How to hang art

Most folks are intimidated by the idea of hanging art on their walls.  How high should it go?  Does it look good with the rest of the decor?  What kind of nail should I use? Today, I thought I would take the mystery out of hanging art by giving a few helpful tips.



First, let's start with the materials.  The materials that you need depend on the artwork that you're hanging.  Most of the time, I use a hammer and a hook and nail (shown in the bottom of the right photo).  If the work is heavier than 20 pounds, then I would consider using a drill and anchoring the screw in the drywall.

There are kits that you can pick up in the hardware section of a general store that give you a selection of hooks.  I like this particular kit because it includes hardware for unframed artwork and for walls.  The wire and eye hooks, for example, are for canvases.  I use the the sawtooth hooks (shown in the closet compartment) for my smaller canvas paintings and birch panel works.

If you need to attach a hook to the back of an artwork or frame, all you need to do is find the center of the top interior edge and nail the hook into place.

On all artwork I place on my walls, I add these slip resistant pads on the bottom corners.  To keep works from tilting on the walls, I've also used putty on the corners.



Now you're ready to hang art! The two biggest mistakes I see people making when hanging art is 1) hanging the work too high, and 2) leaving too much wall space around the art.  To hang art like a pro, just place art at eye level and group works together.  A measuring tape and a level may be necessary, but a lot of times I just "eye" it.  If this still makes you a little nervous, then you can trace the artwork onto craft paper and play around with placement on the wall with the craft paper.  Make sure that you look at the arrangement sitting down as well as standing up.

As far as picking art that looks good together, it really depends on your taste.  I tend to prefer a variety of mediums with a visual harmony in color or theme.  I also find it more interesting when the works are not framed alike.



Have fun with it, and remember, art can always be moved around.  If you don't have enough pieces to fill one wall,  consider hanging the pieces on a smaller wall.  The small collection shown above is on a narrow wall in my livingroom.    



For tips on how to frame art, go this post.  

Artist Interview: Illustrator and collage artist Anna Betts

You know when you come across something fantastic and have that internal gasp? That happened to me when I saw Anna Betts' collages and illustrations on her blog Colour + Sound.  Anna is currently pursuing an illustration degree at the Cambridge School of Art.  And in her spare time, she teaches pottery to kids and scouts for great vintage finds. 



How would you describe your work?



Bright and colorful and quite graphic I suppose. I've never really liked the term "graphic" as it always implied something of the corporate logo, or comic book but it's something I've got over lately. I really believe in a strong sense of design within my illustration and I think white space is really important. I love color and type and am finally starting to enjoy drawing people!

What artist tool/material should every artist know about?



A sharp scalpel. I know this is nothing earth-shatteringly exciting but it's the most versatile tool I use. You can't beat a good cutting-out session and with a new blade, cutting through freshly painted cartridge paper is the most satisfying thing. And of course Photoshop. I don't think you can get by without a firm grasp on those reins.



What accomplishments are you most proud of?



Starting my degree. It was a huge decision for me going back to education after 4 years of working in the real world. I'd decided to get my BA as I was considering teaching and couldn't do without it any longer, but it's become so much more than that. I now don't know if  I will pursue a teaching career after all as I've come to enjoy making my own work so much. Quitting two jobs and realizing that for the next three years I'd be living off borrowed money was really daunting, but it's the best decision I've ever made. Seeing two of my animations on the big screen at the arts cinema in Cambridge last week was a good moment.

Anna's flat: her first quilt, vintage wares in her cupboard, and homemade truffles.



What are the greatest challenges of being an artist today?



I think one big challenge today is using the internet effectively. Having an online presence is so important to me, not just for bouncing ideas around but for potential income and making a name for myself.  But maintaining your own style when you're bombarded with amazing bloggers, Etsy sellers and Flickr users can be hard. It's easy to feel like you should fit in with current styles and that's why I tend not to follow many illustration-based blogs. For me, being inspired by real observation is what keeps work exciting.

Anna's Etsy shop is full of fun and beautiful works.



If you were to curate an art show, who would be in it?



Ooh, tough question. There are lots of people on my course whose work I love, and exhibiting the results of a week's drawing in Portugal last year was really special. I think these people are great:

Dominic McKenzie , Nikki Gardham, and Andrew Hudson.



And then from the wider world you'd have to look at my Flickr favorites I think. I certainly can't decide! I love Mia Christopher's work and there are lots of amazing illustrators from Spain on Flickr. One day I'd love to curate an exhibition based on the influence of vintage objects. It would require each participating artist to find an inspiring item and make one piece of work relating or reacting to it. The exhibition would combine the original objects and resulting art. I think it would be interesting.

What has been your favorite vintage find?



There are loads, I'm a total hoarder! Yesterday, a sturdy 1960s slide projector. Before that, the blue anglepoise lamp on my desk, the turquoise Poole plates I have lunch on when I work at home, my collection of wooden letterpress blocks, a huge turquoise vintage pyrex mixing bowl, my collection of lidded sugar bowls. The list goes on...

What is your ultimate art fantasy?



