Turn a Mirror into an Impressionist Work of Art

The chance of finding an original Monet painting at Goodwill may be slim, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own version of an Impressionist painting. Claude Monet was the founder of the Impressionism movement in the late 1860s, a style of painting that is more representational than realistic, with an emphasis on color and the effect of light. In the spirit of Monet, I decided to create my own masterpiece. 1 Mirror Impressionist Art I found three round mirrors: 3 in., 6 in., and 7 in. Think like an interior designer and always work in odd numbers—three or five items look better than a grouping of two or four. 2 Mirrors You will also need Sharpie markers, rubbing alcohol, a small flat paintbrush and a soft cloth (for cleaning). Thoroughly clean the mirrors with the alcohol and cloth. 3 Sharpies and Alcohol Decide on your color scheme. I prefer a blue/green palette so I chose Fine Aqua, Turquoise, Purple, Blue and Green Sharpies. Randomly scribble on the mirror. I started near the edge and used all five colors. Make sure you “fill in” each area. It’s okay to overlap your colors. Do as little or as much as you like. The best part is, before it dries, you can erase the marks with more alcohol and start over. 4 Draw on Mirror with Sharpies Dip the paintbrush into the alcohol and drip it onto the colored area in two or three spots. Slowly and gently turn the mirror so the colors begin to blend together. Tip it even more to allow the colors to run toward the middle or the opposite edge. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Stop when you get a look you love. Or if it turns to mud, wipe it off and do it again. 5 Drip Alcohol on Marks Once the mirrors are completely dry (alcohol dries quickly), lay one on top of the other. Move them around until you get an arrangement you like. I planned to stack my three mirrors, so I made sure my colors stayed on one-third of the mirror. Hold them together with heavy glue or adhesive. I like to use the removable picture hangers by 3M because they won’t damage your walls. 6 Layer Mirrors Not only do mirrors reflect the light into the room, but you end up with an original work of art that even Monet would approve of! Merri Cvetan is an interior designer who writes about her innovative DIY projects, including this mirror “art” piece, for The Home Depot. Merri’s interior design career began after she purchased an 1890s fixer-upper farm house. Home Depot’s selection of mirrors, which might just bring out your inner-Monet, can be viewed here.

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