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What is Art Living?

Art Living by Ellen Kalmenson

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For me, its about Art and Living coming together. Art Living is not only about the art we choose to have around us.

It is about what happens when A Way of Seeing becomes part of how we experience being alive.

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Think about a painting you’ve chosen to live with. In the beginning, you look at it often. Over time, there is a change.

You aren’t always thinking about it or consciously looking at it, but somehow its presence remains. It has found its place,

in the same way that the people and places we love, become part of us. The color, the energy, the movement and the

stillness are there, becoming part of the environment that you experience every day.

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Have you noticed what you notice? What catches your eye, or what makes you curious enough to look again?

Maybe it’s something you’ve passed a hundred times and suddenly, you see it differently.

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​That is where I see a difference between living with art and Art Living. Living with art can mean having a painting on the wall.

Art Living is about the relationship that develops with what is there. The art becomes part of the living.

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What happens next? What if your experience isn’t only about the painting? Maybe you notice color differently, or the way light moves through a room. Maybe you become more aware of how you move through space and inhabit your body, or what draws you in and what you pass by. Art can be the starting point for a broader awareness.

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And this is where creativity comes into it. Creativity isn’t only about making something. It is also the ability to be inquisitive, to look again, make connections and see possibilities that we might otherwise pass by. We can be creative without ever picking up a paintbrush. Art can help us recognize the creativity that is already there. Living gives us the place to experience it. In our surroundings, in our bodies, in the choices we make and in what we pay attention to.

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What should I look for when choosing art?
​The connection comes first and the understanding follows. Start with what gets your attention.
Before thinking about the colors or how the art will be received, notice your own response.
What makes you stop? What makes you want to look again? You don’t need to know why.

Why are we drawn to Art?
Something in art can connect us to what is already within ourselves. The connection is personal, which is why the same art can speak to each of us differently. Art gives us a way to recognize something we already know without needing to explain why.

How does art affect a space?
Art can affect the space even when it isn't the focus of our attention. Its presence becomes
part of the atmosphere, beyond the color and subject. There can be an energy, stillness and movement
in a painting, and a sense of openness that becomes a part of what surrounds us. In a private space,
the experience is personal, and in a shared space, art can be experienced by many people in different ways. 

Should art match the room?
The answer becomes more about what the painting brings to the experience.
A painting can belong to a space without matching what is already there and contrast is what can make an environment interesting. A contemporary painting in an older setting with unexpected color against a quiet wall, can be a welcomed addition to a room filled with color and detail.

What makes a fine art print museum-quality?
Museum-quality prints are made with archival materials and professional craftsmanship chosen to preserve the artwork
over time. When you purchase original fine art canvas prints from Ellen Kalmenson Fine Art, you will receive Art Living prints made on pH-neutral canvas with archival pigment inks rated to last over 100 years with proper care. Each canvas print is professionally stretched for a firm and evenly tensioned surface, while preserving the color and detail of the original painting.

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