NO, NOs

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“We try all of the paintings on the house, to see which one works best,” Dirks says. “Whatever you put on your house needs to be seen from the street. Big and bold plays best.”

She primarily works with 16-by-16-inch and 16-by-20-inch canvases.

“A barn quilt can look great with the lines of a house,” Dirks says. A new style in her portfolio blends Mexican folk art techniques and doodling. Geometric shapes and silhouettes of pets or profiles of people are favorites to paint. Commissions are possible, but Dirks prefers to paint whatever inspires her – from a wild pattern on a friend’s skirt to whimsical chickadees to continuous-line flowers and more.

Prices generally range from $100 to $125, plus a $20 hanging fee. The artwork, Dirks says, has good durability in areas somewhat sheltered from the elements.

Decorating outdoor spaces with the same arsenal of art you’d use inside is a growing trend as homeowners and apartment dwellers seek to bring unexpected elements to their blank spaces.

A black accent wall on Dirks’ front porch is a gallery of sorts for a rotating show of recent and favorite works.

The right piece can bring the whole style of a home together, she says.

“It’s so much fun,” Dirks says of the match game.

“I think I have one (painting) in every major neighborhood in Omaha,” she says.

Her dream: A neighborhood with a Porch Painting on every home.

AU COURANT

Summer hangouts

TEXT, STYLING, PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHRISTEN

Spend the summer hanging out — literally — in a hammock. Hammocking (yes, that is a word), is a great way to relax and de-stress. The compact style shown is by Cielo Hammocks. It was made in Yucatan, Mexico, where people have been weaving and sleeping in hammocks for hundreds of years. Cielo is working to preserve the tradition, contributing 10% of sales back to the Mayan artisans it supports. $140, cloth tote included; The Green House, 1234 S. 13th St.

Hammocks for plants, too

Houseplants and things bohemian have sparked a return of macrame plant holders. Buy one ready to hang or learn to loop and knot your own 1970s throwback. Christina Mainelli, owner of The Green House in Omaha’s emerging Little Bohemia, hosts occasional workshops. Watch for dates and locations online at thegreenhouseomaha.com. Our featured plants and macrame holders (mini hammocks!) are from Manelli’s pandemic-launched home and garden boutique. Prices vary.