It’s been almost a year of a world where things almost couldn’t be worse. We’ve all had our fill of the sombre and serious. In 2021 let’s put colour and fun back into the world in general and our homes in particular.
The pairing of pink and blue has challenges but this painting by Mike Smalley, Untitled #20-32, is an excellent place to start. The painting uses hot pink and sky blue with dazzling clarity and the scene is washed with the light of a bright summer afternoon. The sky is that perfect blue. Colours are all fresh and vibrant and blacks are real black. A large photograph such as Dieter Hessel’s Sugar Beach in Snow would look wonderful on another wall perhaps over the media unit.
A room built around this painting works well if the walls, floor and largest pieces of furniture are white or pale grey. The floor could be painted white or if wood, stained pale grey. A graphic wallpaper like the oversized dot pattern shown adds visual interest but doesn’t detract from the art work. Have fun with chairs. Choose vibrant colours and unexpected shapes that echo shapes in the painting. Be playful in choosing lamps and accessories and an unusual area carpet is a joy forever.
