Botanical Wall
10/03/2025
After a previous foray into Georgian wood panelling, I'd long considered filling the framed spaces. I searched online for stencils of the right sizes and styles but a good combination didn't exist.
So I figured: why not do it myself?
I imported some botanical PNG silhouettes into Microsoft Powerpoint and arranged them virtually within my panels. After overlaying a grid - the same way my dad taught me to draw pencil portraits as a child - I grabbed my ladders and got to work.
Using the on-screen grid as a guide, I sketched the outlines and began using a quarter inch sash brush to paint them. I thought this would provide the necessary versatility but it was still far too big, so I used a modelling brush found in an unopened Airfix kit. This was meticulous and took much longer but it worked well.
As I often find with these projects, being an amateur doesn't mean you can't do it, it just means it takes more time. There's a sliding scale between time and money: if you're prepared to spend money then pay a professional to work quickly but if you're prepared to spend time then do it yourself. If in doubt, go slower.
The finished pieces were really cool and far better than expected. They wouldn't sell in a gallery but, as a bit of background decor at home, they work very well.