Hang Pictures & Art Outdoors? Yes, Hang it in the Garden!

Have you ever wanted to hang wall art outdoors in the garden, patio, yard or some other space? Well now you can! This article discusses outdoor wall art and what you can do.

You may have noticed that in recent years, modern homes seem to be getting smaller and smaller. That is why a growing number of people are looking at various ways of extending their living space out into the garden by creating spaces that could almost be considered outdoor rooms. This could take the form of a balcony, a patio or maybe even a deck. These are great spaces for outdoor entertaining or even just relaxing with family. The more time we start spending in these outdoor areas, the more important it becomes to give them the same care and attention as we do to the rest of our rooms in terms of décor. Outdoor wall art is a great way to add a little style to your garden living space in much the same way as you would add paintings to your living room or bedroom walls.  Let's take a closer look at the growing trend for garden artwork including how to choose and install the best piece of wall art for your outdoor space.

What Is Outdoor Wall Art?

If you have never come across outdoor wall art then there is a good chance that you might be wondering what on Earth we are talking about! That's okay, allow us to explain! Outdoor wall art is essentially weatherproof art that can be hung on the exterior walls in the same way that you would hang any other art in the interior of your home. There are a number of different materials that are used in making art for hanging outdoors including wood, plastic and glass, but the most commonly used material in weatherproof art is probably metal.

The outdoor wall art that we specialize in is printed on specially treated aluminium plates. This allows us to produce sharp, vivid images that are completely weatherproof and scratch resistant. They are designed to be hung in outdoor areas, but we here from lots of customers who are also hanging them in their kitchens and bathrooms because of their waterproof nature. These metal prints are very versatile and make a great addition to your décor – inside or outside of your house!

Why Should You Consider Outdoor Wall Art?

Garden walls and/or fences can be pretty boring when left bare, so it is a good idea to try to dress them up a little bit. Some people choose to do this using trellis and climbing plants, flower beds, or planters to break up the expanse of wood or brick. However, others prefer to hang some garden artwork to add some interesting features.

This is a popular choice because it is a great way to add depth and texture to your garden. If you already have lots of greenery and flowering plants in the area, then you might feel like adding more just to break up a boring brick wall is sort of overkill. However, choosing a beautiful piece of metal garden art is going to add a different material and texture to the garden making it look much ore interesting. Outside wall art is also a great way to add some of your own personality and style to your outdoor space in the same way that you would with your interior design concepts.

Where Could I Use Outdoor Garden Art?

The great thing about outdoor metal wall art is that it is so versatile. There are lots of different ways that you can use it to brighten up your garden or patio in order to turn it into more of an outdoor living space. If you take a look on Pinterest or in home décor magazines then you are sure to come across plenty of great garden ideas that incorporate outside wall art. Here are just a couple of suggestions that you might find interesting.

• To Dress Up a Deck Area – Despite the name, outdoor wall art does not necessarily have to be fixed to your walls! Another cute way to use it is in a deck area. Decking is usually surrounded by fencing or railings. You could use some cute garden artwork to dress up these fences and add a little bit of colour and style to your home's deck.
• On Your Shed or Garage – If you have a shed or a garage in your yard – or any other type of outbuilding – then you might feel like it is a bit of an eyesore. They can be pretty boring, just sitting there in the garden not doing much! However, you can make it a little bit more decorative and interesting by adding some metal garden art to the outside of it. Why not make a feature of your shed by painting it a pretty colour and adding outdoor art to it? This is a great (not to mention really easy) way to add something interesting to your outdoor space while also dealing with a potential eyesore!
• As a Feature At Your Door – Sometimes, walking up the path to the front door of a house is a little bit boring. Especially if it is in one of those areas where every house in the street is a cookie cutter copy of its neighbour. Why not give your front entrance a pop of personality by adding some wall art next to the front door. This will add a little interest to the otherwise plain area and can help your home to feel just a little bit more unique.
• In An Outdoor Porch – If you have an outdoor porch or gazebo style area, it can almost seem like it is an additional room – but outdoors. Most people will install some kind of comfortable seating area and perhaps a grill or even a bar! Why not take things a little bit further by adding some pretty lighting and a couple of nice pieces of outdoor wall décor.
• In Your Kitchen or Bathroom - One of the great things about garden art, is that it is weatherproofed, which means it is waterproof. That makes it perfect for using in the kitchen and/or the bathroom where there is lots of water and moisture happening. Even although it is art for hanging outdoors, that does not mean that you cannot use it indoors as well if you feel like it would work well with your décor. After all, when it comes to interior (or exterior) design the only limit is your imagination!
• Patio Décor – A patio is another area where you might want to add a few décor items to make it feel more like an extension of the house rather than part of the garden. The patio is usually a great spot for entertaining, so it makes sense to want it to look nice for when guests come over. One of the ways that you can do this is to install some garden artwork. Most of the time a patio will start from one wall of the house, so the outdoor art could be hung there. Otherwise, you could think about attaching it to a fence or railing, or choosing free standing art instead. There are plenty of opportunities.

