How to Create Bark Art

Artists need not invest a lot of money on fancy canvases when nature provides some of the best for free. Like tree bark. Anyone with a paint pen, a bark chunk and a little imagination can create bark art. Here’s how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Solid bark chunks
• Paint pens
• Imagination
• Paint sealer, clear coating
• Nails and wire to hang the things
• Hammer to nail the nails

1. Find fine chunks of bark that are solid enough to withstand becoming an artistic masterpiece. Palm tree bark chunks are an excellent choice, as are heavy bark shards from redwoods or other thick pine trees. Of course, you’ll want to use the smooth side for painting.

2. Clean the bark with a stiff brush. Pull off any parts that are going to fall off anyway. Rinse if necessary. Let dry.

3. Analyze the bark to figure out what kind of picture, or design, will work best on it. Bark does well with primitive-looking patterns or bones. But then again, I think anything does well with primitive-looking patterns or bones.

4. Uncap your paint pens and let the games begin. Let each color dry before applying a new one to avoid bleeding. Let dry thoroughly and spray with sealer.

5. Secure a very thin and very short nail or two on the back, hook with wire, and hang somewhere everyone can see so they can properly oooh and ahhhh at your creativity.

Tips & Warnings

• Dogs and cats love to chew on bark, even when it’s art. Keep it out of their reach at every stage of the creation.
• A good time to collect bark shards is after a storm when many chunks are knocked loose and strewn about the streets.
• Instead of thin nails, you may want to use a picture hanging kit with hooks that stick into the wood and have less of a chance of cracking the bark.
• Don’t pull the bark off a tree if it will kill the tree. Don’t do bark art with bark that’s still attached to the tree.