DIY Wall Art Fix Up [this baby needed TLC like the Titanic needed lifeboats]

My title for this post is fitting, since the subject matter on my massive piece of art is a boat.

Crashing into an iceberg.


Why, what do you have hanging over your bed?

So this is obviously a sailboat, not a steamliner...but whatever.


I found this beauty on Craigslist (check here for all my c.list hunting tips). It was listed for $50, but the woman was happy to let it go for $20. She bought it from an art gallery/coffee shop when she was living in Brooklyn, then brought it to Georgetown a few years ago. She and her husband are now moving to CA, and while it's a nice piece of art, it's apparently not transcontinental worthy.

It looks good from far away, but here's the shape it was in...

Since I only dropped $20, I was willing to take some risks. I whipped out my blue, white and black acrylics, and even used some of our Valspar wall paint. Using brushes and sponges, I painted over what I could and added a little more color to the iceberg area. After letting it dry, I slapped on some polyurethane because I'm a freak about protection.

D and I decided to replace this girly cute vignette currently over our bed:

with our more maculine, neutral, modern boat art:

Now, what do we do with all those cigar boxes?

I'm kindof obsessed with it, and I'm glad I added more color to the iceberg area (if you compare the before and after, they're relatively different). We need to adjust some other areas of the room so it's more cohesive. Can you guess which side of the bed is whose?? First to go, that velour-covered, berry-colored lamp shade. Which was also from Craigslist. I should just marry him.


(Craig, not the lamp shade.)