Inspire Your Heart with Art Day |

As I perused a series of blogs, I was intrigued by the information provided by Angie Vallejo. She was telling her readers that today would be a “sort-of” special day.

The 31^st of January is Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. First of all, I should let you know that I consider any day of the week that ends in “y” as a day that my heart can be inspired by art. My house is replete with art from the masters, from the amateurs, from the religious, from the agnostic. And, each piece I have chosen has a special place in my heart.

And, as Angie said, my art inspires my imagination and my creativity. It also calms me and intrigues me. It reminds me of where I was when I first saw the piece, the link between that painting or sculpture and a place or event. In other words, my art certainly inspires my heart.

I hope you have art around your home and your office that helps you reach the next level of contentment, creativity, and wonder. Because those are the primary reasons why we spend our money to acquire such pieces.

One of the first pieces of art I ever bought was a sculpture. It was created by one of the progenitors of art deco, Romain de Tirtoff, who went by the moniker Erte. My piece is called La Tosca, and she is a glorious example of the fashion designs with which Erte supplied the world during the roaring 20s. (1920s, folks!)

Another early piece in my collection is a painting by Dali. And, not the standard sort of Dali we all learned about in school. (Assuming you are of my age and were required to have four years of art to finish junior high school.) Nope, my possession was created by Dali when he visited Israel for the only time in his life. The surrealist painter was commissioned to create 25 paintings to memorialize the 20^th anniversary of the founding of Israel. Which meant he arrived right after the 6 day war!

Dali painted scenes from the Old Testament, World War II (and the destruction of the Jews), the irrigation plans to transform Israel from a desert to a thriving agricultural state, even folks lofting the flag.

But, no – those are still not my painting. My possession came about when I met Udi Merioz, a talented painter himself and the proprietor of the Blue and White Gallery. Dali was painting a scene that clearly possessed him. Back 60 years ago, the plaza that you all know as the area around the Western Wall (which was known as the Wailing Wall back then, which is akin to the name Dali provided- Le Mur des Lamentations) did not exist.

To reach the Wall (Kotel) back then, one had to traipse through a narrow path between slums and make a sharp right turn to take in the relatively shallow walkway in front of the Wailing Wall. (Excavations have since been made to reveal at least a score of large bricks that were part of the debris and fill from the centuries.) And, Dali was mesmerized by the folks who were praying at the wall. To him, they were angels, seeking connection to the Supreme Being. And, as I watched that painting become complete, I too was mesmerized by Dali’s vision and came back often to see the painting’s progress.. Udi arranged a financing system for me, a barely graduated college student, about to embark on another quest to obtain advanced degrees in chemical engineering, industrial microbiology, biomedical engineering, and medicine. I will just say it is still is one of my most important and memorable purchases. (The painting has always been in my dining area, opposite my seat, so I can soak in its energy and awe as I enjoy my meal [and my dinner companions].)

Or, my Peter Max. One of his Statue of Liberty paintings, replete with color and patriotism.

Which is hung right above a miniaturized statue (The Hope) by Nicky Imber. (It’s not really miniature; it’s about 2 feet tall, but it is a copy of the nearly 20 foot tall version, surrounded by three other similar structures explaining Nicky’s life under Nazi occupation and then his freedom in Israel. (Holocaust, Wandering, Hope, and Hatikva are the four statues he has erected in Carmiel, Israel.)

My series of Agam’s- the Jewish artist who uses optical and kinetic art to transport our souls to ethereal places. Next to Alexander Chen who paints scenes like the Brooklyn Bridge (my favorite) to Governor’s Island. Or Fanch Ladon who paints interiors (looking out on cityscapes and oceans) using geometry and the implied presence of participants to transport us to a time and space of wonder.

My office has been adorned with a sketch (doodle?) by Anthony Settimi that is very similar to the doodles I make while (being bored) in lectures. I fell in love with it while visiting Cambridge and Boston for an MIT Enterprise Forum event.