MOUTH ART: Contemporary Southwest Mood Board
What in the world did I just find in nature? A rock formation that looks like a mouth eating cactus! Seriously. I laughed and thought - this is unbelievable. Nature has humor - along with beauty. Take that mouth ART and add a little southwestern decor to it - and you have the beginnings of a truly amazing and fun room.
This mouth art was found in Soufriere, St Lucia near the Jade Mountain resort. I admit - I was truly captivated by the resort, the beautiful water, the lush tropical plants. So when I saw this - I was completely thrown off. A rocky hillside and a sharp (not necessarily appealing or beautiful) cactus. How completely uncommon for an island. It looks like it should come straight out of the desert. Cactus = Desert. Right? Who says you can't laugh at the oddities of life and nature? Well, for me, it does, so I encapsulated that feeling with my mood board. It has a touch of southwest / western style to it - which coordinates wonderfully with the cactus and rock mouth.
As an artist, I like putting together new ideas - and this one.... just works! The feeling of western, unique, beauty and nature all into one magnificent western mood board!
It has a touch of southwest style, touch of western and a bit of pizazz! I love how coordinating the cactus with the cow hide brings out a unique decor waiting to be enjoyed.
As a photographer, I feel the focal point should be ART - and this sharp cactus gets straight to the point! However with this mood board, I feel that the furniture and selections all tie together to make a comfortable stylish room. Contemporary southwest. (Is that even a thing?). If not - it is now!
What is a Mood Board
Before we dive too deep into the art (probably too late for that statement…), let’s give a quick definition of what a mood board is and how I use them.
A mood board is an essential tool in the design process that acts as a visual to work from, bringing together inspiration and concepts to help plan a visually pleasing look for a space. For those passionate about interior design (or those who just need a visual! 🙋🏼♀️), mood boards offer a way to experiment with colors, textures, and decor elements before making any big decisions.
When it comes to art-centered mood boards, they play a critical role in connecting key pieces of fine art with furniture, color palettes, and room accents to make the room cohesive and functional. By assembling various images, fabric swatches, and design ideas on a board, you can envision how a piece of art might transform an entire room and set the tone for its decor.
Whether you're integrating a bold abstract painting or a serene landscape photograph, a mood board helps ensure that every element—from the color of the walls to the choice of accessories—flows seamlessly around the art. This practice is a creative and practical step that helps designers and homeowners visualize a unified, inspired space where every piece feels intentional and connected.
My story for this (and how I got started with this) is when I had to design, build from scratch and decorate a barndominium. Being a very visual person, I was struggling. Fortunately, I’m also a list maker and project manager …. So off to technology I went to build mood boards, a walk thru plan of the barndominium and suddenly it all came together and the final product is exactly what was requested. I find that mood boards allow me to both “chip and chunk” rooms and walls (basically take a big task and only work on a piece of it - chips and chunks of the whole big project ) until finally it fits together. It is my method to keep from getting overwhelmed (which I easily fall into analysis paralysis when walking thru room decor and design!!).
CONTEMPORARY SOUTHWEST ART
When you invest in ART, you want to showcase that art. The room and the art is a reflection and extension of you.
I am always looking for ideas, what-if's and visuals! I'm such a visual person. And that's why social media, Pinterest, Instagram are so popular. Everyone else is looking for all ideas too. We all need them!
That is why I started building mood boards and visuals. This helps both my clients and myself as giving us a place to start in how to incorporate ART into a room.
ART SIZING
What a dilemma! (What a D.I.L.E.M.M.A.!).
How do you select the right size of art? Let me tell you - I wish there was a perfect rule of thumb. That would save me some stress in my designs. However, it is complete preference!! Just today, I spent like 2 hours walking back and forth in my bathroom to see what size of art I need for a focal wall. I changed my mind like… 42 times. Completely re-did all decisions from yesterday. Had sticky notes on the wall to visual corners of the art. I was a hot mess for a couple of hours as I walked thru that process. SO DON’T THINK IT’S JUST YOU! We’re all right there with ya!
For me, I like large ART. I like to see the details. Since my art focuses on capturing experiences - I definitely want to SEE them. For example - I don't want to have this grand picture and have to get in my purse to get out my glasses only to see if that's a deer or a dog in the picture. I also like the colors, so I want to see the colors. I want to feel like the art is bringing me in as a type of immersion art. To where you could be part of the story of that piece of art.
Fortunately, my art is designed to be scalable. Primarily because I consider what I do more of a boutique offering and I want you to be happy with your ART!! So don't let size limit your creativity. Be creative, be unique, be YOU. And then we'll make the size of the art work in your space. Don’t be afraid to ASK for something custom. As an artist, I enjoy the creative challenge of new sizes or new ways to present a picture. It not only makes your space beautiful - it grows me as an artist and makes me think out of the box and into another option.
