Herringbone Art- A Pinterest Project

Remember when I posted about my master bedroom redecorating project back in September?

Well, nothing has changed in there... until now. I still needed something for the wall on my husband's side of the bed, and that is when I saw this art piece on Pinterest...


Cozamia via Pinterest

This is actually an art print, but I liked the idea of painting over an abstract print with a white herringbone pattern. So, I grabbed this painting that has been sitting in my garage sale pile for a year now...


And then I painted over it abstractly with some of my acrylic paints. I love the colors in the inspriration print but I chose a palette that matches the decor in the room.

Then I covered the canvas in strips of painter's tape placed in a herringbone pattern. I did this while I emptied my DVR. It wasn't too tedious. Then I ripped off a couple strips here and there. And finally, I painted over it with white paint.

After the white paint dried, I peeled off all the strips and wa-la! It's done!

And here it is in the master bedroom. Pardon the photos, they were taken with my iPhone.



The room is complete... for now. I am always switching things up all over my house, but I actually feel "done" for the first time since we moved. In that room at least :) Thanks again, Pinterest- you never fail me. How has Pinterest inspired you lately?

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest you can find me and my pins at http://pinterest.com/findingmyaloha/

Finding My Aloha's New Prints Now Available!

Aloha, friends! Sorry if you have missed me lately. No, I haven't been pinned under an iceberg or taken captive by a polar bear- not yet, at least. To be honest, I kinda needed a break at the beginning of the year. I am sure you can all relate to the burned out feeling while recovering from the holidays. I intended to focus the first week of the year on completely scouring my house top to bottom and purging everything we don't need or use. I was mostly sucessful, but I definitely under-estimated my time commitment! Besides copious amounts of organizing, photo shoots, and life in general, I also launched my photography website this month! See, I told you I have been busy!

I'm dusting off the cobwebs around FMA, and today I am here to share my new website! Besides showcasing my portfolio and session info, I have a photography print gallery with images you can hang as art in your home or even office! I have embedded a slideshow of all my artwork prints available for purchase. Take a peek, and even hop over to the site and let me know what you think! I will be adding more and more to the selection too!

Free Digital Print Art {seriously cool!}

Whew! I'm back. It's been pretty quiet on FMA lately. Well, that has a lot to do with the unfortunate fact that my beloved DSLR camera was stolen. Sigh. As if that wasn't devastating enough, my son dropped my iPad2 on our flight the next day and shattered the glass. Sigh. Thank the Lord we had the camera insured, but we found out that Apple Care doesn't cover the glass. Sigh. Anyway, I believe I should have a replacement camera this week. We had a Nikon D90 with a fantastic 18-300mm lens but I am thinking about parring back the lens a bit and so we can upgrade to the D7000. The 7000's outrageous ISO is sooooo enticing. Any thoughts on the matter fellow shutterbugs?

I am itching to get my hands on a camera so I can post the reveal of my bedroom dresser. Guys it turned out so AMAZING! I am in love with it. Love, love, love.

Though things may have been quiet on the blog, it has definitely not been quiet around here! I have lots of projects to show you. The inability to post has however has exploded my Pinterest addiction. I have been pinning away! If you want your FMA fix, go check out my boards. :-) If you're on Pinterest, throw a girl a bone and give me your username, I'd love to see what you're pinning!

Since, I haven't been able to show you the dresser yet, I have been plugging away at accessorizing it and the big blank wall behind it. I am in desperate need of some art! I have been pouring over art for weeks and I just stumbled across a couple of fabulous websites with libraries of free digital print art! This stuff is gorgeous!

Read on to see some samples and go to the sites.

DIY No-Cost Train Wall Art

My toddler son loves trains. He adores them. He is obsessed with them. The other day in his sleep he chanted "choo-choo". When it came time to decorate his new room, there was no question it was going to be a big boy train room. I am still working on several elements in the room, but I finished this set of wall art so it is ready to share! I made it with materials I had on hand so it cost me nothing! I love that!

Read on for up-close pictures and to see how I made it!

FREE Springtime & Easter Printable Poster

I have been steadily adding items to FMA's new shop, and while creating this Easter themed poster, I decided it should be FREE! Read on for the download and more pictures of it and the other new items in the shop...

Free Custom Subway Art

I have been waiting at the station, ready to jump on the train of subway art for awhile now. (haha, I crack myself up...ok, ok just indulge me!) Anyway, I decided to finally check it off my list now that I am getting more and more settled in the new house. I am offering two of them as free printables, and even offering to customize one of them for you! Read on for the details...

Beautiful Historic Printable Art

I wanted to give my "chalet-chic" living room some character by hanging vintage ski posters and historic artwork or drawings. In my search of the perfect art, I stumbled across the U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Digital Library. The library is completely public domain! I feel like someone just gave me the keys to the Smithsonian. In the spirit of paying it forward, I downloaded a couple images, restored them in Photoshop, and have made them into printables and downloadable images for your pleasure. Read on for the links and downloads...

Photo Gallery Walls

It's no secret that I love photography. I am a snap-happy soul and my houses are filled wall to wall with frames preserving my most precious memories. After several years creating gallery walls, I have picked up some good pointers I wish I knew about a thousand nail holes ago. Read on to see my new gallery wall and some of my very best tips for when you make your own.

Free Printable 2011 Owl Calendar

It's no surprise around here that I love owls. My friend Melissa over at Oh My Darling is a fellow owl lover, and she introduced me to MyOwlBarn.com. Wow! A blog dedicated to everything owl! {love} Right now, My Owl Barn has the coolest customizable calendar application that allows you to sort through beautiful artwork and compile your own printable calendar for FREE! Read on to get yours...

Heather Brown Surf Art

Recently Nadia over at Livin' La Vida Aloha introduced me to the work of Hawaiian artist Heather Brown. Her art is so stunning I just had

to share it with you too! Heather lives on the North Shore of Oahu where she paints these bright, vivid island scenes. I love how her paintings are so cheerful and whimsical. I would love to have some of these hanging on my walls!

She even has tees and market bags!

I loooove owls!!!

Long Exposure Photography

I just recently became familiar with the German photographer, Michael Wesely. He is known for his long exposure photography. It is simply astonishing! Some of his exposures last as long as 3 years!!! That means it took 3 years to take a single photo. The effect is amazing! His photos follow major urban construction projects and even the life and death of a bouquet of flowers. The long exposure gives the photos an eerie, ghostlike feeling. 

In 2001, the Museum of Modern Art asked him to document their major construction/renovation project. These are some of his images from the project. Some of these exposures took 3 years!

The streaks in the sky are the pattern of the sun as it rises and sets as the earth rotates. Incredible!

Through the use of filters and a very small aperture, yet one that is standard in a professional camera lens, Wesely is able to diminish the amount of light hitting the negative to the point where he can extend the exposure many thousands of times longer than we would ordinarily expect.

His work has been compiled in a book that accompanied his exhibition, Open Shutter. I would looove to flip through this book! I find his method of photography to be spellbinding!