This Black Friday, Buy Baroque Art

A Peasant Man, Head and Shoulders, Shouting

Art makes an awesome gift and this Black Friday, while everyone else is running around and dealing with traffic, crowd and holiday attitudes, get the jump on Cyber Monday shopping and consider adding a little Baroque-style art for someone special on your holiday list.

You may not know the term, but you'll know the Baroque art style if you see it. It's an extremely elaborate and ornate artistic style. It's theatrical, dynamic and pops with detail and life. It was super popular in Europe during the 17th Century.

Many Baroque pieces will look posed, but there are some that capture moments in time like a snapshot from the 17th century.
A great example of that is Agostino Carracci Fine Art Open Edition Giclée:"A Peasant Man, Head and Shoulders, Shouting"
This is an outstanding print that really lends itself to be a fantastic conversation piece.
Why is he shouting?
What is he shouting?
And who is he shouting too?
This is an open edition print and the inks used in the Giclee are high quality. These inks have a color permanence rating in excess of 100 years (when properly cared for, and displayed in acceptable lighting).

Go for some royalty and let your friends wonder who the aristocratic ancestor is? In this Cornelius Johnson Open Edition Giclée:"Portrait of Alathea, Countess of Arundel" you get a haunting portrait of a lady from long ago.

This is an open edition Giclee print that postively glows with a regal air. The red of her overdress in this piece and the detail on the lace collar are simply gorgeous. This museum quality print is done on acid-free paper in the highest quality archival inks.
These are just two pieces of the many Baroque-style prints that are available in our Baroque style gallery. If you want to add something absolutely exquisite to your decor or you need an elegant gift, you cannot go wrong with a classical style artwork. 

Meditation The Other Fine Art

Do you find yourself just thinking about collapsing at the end of your busy day? Between the kids, your partner, your job, your social obligations and then personal errands, it can be difficult to relax and many people have actually forgotten the fine art of relaxation and actually must learn to do it. There's an ancient tradition that can help you relax and you don't need costly equipment to do it. You just need to make a little time for yourself.

Meditation is a wonderful way to teach your body to unwind and relax. There are many different disciplines of meditation and with a light amount of research, you will find that one that will be right for you. The most basic type of meditation is a combination of visualization and deep breathing.

Flooding your body with oxygen through deep breathing is calming in itself. The technique is to breath in through your nose and exhale long and slow through your mouth. A deep breath or two will relax almost everyone and it's a good idea to take a couple of "cleansing breaths" before you start your meditation.

Make your meditation session your own. If you enjoy music, put some on. It doesn't have to be Eastern Indian; if you enjoy country and western - put a slow song on. Remember, this is relaxation for you and you need to do what you find comfortable. Many people enjoy sitting in a sunny spot and allowing the sun's warm rays to bring their relaxing touch to a meditation session. Another helpful way to get relaxed is to create a focal point. A good way to do this is to have a painting or sculpture to concentrate upon and start letting your thoughts wander as you do your deep breathing.

Meditating daily for about twenty to thirty minutes has been found to help lower blood pressure and increase oxygen levels in the body. If you've been feeling stressed and you aren't sure you even remember how to relax, take up meditation and you'll find that you can feel alot better about life in general and yourself in particular.

Wake Up Your Room With a Splash of Color!

If you're tired of your boring old living room, you don't have to run out and purchase all new furnishings to give your room a new life, just add a little flair.

Flair for a room can come in many forms. Add an area rug to add some life to the center of your room. Make a cozy gathering corner for you and your friends by placing an area rug in the corner of your room and then adding a set of chairs and a table in the area. The rug will create invisible boundaries and help this area of the room seem separate from the rest.

Another way to add flair to a room is to add a splash of bold color. You can add color in subtle ways by changing out your pillows on your sofa to something bright and lively. Add a piece of artwork in your room that is vibrant with color such as a hand pulled seriagraph by Phillipe Bertho.

A simple yet brightly colored table cloth on an occasional table or a table runner on a coffee table are both excellent ways of bringing more color into your rooms and giving the entire room more life.

Last but not least, living plants that are vibrant in color such as a flowering hibiscus with its beautiful pink and white blooms will make an outstanding statement in your room. Silk plants are also a good decor item if you have a decidedly brown thumb where plants are concerned. Either way opt for lush green leaves and bright flowers for your room - you'll love the pick-me-up your room gets from adding just a touch of bright color.

