Housewarming Idea – The Friend Painting

Blank walls

Well…nothing we needed except artwork that is. We realized our new home had plenty of bare wall space, and our decor needed an upgrade. But that’s not the sort of thing people can pick out for you.

That’s when my husband came up with the most brilliant housewarming idea. He joked that we should ask each of our friends to create an original work of art for us.

The idea grew

We went back and forth, expanding on this idea in various ridiculous ways, and laughing about it. But then somewhere in that conversation, one of us said we should have them all make one piece together.

Eventually, this developed into the idea of getting a giant canvas and asking all our friends to paint on it. And suddenly, it wasn’t a joke anymore.

A sale at Michael’s

We talked about the housewarming idea here and there, over the next few weeks. It had become something we were definitely going to do “sometime soon”, but we hadn’t taken any actual steps towards it. Then one day, I stopped at Michael’s for some buttons, and they were having a sale on painting supplies.

It was a fantastic sale, on everything we needed! All their Artist’s Loft products were on sale throughout the store. I bought a canvas, a set of 48 acrylic paints, and a wide assortment of brushes, sponges, and palette knives. All of a sudden, this was really happening.

Making the friendship painting

Over the next few months, as our friends came to see our new home, we asked them to paint a little bit on our canvas. Luckily, we have the most amazing friends in the world, and all of them agreed to do it. Each added something really special, and every section of the painting has a story.

The perfect piece of art

There’s the part where my friend’s 4 year old added his handprints (karate chop style, of course) over bright red flames that had been painted by another friend. There’s an exploding tree, a big green dinosaur, tie fighters, star fish swimming in a sea of clouds, and much more.

Every part of the painting reminds me of the fun we had creating it, and each time I see it I think about our friends who painted it. What could make a house warmer than that?

Another great idea

When it came time to hang the painting, my husband had another great idea. The wall was too large for the canvas, and I said it needed something else on each side.

As the painting progressed, I had taken pictures of our friends working on it. I didn’t get everyone, but I got most of them. My husband suggested I make a collage of those pictures, and place them on either side of the canvas. So that’s exactly what I did.

Try it with your friends

If you want to do a friends painting, I have a few suggestions.

Creativity is key, so provide a wide range of paint colors and painting supplies. Include sponges, brushes, rags, and whatever else you can find. Also provide some trays and bowls for mixing paints. Remember to protect your surfaces with dropcloths, and have water nearby for cleanup.

Before the painting begins, first paint the edges of the canvas yourself. People’s designs may not go all the way to the edge, and you don’t want to have bare spots. You may also want to paint a base layer in a neutral color, or encourage your friends to make sure the entire canvas is covered.

Join in the painting fun. If friends seem hesitant or don’t know what to do, throw a little paint on the canvas yourself. Finger paint a bit, or splatter some random spots. Sometimes, watching you be free with the paint will make them less self conscious.

Finally, varnish your finished painting. I still have to do this, but decided it could wait until the weather is warm and I can do it outside. The varnish will protect the paint from moisture, and help keep it from fading in sunlight.

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