrate" in a large, loopy font (one letter per page), cut it out, and arranged the text on the plywood.  A cursive font makes this project much easier.  When I was happy with the placement (and checked that the word was level and didn't slope down to one side like my writing does), I taped it in place.

Keeping the paper in place, I hammered in some nails along the edges of the letters and started roughly placing the LED tube lighting.  It's so soft and so bendable that this was an easy task.  When there were enough nails to hold everything, I ripped up the paper - and a bunch of little pieces were left.  Oops.  I then removed the nails, removed the paper and quickly found the holes for the nails again.  I thought my method was a much more genius idea than tracing (no evidence left behind!) but I clearly didn't think it through all the way.  It took a few extra minutes this way, but still worked.

To thread the tubing to the back, and also to make the "t," we drilled small holes using the spade bits:

It was actually Hubby's idea to make a border, because we had so much left over tubing.  We shaped a wiggly, ric-rac inspired border (loose, relaxed shapes are much easier to create) that we held in place with staples.  The lights are battery operated and all of the extra tubing and the small battery pack were affixed to the back (but slightly to the side so it's easy to reach it to turn on/off the lights).    

It's really hard to photograph the sign lit up, but it looks so good at night!  Even during the day, it's easy to make out the lettering because I chose teal tubing which has a high enough contrast against the light grey.  You can mix up and personalize this project so easily and if you get bored of it, it's easy to remove and re-purpose the lights, and turn the plywood into something else.  I think I get bonus points for a holiday DIY that can quickly disassemble and morph into something else...

Thanks for letting me share!  This post was sponsored by Canadian Tire.  

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25 Easy + Inspiring Art Ideas

Did you see how cold it was here yesterday?!?  I wore earmuffs while I worked outside, and it was with a heavy heart that I pulled out the bin labelled "winter accessories".  While we lived in Ottawa, I grew to love fall because it was a welcome respite from the sticky humidity of summer.  Now that I'm back in Northwestern Ontario, fall offers me little but the ominous warning that winter is coming.  I don't know why, but I'm dreading winter like never before.  Maybe because last winter was pretty grueling: snow so deep that even my humongous truck got stuck, a failing furnace warmed our house to a toasty 16 degrees (that's only 60 for my American friends), and endless snowstorms. 

Despite the cold, I've been working hard, trying to finish "summer projects," like staining the deck, spray painting everything, and cleaning out the garage (plus I'm really hoping we manage to paint the house exterior).  I know our days of working on projects outside are numbered, so I'm also cleaning out our weird little fish room, which I have decided will make the perfect studio for painting.  It's got a lake view, a floor I don't give a hoot about wrecking, and a sink!  This winter I've decided that I'm going to hunker down and create.  My Mom and I always dreaming up really fun ideas for beautiful, artful, handmade home wares and we decided that this winter we're finally going to shelve the excuses and see them come to fruition.  With this genius plan, my dread for winter has abated ever so slightly.   

Just for fun, I rounded up 25 ideas for modern, chic (but super easy) DIY art projects, in case you need a few fun projects to help you get excited for colder months, and more time spent indoors.

This project caused a bit of outrage (read the comments on her blog), but I really like Dana's trendy gold and chevron painting.  It's fast and easy, but the large scale makes such a big impact.  This is one of those satisfying, little-work-big-outcome projects - my favorite!
 

House*Tweaking

Equally simple is Katie's textured painting, which can be whipped up with leftover renovation supplies: all purpose joint compound, a trowel, and leftover paint.

Bower Power

Katie's DIY art really reminds me of this stunning, muted pair of abstracts:

Image Via

My last print-making experience saw me gauge a huge chunk out of my right hand but I'm still tempted by this simple tutorial from Emma Dime, using a handmade rubber stamp.