The Power of Small Elements

When you're pulling together the entire look of a room, you can use small elements in your design to make the entire look blend and flow as a whole.

When you're adding pieces to your room. Consider the design impact of every single item you bring into the room no matter how small or needed purely for function. For example, if you find you need shelving, a great addition to any room are ornately scrolled brackets. You can do so much more with them than you might think. They can be used as focal points on walls, used for pure function to create shelving that is very individual to your decor, used to set off a fireplace mantel, draw attention to a doorway or highlight an artwork on your wall.

Another way to add a "little" flair to your room is to add a small mirror or even better a small collection of mirrors. Mirrors can do the job of adding the illusion of space to your walls as well as adding some character to your decor. They also reflect light and will automatically brighten a room.

Small statues work wonderfully in most rooms. Put them on a shelf or on a table beside a lamp. If you have a small collection small statues or sculptures, display them in a lighted curio cabinet for extra impact in your room.

There are so many ways to use small items to make your space more "you". If you have a love of small dogs for example, a small lithograph of your favorite breed will meld beautifully into your decor and your interior will still have your personal design stamp.

Think Ahead to Spring

Sure it's cold now but spring will soon be upon us and if you don't have time to go till up your yard to make a garden area, a great solution can be the creative placement of planters around your yard. Not all plants do well in planters but you can make a glorious springtime presentation in your yard if you choose your plants wisely. Whether you choose small, medium, large or extra-large planters, you can make a great display.

In a small planter, put delicate looking violets. For as fragile as they look, they are really quite hardy plants and if you're the type that doesn't remember to water your plants on a regular basis, violets are very forgiving. If you'd like something a little aromatic, try planting some lavender. It has a delicate scent that attracts hummingbirds in the early morning and late afternoon hours as well as butterflies and bumble bees. Two herbs that make a nice presentation in a planter are Rue and Feverfew. Both will produce a lot of leaves and masses of small delicate flowers.

Wild flowers also look nice in planters. When you buy the mixed packets, you are never sure exactly what you'll get but generally they begin blooming in the mid-to late spring and continue until the late summer. Bulb flowers such as tulips and jonquils do very well in planters and if you live in a cooler climate, they will thrive. In the winter, many people advise to dig up your bulbs and wrap them in dry paper and store them in a cool, dark area like a basement or a cupboard in your utility room.

Bring the blooms of spring indoors to your walls with a beautiful piece of artwork that is literally dripping with fresh colors. A gorgeous piece with flowers all around will bring the freshness of spring into your home.

Add Space With Shelves and More!

It's no secret that wall shelves can do wonders when you are looking to add some extra storage space to any of the rooms within your home. While this is true, wall shelves can also be wonderful when you are looking to find great ways to give your decor a little boost.

A great way to set off a wall shelf set is to display a single sculpture or perhaps a set of framed artworks. A single piece on a shelf will lend the idea that the piece is not only unique but also valuable. If you want to further enhance the illusion, choose a reproduction print that is printed on canvas and enhanced with brush strokes. To all but the trained eye, this type of print often is mistaken for an actual artwork. Other people just don't like prints and prefer an artwork on canvas. Printed reproduction piece or not. Many of the canvas pieces are signed by the original artist, just like the original painting as well, increasing the value in many cases of the reproduction piece, especially in the case of a limited edition run where only a set amount are numbered and signed.

If you want to add a touch of "you" to your room. Put a collection of sentimental photos or items on a wall shelf. You could include your now-grown children's first hand prints cast in plaster beside their own children's hand prints to show off both your kids and your grand kids. Other fun items include vacation photos, weddings and more. If it has sentimental value, include it.

Viva La Difference!

No one captures the beauty of diversity better than James Rizzi. His whimsical creations have been delighting collectors for years now.

He is best known for his 3-D artwork where he typically made an etching then printed it twice and hand colored it. One etching was then placed on top of another one and slightly moved over so the other etching could be clearly seen underneath. Windows in buildings, photos, picture frames and various other items would be cut out of the top artwork so the bottom artwork could shine through, enhancing the 3-D appeal of the artwork.

