Textured Artwork

Each year at Creative Craft Retreat there is a class that gets lots of people “watching it” – you know, wandering past regularly to see what they are doing, or stopping for a chat at that table, or admiring from a distance as they head for lunch. Sometimes it is because the craft the class is making is totally gorgeous, and sometimes it is because it is something a little bit different. This year’s “most watched class” was both! The class created beautiful textured artwork.

A lovely art teacher from a local high school was teaching this class and it was something that we hadn’t done at Retreat before (as far as I know). Each student started with a large blank canvas.

First they drew a rough design and then they pulled out what I know as “spakfiller” but which is also known as spackle or spackling paste. It is a paste that is used by plasterers to fill in joins and holes before they paint walls. So the class used this paste to create textured areas on their canvasses.

Once that had dried, they started painting. It was amazing to see how different each one became. Most intended for these to be on display in their homes, so you could see how they had chosen colours to blend with their decor. One student told me that they were instructed to bring at least one metallic paint so they each had a touch of sparkle too.

Once the painting was done – or in some cases at the same time – they added various embellishments. These ranged from paper dress making patterns and flowers to stick and beads. These added another dimension to each piece.

The finished artworks were stunning! They looked like pieces by professional artists. My photos really don’t do them full justice. But I hope they inspire you to have a go!

Do you have artwork hanging in your home?

Have you ever made art for your home?