Tips For Choosing The Right Art For Hanging Outdoors

So now that you know what outdoor wall décor is all about and you have thought about some of the different garden ideas using outdoor art you might be thinking about buying some to bring an interesting new aspect to your own outdoor space. However, before you rush out and pick up the first piece of metal garden art that you see it is important that you know what to look for so that you choose the right piece. Here are our top tips to help choose the right outdoor garden art that is not only going to look great, but which will also stand up to the elements.

1. Size – The size of the piece of outdoor wall art that you purchase is important. Think about where you are actually going to hang it. You do not want something that is so large that it is going to dominate the entire wall, but on the flip side, neither do you want a piece of artwork that is too small. As a general rule of thumb you should be leaving at least half the width of your piece of art on either side of the artwork itself when hanging it on the wall. So, if for example you are ordering one of our 48 inch HD Metal Prints, then there should be enough room on your wall to leave at least 24 inches on each side of the print.
2. Colours – If you were buying artwork to hang in your home, then you would be looking at the colours of your décor and accessories before choosing artwork in order to make sure that everything co-ordinates. Why would choosing your outdoor artwork be any different? If you are using yard art to give your outdoor space more of a structure room like feeling then you will definitely want wall art that complements any other accessories that you are using out there such as throw pillows, parasols or even colourful planters. Make sure the colours are going to look good together.
3. Design – Aside from the colour you choose, the design is also going to be important! There is no point in choosing a modern design when the rest of the space is more vintage looking. Think about the overall look that you are hoping to achieve in your outdoor space and it will steer you in the right direction in terms of the style of artwork you should choose.
4. Hanging Method – Do take a few moments to consider where and indeed how you are going to hang your outdoor wall art once you have purchased it! Attaching something to an exterior wall can be very difficult depending on what material it is made of, so do take some time to look at what sort of fixings you are going to need in order to hang your picture. Also check whether or not your chosen piece of outside wall décor is supplied with the appropriate fixings.
5. Price – In terms of design many people will say price is not really a factor, but here in the real world we understand that it always will be an important part of choosing artwork. You do not need to spend a small fortune on your garden art just to get a quality piece – we feel that our HD Metal Prints are actually very affordable and still represent top quality materials and craftsmanship.

What To Look For When Buying Outdoor Garden Art

When you are buying outdoor garden art to brighten up the exterior of the home it is important that you choose good quality art that is intended for use outside. That does not necessarily mean having to choose the most expensive pieces of yard art, you just need to know what sort of things to look for when you go shopping.

