Art is the most beautiful of all lies...

When we first moved into our apartment this past October, one of my biggest fears was that it wouldn't feel like home right away. Rose and I lived in a townhouse in South Carolina (rented from my parents) for about 2 years and I never felt fully comfortable there. We didn't really settle in until right before we moved and much of the furniture and even some decor was left behind by the previous owners so we just used it. My feng shui book would not approve of this circumstance.

Feng shui is the belief that everything (even inanimate objects) has an energy force. You have to be very careful with surrounding yourself with items that were owned by someone previously because they could carry their energy. I think this is exactly what happened to us in SC. We were borrowing someone else's energy (which very well could have been negative for all I know).

Also, I have a thing against white walls. I was so afraid our apartment would end up looking like a clinical waiting room. I wanted to fill as much of this space as possible... and make it look like "us" as soon as you walked in.

Untitled, oil on canvas

Currently hanging in our dining room

So when we moved into our new apartment up north, I vowed to unpack right away and make the place look and feel as much like our home as possible. My neighbor (and friend found on craigslist - yeah you can do that!) is an artist like myself and suggested that I hang up my art asap. So that very evening, after loading and unloading all of our possessions, we used our last bit of energy to hammer nails all over the walls and hang some of my favorite pieces. I have generated some very large paintings in art classes that I am rather proud of... so these went up right away.

Point of Angst, oil on canvas

Currently hanging above the couch

Immediately after hanging everything, I felt more balanced and welcome. And now, every single day I feel as though this apartment belongs to me more than I ever have in any other place I've ever lived. I love being here... and I believe a good part of that stems from surrounding myself with my art from the beginning. I never hung a single piece of my own work in our townhouse in SC. It made a huge difference. My girlfriend is so happy because she has always wanted me to display my art. It speaks so much about me and communicates not only my style, but who I am. It's as if I have hung a bit of myself on the walls.

Eos Phorus, oil on canvas

Currently hanging in our bedroom