By Linda Aird

Art is such a personal thing. It does not need to be a painting. It's the stuff you put on your wall or place on your coffee table. It can take many forms. It can be a piece of memorabilia, reminding you of a past activity, somewhere you've been or someone you've known. It can be a painting, print or poster whose colors or subject matter speak to you.

PICTURED HERE:  My latest art installation, by Rachelle Miller, a potter from Wisconsin. The landing at the top of my steps needed something. I had been planning on a series of small photographs in sienna (those brown tones of old photographs), but hadn't gotten around to it. The walls in my house are neutral and I thought this would be a good choice. After a couple of years (yup, it took that long), I started to think that a pop of color would be nice, and saw these in a catalogue. 

For me, the environment I find myself in every day, my home, is so important.

It affects how I feel. I tell my clients when we are looking at possible homes to buy that, in addition to the number of bedrooms, etc., there will be the AHHH factor. They'll know it when they feel it. It's the feeling that conveys "I can see myself being here."

Well, that is the beginning of a house becoming a home to you.

Art is the finishing touch, the icing on the cake. It makes our homes distinctly us. I have quite a range. I am not an art snob. I have what I like, what gives me pleasure, from a framed card purchased at a gift shop in Italy to a sculpture handmade to hang on the fireplace. I have items that came to me from other generations and those newly gained. I really believe that, as has been said, art is in the eye of the beholder, and is an evolving process.

So as I move about my house, these various and varied items come into focus, and I experience a sense of peace and calm. 

During this time, when we are feeling unsettled and we are spending far more time in our homes, those feelings of peace and calm are even more imperative.  

I wish you well and look forward to chatting more!

--Linda Aird