Rustic Clip Frame

First and foremost, Jeremy and I have no idea how to build anything. We aren't the handiest people on the planet, but I really wanted a frame to go over our bed. I also didn't want to pay a fortune for it. Frames this size are pretty expensive. And, we already had some really cheap wood from a previous project that I wasn't a huge fan of.

We tore that old project up and went to work putting this together. We don't have many tools and definitely not technical skill, which is why this is a "rustic" project. I feel like most people use the word rustic to mean "I just left it rough around the edges instead of really trying." Whatever works! I like the style of most rustic projects.

This frame is 28" x 68" and fits nicely above our king  size bed! We had them cut the boards at Home Depot when we bought them. They charge per cut, but it is cheaper than buying a saw for sure, especially if you don't do this sort of thing often! I'm not going to give you guys instructions, because I wouldn't even know how! Just wanted to share our little project and maybe give you guys a bit of inspiration.

     The beautiful artwork that we built this specifically to display is by Nashville based artist, Kelly Mckernan. Please, please, go check out her work on her website or her Facebook!

Creating Inspiration

Work in progress. Calling it quits for the night. Gouache and marker. #art #artist #artwork #painting #drawing #watercolor #gouache #marker #sharpie #texture #wip #workinprogress #paint

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Feb 24, 2016 at 8:16pm PST

I have the hardest time keeping myself inspired to create. I feel like this is something that a lot of artists struggle with. I can't even tell you how many times a week I get everything out to start working, stare at the paper for five minutes, and put everything away. It can be really tough to have this happen over and over again. If you are a creative type, I'm sure you can relate to this sort of frustration.

I came to a realization the other day though. Sitting around and just hoping for my muse to hand me a completed work wasn't going to get me anywhere. It takes actually sitting down and getting started. You have to put in the effort to get going and by doing so, you can create your own inspiration.

I put Amelia in her chair and gave her some art supplies. She got straight to work on her beautiful scribbles and I got to work on mine. I put pencil to paper and before I knew it, I had the entire under-drawing completed.

I had no vision for the piece when I started, although I do have an underlying theme in almost all of my work. Each little part of the sketch led to the next and then I hit a block.  I had a wide expanse of negative space and I had no ideas. And the best advice I can give when this happens is to walk away. Leave the piece unfinished, shut it up in your sketchbook and forget about it for awhile. Coming back to a drawing with "new eyes" is the best thing you can do. I do this also when I am not liking a picture. Often times, when revisited, it isn't as bad or as hopeless as originally thought.I hope I can take my own advice on these things in the future. Always, always try.

I am still learning to watercolor, so the rest of the process was a bit touch and go. I decided to texture all of that negative space. I used a dropper and rubbing alcohol to get a texture I like. I'm honestly super happy with the way it all turned out. The last step in my process involves going back over the painting in marker, to bring out my lines.

If I had never taken it upon myself to get inspired, I would have never created this. I think that would have been a real shame.

Finished this piece this morning. I managed to get up before Amelia, which is incredibly rare, and get a good bit of work in. Now, time to clean. #art #artwork #artist #artistry #gouache #watercolor #marker #sharpie #drawing #painting #reeves #strathmore

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Feb 25, 2016 at 6:30am PST