When Julia Roberts exclaimed “Well, colour me happy!” in the movie, Pretty Woman, it got me wondering what happiness would look like if literally expressed in colour.

So I delved into dozens of colour therapy theories and scientific studies of how colour affects mood.

I sat various colours next to each other to evoke emotion — from happiness and playfulness to melancholy and mystery, eventually intuiting 50 colour combinations that defined 50 states of happiness.

I then overlaid these feelings with pattern that represents our social fabric — look beyond the rules and structure to find true feelings lurking beneath. Behind the face we present to the world, we are beings exploding with a palette of feelings as rich and vast as the entire colour spectrum.

Which totem animal helps us see beyond face value?

Owl does. Owl energy helps you see that which is not obvious — it lets you see into another dimension, so that which was in darkness, becomes now crystal clear. The owl’s piercing gaze cuts through the haze and the mystery, focusing on the prize — the deep and undeniable truth within.

The original painting “Colour Me Happy” inspired the rest of the exhibition: 50 hand-painted prints featuring colour, states of happiness and Owl.

The hand-painted prints are a result of layering five lino prints, and hand-painting the owls as the final layer. The repeated motifs throughout create a sense of rhythm and movement that is both healing and stimulating at the same time.

I also channelled an affirmation to describe what it feels like to be in each state of happiness, which is hand-written on the back of each piece in this collection.

It is my wish for you that you will be attracted to a particular colour combination, or its associated state of happiness, then be inspired by the image to bring that energy into your life each day.