Create art with spray paint

It doesn't take much imagination for me to find ways to use spray paint. Having previously tried my hand using an artist's spray gun, I found it fun to grab a couple of cans of Rust-Oleum for my 3-seasons apple tree art. This art signifies spring, summer and autumn. I would have added winter but didn't have enough room on the wall!

 

I seem to have a thing at the moment for apple trees, having displayed my frosted glass apple tree at Grand Designs Live. Or perhaps it's that I'm in love with red for the time being. Anyway, I felt like using spray paint in a different way and wanted to see how this artwork looked once finished.

 

CONTINUES BELOW

 

 

The method used to create my artwork is very similar to that used for the larger frosted glass artwork. Start off by drawing your design onto a sheet of transparent contact paper. On a cutting mat, use a sharp craft knife to cut away those sections that will be sprayed with coloured spray paint.

Place the cut vinyl on top of your canvas and, starting at the bottom or top, slowly peel away the backing to stick the vinyl onto the canvas. If there are any small detailed areas you can easily lift up and reposition until it fits in the right place.

For the first canvas I used a light and dark green spray paint, as you can see left. Mask off any uncovered areas of canvas and do any spray painting outdoors. Shake the can well before use, so that the agitator ball inside the can moves freely to mix the contents thoroughly. Lightly spray the surface from a distance of no less than 30 cm away.

I used the same stencil for all three designs but you need to make sure that the stencil sticks down well around the edges, or you will end up with blurred edges. On the second canvas I switched around the green colours, and for the third/last canvas I added a touch of orange around the edges. It's probably better if you make 3 of the same stencils, as I did eventually have to do a bit of touch up work around the edges.

Use craft paints and an artists paintbrush to add the apples to the second - summer - canvas. I used Rust-Oleum decorative paint pens but you can't always find these in the store, which is a pity because they are wonderful to use.

And there you have it. An easy way to make your own works of art.