Art with impact: 3 ways to create a lasting impression
Incorporating art into your home has the power to transform a space in several ways, beyond just filling a plain wall. You can use a piece of art for inspiration or as a starting point for a colour scheme by pulling out shades, textures and patterns. Or it can be used as the final finishing touch that helps to turn a house into a home.
More than just beautifying a space, art can also be a conversation starter, it can evoke memories, and give you perspective. When it comes to decorating your home with art, the walls are generally a good place to start. Here are three ways to use art with impact in your home.
Art that gives you perspective (Donn Delson)
• Aerial photography
Whether it's positioned in a hallway, living room, dining area or home office, aerial photography has the ability to make you stop and stare (much like being enthralled by artwork in a gallery), offering a visually striking way to draw the eye. And the larger the better too.
Most of us don’t often get to view the world from the sky but that's not the case for renowned fine art aerial photographer Donn Delson, who captures the world at heights of up to 12,000 feet from a 'doors off' helicopter – and it's a perspective like no other (we've seen it first-hand). Donn's photography seeks to transform natural and urban landscapes into abstract works of art, or as he calls it, 'photographic homages', inspired by the styles of abstract artists like Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, and Anni Albers.
'When people view my large-scale, fine art aerial photography in their homes, I hope they experience the same sense of wonder and awe I feel every time I have the opportunity to see the world from that elevated perspective,' Donn tells House Beautiful. 'My work seeks to capture the world from a bird's eye view, revealing unique patterns, symmetry, textures, and colours that aren’t visible from the ground.'
To capture landscapes in crystal clear focus from a doorless helicopter, Donn has to shoot at very high speeds, in burst mode. 'It's always an adventure in search of that perfect shot and finding worthy images isn't a given,' he tells us. His work attempts to trick the eye at first glance, giving the viewer the opportunity to see things through a different lens. 'It's my own form of trompe l’oeil,' he says.
Aerial photography can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, offering a fresh and engaging perspective and a focal point when decorating a home. Xylophones is one such example, Donn explains: 'While many people see the musical instrument in Xylophones at first glance, others insist that it’s an image of bookshelves, abstract art, or a colourful blending of blocks until they see the white truck and get confused.'
One of our favourites is Abacus. 'In 2018, I went to Japan to shoot the cherry blossoms over the mountains east of Kyoto,' Donn recalls. 'I’d always seen pictures of cherry blossoms from the ground, but never from above. We were returning to the helicopter base, having had a successful flight, when in the distance I spotted a tiny, rectangular purple patch. We flew over and discovered the most beautifully manicured, strategically planted rows of blossoming pink, purple, and white cherry trees in various stages of growth. As I looked down from about 3,500 feet, the image below was that of the beads on an abacus, and hence, it was aptly named.'
As with most photographs, Donn's images are two-dimensional when printed but he's recently begun experimenting with 3D forms by laser-cutting, creating layers and remounting these onto multiple levels on the artwork.
'Space Invader, for example, captures the playful and dynamic elements discovered in a flight over South Miami Beach early one spring morning, when beach umbrellas and chaise lounges assume the iconic shapes from the classic video game, taking on a life of their own, as they fire and repel bullets. The piece's 3D construction invites viewers to explore the layers and details that might otherwise go unnoticed,' Donn explains.
So, how then do you create that art gallery feeling at home with aerial photography?
The size and scope of Donn's images create a strong visual impact, from 81cm x 121cm up to 3.5 meters x 5.5 meters, allowing the viewer to almost step into the image, 'as if they are hovering above the scene, experiencing the same thrill and discovery that I do, while keeping both of their feet planted firmly on the ground,' explains Donn. 'I’ve purposely not encapsulated the image in a traditional frame to allow the viewer to experience the unbounded feeling I have when flying with no door.'
