A guest post by Heather Gregg, who blogs on art and life at www.commaand.co
During various restrictions in the past half-year, our homes have truly become a sanctuary, where we spend the majority of our days. As the outdoor temperatures fall and we cosy in for the Winter, perhaps this is a good time to consider adding colour to our surroundings with some new art. Here are some of the potential benefits:
A new perspective to those four walls - pictures are like a window into another world (Jaclyn Stuart's pictures invite us into a mysterious but positive other world)
New beauty in your home, something fresh to have in your surroundings
Building your own art collection - It's more difficult to get to art exhibitions so why not bring it to you, onto your own walls?
Release positive energy - have a picture which starts your day with a little joy, gives you a smile or sense of company
Encourage the arts - now is a key time to encourage a local artist, by investing in a piece. Freelance makers are hit by less opportunity to sell their work at exhibitions or have visitors to their studios. We can all become, in some small way, a patron of the arts.
Positive spirituality - a focus for meditation and calming peace, in what can be a stressful time. Speaking of her art in a 2018 video, Jaclyn said: "Hope's always a recurring theme"
A spark for your own creativity - seeing new shapes and colours is new stimuli for the brain, and can be an inspiration for our own creativity at work, creating art/writing or spending time with the family
Inspiration for redecoration in the New Year - a picture can inspire all the colours and patterns for the next time you decorate a room, the artist has already used their visual skills to pull together a palette of colour ideas!
Lifelong company - with good art, there are new things to notice in the canvas, over time, new thoughts and responses to have - it is a bit like an ongoing conversation
For so many now working from home:
we're saving money on the journey to work (hundreds of pounds) - so why not brighten our new workspace at home with new art!? Whether working from a kitchen table, a corner of the dining-room or the spare bedroom, having a specific work of art can make it more settled and welcoming, rather than a compromise with our living arrangements. If we do feel stuck at home a bit, well why not brighten up that space?
And what a great backdrop to internet business calls! Instead of a flat blank wall or tiny picture behind you, one big bold picture will add background interest to all your calls. So it won't only be you enjoying the picture, but everyone who works with you. (Let's be honest, when we watch the news with various experts commenting online - don't we notice the room and walls behind them? And it does create an impression of that person - an unmade bed, empty bookshelves or wellstocked ones? We can't help observing.)
Investment. A good original artwork costs about the same price as wallpapering a room - but you get to keep the picture and take it with you if you move!
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