A New Year filled with hope by The Colourist

The start of a New Year is often filled with expectation, a sense of excitement, a list of New Year's resolutions and hope...

Daisy and other flowers £155 by Stella Tooth 

A year ago my fellow artist and dear friend Stella Tooth asked me to write a monthly blog for the gallery.  Well I can't believe that this new idea, which I wondered if I could do, has become a monthly challenge and. yes. I've done it! Thanks to Stella for all her support as I really didn't know if I was up to it.

This year reflection, courage, peace, vulnerability and love is foremost in my mind. After a year that has been personally full of change, moving up north from London, creating a new home, setting up my studio and meeting some incredible people, it's been a year of embracing the new, unknown and at times scary!

Snuggle in Purple £85 by Jo Hogden

Some friends have said it was a brave decision and, over the years, there have been times - especially as a single parent with a disability - where standing alone felt really hard. I had times of uncertainty but relying on my inner strength meant I've never really stood alone as I trusted myself to do the best thing.
This New Year I'm reflecting on what I've achieved and feel proud.

Freedom flight £120 by Helen Trevisiol Duff

New Year's resolutions

I asked Stella if she has made a New Year's resolution for 2022. She said, “I have indeed Helen.  I have decided, after spending the pandemic setting up a commercial website, to spend more time in the studio creating.“

Winter II £225 by Carol Edgar

For me finding enjoyment in simple things is my New Year's resolution... or maybe not a resolution, more a way of being. I'm done with the typical list of losing weight, getting healthy etc...and am looking to enhance everyday with meditation and calm.

It's so easy to get tied up in serious strategic planning, head down in a shedload of paperwork or feeling the pressure to perform creatively or in the business world.... For me, finding joy in each day is a success, recognising the love around me, which is abundant ,and appreciating everything on a very simple level is what life is all about.

Creating a new environment

Moving house is very stressful. After 27 years in Ealing I took on the enormous challenge of sorting out the loft, recycling possessions and making way for new beginnings. This all happened last New Year with thanks to help from my daughter and her partner.

In my new home in West Yorkshire I've created a calming colour palette which is soothing and grounding - a great backdrop for enjoying my art collection.

Colour like music can set a mood, enhance wellbeing, create a conversation, nurture us and say more than we can express in other ways.

Seascape in Lismer blue £240 by Sarah Knight

The New Year for me is fuelled by a desire to explore more creativity without boundaries, and take more time to sit back and think.

In a year where big changes have happened, I'm really enjoying 'the ordinary'.
Life doesn't have to be all thrills and wows, .. I'm taking joy from nature, beautiful friendships, enjoying the moment whether it's drawing, baking a cake, having a hug or just being..

Taking things as they come, accepting my faults and vulnerabilities, being authentic and progressing quietly is for me the way forward.

If you're looking to create a new environment then go for colours you really gravitate towards regardless of trends.

Paint and fashion trends for 2022

People ask; will decorating my house or wearing certain colours change how I feel in 2022? Well, it all depends on your individual stance. For me hanging artwork in my new home, bringing colour and vibrancy to my walls is uplifting and I'm seeing my art collection with new eyes.

Many cultures see colours as lucky, especially when related to the New Year. Some colours are said to attract good fortune, others repel it. In Latin America they believe the colour of your underwear on New Year's Eve can set the tone for the New Year!

Sapphire by Amanda Gosse

According to Pantone colour Institute experts, colours that encourage personal expression, sensible or quirky, calming and healing, emphasise our need for variety and versatility.

Dreamy pastels pave the way ahead for a sense of renewal and restoration. Groups of colours, as opposed to a single one, create an environment where many of us working more from home can put our own stamp on our haven of comfort.

Pantone's colour of the year for 2022 is very peri 17-3938 - a shade of purply blue which displays a carefree confidence that animates our creative spirit.

Giving thanks

Happy days £210 by Sarita Keeler

Gratitude is a huge and important part of being human... This New Year let's all be grateful for our loved ones, acknowledging their idiosyncrasies and loving them even more. Giving thanks for small gestures, appreciating the simple things in life and saying, "Thank You" is so important. Many of our followers at Skylark Galleries give the present of a new artwork to say thanks to a loved one. Something to cherish forever.

Taking time out

I love sitting with a cup of Earl Grey, looking at a painting on the wall and being aware of what the artist has put into that work.

So why not invest in your own well being by surrounding yourself with art pieces that really bring happiness and hope?

Alpine image from the Gornergrat by Mark F Lodge

There's something very positive about having a little fun and welcoming change.

At Skylark Galleries we have such a variety of incredible work and we are proud to showcase the creativity and love that goes into every piece.

This month I've chosen artwork which really has a sense of wellbeing, serenity and is good for the soul.

STOP PRESS!

The new pantone colour for 2022 is Very Peri.

And here's one of my latest artworks using it...

Dancing cranes £220 by Helen Trevisiol Duff.