• Choice of Materials - Your outside wall art should be made from a material that can withstand exposure to the elements. This usually means plastic, stone, metal or wood. Keep in mind that your outdoor art is going to be exposed to the sun, wind, rain and maybe even snow, so fabrics and paper are not a good choice.
• Choose Weatherproof Art - It is not enough to simply choose the appropriate material. You also need to make sure that you are buying weatherproof art to hang in your garden. Some paints and other finishes will begin to fade or peel after being exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. Make sure that any outdoor wall art that you are purchasing is weatherproof. All of the metal garden art that we sell here at Canvas Art Rocks is made from specially coated aluminium plates which are weather resistant and scratch proof so that you can be sure they will stand up to exposure.
• Durability is Important – It is also important that your yard art is durable. One of the reasons we haven't mentioned ceramic and the like as a suitable material is that strong winds could easily get broken while being buffeted about, so you need a stronger material. In addition to this, you will want to avoid anything too delicate unless you live in an area with a fairly constant climate so that you do not need to worry about intricate little details breaking off in bad weather.

Finding The Right Balance

Adding some outdoor garden art can be a really great way to brighten up your outdoor space. However, it can also be very easy to go over the top. How often have you been out walking in your neighbourhood when you come across that garden that makes you stop and stare – and not in a good way. You know those yards that we are talking about, right? The ones that are overflowing with ornaments and lights and all sorts of garden artwork! Those people have just gone a little to far with their outdoor décor! It is important to find just the right balance with your outdoor garden art so that it does not overwhelm the plants and trees. Just keep in mind that the artwork is an accent and not a main feature of your garden. If you keep it balanced you will not end up with a yard that looks over the top!

How to Install Outdoor Wall Art

Once you have decided that you want a piece of outdoor wall décor and perhaps even picked out the artwork that you want, the next step is to install it on your wall. This can seem a little bit daunting since hanging something on a brick wall is very different from hanging a picture on your interior walls! This is something that you will want to get right since gilling or patching a hole made in brick work is almost impossible.  The last thing that you want to be doing is repeatedly hanging and repositioning your wall art – we need to get it right first time!

The first and perhaps most important step is going to be measuring where your holes need to be! Ideally, you want the centre of the artwork to be around 5 to 5.5 feet from the ground. So measure this out and if you are totally happy with the placement then mark the exact spot for your holes. It is important to note that you will need these holes to be located in the masonry joints in between the bricks. If you try to drill into the brick itself then you are likely to end up shattering it which is something that you definitely do not want. You will want to use masonry nails to affix your wall art onto an exterior wall. These are specialist nails which have a grooved shaft to help it cling to the masonry without slipping under the weight of the art hanging from them. They will not cause damage to the brick work when used properly and they are much easier to use than masonry screws.

Once you have the exact location of your holes marked you will need to drill a pilot hole. This should be done using a masonry drill bit that is slightly smaller than the diameter of your masonry nails. Once you have drilled the hole you can then insert the masonry nail and hammer it in around 1.25 inches making sure that you keep the nail completely straight as it goes in. Once you have hammered the nail in, make sure that it is fitting snug by firmly pulling down on it. It should not wiggle around at all. You can then hang your new wall art securely on the nails using whatever fixing method is required. When it comes time to remove the artwork, you can fill in the hole with masonry filler after removing the nail.

Does Outdoor Wall Art Affect The Value of Your Home?

On thing that many people are concerned about whenever they do anything to the exterior of their home is whether or not it is going to affect the curb appeal of their property if they ever decide that they want to sell their home. This is something that does apply to outdoor wall art as well. If it is installed appropriately, there will be no damage to the walls of your property therefore it is not going to do anything to decrease the value of your home. It could potentially affect curb appeal in that some potential buyers may have different taste to your own and may not like your wall art. However, since you will most likely be taking it with you when you move you could simply take down your weatherproof art if you feel like it could be putting of potential buyers for your property.

In conclusion, outside wall art is a great way to add some style to your garden especially if you are trying to great the look and feel of an 'outdoor room' on your patio or deck. There are many different styles of art for hanging outdoors, so do take some time to consider what is going to work for your space and whether or not it is going to fit with the look you are trying to create. Hopefully this article will have given you some useful insight into how to choose the right outdoor garden art and offered some handy hints about what to look for to ensure that you are buying a high quality product. Don't forget to take a look at the stunning HD metal prints that we have on sale here at Canvas Art Rocks to give you some great garden ideas for your property.