Emma Dime

But of course I favor this aqua version (from Rachel):

The Crafted Life

Using colourful embroidery stitches to affix a crocheted doily to cloth makes for a sweet (and easy) piece of art - and a great way to use the doilies that seem to linger on, unloved, at yard sales and thrift shops.  Here Esther used an embroidery hoop to display the finished product, but I think mounting a group of doilies onto fabric that's been stretched on a frame would be a nice option, and lend a slightly more modern feel.

Wholly Kao

It's not that I have anything against embroidery hoops!  In fact, this installation (spotted by at Anthropologie, by Little Girl Big Closet) would be a perfect DIY project! Done in sheer fabrics and hung, layered like this, in front of a powder room window would be a really fun take on sheers curtains. 

Little Girl Big Closet

I have quite a few DIY art tutorials in my DIY Projects Archive and although I've really tried to take step-by-step photos of what is usually a fly by the seat of my pants type affair, sometimes it's difficult to really capture how a painting is made.  Mandi's tutorials for her stunning abstract painting is perfection - lots of photos that show how just some simple layering can produce a truly sophisticated finished piece.

A Beautiful Mess

Mandi also created this beautiful quilted art, a textural take on abstract art.  I love the wood frames she made for both pieces because they immediately look gallery-ready.

A Beautiful Mess

Recently my Mom and I were pouring over a website, looking at vintage options for some kitchen artwork for her, when she looked at me, wide-eyed, as she remembered, "there's a whole bunch of those photos you took in Hungary that I want to get blown up and framed instead!!".  I have file folders on my computer stuffed with thousands of photos and although I always intend to blow them up and frame them, I usually forget about them once they're in the bowels of my hard-drive.  So here's a reminder: unearth those stunning beach photos or artsy vacation shots, fix them up a bit with a free photo editor like Picmonkey, and frame them for instant art!  Hanging a grouping in a grid, in identical frames, makes the look more artful.  You can thank Kate for this beautiful inspiration:

Centsational Girl

  
Even easier is enlarging just one photo as an engineering print (Staples can do this) and mounting it on tempered hardboard like Jules did in this tutorial - or building a custom frame for it with this tutorial from Yellow Brick Home.  Yep, I definitely need to pick out some photos to frame (and print for photo albums, something I've neglected for years) because rumor has it Black's Photography is closing up shop in Thunder Bay.  I'm so glad I've put off this task for years :(  Don't be like me: hunker down this winter and get it done!

Joy Shoppe

An app turns photos into "watercolour" masterpieces with the touch of a button!  See Heather's tutorial for all of the details.  Again, a grouping framed in identical frames looks sharp.  

Setting for Four

For something a little more dimensional, Meg's video tutorial demonstrates how to whip up mid-century inspired star-bursts - it's so easy!

Nest

I don't think Merrick posted a tutorial of this pretty, graphic piece she created  for her dining room (I couldn't find one) but I think that with a straight edge, some painter's tape, and a few tubes of acrylic paint, this is definitely do-able.  A square canvas is the perfect choice.

Merrick's Art

Here's another take on creating a simple, graphic piece (from Pop Sugar):

Pop Sugar

This paper art is so ingenious, but Patricia's tutorial looks really easy - although I think origami would be a fun alternative, and could be mounted in the same way.  I could totally see luring some girlfriends over on a blustery evening and making something like this - this is especially good for the paint-averse.

A Little Hut

Still using paper as a medium, Carrie created an assortment of beautiful paper pinwheels to adorn her walls and the result looks like an art installation.  Although I love the colourful papers Carrie used - and the vintage, curated over time look her collection has - a more monochromatic colour palette would still look whimsical but just a smidge more modern.

Dream Green DIY

Sometimes it just takes switching up the medium to make something simple seem fresh and new.  Colourful, layered circles painted on sheet music and book pages - dreamed up by Mary - would look great framed in sleek Ikea frames.

Me With My Head in the Clouds

Do you remember those stamps I bought in Hungary?  I've lost and found them about a dozen times since bringing them home, but right now they're safely tucked away, ready for me to finally turn them into something great.  I plan to frame the mod dogs (especially since I tracked down a Komondor on eBay!) but I'm searching for the right frames.  In the meantime, I'm temped to copy and enlarge some of them, like the one I spotted on Desire to Inspire, although this idea isn't limited to stamps - playing cards, ticket stubs, scraps of love letters, etc., would all be contenders for photocopying and enlarging.

