art Archives - Amber B Design Studio

Art I Have Been Eyeing Lately

April 12, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: art

I definitely love interiors with some blue and green mixed in. That seems to be my favorite right now, especially with some browns and grays. So it is no surprise then, that I have been drawn to landscape art. I love the way it brings the outdoors in and ties together all of the colors that I love. And when clients come to me also loving that color combo… it’s amazing! Here are some great prints from Minted that have caught my eye, lately…

A painting of a small stream and some clouds

Cloud Symphony

A painting of a green field with clouds in the sky.

Mornings Away

You can see the ‘Mornings Away’ print in Studio McGee’s latest Modern Mountain project…

A bedroom with a bed, nightstand and lamps.

Â image via

I have used both above prints in design projects and they are beautiful! They bring so much to a design.

A painting of a river with trees in the background

Glass River

A painting of a field with trees and clouds in the background.

Broken Clouds

The two above prints are both from the same Minted artist. I just love shopping for art on this site, knowing that I am supporting independent artists. Adding prints like this to a gallery wall, will work great with some modern art mixed in…

Like this

A white square with a circle in the middle

Surround Me

And this

A painting of an abstract design in black and white.

Falling Strokes

Do you have a favorite art style?!?

A Simple, Creative DIY Art Piece with Jordan!

February 20, 2014 by Amber Filed Under: art, design, DIY

I am so excited to have a special guest blogger here with us today. Jordan, from the blog The 2 Seasons, is here to share a very creative art project and a colorful way to fill a wall space in your home. Jordan shares a fun design/DIY blog with her mom Janette. Not too long ago, Jordan and I realized we lived near each other and share so many of the same interests! I can’t wait for you all to see this creative art project…

Hello, everyone! I am Jordan, the daughter half of the mother/daughter lifestyle blog called The 2 Seasons. My mom Janette and I have been writing our blog together for the past three years. I am so pleased that I discovered Amber and her blog. Plus, we found out that we live very close to each other, and we had the opportunity to meet in person. That was fun!

DIY Modern Art using leftover house paint

As a southern girl who now lives in central New York, I have learned the winters here are very long. I try to do things that will keep me busy, and this is the perfect winter-time project. We love color here at The 2 Seasons and making modern art during the gray months is one way to incorporate color into our traditional homes. My mom made a couple of modern art projects (here and here), and I followed to make my own. We have a blank wall in our study, and I definitely wanted to add some spring color in the form of DIY art. Some people say this isn’t art but that instead it is making home decor. Whatever it is called, it is a great way to create color and interest for your walls while the winter blasts away outside. Plus, it’s an automatic conversation piece.

We discovered the artist Cassandra Tondro and all of her amazing work. I found out she also had some Youtube videos that teach how to make your own art out of left over house paint. It looked like a fun project, and I decided to give it a try. I am happy to report that I had great success following her method, and I am about to share it with you.

Modern Art Set Up

To get started, you need a canvas, plastic drop cloth, old house paint, gloves. The first step is to find an area where you can spread out a couple of layers of the plastic drop cloth. I worked in my basement so the photos are not the best.

Make your own modern art

Once the plastic drop cloth is on the floor, take your canvas and map its size. I just marked the sides/size with Frog tape. You can also use a felt-tip marker if you don’t want to use tape.

Make your own modern art

Here is the plastic marked with the size of the canvas. This serves as the guideline for where the paint goes.

Make your own modern art

The next step is to get your paint ready to go. Remove the lids and stir each can of paint so that it is well-mixed. Put on some fun music, and take your first color and start pouring. This is when you determine if you want to make a design and how you want your colors to blend and mix.

Make your own modern art

The next couple of pictures all show me adding the color to area.

Make your own modern art

I had a lot of paint samples that I used. This project uses a lot of paint. The Habitat Restore sells house paint at a deep discount so if you need additional colors be sure to check out your Restore. Also, you can sometimes find discounted cans of mistake paint at Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Make your own Modern Art

Once you are happy with your colors and design, gently place the canvas on top of the paint. You can do an undercoat on the canvas beforehand if you want, and allow it to dry first. That is a way to add an additional color to your creation.

