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LIVING THE GOOD LIFE: SIX REASONS WHY WE SHOULD USE ART TO DECORATE OUR HOMES 51

Since the beginning of humanity, people have surrounded themselves with all kinds of beautiful objects. Early shelters were found to be adorned with colorful drawings, sculptures, and other decorative artifacts.

But why do we feel the need to add art around us? What does art change within us in such a way that we feel drawn to gathering beauty and colours around us? 

Art on rock by Christine Onward. For sale here

Art gives wings to our inner self

Our home is the place where, more than anywhere else, we need to be ourselves. It is where we feel most at peace, where we are most comfortable. The reason we feel this way is due to the objects we choose to have on display.

By surrounding ourselves with objects of art that we love, we can enjoy the time spent at home even more. We can be ourselves, we can start dreaming, hope, and plan our future lives.

Paintings that we love will share with us their colours, shapes, and stories that have the power to make us feel unique, or happy, or energetic, or daring... it's all in the choices we make.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. More from this collection here

Art makes our home more human

We are surrounded by a culture that incessantly tells us to hurry.

Art helps us take things easy, to slow down, and breathe. Take your time. Listen to your art.

Most of the things necessary to our home: the furniture, appliances, clothing, etc.  are mass produced, machine made. There seems to be an abundance of 'things' surrounding us that are soul-less, which provide no personality to our spaces. We need fulfilling interactions with the people and things we surround ourselves with. Their stories contribute to our daily experience,

Art gives our home a human soul. With every work of art we add a sense of time, personality, emotion and value to our space.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. More from this collection here

Art revives emotion and facilitates self-discovery

The art we surround ourselves with can revive powerful emotions. It can evoke cheerful memories, bring comfort or inspire us in most unexpected ways.

Art can be the echoing of our deepest emotions - whether positive or negative - through which we feel connected, understood, and never alone.

The art we choose to keep with us is almost always a flawless translator of our personality. The things we value, respect, embrace, or follow will come through the art choices we make and surround ourselves with.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. For sale here 

Art brings out the kindness in us

The art we choose to decorate our homes with can make a difference in someone's life.

We may choose these artworks to surround us because of all the change they inspire. They provide support to people who need it most, including the artists creating these works, and the people receiving them. Art is powerful in the many ways it can do good for you, and others.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. More from this collection here

Art teaches us that everything is possible

There is an act of struggle and bravery in every piece of art.

"By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others" - Satsuki Shibuya

Too often we are overwhelmed by our daily work routine, boring days, lack of expectations to such a point when we begin to forget about our life long passions or hobbies.

To see that someone has never ceased to create and dedicated all their time to pursue their dreams is invigorating. The art we choose to show off with will teach us and the others that dreams and passions are always possible to achieve. 

Art is the best lesson to learn; That in life everything continues to be possible.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. For sale here 

Art tells a story about us

Art doesn't come in singularity. Every artwork we choose says something about us. Perhaps the colours in the painting are representative for our passions. Perhaps the landscapes depicted remind us about long lived holidays, or childhood memories. Or maybe the painting revives hidden feelings, or memories we long thought forgotten

Art reconnects us with our true selves, our true memories and our thoughts.

With art we are never alone. We are only our true selves.

Original art, painted rock by Christine Onward. For sale here

More beautiful rocks and writings about creative hobbies and how they can improve you well-being HERE 

If you have questions or want to contribute with your ideas to this blog, please contact Christine Onward at: rock_street@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

CREATIVE HOBBIES AND HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE YOUR WELL-BEING 56

In these daring times , living in the gloomy days of COVID 19 lock-downs, facing the loss of dear ones, the insecurity of our future, the hopeless inability to express ourselves in our old ways... how do we find a way out? How do we find ways to look forward to tomorrow, to relax, to smile, to live?



Rock art by Christine Onward. More details are here

Here are a few things I wanted to write to you about today:

Getting involved in an artistic hobby for two hours a week improves your mental well-being

A study published in 2016 involving 700 participants living in Australia showed that engaging in artistic hobbies for over 100 hours a year will significantly improve your mental health and well-being.

This means that only two hours a week of taking part in a creative activity will enhance you mental well-being and general health.    

Painted rocks of Old Bar, Australia. Simple ideas for everyone.

