Around the house: Art that hits home

Community art crawl inspires local residents to tap into their creative side

We independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work. When’s the last time you let your inner child play with paint, clay, or pens?

If you’re like me (and most adults, I suspect), it’s been a long time since you tapped into your artistic side. Like, since childhood long. However, thanks to a group of artists exhibiting in one of Ottawa’s most beautiful neighbourhoods, I have a new perspective on bringing creativity into my home.

Johanna Rosolen was among the dozens of artists, musicians, and actors who came together on June 7 for the fifth annual Britannia Village Community Art Crawl. If you’ve ever been to this gorgeous historic hamlet in the city’s west end, you’ll know it’s the perfect place to celebrate the arts. The homes, both heritage and modern, feature wonderful gardens and plenty of colour.

A stroll around these pretty streets is exactly the kind of inspiration a person needs to think differently about the spaces they live in. So how do you actually bring that feeling home? I asked some of the exhibitors to weigh in.

“We as adults need to play,” said Rosolen. She contends that creativity is about the process, not the end result, and emphasizes that anyone can create art. In fact, we might already be doing it under another name.

Gardening, cooking, and knitting are all superb creative activities, she notes. For those looking to begin more intentionally, she encourages starting simply with a sketchbook and pencils, or perhaps some watercolours, and heading outside to experiment. Rosolen draws inspiration from nature and says it’s the ideal place to start.

Just don’t get caught up in the pursuit for perfection. “I make art all the time I don’t like,” she shares, adding that she’s been known to cut up pieces she’s dissatisfied with and repurpose them into collages. Jordyn Hutchingame, another artist from the crawl, also encourages people to start small.

If you don’t know where to begin, she says, “Grab stuff from the Dollar Store,” emphasizing that you can create great art with inexpensive supplies. She recommends starting with sketching but, more importantly, following what genuinely interests you. In her case, it was a high school class that sparked her interest in art and she thinks that classes are a great choice for anyone who wants to dive a bit deeper.

Still, picking up a pencil or paintbrush can take courage. “As children, we explored our voices through art, mark-making, and imaginative play, and then, somewhere along the way, we learned to put down the paintbrush for more ‘serious’ pursuits,” says Karen Bramhill, an artist and leadership coach. “Creativity isn’t solely reserved for the person who identifies as an artist.

It is available to everyone and is a practice that should be part of our wellness routines... Surround yourself with artwork that speaks to you, see what ignites a visceral response in your body and pay attention to how living in that space changes your mood, your mindset and your capacity to know yourself.” That idea of “surrounding yourself” is key.

Bringing creativity into your home doesn’t have to mean making art yourself. It can also mean choosing it thoughtfully. For those looking to buy rather than create, artist Roxanne Partridge, another crawl participant, offers familiar advice: Start small.

She knows people are often intimidated by both the cost of art and the question of how to incorporate it into their homes. Her suggestion? Begin with a single space.

When in doubt, “start on a wall that feels really empty and build on that.” From there, a sense of cohesion can help a collection grow. That might mean focusing on a particular colour palette or choosing pieces with a shared subject, such as faces.

Partridge also recommends experimenting before committing. Lay the pieces out on the floor to see how they work together before driving nails into the wall. And don’t feel pressure to fill every inch.

As she puts it, “Colourful pieces might need room to breathe.” A little white space is okay! Just don’t be surprised if you stumble upon a lifelong passion.

Partridge told me that she has family members who are passionate about art collection and they’re now running out of space on their walls! If you’re working directly with an artist, strong communication matters. Hutchingame shares: “Have a good conversation.

Talk about the overall look.” Sharing details like the colour of your walls and furniture can help an artist guide you toward a piece that fits, or, if you prefer, one that stands out on purpose. Whether you start with a sketchbook on the kitchen table or a single piece on an empty wall, the invitation is the same: Start small and keep going.

As Rosolen told me, “Let go of perfection. Just chase after fun.”