There is, in some cases, something to be said for doing things halfway. Example: I'm much more motivated to buy some big, shapeless, unflattering garment at the thrift store and alter it into something cool than I am to undertake a possibly daunting sewing project completely from scratch. The same goes for artwork—I'm way too self-conscious about "not being an artist" to think seriously about, say, painting something to hang on my walls, but I can definitely get behind tweaking some junk art and making it a little more special. Not that I fancy myself a
Tony Shafrazi for the '00s, but it can be kinda fun to "deface" a traditional piece. Glue, glitter, beads, paint—all are fair game for making over flea market art. Here's what I did with a recently acquired deer portrait (and I'm pretty sure it is not an original, as there is some kind of typed-on copyright thing in the bottom left corner) and some other animal art that had been stacked away on shelves waiting to be put to use. In short, I glued metal stuff on it.
Deer before:
Deer after:
I realize that putting earrings on the deer is not the most sophisticated choice, but there are also tiny brass twigs hidden in the antlers that I think are a nice, understated touch.
Birds before:
Birds after:
This one's a bit more subtle: gold feathers take the place of the original ones, and a reddish spoon handle augments the cardinal's tail.
A few cheap wooden frames got glued-on metal ornaments.
...And here's the whole assortment together...a work in progress.
For a project that's a little more gothic, try reworking some antique portraits in bubble frames (or faux-tique portraits, commonly found
on eBay). Use matte, opaque paints to cover the frame, white (or black) out the background, and end up with some pretty spooky (and sometimes expensive-looking) statement art.
This little gal was hard to get a good shot of, but basically, in the "original" version, which exists in many, many eBay sellers' shops, she has her hands folded in front of her in prayer. Now she is just a floating head.
Have you ever done any junk-art makeovers?
Tell us about them in the comments—or better yet, blog about them yourself!
Related links on Shine:D.i.y. silhouette art
Tips for establishing a space in your home where you can get your creativity on
Instructions for refinishing a flea market find
Sculptural inspiration for an at-home project