Everyday creativity improves your mood

An article in the Journal of Positive Psychology, 2016, explains that spending time on creative activities will boost your mood, increasing joy, interest, and alertness and reducing negative moods such as anger, anxiety or fear.

What to take from this? - Daily creativity is the best source to create joy, fulfillment and happiness in our life.

 My favourite creative activity: rock painting. More details about these rocks here

Engaging in a hobby means you dedicate yourself to something that brings you joy, meaning, and purpose

But what is the best hobby to suit you? 

Your hobby might be either physical (take up a sporting activity), to help others (volunteer activities) or just being creative. 

How do you choose between all the options? Here are some ideas:

- try a new activity each week. When the right choice comes your way, you will not want to engage in a new activity the next week.

-ask friends

-visit a craft or hardware store

-blog

-research locally for options 

-check out educational courses

Preserving natural beauty: painted rock by Christine Onward

I recently found myself quite excited about buying a cruise bike. I picked a small and girly one ( I call her Lola!) , to take me to places in Old Bar I never get to see otherwise. Riding along the beach on little roads with almost no-one passing by is heaven! Fresh air, sound of waves whilst dreaming of Cuba, or Italy, or France; Well, that's my best way to end the day.

"Lola" checking out on some of the most beautiful lookouts in Old Bar

But the hobby that keeps me going is my love for rocks and my love for the sea.

The beautiful rocks of Old Bar, with amazing shapes and smooth surfaces often make me choose simple designs, figurative shapes, and monochrome designs.

I want to preserve the natural beauty and energy of my rocks.

I want them to share the beauty and strength of the swirls and the wind that shaped them for thousands and thousands of years, what made them become what they are today: rocks of magic.

Preserving natural beauty: painted rocks by Christine Onward

If you feel driven towards rock painting, do start by making friends with your own rocks. Let the shape of the rocks tell you what they want to become, what they want to inspire and who they want to be with.

The rock you paint can change someone's life. It's up to you to what degree and for how long it does it.

Happy rocking :) ,

                   Christine

Preserving natural beauty: painted rock by Christine Onward for sale here

THE IMPERFECTLY PERFECT IN ART- Sussi Louise Smith talking about growth, colours, and passions of life 35

If I was only allowed to use one word to describe Sussi Louise's art, it would be the word INSPIRING. There are a thousand other words in my heart to use, of course (happy, bright, cheerful, unique, moving, ...) but it does seem to me that INSPIRING includes them all. That is because every time I see Sussi's works, I want to be like her: I want to be a ray of sunshine, despite all the rain; I want to be a song of colours, and I want to give others smiles, just like she does.

Today my greatest hope is that you feel inspired by Sussi's sparkling personality and her extraordinary artwork too. And when you do, allow your heart a smile. She painted it for YOU.

 The happy art of Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

 The wonderful Sussi:

"I have been painting and illustrating for almost 30 years.

I developed this particular style through a dream I had while I was expecting my first baby.

I have synaesthesia, which, to a certain extent, means "a mixing of the senses". For me it means that I read really fast and in vibrations; that's why I worked in academia for many many years.

For my art however it is extra special because sounds have colours and colours have sounds and emotions. My energy has colours and vibration, my emotions can have light and smells. It may sound weird, but it makes total sense. Really, it does!

"Reading in wintertime is like having chocolate after a long walk". Find these rocks at The Grove Bookshop Ilkley where Sussi is campaigning for the encouragement of children to read more 

Synaesthesia also means that I am very sensitive to signals and energy therefore these are what I usually paint.

I have a saying that my soul paints through my musical heart and hands. And very often, this is true: I look at things I have painted and I think: "Wauaw that is nice, I wish I could paint like that!"

Beautiful colours and so much joy! Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I paint because my soul tells me to, but really, I am a writer and a helper. For now I just happen to write in colours.

I believe that I can make a difference by caring. I care: I care about you. Me. The ecosystem and the wind. I am a lover not a hater.

When I was caring for my dying parents and my husband with cancer (he is still with us, thank God), I found out that by painting next to them they felt happier. And in the hospitals and hospices other patients felt the same.

Colours and shapes for happy times. Original design by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I started to exhibit in medical practices. They would contact me and I would ask what they were specialising in. Based on that, I would then tune the artwork into that community of practice.

