Beat Self Isolation Boredom By Making Art for your home: Hannah Brown is an artist and interior designer. Her decorative art has a focus on nature, including ferns, tree slices, palms and sea fans encased inside handmade frames. I asked Hannah to provide tips so that you can beat self-isolation boredom by making art at home. It is easy to be creative using flowers or leaves from your garden or objects you find around when you are cleaning out the cupboards or the attic. Rather than throw out old postcards, magazines or books, consider transforming them into objects of art instead. Rather than sitting around getting stressed out about Coronavirus, try an art project instead.
Hannah Brown Chinese Windmill Palm
Beat Self Isolation Boredom By Making Art At Home
1. You will need some essential items before you begin your art project. Gather together a scalpel, scissors, glue, ruler, cutting board and paint.
2. Hunt around the house for things you love. You will be surprised as there will be potential art items everywhere! These can be either sentimental treasures or old postcards, books with retro prints or botanical drawings and comics for the kid’s bedrooms. Some of your children’s drawings, old labels, wallpaper samples, vintage scarves and pressed flowers are also worth considering.
3. Either find some old frames you don’t use anymore or buy some inexpensive frames box frames online. Maybe you could paint the frames or spray them if using old frames. If the frame is made from wood, you may want to wax them or sand them down and paint it.
Fern Art
4. Think of what you want your background to be. Use old paint samples of colours you love. Either roller to a backing card or a piece of durable paper. You may want to use newspaper, wallpaper or sheets of music or poetry as a background; the options are endless.
5. Once you have chosen your items or drawings/photos or whatever it is you want to frame. Stand back and decide on what colour or background would work best. Do this by trying to use either colour to complement it or a contrasting colour that will bring the items out.
6. Now the fun part, arrange the item or items within the background space. You may be doing a collage, or it may be only one item. If you are doing this with your kids – let them go crazy and have fun! Some of the best pieces are the most straightforward, e.g. a big, bold brush mark done by your 3-year-old!
Palm Art
7. Once arranged, you would need a good strong glue to secure your item/items.
8. Leave to dry.
9. Give the glass a good clean using a window cleaner and preferably a microfiber cloth. Place the finished piece in the frame and assemble it.
10. Voila, you have yourselves a piece of DIY art. Now look for a suitable place in your home to hang it up or lean the frame against a wall.
Pressed Leaves Art
If you want to use pressed leaves and flowers from your garden, follow Hannah’s tips: “I mostly use a flower press, but sometimes I use old heavy books, and I place leaves throughout the book. Just don’t forget which book! They usually stay for a good three months, and when they are dehydrated and flat, I use PVA glue as a preservative. This keeps and enhances the colour and doesn’t flake as a varnish would. Just paint one side, leave to dry, turn over, paint the other side and leave to dry. The PVA dries clear. They are now ready to frame – just don’t hang in direct sunlight!
Beat Self Isolation Boredom By Making Art Like Hannah Brown
Hannah Brown
Hannah Brown tells me more about the art she creates. “I have always had a love for nature, and I feel so lucky that now I do what I love doing best – bringing the outdoors indoors to enjoy all year round! I not only frame bits and pieces that I love, but I also make the box frames they go in, so I see the whole process and finished product as a piece, not just what goes inside. Every piece of art I make is made with love and consideration for both the object itself and the person who will end up enjoying it on their wall. You can view my work, buy a piece of wall art or request a bespoke piece from the Hannah Brown Interiors Website. For updates follow me on Instagram @hannahbrowninteriors.
Author: Homegirl London edited tips and information provided by Hannah Brown. Photographs: Supplied by Hannah Brown.
