Art Is Not a Contest: Find the Beauty in Unexpected Places
There’s more to art than visiting an art gallery and marveling at the art pieces on the wall. Of course, it’s a beautiful experience, but it’s not the beginning and the end of your art experience. In addition, it’s important to realize that art is not a competition. You can always find the beauty of art in many places, most of them unexpected. That is, art is not just something you’ll find on the walls of a museum or art gallery. If you look around you, there are many instances where you can find the beauty of art. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started.
Go Shopping for Home Upgrades
As mentioned, art can be all around us, not just at a designated place. For starters, you can find the beauty of art in the comfort of your own home. If you have a blank wall in your home, this is the perfect canvas that you can fill with artwork that not only reflects your style and taste but which also complements your decor. Since the motto is that art is not a competition, the goal is to decorate your home with art that works for you. Remember, what works for one person might not work for you, so don’t be afraid to branch off in a different direction.
As a unique individual, it’s essential to do what suits your personality, sense of style, and tastes. That said, you can still find inspiration from many ideas, such as creating a central piece of art on your own that easily draws attention. This is usually large artwork, and this kind of work is bold enough to stand on its own and become the focus of the room. To make sure that the art compliments your home, be sure to buy a frame that complements the tone and ambiance of the space.
If you really want to go artsy with your space, you can go ahead and create a gallery filled with drawings, prints, or paintings that resonate with you. There are so many opportunities to introduce more art to your home in unexpected ways. For instance, you can transform your home’s exterior with colorful tile roofing that adds more than just curb appeal.
Dye Your Hair
Do you know that your hair can be a canvas for a variety of colors? There are many hair dyes to suit your preference, whether you don’t mind a bolder color or something more demure. For those who want to find the beauty of art in hair coloring, you can explore popular colors like brunette, copper, brown balayage, and deep auburn. Your color of choice will depend on the hair color you already have. You can choose to have the procedure done at your local salon or do it yourself at home. Just be sure to follow the instructions and understand the process, so you know how best to protect your hair.
Most hair dyes contain ammonia, hydrogen, and other strong chemicals that open up the hair cuticles. This allows the dye to penetrate to the inner layer, where it can leach your natural color and deposit the artificial color. Keep in mind that you need to moisturize and deep condition your hair regularly afterward to keep the cuticle layer healthy. This will keep your hair vibrant and colorful, and you’ll have fun pairing the color with various outfits. This is a great opportunity to explore more art in your life on a daily basis.
Invest in Landscape Installations
Want to create a landscape that feels like art? This is only one of the unexpected ways to find the beauty of art in our surroundings. When you go out in your yard with the right mindset, you can spot certain areas that can benefit from beautiful and artistic landscape installations. Let’s start with the most beautiful land installation of all, which is a water fountain. These fountains come in all shapes and sizes and can express different ideas, which is what art is all about. You can choose from spouting fountains, self-contained fountains, tiered fountains, pondless fountains, and solar fountains.
You can also hire professionals that can help you work on your landscape architecture. Sometimes, you may not be able to find the inspiration you need, but if someone has the right level of experience, they can help you with artistic landscape and design. There are so many artful installations you can make, including more water features, artistic gardens, walkways, beautiful lighting, and more. The trick is to think of your landscape as an empty canvas, waiting to be filled with beautiful pieces. Whether you want to create your own backyard retreat or a front porch that oozes curb appeal, there are plenty of ideas to explore.
Browse Through Old Magazines
You can find the beauty of art by recycling old magazines, which are a plentiful resource that can be found in most homes. There was a time when magazines were a popular form of entertainment. You will find many homes with stacks of glossy magazines filled with beautiful and captivating pictures. There’s a reason why many people would get lost in the pages of a magazine. Today, some of those old magazines are abandoned, and yet they’re an unrecognized form of art. You can do so many DIY art projects with your family and friends. For instance, you can use pictures from old magazines to make vision boards, magazine tree crafts, magazine wreaths, magazine flower crafts, and more.
Visit Different Bakeries
Can a bakery be related to the idea of art in any way? Well, you’ll be surprised because it’s possible to find the art in unexpected places, such as bakeries. When you think about it, baking in and of itself is an art. You have the same basic ingredients that you can tweak to create different types of baked goods. From bagels and bread to cinnamon rolls and pies, plus everything in between, you can find the art in unexpected places by visiting various bakeries in your area. The art is in the shape of each baked good, the way it’s designed, and even in the way it tastes.