Make your own Modern Art

Take your hands and rub them on the canvas to get out any air bubbles and to spread the paint around and cover the canvas.

When you think you have covered the whole canvas, pull the canvas directly up from either a side or straight up. I pulled up from a side. Take it to an out-of-the-way area to dry for a couple of days. The colors need to dry and set so they won’t run when you hang it on the wall.

My canvas measured 24 x 36, but I also had a small canvas on hand. Since I had a lot of paint on the plastic, I decided to make another small creation using the same colors.

The possibilities are endless, and this would be fun for all ages.

The painting now has a home in our study and I LOVE it!

I would like to thank Amber for allowing us to guest blog for her today. We hope you stop by our blog and feel free to like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest.

Cheers!

That is definitely gorgeous art to me!! And I also love to put on some music when I paint. 🙂 Thanks so much to Jordan for stopping by and sharing this amazing DIY paint project with us! Be sure to check out The 2 Seasons blog to see what Jordan and Janette are up to next!

Designing a Room Around Inspiring Art

October 9, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, design, e-decorating, e-design

When I begin with a room design, I don’t necessarily start the same way, every time. The client might already have that one special piece to build the room around. Maybe I become inspired by fabric and design the room around that. When one of my recent clients came to me to help design her teen daughter’s room, I found some great art pieces that helped pull the room together. After that, the rest was history! Here are the inspiring art pieces that helped make this room complete…

via

Can these art pieces be more beautiful and whimsical?? I am in awe of each of these artist’s talents! Not only are the prints lovely, they each hold special meaning in some way, to the client. They also pull the room’s color palette together and help to bring the client a stylish place to create. I am feeling inspired and hope she will, too!

Vacation is Over, Back to Reality!

September 5, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, beach, personal, vacation

With this crazy in between time of summer and fall, it is growing more apparent that fall is definitely here. With the kids back in school and our vacation over, it is back to reality time and the beginning of the fall routines. For our summer vacation this year, we went to the beaches in South Carolina. I love the south! I have some family there, everyone’s so polite and I love the food! Staying by the beach, I couldn’t get enough of the seafood and buffets! Eating until you’re stuffed is my idea of a great vacation! 🙂 So since summer has come to a close around here, I wanted to remind myself of the beach and take a moment to see the gorgeous view…

View from our hotel balcony…

I would love to take one of these pictures and blow it up to a large canvas art piece. I have this as my inspiration…

Inspiration

via

We also had time to stop in and see a local interior designer’s shop. Knotting Hill Interiors is owned by Principal Designer Kimberly Grigg. The amount of fabrics and accessories to browse through was incredible. Needless to say, I loved every minute of it!

Her Design Studio/Shop

Knotting Hill Interiors

So even though summer is officially here until the end of September, it feels like fall in these parts! Fall happens to be my favorite season, too. Until next time, beach…

A New ‘Smitten’ Print in My Family Room!

August 29, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, design, family room, mantle, personal design style, styling

I am super excited to show you an amazing new print that graces my family room mantel! I was recently contacted by a representative from Pretty Smitten, an on line stationary, home and gift shop to preview one of their gorgeous prints from their new art print line. I jumped at the chance, since I have already loved and admired their chic patterns, personalized notepads and monogrammed gifts. It was a tough decision, since they are all so fun, but this is the print I chose…

shop here

And here it is, all styled up in my family room…

The orange, coral, pink and brown from this print works so well with the room’s color scheme. I chose a driftwood style frame to balance against the chic look in the print. This room has a bit of a rustic touch, so I thought it created a nice balance. The frame has an 8×10 opening, which is a perfect size for this print. Overall, I am totally smitten with my new art piece! I already have my eye on some other great prints from her shop! If you haven’t checked out the site yet, stop over to see all of the gorgeous options at an amazing price point. Owner and creator, Elizabeth Johnson founded her shop as a creative outlet after the birth of her son. Her business quickly grew to include more gift items and after the birth of her two girls, Pretty Smitten continues to expand. This new print line is a beautiful addition to her creative, chic style! Her shop also includes trays, phone cases, personalized placemats and trays, just to name a few!

