Why is looking at art good for us?
Dear Subscriber,
I was reading the July 17, 2025 issue of Artsy, an online magazine that
had an article
listing four reasons viewing art is good for us ... it's like an apple
a day! According to Aimee Dawson, the author of the article, looking at
art can:
1. Help your mental health
2. Improve social skills and resilience
3. Help your heart when you engage in art & art conversation
4. Lift your mood
I can't even choose a favorite because I agree, and am helped, with
them all.
IMG_0773 Bracquemond
Under the Lamp 1877
Marie Bracquemond
Sisley
Apple Trees in Flower 1880
Alfred Sisley
Not sure how you feel, but even when looking at photos of the paintings
above, I feel my heart lighten (The paintings above are among those
currently on display at the Seattle Art Museum: Farm to Table: Art,
Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism). Side note: Marie B.
painted Impressionist artist, Alfred Sisley and his fianceé in this
motif.
These days, in these weird times, I love how the artists I follow are
so dedicated to their work; they keep going. That deserves loyalty.
It's one of the things that keeps me going, producing my own work in
the midst of unsettling local and world events, including the weather!
My husband and I recently returned home from a camper van trip on the
southern Oregon coast, & into a little bit of northern California. It
was a good time to be spontaneous about where to camp because the
crowds were not there. I sketched a bit, but the weather and our
schedule did not allow lots of painting time.
We had a few nice days but more rainy ones. I was rained out of the
painting I began at the viewpoint looking at the Heceta Head Lighthouse.
IMG_0629
Beach at Bandon, Oregon
H Lite
From the Heceta Head viewpoint on Hwy 101
Video Link
Storm at Heceta Head
The pronunciation of Heceta Head Lighthouse varies, with common
versions including "Ha-SEE-ta" (reflecting Spanish influence) and
"HECK-ah-ta" (the favored local pronunciation (!), but some also use
"Hess-ay-ta" or "Ay-thay-ta," with no single official answer,
reflecting its Spanish origins and local adaptation over time. The
Oregon Historical Society has more information
about the name and it's
origins.
Photos below show my set-up under the van's awning ... it kept rain off
but then there were some big gusts of wind and we didn't want to have
the awning ripped off, so I tried to get something on the page after we
got the awning stowed. What you see in the photo is just about all I
got done before it really poured and my gouache became quite like
watercolor!
Heceta Head viewpoint
Screenshot 2026-01-14 at 1.26.25⬯PM
Bandon beach sketch
Bandon beach sketch in the rain
2 sketches
thumbnails (ha! literally)
Thank you so much for reading. Thank you for your support, and I truly
love your comments when you can take the time.
If you are a Juneau-ite, and were here for the snowmageddon, followed
by the floodmageddon, I think you have earned a badge of honor. We felt
so anxious about being away, but so far things turned out ok at our
house. I hope you weathered those events without too many issues.
... until February, take good care of yourselves and your loved ones.
Teri
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