Go to a Pawn Shop
While there are many modern art pieces flooding the scene, there’s always a certain allure in vintage and retro items. If you want to find beautiful and unexpected artworks, consider visiting a pawn shop. Take, for instance, a jewelry pawn shop. It’s not uncommon to find some beautiful jewelry pieces from years gone by. The experience of browsing through various items is all part of the experience. It offers the thrill of finding beauty in unexpected places. Let’s face it, no one ever thinks of visiting a pawnshop to find art, but it’s possible to do so if you’re patient and know where to look. In fact, vintage jewelry is one of the most likely things you can find at a pawn shop, whether you’re looking for collectible costume jewelry, vintage watches, or designer brooches. These are all beautiful artworks you can display in your home or wear to enhance your appearance. It’s art in its best form.
Enroll in an Art Program
If you want to be able to find the beauty of art in unexpected places, consider enrolling in an art program. There are many local and international schools that can completely change your perspective when it comes to finding art in unexpected places. You don’t have to be an accomplished artist to begin enjoying the joys of drawing and painting. For starters, it’s good for your mental health as it helps you relax. When you’re in art class, you’re away from the distractions of ordinary life, and you can fully focus on the task at hand. This is great for your mental health because of the relaxation benefits.
Enrolling in an art program is also a great way to spark creativity. All you need is a blank canvas, paint, a pencil, or a paintbrush to get your creative juices flowing. This is a good strategy that teaches you to notice art in unexpected ways. You’ll discover that art is not a contest because there are no specific rules that you have to adhere to. The more you draw or create art, the more you push your boundaries to create even more amazing art. While it’s good to appreciate the art made by other people, you’ll feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when you create your own art.
Learn the Art of Flower Pressing
This is a beautiful art to learn. The basic idea involves flattening leaves and flower petals so that they can be used as decoration. The beautiful form of the flower is preserved by removing moisture so that the color of the flower remains. When pressing the flowers, this can be done using various, such as cotton, linen, silk, wood furnishings, and leaf trays. The art of flower pressing has long been practiced in many countries, especially in Japan and Germany. If you’re ready to learn this art, make sure you have all the basic materials in one place. The list includes scissors, wax, parchment paper, a book or heavy projects, paper, and cutting shears.
You can begin by selecting your ideal flower, which should be fresh from being plucked. Dry the flower before pressing it and place it face down on parchment paper. You then press the petals under a heavy, flat surface. For instance, you can stack a pile of books on top of the pressed flower. You’ll need to give the flower plenty of time to dry, as much as two or three weeks. After the flowers are dry, you can rearrange them in a frame to make a beautiful and unique art display. You can also use pressed flowers to make various art pieces, such as a flower petal necklace, candle decorations, a wall clock, and wall art. The good news is you can find many “press-worthy” flowers, such as yarrow, sunflower, lavender, blue hydrangea, and mugwort, by visiting various flower shops.
Do Something Nice for Your Pet
If you have a pet, you can also include them in your art projects besides taking them to the pet groomers. For instance, if you have a dog that’s always showing you a lot of love and loyalty, you can return the love by rewarding them with a handmade toy. There are many DIY accessories that can reflect your furry friend’s personality. Perhaps they like to snuggle, in which case you can purchase a comfy and fluffy dog blanket and then use embroidery to make the piece more artistic. Another creative way to spoil your pup is by creating a plush dog bone toy to keep them entertained for long periods at a time.
You can also create a vintage suitcase dog bed for them. This is such a great idea that can easily be implemented by filling a vintage suitcase with plush materials, so your furry friend can have plenty of sleep each night. Whether you’re making your pet something to wear, a toy to play with, or a bowl to drink from, you can always customize the colors and patterns, so they blend with the decor. For those who are dealing with the death of a pet, you can still find the beauty of art with creative ideas for pet memorials, such as pet memorial jewelry, plaques, frames, and memorialized ashes.
To find the beauty of art is to find the beauty of life all around you. Whether you’re making home improvements, shopping around, or pampering yourself, there are many enriching experiences that you can tap into on a daily basis. These are just but a few instances of finding art in unexpected places. There are more, such as exploring gymnastics programs as a way of getting familiar with body art. You’re strongly encouraged to explore your options, open your eyes more, and make it a point to find the beauty of everyday life. Sure, you can always visit an art gallery for the quintessential experience, but it’s not a contest because there’s enough art to get around in the world.
