This is week number one of our annual three-week vacation at the beach. It is also the tenth year we’ve rented a charming house that is dog-friendly. Maxie loves this place as much as we do. There are four sofas in the house and, if he could, Maxie would sleep on all them at once. Right now he’s sacked out on his bed in the living room under the television set.
It never ceases to amaze me how relaxed he can make himself. The only thing he’s thinking about in this photo is, “When is dinner time?”
Of course, a dog doesn’t have the worries that “dog” the rest of us. That’s why we retreat to a pastime like painting. Those of us who paint know how relaxing painting can be. In fact, researchers have proven that painting is one of the most relaxing activities you can do. Hungarian psychologist and researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes extensively in his books about the state of relaxation he calls “Flow.” Painters know what that experience is like. Csikszentmihalyi writes that when we humans are in a state of Flow, we are the happiest we can be.
At Alexander Art, we’ve thought a lot about making your painting experience a relaxing one. That’s one of the reasons why we added the scent of lavender to our Magic White™.
Lavender is one of the flowering plants in the mint family. We’re quite lucky that there is a lavender farm near where we vacation. We’ll be planning a trip there when the grandkids arrive. The owners of the farm have tours and hold a daily lecture on the beneficial effects of lavender.
Lavender oil is used in balms, salves, perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics. It’s even used in food. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) favored a lavender jam which she served at her table. Lavender is also an ingredient in teas used both for its medicinal properties and taste.
What we love about it is that some studies show it’s an effective treatment for medical conditions dealing with the nervous system [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/]. Other studies show that lavender oil can help with insomnia, hair loss, anxiety, and stress. The relaxing properties of lavender oil add a lot to the painting process.
When you apply Magic White™ to your canvas, you get a lot more than the ease of moving paint or mixing on the canvas. We ought to warn customers not to get so relaxed they fall asleep at their easel?
Seriously, painting with our Magic White™ will make your whole painting experience enjoyable. And, yes, relaxing too! Click here to learn more.
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