instructables

4 Piece Painting - a Walk Through the Seasons

by Corasaurus Rex

Wall art can take so many different shapes and forms depending on the space available, the look of the room and
personal taste. I have always enjoyed painting as I find it calming and therapeutic and I wanted to do something
different that will carry some meaning. I decided on creating a wall mounted painting that was 4 different canvases
mounted together on a simple frame that can be hung on the wall. I wanted all canvases to be connected through
design and have the entire piece seem unified.

I have a love of the outdoors if you glance through my past instructables there is a constant theme on enjoying
being outside. Living in (southern Ontario) Canada we have very dramatic seasonal changes that happen every
year which I personally adore. I can remember specific events with each season and I look forward to doing
different activities as the weather changes. I look forward to ice fishing in the winter, fishing a spring trout run, a
summer camping trip or fall hikes, there is something magical about the process of seasonal change. Having said
that I wanted to create a wall piece painting that represented the seasonal change from spring to winter in an
artistic and colorful way.

I decided on creating my own interpenetration of the seasonal process of tree branch more specifically the
stunning Cherry tree

Materials needed

4 canvases any size that fits your space mine were about 12x16"
Paint and Brushes - I used acrylic
Paint Sealer - Spray
Wood for frame 1x2 x 6' pieces x 2pc.
wood glue
wood stain
Note pad and pencil to sketchup concepts
clamps to hold frame together while it drys

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Step 1: Concept Development
Layout
Canvas orientation - Instead of just a straight line I
decided to offset each canvas slightly to allow my
tree branch to have more character
Before you get started on the actual canvas you want
to have a general idea of what you want to do. I
deiced on a tree branch which would spread across
4 Piece Painting - a Walk Through the Seasons: Page 2
all 4 pieces of canvas. To make sure I did this
correctly I did a few small sketches of how I would
want the branch to be laid out.
It's key to think about the end game here. You want
all the pieces to have some good interest to the
painting as well as have the entire piece together, still
feel balanced when its complete.
 1

1. Original Idea was to have the branch start in the almost middle and go
each direction. I decided on the lower concept and just have the branch
go in one direction.

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Step 2: Start Painting!
Painting is the fun part but if you have an extra
canvas USE IT as a test piece for colours and brush
technique.
Back Ground
Because I was creating a seasonal transition I
wanted to represent that in the back ground so in the
spring section I wanted to show the lighter colours of
spring to help demonstrate the feelings of "new
beginnings" or rebirth as the environment comes back
to life. As we progress toward summer and fall the
back ground colours change with the seasons to
again reinforce this circle of life that happens every
year. Progressing into winter I used cooler colours
along with some hints or purple to symbolize the cool
months to come but the beauty of winter such as the
first snowfall of the year which is always memorizing
to experience.
The Branch
For the branch work in layers and develop depth by
adding colours on colours. Use the test canvas to
experiment and slowly build layers until you are
happy with the branch. Add small branches off the
original where you will add foliage and flowers.
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The Foliage
For the spring flowers represent this very well then
they are replaced by vibrant green leaves in the
summer, change colour in the fall and fall off for the
winter. I added a light dusting of snow the winter
panel as well as some light falling snow to help the
painting come to life.
I also made sure to add small pieces of each
connected panel to help the whole piece feel unified.
For example there is a small amount of snow in the
fall panel signifying the connections of fall to winter I
did this for the other panels as well.
***Test your leaf style on the test canvas to get a
consistent size and shape of leaf, Same goes for
the flowers. Dont be afraid to look online for an
image or picture for a reference***
***take your time and enjoy the process. Wine
helps***
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Step 3: Build the Frame and Seal/stain
Okay! you have this awesome 4 piece painting and
now its time to make a frame!
The frame is very basic,, I simply laid out my 4
painted canvases measured them to have a bit of the
frame visible on each side. cut your pieces glue and
clamp. See my photos for a reference.
After the frame is dry you can attach the canvas
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pieces by lining them up where you want them make
some marks so you don't forget, tap in some finished
nails to secure everything in place.
Now its time to seal the canvas I used a gloss varnish
from a spray can made specifically for acrylic paint.
After that drys you can stain the frame for a more
finished look.
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Step 4: DONE!

All Done. Overall this was a simple and fun project Cheers
that anyone can do. Using this process you can try so
many different design concepts to really make a piece
of art that is unique and special to you. This is actually a mothers day gift so don't currently
have any pictures of it on the wall yet. I will update
I hope you liked this Instructable and I hope you try it when once I give her the painting.
out !

If you did like this instructable feel free to vote!

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Love it! What a wonderful idea for a gift to a loved one or not or to your self. :)
Thanks for the share. :)

Beautiful is the right word. Great job and thanks for sharing!

Beautiful! Such a great art idea :)

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