Markku Arantila / ONNELLISTEN MAA (Land of the happy) / tm•gallery 8.1.2025 — 2.2.2025

Markku Arantila
ONNELLISTEN MAA (Land of the happy)
8.1.2025 — 2.2.2025

I have painted a land of the happy, where there are no trivial or serious sources of anger. Such a happy land has to be invented by oneself. Fortunately, I happen to be an artist and can do so. In reality, there are also many lands of the unhappy that have ended up like that by following the false paths of imagination. Not everything should be believed, but anything can be painted. That’s how the world improves.

The world indeed needs improvement. That’s why I suggest that all the world’s armament funds be used to buy high-quality brushes, paper, and watercolors. I also propose that money be taxed from all the world’s billionaires and used to support watercolor painting. In addition, I suggest that all social media platforms be closed and all people be required to use the time freed from social media to paint watercolors. Furthermore, I propose that everyone’s carbon footprint be calculated, and a certain amount of watercolor painting per ton of carbon be required as compensation.

Watercolor painting is a good and healthy activity for everyone. If everyone focused intensively on painting watercolors, the world would improve quickly. Traffic would decrease, energy consumption would decrease, wars would end, mental health would improve. Even idle talk would cease because when painting watercolors, one doesn’t have time to talk about anything. Painting watercolors calms social media rage and other low-minded anger. It develops the eye and the hand, and it refines silly imaginations into beauty. If everyone just painted watercolors, no one would have time to do anything silly. No one would buy or use unnecessary junk, and such things would no longer be produced.

If someone claims that painting imaginary landscapes is an escape from reality, the truth is exactly the opposite. Much of the desires and thoughts buzzing in a person’s mind are fantasies that come and go, having nothing to do with facts. Yet we believe every bit of nonsense that comes to mind is absolutely true, every day, in small and large matters.

Painting doesn’t fantasize, it exists. Painting produces pleasure without health risks: no fat, no sugar, zero calories.

– Markku Arantila