An artful approach to gratitude November 23 2024, 0 Comments

By Kimberly Nicoletti

 

Art is a gift that just keeps giving. As the holiday season comes upon us, starting with Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to consider giving yourself, or loved ones, unique art.

Appreciating art fosters positive feelings, from gratitude to joy. In fact, a study by Semir Zerki, a professor at the University of College of London, showed that when people look at great art, it increases the amount of dopamine — the feel-good neurotransmitter — in their brains. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine reports that simply viewing art can beneficially impact the brain.

But we don’t need studies to tell us that we feel happier when we view art that pleases us. When we choose art for our homes — or even just browse a gallery or museum with an eye toward what makes us feel good — we tend to enjoy life more because we’re focusing on beauty. In other words, our attitude becomes one filled with appreciation.

Ana Maria Botero’s three-dimensional glass pieces are a shining example of appreciating the small aspects of life. She paints flowers, leaves, snowflakes and cacti on multiple panels of glass. And, talk about slowing down and enjoying the process: She literally paints her exquisite details using the single hair of a paintbrush. She takes a similar, attentional approach to life in general.

 

 

 

“It’s like a practice; it’s an exercise to be grateful for the little things,” she says. “Yes, you can have a rough morning, but then you see a bird outside, and it can change your attitude.”

 

Born in Columbia and now living in Colorado, she misses the greenery and blooms that surrounded her year-round, so now, she encases the colors of her native land, as well as Colorado, within her works, for everyone to enjoy.

“I really appreciate beauty in art,” she says. “I know there are many ways to make art as a protest or a statement. For me, to bring something beautiful into someone’s home is important — to make people smile.”

 

 

 

Her background as an architect causes her to emphasize empty space within her glass pieces. She explains that people live within the “empty space” of a home, between walls, as do her flowers and other natural elements.

“To feel the empty space is what you enjoy,” she says. “That’s where the magic happens, and I just want to bring a little magic.”

Space also nurtures a sense of simplicity, calm and equilibrium. That’s what informs her work, and she hopes her pieces leave viewers “perhaps with a way to re-imagine their world.”

 

 

 

Houston Llew’s Spiritiles are another way of conveying uplifting messages. With the works priced at $199 (and up), they make great gifts.

In fact, Llew started making them as gifts, before galleries represented him. Using finely ground glass hand-painted on copper and then fired by kiln, his Spiritiles can hang on a wall or stand alone. His work features images and quotes, which emerge from his own experiences and translate to viewers in personal ways.

Perhaps the most poignant piece when it comes to gratitude is one of his earlier works titled, “Thanks.” It reads: “People will forget what you said and what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” The quote is from Maya Angelou.

 

 

“They mean different things to different people,” he says. “I’m excited when I find out what connected (with viewers).”

Some feature quotes by famous people, like Carl Sagan’s “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known,” while others come to Llew’s mind. He sketched “Peak,” which showcases a skier, in our Breckenridge gallery and then came up with the quote — “Skiing is the way we get closer to heaven and down to earth” — walking through town.

 

 

 "Peak" by Houston Llew

 

“The muse comes by, and then she goes away,” he says about his inspiration — and the reason he takes notes immediately. “It starts with a concept.”

For Llew, the concept has always been to make people happy.

Art connects us with other peoples’ muses, sparking thoughts and feelings we might not have experienced otherwise — and those new encounters increase dopamine. It also encourages us to surround ourselves with uplifting visuals, slow down to take in beauty and inspiration and approach the world through a lens of gratitude.

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!