I also have a travelling mini-exhibition that helps people who need a smile and dream themselves in my worlds for a while. They can have the paintings on their walls for up to six months.

Something very important about me is that about three years ago I made a pledge to the Action for Happiness Organisation: to paint for smiles and not because I want to get rich (not that I wouldn't like to have some more money). Just to let things flow out of my hands and hear what the heart has to say.

In this way my hashtag #sussishappyartproject has reached from Hawaii to Australia, from Iceland to South Africa and from young children to 97 year olds. I have painted pebbles for gravestones and Christening. I write stories for autistic children and grown-ups with depression. If that's not being blessed I don't know what is.

Action for Happiness: paintings by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I have lots of training as an artist but no formal education, apart from a year in college, when I was 22 and I was studying to be a teacher. I have taken courses in all kinds of styles and techniques. However, for me my truest voice is the Naïvism. It's where I feel the light at its brightest.

Naive art: rocks by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

The main mediums I use are watercolour and acrylics on paper and canvas. I also paint on stones and walls, porcelain, and fabrics; basically anything.

For some reason my stone stories are very popular and I really appreciate this. Clients tell me a story about themselves or the person they love. Sometimes they send me pictures and I proceed with painting their story on a stone. And that is such a beautiful honour for me. The grace and divine love they show for their loved ones and the fact that they entrust me with painting it really make me the luckiest girl alive!

Stone stories: naive art by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website |

The personal expression of my art is so true, so raw, so deep. And it is eternally grateful. So who cares if my rocks are not perfect?

They are IMPERFECTLY PERFECT " :

Sussi and I are welcoming your comments in the section below. Also you can make inquiries or add info on: rock_street@yahoo.com.

WHY NOT USE A LITTLE RED? 9

Christine Onward talking about the symbolism of red and its use in creating art on rocks 

Red appears to be the colour that artists have been using the most in their art works. It is suggested that the value of a piece of art will increase dramatically just by using red in its composition. Recent studies also suggest that at least 77% of the art works in history have used predominantly the red colour.

But why is red so highly appraised in the world of art? And how is this preference for red reflected in the art rock painting?

Here are a few of the most significant explanations I found when it comes to using red in rock painting. To exemplify I used a number of rocks by the artists of RockStreet Collective, recently  posted in the group.

Photo collage by artist | Lysa Mignot |  of RockStreet Collective (artists tagged in group cover photo)

Probably the most common suggestion for the use of red in art is love. Being such an intense, “hot” color, artists have used red to convey emotions such as passion, happiness, or intense love.

But how do you represent love on a painted rock?

You may use the symbol of love heart

Red painted rocks with love hears by | Karin Getaz | Kathy McLoughlin | Christine Onward 

Flowers painted on rocks in red may also elicit feelings of love: 

Rocks by | Angel Martinez Garcia | Lysa Mignot | Pamela Campbell |

Red is believed to make you happy

Happy painted rocks by | Gaby Avila | Dawn Harper  | Kim Koch |

Red is such a powerful eye-catching colour that can make us quickly attracted to what we see. This is probably why, for outstanding designs, artists are prone to using red more than any other colours of the spectrum.

Rocks interior decorations by | Angel Martinez Garcia | Lysa Mignot | Christine Onward |

Red is used to reflect beauty in nature , as seen in the feathers of these fascinating birds:

Red and birds, painted rocks by | Tanya Nikolaevskaya | Christine Onward | 陳 泳澖 |

Red is also suggested to enhance strength, confidence and optimism. Here are some outstanding decorations using different hues of red:

Painted rocks by | Henriett Jäckl | Pauline Parker | Karin Getaz |

And some more red? How about romantic landscapes with a red sky at dawn?

Painted rock by | Christine Onward |

I will conclude here, although the story could continue with no end. Red painted rocks can make for a wonderful piece of decoration. Being a powerful colour which triggers intense emotions such as love, passion, happiness, the colour that attracts attention and makes every piece of art more desirable. There is no reason why you shouldn't try it for yourself.

***If you think your red work of art stands out from the crowd, feel free to post your rock in RockStreet Collective.  We celebrate RED week on our Instagram account starting from 4^th to 10^th of June.  There will be two artist winners every day!! Winning rocks will be featured on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and website. Looking forward to meeting you too.

More RED rocks for sale Here.

 Painted rock by | Sara Stich |