Crumbs. I don't know the short answer! I would love to continue working creatively and to make a living from it, but doesn't everybody? More specifically than that I'm pretty open. I think my work would lend itself to children's books and being published would be incredible. Besides that I've thought about what it would be like to design for Paperchase or Habitat making beautiful homewares and stationery, and would love the chance to do some editorial work for newspapers too. I still feel like the world is my oyster. This time next year when I graduate, I'll let you know my decision!



You can see more of Anna's art on her Flickr or Etsy shop.  And, right now, Anna is running a giveaway on her blog!  The lucky winner will get this handpainted milk jug and happy face brooch.

This week's new works

It's been raining a lot in Portland, and I think everyone here is in a funk because of it.  For days, I stared at my art desk and felt so uninspired.  I eventually kicked my rear into gear and started working on some art. 



For the past few weeks, I've been reworking some of my older pieces.  Forecast is a black and white monoprint that I decided to add some color to.  There is a lot going on in the background, so I wanted to keep the new elements simple, while creating another layer of interest.



The title Forecast has a double meaning.  The sporadic white dots in the work look like raindrops on a window, which gives the work its weather reference.  The second meaning refers to the unstable economic state and the hope for a more positive outlook in the near future. The weather and the financial market can be both very volatile and therefore, devastating to many communities.  I added little homes to the work to represent the many individuals impacted by such crisis.



The second piece I completed this week is called Coral Bells, which are one of my favorite flowers. They remind me of my grandfather who kept an immaculate garden.  Last year, I took some starts from his garden and planted them in my own garden. 

Like Forecast, Coral Bells is a reworked monoprint.  I painted images of coral bells using watercolor and added some patterning to the background with ink.  Both the works measure 9" x 12".



An unexpected project were these two illustrations I drew yesterday.

I would love to write and illustrate a children's book one day, and I believe these drawings manifested from that desire.

Portland style in a click

I like to browse the fashion blog The Sartorialist from time to time.  I'm always impressed by the dapper men, as if they stepped right out of a Ralph Lauren catalog. Slicked back hair and all!  Dapper is not a word I would use to describe Portland street fashion, but that's perfectly alright with me.  Portlanders like to mix things up, pairing Goodwill finds with high end fashion.  It's an eclectic style that has been chronicled the last year on Urban Weeds by local photographer Lisa Warninger.

Every couple of weeks, someone pops up on there that I know.  That's the wonderful thing about living in a small city.  So I can vouch for the fact that this is the real thing.

Sarah Van Raden and Emily Katz

Jill Bliss and Amy Ruppel



Granted, a lot of these folks have great fashion sense because they are artists and designers themselves.  My favorite feature on Urban Weeds to date, though, is not a fashion designer- nor from Portland!  Jim is a retired professor and concert pianist who lives in New Orleans and Germany (the lederhosen is a dead giveaway).

Show and Tell: Keepsakes of my cedar chest

I have a cedar chest that my mother-in-law bought me when I was newly married.  Today, I was reorganizing my sewing paraphernalia, which was all stacked on top of the cedar chest.  It has been at least a couple of years since I've opened the chest, so going through it this afternoon was a joyous rediscovery of old, treasured things. 



I store my wedding dress in the chest, and next to the white satin gown was this little yellow knit dress that I wore as an infant.  I can tell it was loved as there is a nickel size hole near the hem, and the inside tags are worn and unreadable. 



Another keepsake from my childhood was my brother's baby blanket, which I've always adored.  I based the first baby blanket I made for my daughter on the sweet checkered design.



As I dug deeper into the chest, I was thrilled to find this quilted wrapping cloth that my grandmother gave me several years ago.  She was just a teenager when she made it, embroidery and all.

My grandmother passed away a year ago this time, so this piece is very sentimental to me.  I don't embroider as much as I would like to, but it was serendipitous that I had worked on a little piece this morning before finding my grandmother's embroidered work.

While rifling through piles of fabric, I found some sawtooth star blocks that I handquilted years ago.  I thought that I would spruce them up by adding embroidered designs.  This is the first piece I completed this morning.

The wonderland of Tord Boontje

It's no surprise that a book on industrial designer Tord Boontje would open with a quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,

So she sat on with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality.

His fairytale-like designs of flora and fauna have captured the hearts of many admirers around the world.  In a recent trip to the library, my eyes were dilating from excitement when I spotted this over-sized, mesh covered book recounting ten years of his designs.  The 272 page book is chock full of colored photos of his past collections, products, and installations.





Boontje is known for his romantic lighting.  Shadow Light (shown above) is still one of my favorites. Below are close-ups of a couple of his spectacular crystal chandeliers. 

From drawings to product designs, Boontje's work is full of charm!

New work, "Books"

Since last Fall, I have been reworking a lot of my older pieces.  This particular piece is a monoprint that was originally in black and white.  It's been sitting in my portfolio for years.  After finishing Sea last week, I decided to tackle this piece next.  The design has always reminded me of books, like old books sitting on a library shelf.  Using watercolor and marker, I colored the vertical shapes based on book covers in my classic book collection.  (Pink is the one color I added for fun.)



I just added Books to my Etsy shop, where you'll also find more information about the piece.