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What Makes You Happy?

     It's human nature to want to feel happy and comfortable.  So what makes you happy? A favorite song? A fluffy, warm sweater? (it is October, after all!)  Curling up on the couch with a glass of your favorite wine, a book, and some welcome quiet? For me, it's all those things, but also the desire to surround myself with things that have the ability to alter my mood and make me feel happy, introspective, creative; a myriad of things.  Sounds like a tall order.  But really it isn't, if you know what stirs those things in you.  It's a running joke between my best friend and I that I repaint various rooms in my house as often as some people get haircuts. (if you're on the 6-8 week haircutting schedule, it's a little less often than that!)  But anyway, recently a wave came over me-I'd call it a combination "nesting" instinct and the natural mood changes that occur when the seasons change.  So off I went to Home Depot, picked out a new paint color and repainted my kitchen and dining room, hung new drapes, rearranged the furniture, cleaned out the cabinets, and created a space for a pantry.  I needed to change my surroundings and create a new space from the old-one that would inspire me and make me feel good.  Mission accomplished.  New colors, new furniture arrangement, new mood.  It's the same with art.
     Surrounding yourself with art that stirs something in you accomplishes the same thing as simply repainting a room and rearranging some furniture.  As an artist, I am always honored when people choose to surround themselves with something I've created.  It means I've reached someone on some level that is meaningful to them.  Whether it be the colors I use, the subject matter, the brushstroke- my painting has managed to alter their mood in some way.  And that is something that makes me very happy.
    

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