William came across a fascinating article that he would like to share with you. The article explains an experiment designed “to see what happens in the brain when you look at beautiful paintings.” Volunteers underwent brain scans while being shown various paintings. The volunteers had little knowledge of art, so their experience would not be altered by current styles or the popularity of artists. 

“What we found is when you look at art, whether it is a landscape, a still life, an abstract or a portrait, there is strong activity in that part of the brain related to pleasure,” said Professor Semir Zeki, chair in neuroaesthetics at University College London. The art that the volunteers considered to be the most beautiful increased blood flow in a certain part of the brain by as much as 10%, the equivalent to gazing at a loved one, the article says. William found the following conclusion to be particularly interesting: ” The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting, just as it increases when you look at somebody you love.” Looking at art induces a pleasurable sensation. 

Imagine the effect of looking at not only a beautiful painting, but a beautiful painting of your loved ones! Fine portraits are a source of happiness in the home for your family, and for generations to come. The arts often suffer from budget cuts in difficult economic times. It is so sad that something which gives us great pleasure is often ignored when we need it most. It is important not to forget how much joy art brings to our lives. Please give us a call at the studio to discuss having a beautiful portrait created of someone you love. 919.493.2467.

Follow this link for more details about the study. http://www.photosforhealing.com/newsletter.asp Parts of this blog post are from a May 2011 article by Robert Mendick, senior reporter for the Sunday Telegraph.