This mood board is set for a living space, but could easily be adjusted for a modern rustic office by adding a deck to the mood board.
I'm sitting here picturing this looking out the window to a beautiful mountain, or field of animals.
Ah..... beautiful!
5 Step Program
Lisa's 5 Steps to Room Inspiration
1. Select your Focal Point
2. Build a Theme
3. Build a Mood Board to gather all of your ideas
4. Tweak the Design until you're happy with it
5. Go Shopping and.... complete that room!
STEP 1 - SELECT YOUR FOCAL POINT
Find your focal point for the room, building, office, etc.
Contemporary Southwest Rustic design calls for contemporary ART to enhance and challenges the boundaries a bit.
I selected COLOR OF ROCK MOUTH as my featured art for this mood board.
This picture was taken in St Lucia near the Anse Chastanet Beach.
This art is available in Canvas, High Gloss Metal and TruLife Acrylic. Depending on how Contemporary or Western or Southwest you are going with this may determine your selected medium. You can definitely increase the wow factor by moving up from Canvas -> Metal -> Acrylic.
The Canvas is a good start to art collecting and is considered a general overall acceptable medium. The metal definitely kicks is up a notch, adds a bit more depth and gloss. My absolute favorite is the TruLife Acrylic. It adds a uniqueness to the piece that screams contemporary, modern and definitely draws you in. The Acrylic is a non-reflective/non-glare option that makes the art appear like you're looking thru a window. While it's definitely more modern, trendy and contemporary, I don't see this style going away or minimizing in value. Plus, it doesn't need framed. In fact, none of the pieces require framing - the metal and acrylic are museum mounted and further create the look of a window as the float on the wall.
STEP 2 - BUILD A THEME
The theme I selected for this Art is.... Contemporary Southwest!!
I don't really know if that's a real vibe or theme, but it's my mood board and I'm going with it! Because ... why not? Make this room and theme fit YOU. You will be the one spending time here, so make sure it speaks to you. (I know that sounds silly and design-ish, but remember - this room is ALL. ABOUT. YOU. !!!)
My absolutely favorite rooms are the ones that look lived in, loved, appreciated. They bring a sense of warmth, family, life into a room. Don't get me wrong, I can absolutely appreciate a spotless immaculate white room as well as the next person. In fact, that would be a dream. Unfortunately that wouldn't last long around my house, so I must build in a bit of reality.
So.... I focus on how to design a beautiful well-lived in room. My home is a house that's lived in. It may not be perfect, the rug may be disheveled, the pillows may not be fluffed properly, but it's comfy and cozy and reflects my life.
STEP 3 - BUILD A MOOD BOARD
Visualize, visualize, visualize!!!
I do this by creating a mood board. Whether I pick these items out exactly or not doesn't quite matter. What matters is I now have a vision of things I like and can quickly see if it will work together or not.
STEP 4 - TWEAK THE DESIGN
Since no purchases have been made yet, you can tweak the mood board until you're happy with it.
Not everyone's style is the same - so make sure to incorporate YOU into it. That will ensure that you LOVE IT!
STEP 5 - GO SHOPPING!!!
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this part. Crazy enough, I also enjoy seeing the finished product - whether yours or mine. (So if you read this and do the process, please share it with me so I can see!)
Below are the items that I selected to go with this art / moodboard. The resources are below, or feel free to be creative for your style.
For me, I start with ART as my inspiration! I was looking for something FUN. Something that would be more of a conversation piece and would strike interest to those who saw it. The Color of Rock Mouth matched my criteria!! This art is.... F.U.N.!!! I mean, seriously, how can. you look at this and not smile or at least do a double-take.
As I type this up, I'm looking at the use of this art in a classroom. This piece is so versitile. Office, Classroom, Den, Man Cave, Living Room. So many options for this contemporary southwest / western combination.
NOW we are talking.... CONTEMPORARY SOUTHWESTERN at its finest!!!! I love it! I hope you love it too.
For more ideas with a western theme, check out the White Oak Lichen blog as well.
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Lisa Blount is an experience photographer, capturing her experiences thru life and turning them into fine art.
Since ART is a true reflection of what the artist sees, feels, and interprets - it is therefore a reflection of ones self .... thru their ART.
Born in California and raised in Arkansas, Lisa has lived within seven miles of her grandparents’ 1936 homesteadsince she was ten years old. As an only child of an only child, she spent countless hours fueling her creativity—crafting, designing, and refining ideas. While Arkansas has changed over the years, Lisa remains drawn to life’s simple yet beautiful moments, finding inspiration in nature, landscapes, and the great outdoors.
