No, I can’t claim the picture above, at least not the design or the choice of colors. You’ll notice a small “Happy Color” logo in the corner of the picture. I can claim the finished image because I clicked on each color and placed it on its number on the outlined picture.
“Happy Color” is a Paint by Number program. You may have encountered Paint by Number canvases in the past. This one, however, is electronic and not nearly as messy as the original Paint by Number products that required oil or acrylic paints and turpentine to clean the brushes. If you are a closet artist who doesn’t like the mess, you can find the app for this program at the app store on your computer.
So why am I sharing this glimpse of this program? Being in the at risk age group, my husband and I have sheltered at home, going out rarely, being very diligent about our masks and our gloves. This shift in our world though has begun to wear on me as I’m sure it has begun to wear on others. What is a person to do when the normal rhythms of life are suddenly changed or interrupted?
Some people knit. Some paint. I’m sure this summer, many gardened. My daughter took some classes. I’m a writer and I’ve used some of this unwanted “spare” time to finish my novel, THE HOUSE ON ALDERSON ROAD, soon to be available. But I find that even creativity grows stale when there is too much time to indulge it. The colors and the ease and simplicity of this electronic game, Happy Color, provide a wonderful way to go away from the ugliness and the conflict for a while into mindlessness surrounded by beautiful “happy” colors. I highly recommend it.
So in our year of the plague, stay safe. Wear your mask to protect others as well as yourself. Lather on the hand sanitizer. Need I mention Social Distancing? Good. I won’t.