Start your shopping HERE and have fun!

Creating My Own Art With Color Glide Pro

August 13, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, design, living room, personal design style

When expensive, original art is not in the budget, I am a big proponent of taking out the brush and trying it yourself! What’s the worst that can happen? When shopping at local craft stores, I have noticed that large pieces of canvas aren’t that expensive. In fact, I have been lucky to shop when they are 40% off! So, when a representative from Color Glide Pro contacted me about trying their brushless painting applicator, I thought this would be a great tool to use when creating my art. In the kit, you get a refillable, reusable paint applicator tube with a soft felt applicator and a paint transfer pump so you can easily transfer paint from your old paint can into the tube. I had a large amount of wall space upon entering our living room that needed something new and fresh. Once I got started painting, I could not believe how easy it was to use! In the future, I will definitely try it for its intended purpose, which is to touch up paint small areas, doors and trim. But, it’s also fun to think outside the box and try something new with it. Luckily, it worked!

Let’s back up, as I explain the process and give close up shots of the cool product!

What you will need for this project:

1. Paint can with your favorite paint color.
2. Paint stirrer
3. Canvas board
4. The Color Glide Pro!

Since I wanted the art to be dramatic, I went with a 24×36 canvas board, which is the same size as the basement art for our kid’s space. I wasn’t sure if it would be messy to use the pump when transferring the paint. It wasn’t at all! The applicator tube also shows the fill line spot, so you don’t overflow your tube.

This was after I shook the applicator tube, making sure it was well mixed before painting. The tube comes with a shake and mix ball inside, so I can reuse the paint and just shake it again, when ready to reapply! I went with my favorite dark color, Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore. I am using this color on all of our interior doors, so I had plenty extra on hand. Plus, it works well with our home’s color pallete, so it’s a win win for the art piece! When deciding on a design for the canvas art, I knew I wanted to make it modern and graphic. I tried a sample out on a paper towel, which also helped me figure out how to use the applicator tube.

I really had my fingers crossed on this one, because I didn’t want to mess up and discard the art. Luckily, the tube was so easy to use, I just went over a line again, if it needed some extra color and thickness. And here she is again, all styled up and filling the space quite nicely!

When I’m ready to take out the applicator tube and use it again, the paint will be ready! I just give it a good shake and that’s it! It stays fresh in the airtight tube and will last for a very long time. The tube even comes with a space for you to list the paint color and brand.

The above instruction list would be a great image to pin, as it gives a clear explanation of how to use the product. Scroll over the image to pin it straight to your pinterest account. (Or any image, for that matter!)

Make sure to come back on Wednesday, if you’re interested in a kit for yourself! The lovely representatives from Color Glide Pro also gave me a set to give away and use however you like!

Will Yours be for Paint Touch Ups or a Fun, DIY Project??

Our Basement Kid’s Nook Reveal!

August 2, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, basement, design, kids and design

Our basement was finished in the middle of May, and I am excited to show the first complete nook in the space! The basement was renovated primarily as a fun place for the kids to play. It’s also great for us, because all of the toys can be relocated to this floor! So, I thought it would make sense to start with one of their spaces first. We had the contractors paint an entire wall with chalkboard paint as a great place to get creative and have fun! This zone is for drawing, crafting,and anything they can imagine up! Enjoy!

Design With Kids in Mind……………………………..