Discover more at donndelson.com
Art that makes your home beautiful (Diane Hill)
• Wallpapers and wall murals
Artist Diane Hill lives in a three-bedroom semi-detached 1950s house in Hertfordshire with her husband and two daughters. Every corner of her family home is beautiful, which is perhaps unsurprising considering Diane spends most days conjuring heavenly scenes of flora and fauna.
In 2006, while studying textiles at Manchester Metropolitan University and flicking through a book on Chinese wallpapers, Diane discovered chinoiserie – an art form popular in 18th-century British interiors. She subsequently trained in China and has since been creating dream-like botanical scenes in gouache; a water-based paint often described as 'opaque watercolour'.
Diane is attracted to delicate florals and classical patterns and inspired by the power and beauty of nature. These rich and exotic images of the natural world feature in every room of her beautifully designed home, 'but I wouldn’t say being an artist necessarily means you do well at interior design,' says Diane. It all looks very luxury and high-end but Diane makes it accessible.
So how can you use wallpaper with impact? Showcasing creative ways to display art, Diane uses two panels of her tropical Faraway Land print to frame her dining area – a great example of not having to use up a large expanse of wall to create a focal point. And we love the elegant Rosa wallpaper in Diane's cloakroom, which beautifully frames this small space. Rosa is named after American civil-rights activist, Rosa Parks, and features a cluster of cascading large-scale cherry blooms.
It's in Diane’s bedroom that her art is most abundantly displayed. It's been decorated using the Florence wallpaper design (Diane's collection with Harlequin), featuring a sky-blue backdrop, rainbow-coloured birds, butterflies and pink flowers. Originally handpainted on silk using traditional brushes, techniques and watercolours, it's a fresh, modern take on classic 18th century design.
'The master bedroom was all designed around my wallpaper,' Diane tells us. 'This wallpaper is my pride and joy. It's the main design that I spent the longest on when I was working for Harlequin. I just put my heart and soul into this design. I wanted it to feel like a summer's day, every day, so I've done this soft blue sky. Everything in this room has been designed around the colours in this wallpaper.'
Tour Diane's home below:
See more at dianehill.co.uk
Art that nods to heritage style (Original Style)
• Wall tiles
Although practical in many ways, tiles can be aesthetically pleasing too, and we've previously explored all the creative ways you can display tiles in your home. Decorating with distinctive wall tiles adds character, interest and texture, not only creating a truly striking and eye-catching interior scheme, but it turns your wall into a creative canvas.
Established in 1986, Original Style’s Artworks collection features timeless, handcrafted tube lined tiles that bring art to life on your walls, whether in a kitchen, bathroom or an unexpected space in the home.
A recent addition to the collection is Lafleur, inspired by Maison Lafleur, a Belgian Art Nouveau house designed by architect François Guiannotte in 1908. We love the fresh, denim-blue colour palette, resulting in a pretty floral design with a heritage feel.
The Elysée design, inspired by the Art Nouveau detailing of the Elysée Palace French music hall, features a gorgeous pink glaze, creating a soft, romantic feel with vintage appeal that is every inch elegant. This is a great way to bring art to a downstairs toilet or any other small space.
An alternative design is Dauphine, inspired by Porte Dauphine, the last remaining original Art Nouveau Metro entrance. These rich, bold tiles feature a beautiful floral design with pink and green tones.
Originating in the Victorian era, tube lined tiles are a beautiful example of traditional tile craftsmanship. Raised lines of liquid clay are applied to the tile surface, creating intricate designs that are then filled with colourful glazes.
'Our passion for time-honoured design inspired us to revisit the archives and revive some of our classic tube lined tiles, says Becca Keenan, new products designer at Original Style. 'Brimming with inspiration, we developed four new tube lined tiles, all with coordinating borders, to work alongside some of our latest glazes. Bringing a new lease of life to our tube lined range, these additions are perfect for those who want to embrace heritage-style interiors but with more contemporary colourways.'
See more at originalstyle.com
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