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Art

DIY Rothko-Inspired Art

August 8, 2012

Mark Rothko was an abstract expressionist, (note: he always hated that label) and one of the best! He is one of my favorite artists that I am constantly researching and being inspired by his work--those paintings are massive (!!) and moving. Earlier this year, a painting he did in 1961 sold for $86.9 million dollars, so perusing through his art online or in museums is about as close as I'll ever get--and probably you as well.  Bummer. But, the good news is, you can make whip up some of those Rothko-inspired cookies (found here) and break out your paint brushes and DIY something Rothko-esque in just a couple or hours.

To DIY your own Rothko-inspired art (disclaimer: it won't be as great as a real Rothko), layering color blocks is the name of the game.  Here's how mine went down:

I was originally all for the big block of yellow up top, but then when I brought it down to where I wanted to hang it (next to the guitar, we have other plans for The Gray Ghost) it was too much yellow-- which just became a great opportunity for more color-block-layering fun.  I framed the unstretched canvas in a Ribba frame and voila:

Not too shabby.  The great thing about a painting like this is you can customize it using colors in your space, or do something really bold and bright for a great statement piece. I already want to do another one.  Who's with me?

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  1. Rothko is definitely one of my favorites too! I love how simple this painting is but also the depth it has with the layered colors. This is my kind of art work in my home. IF ONLY I was as talented as you girl. You probably whipped this up in, 15 minutes?? grrrrr.....

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