Abstract art by Dorthy Gaziano
Artwork is a great way to make your home feel complete. To your surprise it may also benefit your life in other ways. Viewing art can increase blood flow to the brain, much like what happens when gazing at a loved one. Sensory, cognitive, and emotional skills may also be improved when exposed to artwork due to enhanced activation of the visual cortex. Studies on how viewing artwork affects humans’ lives are constantly revealing new ways in which art improves the human condition.
Color psychology is the study of the influence of color on human behaviors and emotions. Colors can affect your mood and behavior. Important information can be nonverbally conveyed with color such as traffic controls and warnings. As humans we subconsciously interpret colors in our day to day life, and make decisions based on those interpretations. Respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure may also change according to the colors in one’s surroundings. Many studies have proven viewing artwork causes a rise in serotonin. Serotonin levels affect the regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep. Cognitive functions such as memory and learning are also affected by serotonin levels.
Viewing artwork incites creativity, imagination, and enhanced brain function. During the home design process one should pay attention to the use of colors and artwork and the mood and feelings that they inspire. Artwork can give us an opportunity to escape from everyday life, and make the life we are actually living more enjoyable. It is a powerful way to communicate, and is a universal language allowing humans to express themselves in a way words cannot. Adding enjoyable artwork to your space not only is proven to enhance your mood, but it can also enhance the mood of guests visiting your space.
When selecting artwork for the home or office it is important to be able to visualize how it will look in your particular space. Wall Decor Galore, an online art gallery featuring more than 300 million works of art from over 1 million different artists from around the globe, has a powerful virtual reality tool that allows shoppers to upload a picture of their room and create mockups of exactly what a chosen piece of art would look like on their own walls. Their tool allows users to experiment with different sizes of framed and unframed prints styles and canvas wraps. It even allows a user to create and visualize 3 panel triptychs. These mockups can be saved as inspiration and serve as a guide on where to hang your artwork when it arrives.
The environment that you create for yourself is important. Our brains constantly take cues from the environment as a part of managing our internal state of being. A drab environment contributes to feelings of stress, discontent and depression. A comfortable, tastefully decorated space facilitates a sense of calm and happiness. Paying attention to the decor of the spaces where we live our lives can pay big dividends. Tools that can help us to explore different styles and colors of artwork are a fantastic help when it comes to achieving a positive result in our decorating plans.
