Sorry no pics, but my DIL took 4 pieces of "art" from my oh so adorable 2 1/2 year old GD to Hobby Lobby. . . had them matted and framed. . .they look absolutely fabulous. She has them hung together in her office. DO IT!!

What type of art are you drawn too? If you are not sure, go to art.com and browse.
I'm planning on doing most of our art for the walls of our home. Some will be original needle art designed by me, my photography and something as simple as the crosses I collected and then repainted as shown below.
{{!gwi}}

mosaics, baby :)

But if you want to see the pinnacle of all home-made artwork, look for Begoniagirl's House that Needlepoint Built...where is it now...

Here is a link that might be useful: Ah, here it is :)

Oh my that needlepoint is stunning! I can't imagine all the hours into that work. I've never had quite that much patience but I have tried embroidery and stitchery. I've also made a few family picture quilts.

Here are a few pics of my more recent type of artwork, kind of like cutting puzzle pieces out of different types of wood and shaping them. The colors and grain makes the design. I have a "girl in a swing" above my mantle, a sleeping cat in my bedroom, and then my Christmas mantle with an angel, also done in this type of artwork (intarsia). On the right on the mantle is a "doll" that I made over 30 years ago, made of cotton fabric and lace, dipped in glue, dried, and spray painted. A little more complicated than that but it has held up. I also made a replica of my daughter in her wedding dress and used the flower petals in her bouquet and rolled them up for the doll/bride bouquet. I would love to be able to pick up a paintbrush but I don't have natural talent. I'm more of a paint by number type of crafter.

It's like 'stained wood'! I love that kind of art! I have a couple of inlay pieces (didn't make them, but appreciate them), not like yours, more like inlaid wood paint-by-number.

natesgram those are so very awesome!

If you decorate your home with your art work, some people will like it and some people won't, but everyone will tell you it's wonderful. Having done a lot of artwork myself and being around other artists I came to learn, no one can judge the quality of their own work and no one will tell you the truth. Having said that, decorating your house with your own work gives your house a uniqueness that it would not otherwise have, especially if you do your work right on the walls, not just framed. Then, to me, it's wonderful because it makes the house so personal. Then the visitor has an intimate experience with the person who lives there.

I started decorating my home with DD's artwork when she was in high school because I liked it and out of economic necessity. It has become kind of a rule that I have to only put up art created by a family member. I'm actually trying to break from my rule because it is so limiting.

Here are some of my paintings that are currently on my walls:

And one of DD's from a college assignment:

artlover, your DD is very talented. I love the Dutch portrait!

I also have loads of art on the walls by myself and family members. My MIL is an artist, so we have some oils and a portrait of DD by her. I was a painting major in college, and I've just gotten brave enough to put up a few of my old pieces. DD is a photographer and we're planning a wall of her work, too.

I have these pieces mixed in with paintings from auctions and things we've collected on our travels, like framed Molas from the San Blas Islands of Panama and a Haitian painting.

However, I'm guessing that's less what the OP is asking... you're talking about making pieces for the wall that complement your decor in a certain room, right? here is an idea we have for DD's French/Shabby/Bohemian room: she's collecting old frames at yard sales and flea markets, and we're going to frame pieces of graphic fabric and wallpaper to pull out the colors she's using to decorate with.

Here's a photo of our new master bathroom. I'd been planning shelving on that wall over the tub, but we were cleaning out the attic and I found a portfolio of drawings from my college figure-drawing classes. I liked this gesture sketch in this space!

natesgram - that angel is gorgeous!

artlover - so you painted the flowers and DD did the portrait? I have to say, I like her style (or her imitation of Old Masters style) better than my DB's and he's an art prof at a university! He did a repro of Rembrandt for my wedding present 20 yrs ago, the details are no where near as crisp, the coloring not as lifelike. Talent obviously runs in your family!

Wow! Love seeing all the wall art! TFS Our medium is wrought iron. Someone died & we got their 2 welders, so we attempted a few projects....and I sew. We made the headboard & footboard, then I slip covered the wingback chairs. {{!gwi}}
This floor lamp is made from a ceiling fan light fixture. {{!gwi}} Mail box stand is half inch iron.

Well, since we're bragging ;-)
I did the broken china mosaic pot (that's Hubby grouting), and the self-portrait is older DS's work when he was 15. (He smiles now.)

Sweeby--a mosaic sister! Do you have more that you've done? Is that now a planter outside? and your son's self-portrait is amazing.

Nicole, the bedframe--AMAZING too. All your wrought iron is amazing. If our address didn't have five numbers, I'd probably be asking to commission a mailbox post :)

All I've done is mosaic that gets installed in the house, and I have to debate taking out or not when we leave, although the stuff in our master bath *can't* leave with us, it's in there for good & all. Probably wiser to do moveable work...

I like the self portrait a great deal. Nice!

Thanks Fly and Bumblebeez for the nice comments on the protrait -- DS really is rather talented, in my thoroughly biased opinion ;-) That piece was done with only regular school art classes; since then, he's taken some outside classes.

That's really my only mosaic piece other than my inset leaves bar backsplash, but I'm eager to do more. That particular pot was for a school auction, and was equipped with a fountain in the top.

