I have a ton of pictures, and want to create a gallery wall at home. How do I do it?
Tammy F. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca and Alison Goodwin, Art Director at The Village Gallery, answered;
A gallery wall is a wall in your home that you have dedicated to arranging a variety of art. There are many ways this can be tackled. Here are a few options or starting points:
- Choose what you wish to hang on your wall. This can range from a collection of framed photographs, original art, posters or reproductions, memoirs (such as diplomas, awards or special documents) or a mix of all of these things.
- Themes help to keep your look cohesive. Examples of themes I have worked within are: family portraits, travel images, a collection of favourite pieces, cityscapes, all colour or all black & white, floral or abstract.
- Consider is how to arrange what you are hanging. I strongly suggest sketching out different layouts on a piece of paper so you can get a visual of what it will look like. You may choose to create one shape with all of the pieces. Perhaps you want all of the small pieces to form one large square. You can neatly organize the images in rows or you can scatter the works within the square creating a more asymmetrical appearance.
Framed vs. Unframed: I have worked in both formats. It can be a beautiful clean look if you choose frames that are matching or at least from the same collection. There may be five or six mouldings from the same line that all work beautifully together but differ in width, depth or colour.
Alternatively, an eclectic look can be achieved by using a range of frames that don’t necessarily match.
I would suggest remaining slightly themed with your framing. If you are going with a mismatched look, you may choose to stay constant with the fact that they are all contemporary or traditional in style.
The most important thing to remember is to have fun with this project. Sometimes trial and error is the best plan of attack. You can always email me at the gallery if you have specific questions or need some inspiration, I’d be happy to chat.
Alison attended York University where she obtained an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in dance. She then spent 3 years living in Los Angeles where she earned a diploma in Business and Art History from Glendale College. In September 2003 she opened The Village Gallery, her permanent gallery space in Mississauga.
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