Desire to Inspire

Some paint, some brushstrokes.  Spotted on HGTV, this abstract piece proves that as long as it's big, even the simplest composition can be eye catching.  A little texture and a little variation in the intensity of the colour helps too (add a little white, or thin out the paint).    

HGTV

I have a confession: despite my penchant for all-white walls (and insistence that they're the best), I do love the look of a stenciled or wallpapered room.  Really.  But it just seems like a lot of work, and I know I'll get bored or overwhelmed immediately - I have before!  That's why I love this idea of just stenciling a large "canvas" made of wood planks (although a proper canvas would do too), as seen on The Handmade Home:

The Handmade Home

I don't think that I enjoy the textural trend of woven/hand knotted wall hangings that's really hot right now enough to try to make my own, but seeing the beautiful, fanciful woven wall hangings that artisans create (like this one spotted on One Kings Lane) makes it easy to see why this has become a popular DIY project.  I actually follow a few particularly talented weavers on Instagram, because I find their use of colour and their compositions inspiring, even if I never plan on picking up a piece of yarn.  This winter I'm sure a lot of folks will be hunkering down with a small loom and some Netflix.

One Kings Lane

As much as I think a project like this is very feasible as a DIY project (see here and here), I think that the real artists who create such captivating work (like the weaving below, from Native Line) deserve a little attention.  Wow, just wow.  I'm all for DIY art (and when I say DIY art, I mean DIY "art") because it can be personal and budget-friendly - plus fun and relaxing to make!  But every now and then I feel compelled to recognize the talent of professional artists and humbly back away, in a shuffling manner.

Native Line Store

Although I love looking at woven pieces, like the two photographed above, I felt kind of (okay, really) lukewarm about macrame until I saw this giant wall hanging...

The State of Things

...And the one below, and now I feel the need to implore someone to find a good tutorial (here's a simplified one, and here's another, and another, and another - whoa this is popular) and make this beauty for themselves.  Go big or go home, though. 

Apartment Therapy

When the lakehouse walls inevitably fill up, I'm taking art outside with this clever idea (also by Dana!):

Home Depot

Remember I just intimated that artists are awesome and let's respect them?  Well, now I'm going to admit that borrowing a neat idea crossed my mind this summer.  I very randomly found this delicate painted arrow/feather collage by Britt Bass and thought it was super cute and just quirky enough.  I didn't see them for sale anymore but decided to use this collage as inspiration.  I planned to snag some of the many goose feathers, guinea fowl feathers, and loon feathers littering the lawn and make something similar (maybe dip dye some feathers?) but, alas, I couldn't get my hands on enough that weren't chewed by Szuka.  I'm presenting it as inspiration for a fun collage made from feathers, paper, paint - maybe dye? Foliage?  Go crazy but add some on-trend colours and aim for repetition, not clutter, for a modern piece with some character.

My love affair with my text painting abated but only because I grew tired of the execution.  Linda's angled script in gold is a delicate and elegant version that has me running for the printer again...

Craftaholics Anonymous

This bold, turquoise painting (spotted on Michael Mundy's website) isn't a DIY project (in the sense that there's no tutorial) but it's the perfect inspiration to cap off this collection of tutorials and ideas/suggestions.  Some teal paint and an afternoon, that's all you need.    

I hope you liked this round-up!  I combed the internet for modern and chic, but still playful and easy tutorials and ideas.  Sometimes when I search for "DIY art ideas" I get really overwhelmed with all of the ideas out there - some of them a little too cutesy and craftsy for me.  But if I had the wall space (and time), I'd try each and every one of these ideas.  Now, before I get too ahead of myself dreaming up things to do when the snow falls, it's time to finish some summer projects!  In a toque. 

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