Artist Inspired Bug Hotels

Updated: Dec 31, 2020

Apparently, even insects appreciate the fine arts! Extend an invitation to your littlest of friends by granting them an exclusive overnight stay at one of these beautiful and bug-friendly resorts. Insect hotels are a wonderful family craft, because they provide shelter to breeding and hibernating species such as the endangered mason bee. The tutorial below is for a Claude Monet as well as a Henri Matisse inspired insect hotel. Obviously, any artist could be chosen to inspire your bug hotel.

Materials:

2 empty aluminum cans (rinsed and dried)
A set of Acrylic colors (I used this brand)
A set of fine brushes (I used this brand)
2 foam brushes (I used these)
A hammer and a nail
Gardening wire and a wire cutter
Filling materials (bamboo straws, straw, little pine cones, wooden sticks, toilet paper rolls...)

Directions (Claude Monet - Water Lilies):

Using a foam brush, apply a thin layer of Prussian blue to one of your aluminum cans. Let dry for 10 minutes.
Using the same foam brush, apply general highlights using Cobalt blue (a lighter shade of blue). Let dry for 5 minutes.
Using Titanium White and a clean foam brush, apply white(ish) highlights to the upper portion of your can. It is okay (even desired) if the white and blues blend a little.
Using a medium sized brush and Viridian green, paint on green ovals representing the water lilies' leaves. Using a fine brush, add highlights to your leaves using Pale Green (a lighter shade of green). Dip your medium sized brush into Titanium White and add some light highlights to your water lily leaves.
Let dry for 30 minutes.
Using Titanium white and a medium sized brush, paint on your water lilies. They do not have to be detailed, rather dabbed on. Add some pink(ish) highlights.
Let dry for 30 minutes.
Using a hammer and a nail, puncture a hole through the closed lid of your can. The hole should be located towards the edge of the can. Thread a piece of gardening wire through your can to make hanging it horizontally possible (see final image). THIS STEP SHOULD BE PERFORMED BY AN ADULT.
Stuff your can with all kinds of bug-friendly filling materials (see materials section).
Hang your bug hotel in a shady area.

Directions (Henri Matisse - Landscape at Collioure):

I used Unbleached Titanium White for the background of the can. If you take a look at the actual painting, the background of the landscape is monochromatic and two dimensional, so there is no need to add highlights here.
I then applied various colors to mimic Henri Matisse's painting called Landscape at Collioure. I used: Yellow Ochre, Hooker's Green, Burnt Sienna, Crimson Red, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian Green, Vermilion Red, Medium Yellow, and Pale Green.
For remaining directions, follow the directions listed above!