I am ready!

You know how to notice your first emotional reaction and then give your mind something to think about.

So now comes the most important part: Choose.

Well, here we are.

You have learned a few things about choosing art for your home. You know that a painting is more than just a splash of colour on an empty wall. You know how to notice your first emotional reaction and then give your mind something to think about.

So now comes the most important part:

Choose.

When a painting first catches your attention, listen to that first emotion.

Don’t immediately press the little “Analyze” button in your head. Give yourself a moment to experience what you feel. Enjoy it. Be curious about it. See where it takes you.

If you like it, admit it to yourself.

“Yes, I like this.”

Good. You are not lying to yourself.

Now you can invite your head into the conversation.

Take a quick but thoughtful look at the painting. Notice the composition, the light, the colours, the details, the symbols, and the artist’s technique.

Then ask yourself:

Can I stay with this painting for a while?

Does it continue to interest me?

Does it fit my idea of what I want to live with?

And, just as importantly:

Is there something that bothers me?

If there is, don't force yourself to overcome it. Look at other works by the same artist. Perhaps another painting will speak to you more clearly.

Sometimes one painting simply opens the door to another.

And then another.

Before you know it, you may find yourself looking at a whole series of paintings by the same artist—and discovering that you have developed your own opinion about their work.

That, I think, is when choosing art becomes much more interesting.

Because, in the end, choosing a painting can be a little like making an important personal decision. You may hesitate. You may wonder whether you are making the right choice.

Perhaps it is even a little like that first declaration of love.

But fortunately, you are not young anymore.

You have something much more useful than youthful courage.

You have life experience.

You have already made important choices. You have changed your mind. You have trusted your feelings. You have learned from mistakes. You have discovered what matters to you—and what doesn't.

That experience is one of the best tools you can bring into an art gallery.

So look again.

Listen to your heart.

Let your head have its say.

And when the two of them seem to agree, close your eyes for a moment, smile, and gently say:

“YES!”

I hope that your meeting with artist Elena Gaevskaya, whose art name is ElenaG, will be a wonderful place to begin.