Because we live in a busy and stressed out world it’s really important for the home to be a place of solace and inspiration. In my experience original abstract art can be a key factor in promoting tranquillity in the home and turning it into a place that you truly look forward to returning to.
I’ve recently painted Cascade 1&2 – “The faint whispers create a safe and quiet space,” which are now for sale on my website Cascade No.1 / Cascade No.2 and it gave me an opportunity to consider just how valuable these types of paintings can be in the creation of a calm atmosphere in a home. There’s plenty of ways that original abstract art can promote tranquillity. I’ll share the four that I consider to be the most important.
Cascade No.1
Cascade No.2
Original abstract art calms through colour
The study of colour psychology has found that different hues can influence the emotions and perceptions of the viewer. Even the colour of food can have an influence on whether we find it palatable or not. Marketers and designers use colour frequently to brand products and, according to research, 62-90% emeraldinsight.com of judgement made about a product is based on colour. Colour therapy identifies a number of colours that have a calming effect such as blue and green. In my experience sticking closely to the colours I see in nature usually results in a more calming painting. Paintings that use the colours of nature as a palette bring nature indoors even if the viewer doesn’t immediately make that association, the calming effect is still the same. For Cascade 1&2 I chose soft greys, whites, browns and taupes; the nuanced colours of a forest at dusk or a rock face.
Original abstract art calms through lines
This is where abstract art really has an impact on tranquillity. The lines from an abstract artist’s brush can be less complicated than a more literal work but the capacity to elicit emotion is still great, if not greater. For example, in Cascade 1&2 I use the lightest of strokes of white to create whispers over the layers of darker block strokes to give a feeling of delicacy over a solid and reliable background, hence the title, “Faint whispers create a safe and quiet space”. It’s the contrast of delicacy and solidity that gives a feeling of calm, similar to the branches of trees in a wood. Bold swishing colours in calmer hues can also have the same effect. They promote a calm emotional response without complication.
Original abstract art calms through being abstract
Because abstract paintings don’t define objects or vistas too distinctly they remove the intellectual response of a viewer to categorise or analyse. This is why they work so perfectly as backdrops to interior design spaces. The viewer can relax and emotionally respond to the painting or, similarly, to the combination of the painting and the space itself as a unified concept. Purchasing original abstract art also means that you are purchasing an original story, original brushstrokes and the experience is all yours. You can feel the emotion or feeling through the visible indentations of paint and see the colours change slightly as the light changes in your room. It’s an experience rather than an acquisition.
Original abstract art calms through size
Original abstract art can be quite large, Cascade 1&2 are 39” x 39” respectively, and I have completed a number of even larger paintings. If a larger painting uses colour and technique to calm then the overall emotional effect can be greater within the room as the painting occupies more of the space. Alternatively, smaller paintings can make statements about certain parts of the room and define them as spaces of rest and calm.
As an artist I paint to express but I also paint for others to enjoy and to find the types of experiences they are looking for from my artwork.
I love seeing the complementarity between my art and the spaces it’s placed in and always love to hear stories of how the art has changed people’s living environments and enriched their lives.