Art at Home

"Creating something is a kind of prayer, a way of reaffirming our own existence." - Jonathan Carroll

Tim and I defied established customs when we commissioned an artist to paint a mural on one of the stark-white exterior walls of our rented house. We felt that there was just too much white.

We appreciate the practice of whitewashing buildings prevalent for centuries in Mediterranean countries like Portugal, not just for its practical benefits but also for cultural and aesthetic reasons. White walls reflect sunlight and heat, helping to keep interiors cooler during hot seasons. White walls evoke a sense of cleanliness, simplicity, and brightness. White walls and red tile roofs are a distinctive part of this country’s architectural identity and charm. But our walls felt just too bright. Too stark. Too plain.

I found artist Anna Colt who was willing to travel from Lisbon to create a mural on one of our exterior walls. She submitted several design ideas based on photos we sent to her. I think the colorful and huge dahlias in our flower garden must have inspired the final design. Now we can enjoy flowers, birds, and butterflies all year, even when our natural garden is resting in the winter months.

Anna stayed with us for three days, working long hours in a heat wave. We borrowed patio umbrellas from our neighboor Miguel, and we ran fans to help Anna endure the heat.

We learned that Anna grew up in Russia and lives mostly in Prague, where she attended university. She comes to Lisbon to visit her Ukrainian boyfriend (who grew up mostly in Italy). Her international story is not unusual. We are surrounded by people with multinational experiences. And we love that.

Anna was very generous with her time and talent. Please visit her at Anna Colt Facebook

See more of her mural art here. And her portrait photography here.

Now, it's your turn to help bring art to our home. Just look at this:

As you can see, algae thrives on the leaks in the cistern (roof runoff water). Please give me your ideas for possible wall art!

Next:  Upcoming visit with a Brazilian family living in Portugal. They have been helping me learn Portuguese through daily WhatsApp conversations. Of course, I can use a translator to write messages. But will we be able to have actual live conversations?