My home is decorated almost exclusively with drawings and paintings that I've done and photographs (mostly black and white) that my significant other and I have done. While I someday may add some prints of some of my favorite 'real' artists, for now we just have our own art. While I sometimes feel shy about sharing the art with people who come into our home, I also truly enjoy being able to showcase something so personal. I also grew up in a home where my mother was a fantastic artist. My parents' home is filled with her beautiful paintings.

In terms of being nervous, don't be! It is a lot of fun to paint, even if you aren't entirely pleased with the outcome. The beauty of oil on canvas is the ability to paint over whatever you don't like. So even if you make something you aren't happy with, you can often either re-touch the part you don't like, or even paint another painting over top. You might also consider taking some local art classes and using those classes to create art to showcase in your home.

I hope that fountain brought a *nice* price. I know how much work that was. pricklypear, would you shear? (wait, that's "share" :))

Here are some examples of my artwork.
Kitchen table - pretend you dont see the burnt out light

Those are wonderful! I get a Modigliani vibe in the table...?

Those are fabulous EclecticMe!

And Nicole - Your metal work is beautiful. Makes me wish we had a better house number as well...

Fly - You need to post pictures of your mosaics!

sweeby,natesgram, artlover & electicme...Beautiful work!!!! I love looking at what others have done. :0) WOW!!!! flyleft....post yours....

Every room in our house has something we made...bakers rack.

Hub paints and I do needlepoint. As someone2010 said above, maybe people won't tell us if it's bad, but who cares? It's personal and meaningful to us. It's all in good taste, I'm sure of that, and yes, we do get compliments. I've seen plenty of purchased "art" that is just plain awful.

We also have a beautiful pastel we commissioned of my father holding our two youngest daughters on his lap. It's wonderful.

I love this thread! It is so amazing to see everyone's artistic expressions.
Sweeby - the mosaic vase is amazing and I love the expression your DS caught in his self portrait.

Nicole, I have always loved wrought iron and welded metal art. I am so envious.

Ajsmama, you mentioned my DD's copy of a Dutch Master - she did this for a methods class in college. It is a copy of an obscure Northern Renaisance artist. They copied their technique of underpainting and glazing. I know this isn't art in the truest since but I still love it.

Wow, I love seeing everyone's creations. Still don't have the ability to get photos onto the computer, but I have a colored-pencil drawing by my mother in my bedroom, and a needlepoint she did in the living room. Two paintings by my kids in the kitchen, and a paper doll that my daughter made many years ago framed in there, too. I make quilts so we have one in the living room.

My parents have artwork that I made in college hanging in their houses, and I often wish I would make the time to create more.

I say, if you have the canvases, go for it!

i know this is off topic but justgot2beme - have you ever seen ethiopian coptic christian crosses? some are expensive, some are not so, most are lovely - after seeing your wall - i thought i'd mention them to you

i do mosaic, quilt, calligraphy, and am scheduled to take a carpentry course this fall - and am about to go stalk nicole's posts to see if she's ever posted about learning to do wrought iron! i am too critical to call my work art, it verges on craft, not art - but i keep trying ;)

Most of our art is collected, some of it is by DH and this little guy is my own. Nothing like a fancy frame and an orange mat to make a tiny collage look good!

Eclecticme, please tell me about the painting behind the piano! I love its vibe - very desert southwest/Native American from what I can tell. I collect Native American art, both that by N.A. artists and depicting N.A. lifestyle, so your piece immediately caught my eye.

amysrq, neat collage. I love goldfish, and it's great to see how framing one's stuff can really make it look sharp.

Hi auntjen. Thats a piece I painted about 10 years ago. It was inspired by something I saw on the internet...I have no idea where at this point. It's a piece that was in my garage until 3 years ago because I never finished it. Still isnt finished (based on the idea I had in my head when I started it). But since it was started I now have a 3yo so it will likely not be finished in at least the next decade :). I have MANY pieces of original art (all my own) in my house. Art is my passion. I dont expect others to care for it but when they do, it makes me feel good, so thanks.

My favorite pieces are those that my 3yo has done. We have a huge wall collage of his pieces. He's amazing. He finishes his pieces in 2-minutes flat and they are simply masterpieces! I probably have 100 of his pieces on my walls. Most people think thats a little overkill. I think its precious. He will look at a piece he has done..that looks like scribble to most of us...and will tell you exactly what it is, with detail. Kids are GREAT!

People are so creative... I wish I was... I love all of the art work.

OMG how talented you guys are. I envy people who have such artistic talent. I have a big wall in my guest room that I just cant find anything to fit it...wish I was talented :(

My favorite piece in our house (not that I have much) is from when my adult daughter and I were playing around with water colors one Easter Sunday several years ago. She took an 8 x 10 sheet of canvas paper and painted some trees on a hill with leaves falling from them. She hated it and left it behind thinking I'd toss it with everything else. I didn't and have had it all this time. I finally found the perfect thick rimmed black frame and matting for it and hung it on the perfect wall. It's front and center when you enter the house. When she saw it, she was amazed at how awesome it looks hung. If I could have ALL home made art I would. it's the best!