Sorry for the large amount of photos! It was a sunny day, so I went a little crazy. Our windows are not very big in the basement, so it was great to be able to have this natural light stream in. We have had a lot of fun with this chalkboard wall. I wrote this bear quote from one of our favorite book series… The Berenstein Bears! When we’re ready to erase and draw something new, we just use a white sock. To really get it cleaned, I occasionally go over the chalkboard with a wet cloth. You might be wondering if the chalk mess is an issue on the carpet. To fix that problem, we only buy dust free chalk, which my mom found at Staples. {Thanks, mom!} When they really get coloring, some chalk dust falls to the baseboard. But, it is really minimal and easy to vacuum. Much easier than regular chalk would be! We keep the chalk and sock eraser in small plastic cups in a basket. The plastic cups can easily be washed out, when needed. The Oh The Thinks You Can Think quote was done on canvas as an inexpensive, whimsical way to add some art. I wrote about the simple process, HERE. The rest of the art has come from the creative kiddos. They love that it is truly their space and feel proud to show off what they have made! We love being able to have this extra square footage in the house and the kids love it, too.

Happy Friday!!

A New Face on Our Wall

July 22, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, living room, this piece has history

Recently, I went to an antique fest with my mom that we visit every summer. Vendors come from all over and stay for the weekend, bringing their unique and special treasures for us to hunt and find. I didn’t leave empty handed this year. In fact, there’s now a new member of the family on our living room wall.

Our Newest Addition…

I love the history that it brings to the room, with its stature and military background. My husband was in the army several years ago, so it also brings a meaningful quality to the space. My mom thought it would look great beside our secretary desk, which has its own special history. The decision was made, once we tried it on that wall. And here he is…

The colors on his jacket, the frame finish and even his blushed cheeks work so well with the color palette in this room. The real shocker was the price! I almost didn’t even ask, because I thought it was going to be out of my budget and too good to be true. When they told me it was $10, I couldn’t believe it! What a deal! I’m all for trying to get the best deal, but I didn’t even think I needed to negotiate this price down. And I love that I was able to hang it right up, without changing a thing. I will have to keep an eye on it, though… my mom wanted to take it off our walls when I wasn’t looking. 🙂

Have you found any unique, ‘had to have’ pieces lately??ï»¿

{DIY} Creating Your Own Canvas Script Art

July 18, 2013 by Amber Filed Under: art, basement, kids and design

Once we finished our basement, I already had tons of design ideas swimming around in my head. I knew the space would come together little by little, so I decided to focus on zones of the basement, in order to tackle each project a step at a time. Currently, it’s the chalkboard wall/kid’s area of the basement that’s getting some attention. I wanted to create a large piece of art on a small budget, so I started with a blank canvas (literally)! I bought a 24×36 size canvas board, with the intent to write a fun, kid friendly quote on the board as the art. We love reading Dr. Seuss books in our house, so I asked the kids to give me their favorite quote from the beloved Dr. Seuss book, Oh The Thinks You Can Think. It didn’t take them long to decide on one… together! I was so excited that they agreed, so I got right to work, before either could change their mind. In about 15 minutes time, here is the end result…

The Finished Product …

To recreate this project, this is what you’ll need…

The Materials …

– Deco Color Acrylic Paint Pen (The kids chose green.)
– 24×36 Canvas board from your local craft store.
– Measuring tape
– Pencil
– A favorite quote

Step by Step …

1. Lay your canvas board on a flat, workable surface. (I just chose our kitchen floor!)

2. Prep your paint pen by shaking it with the top on, removing the cap and then pressing the pen down on a paper towel. That gets the paint to flow. You could even practice your writing skills, too!

3. Use your tape measure to make small pencil marks along the side of your canvas. That will ensure your lines are evenly spaced. I decided to make 4″ rows, so my words are big enough to read and more dramatic.

4. Have your book nearby and slowly copy the quote, one word at a time. Make sure you step back and check your work every few words. Once the word is written, there is no erasing!

5. Now, it’s time to hang your work and enjoy! I hung ours to the left of the chalkboard wall and surrounded it with my kids art. I hung the art with colorful duckling tape and they loved the result! They were giddy as they read the quote. Too cute! 🙂

All in all, the materials cost about $20! Not bad for a wall full of color. 🙂 I hope to show more of this space soon, so stay tuned…