Inspiration: Edgar Degas

Last weekend I was pleasantly surprised with a date to the art museum to see their impressionist exhibit.  Among the rooms of beautiful paintings was one set aside for Degas, who is easily one of my favorite artists. His paintings are lovely, emotional and normally contain the unexpected.

Ideas for bringing a little Degas into your day:

1) Some of his favorite subjects  were dancers, often in simple, pale, fluffy dresses with colored sashes. Pair a dance print with an unexpected belt or sash. If you don’t have a print then pick a simple solid to dress up. This works very well with pale colors, creams and whites.  A great example is this dress from Candy Violet.

2) Try getting a pedicure. One of Degas’ paintings feature a young girl wrapped in a blanket having her feet prettified. It seems so very cozy and relaxing.

3) Swap the fancy shoes for comfortable flats and try doing something a little more real. Maybe it’s going to the farmers market and buying your food from the people that grew it or if you have the talent for it try growing something yourself. Or perhaps the act of going to school/work is enough for you. If that’s the case then try adding some beauty to your already everyday life.

4) Dance. Just dance

5. Make art from the everyday or the forgotten. If you can’t paint or draw then grab your camera or cell phone and take a walk around. Look for ordinary things that seem particularly pretty that you wouldn’t normally notice.

6) ) Stop schooling your expressions for a day. One of the things I love about Degas’ ballerina paintings is how often he shows them in postures you don’t expect to see. Sometimes they’re draped over a chair or sprawled on the floor in exhaustion. Take just one day and don’t worry about the way you sit, if your skirt is falling just so or if your smile is perfect. You’ll still be beautiful anyways.