Happy Art Heals

A summer of studying in Kansas City gave me a newfound love for painting with acrylics and bright colors. I can still feel the exhilaration of the paint moving on the canvas and the excitement that I felt to release my feelings through the brush. The irony of the moment was that my body was holding unexplained physical pain in both of my knee caps. Until then, most of my artistic expression depicted my body’s suffering; however, I found myself feeling sadder as I would look at the finished piece of art. I wanted to grin when finished with my piece and so whimsy crept into my mind and onto the canvas through this design. The assignment was to paint an animal, and I thought it would be humorous to paint the cow wearing a piece of fabric and place him next to a sofa with the hide on it! “Cowch” helped me discover that it is possible to create and heal through painting happy art which produces a smile.  Cultivating joy through my art has become my mission in all of the pieces that I make today. I would love to hear about how you have healed through artistic endeavors? Hugs to you! Deana (Dee-na)