© Joan Currie

Now I really feel the landscape, I can be bold and include every tone of blue and pink: it’s enchanting, it’s delicious. Claude Monet

I recently attended the Birth of Impressionism exhibit at the de Young museum in San Francisco. Of all the works on display I found myself first drawn to Snow at Louveciennes by Alfred Sisley, one of the fifty snow-themed paintings that he completed during his lifetime. Because of my northern sensibility, in part from being raised in Canada, I favor winter landscapes with a limited color palette.

Alfred Sisley

My home decorating choices reflect my love of blues and whites with a touch of chamois. These colors, throughout my adult life, have made me feel as if I were in a cool, calming sanctuary, thus helping to form an atmosphere where my creativity could flourish.

Lately, however, I have wanted to shake things up a bit – make a few changes. As an experiment, I started injecting some new colors into my own landscape. I added sofa pillows, blankets, floral arrangements, and candles in richer more sumptuous colors: royal purple, fuchsia, chartreuse, and gold. With these little additions not only has there been a change in the mood of my living space, but there has been a change in my outlook as well.

Suddenly, I feel like having a dinner party, dancing the samba, and singing Brazilian love songs! I am composing poems in turquoise ink, painting my nails mauve, wearing new earrings, and embracing life in a whole new bold way.

It took such a small effort to begin tripping the light fantastic! Imagine the possibilities if I were to paint a dining room or bedroom wall a Corvette red…Watch out, the day is still young!