Wednesday, August 17, 2005
It’s the beginning of a new semester and you just moved in to your new digs. Whether it’s a residence hall, scholarship hall, apartment or house, one thing’s for certain: your walls are empty. And while the annual poster sale at the Kansas Union may seem like a great way to fill up those plain white walls, it isn’t terribly original. Do you really want to have the same John Belushi “College” poster as everyone else on campus? Here are a few suggestions on how to fill your walls with your personality.
Make your own
One of the simplest ways to make your own wall art is to use a canvas. Pre-made canvases are available at craft and hobby stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. Prices vary by size, but a small canvas will usually cost about $7 and larger sizes cost close to $50. Artist’s canvases can be hung with or without a frame and can support a wide variety of media—paint, decopage or even pastel.
But if you’re not sure your artistic talents are up to par, don’t worry. Chris Deman, owner of Crafty & Company, 918 Massachusetts Street, says there are alternatives to painting. Recovering a canvas with a large piece of decorative fabric works just as well. She also recommends using patterned paper as decoration, either hanging the paper directly on the wall or even framing it.
Skip the poster sale
While the poster sale will offer some great pieces, after you go to a few house parties, you’ll start to see those same great pieces all over town. Instead of buying from the poster sale, take a look around Lawrence for other places to buy great art.
Lawrence’s local galleries are a great resource for original art. Jill Kleinhans, owner of the Olive Gallery and Art Supply, 15 E. Eighth Street, says that she decorates her own home with pieces she has bought from the gallery. She stresses the importance of buying art that you like. “Buy art that speaks to you, not because it matches you duvet cover at the time,” she says.
Galleries aren’t the only places you can go. Deman has a collection of old paint by number paintings that she found at second hand stores hanging in her home and she frequently buys art from antique stores and thrift shops. When buying art second hand, she suggests buying art along a common theme, such as landscapes. You can mask the lower quality pieces by having a lot of pieces and it will create impact, she says.
White walls no more
Unless your lease absolutely forbids it, try painting your walls if you can’t find the right pieces to hang on them. Deman painted a room in her house in varying shades of yellow, making it appear that there is always a light shining on one wall because of the lighter shade. There are also paints that you can use that will turn any surface into a chalk board or make any surface magnetic.
Whatever you decide to do, do what makes you happy and lets you express yourself. “It’s kind of important to have art,” Deman says. “It makes your room homier and shows your identity.”
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