His other serigraphs include the highly detailed, "We're All the Same But Different" has a huge number of individuals with each one doing something different. All of the individuals in the artwork are at a party and each one is wearing something different and drinking something different from everyone else. There are people with flasks, glasses and bottles. This would make an outstanding addition to a living room or a central piece in your bar area.

This serigraph would make an equally good gift if you're looking for an unusual gift for a special friend. When you have a serigraph matted and framed at Gallery Direct, only museum quality archival items are used. The print is protected from touching the mat and therefore no acids can exchange in the papers so there is no break down of the papers used for both matting and the serigraph itself.

With the dark black outlines, a simple black frame would be outstanding for displaying this piece.Choose a double mat that picks up different colors in the piece and you'll have a memorable piece of art for your wall.

Tame Those Large Walls With Art!

Making a small room seem larger is a well-known and often used decorating trick. A less used but much needed skill when decorating your room is the ability to make a large wall with high ceilings seem cozy without making the room seem closed in or substantially smaller.

Putting up a large impact piece is one way to break up the monotony a large wall can sometimes bring to a room. A replica piece such as a Claude Monet classic "Poppies" done in a huge 42-inch by 53-inch artwork will make a stunning impact piece on your wall. The brightness of the piece with an elegant museum quality frame will not only give you the impact you seek for your wall space but an artwork that will last for years upon years to come because it is made from archival items. The print is also printed on canvas and then brush stroked to with a heavy bristled brush to give it an air of realism.

Claude Monet is a still a very popular artist for collectors, however he wasn't as popular in his day. In fact, his first showing of his impressionist art was so ill-received that a near riot ensued and his first outing as a professional artist was considered a total and absolute flop. Undaunted and completely believing in his style of expression, he continued to develop his loose style of painting and eventually influenced an entire generation of painters and continues to be considered the Father of the Impressionist movement to this day. If you don't want to do a huge impact piece, an alternate route you can take is to create a large impact piece from many smaller pieces.

If you have a large wall that is giving you a headache trying to incorporate it into your decor scheme, use these tips and use your wall to give your room some impact!

Build the Ultimate Collection of Oil Paintings

Any kind of art buff is sure to come across hundreds and hundreds of oil paintings in their lifetime. If you happen to be a fan of the look of oil paints, then you would probably benefit greatly from a look into the rich history of this painting method. Over the years, the paints as well as the artists may have changed, however the beauty and the depth that only an oil painting can provide will always stay the same.

In a nutshell, oil paint as the basis for all oil paintings consists of a drying oil that is rich with small pigments of color. This is a slow-drying process that happens to date way back into years as early as England in the thirteenth century. Some of the different ingredients to have been used in oil paints over the years include castor, linseed, soybean, safflower, walnut, poppy seed, hemp seed, sunflower and pine nut oils.

The beauty of oil paints for many artists is the sheer fact that these paints are so slow in drying that they can last in the open air to be used for several different sessions on the same project. Fans of oil paintings are also sure to agree that this is a medium with one of the best ways to blend colors.

A short list of artists who have been known to create some of the most incredible works of art with oil paints include Antonello Da Messina, Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Giorgio Vasari, and Jan Van Eyck and you can get many of their masterpieces available through realistic prints on canvas.

Great Gift for the Hard to Buy For Art Lover

Sometimes, nothing is worse than having a hard time when trying to figure out what kind of a gift to give the art lover in your life for a special occasion. Do you have a relative who is celebrating a landmark birthday? Perhaps you have a close friend who is going to be getting married or even moving into their very first home. No matter what the occasion may be, if they are into art, then it should be a "no brainer" when it comes to the gift that you should give.

Even though you may already know that the gift recipient that you have in mind loves various forms of art, sometimes it can be quite a bit harder than you would think to come up with the perfect gift. For example, you might know the particular style that they are fond of or even an artist or two that they really enjoy collecting. Yet, art is never something that you can end up picking out for somebody unless you happen to know them really well, that is, well enough to read their thoughts when they lay eyes on a certain piece.

For such occasions when you cannot seem to choose something for your art fanatic, the best possible option is a gift certificate for Gallery Direct Art. You can choose a gift certificate in any denomination, from $25 on up to $500. This way, you can be sure that they will be able to pick out just the right piece to go in their home or office space.

Turn Up Your Decor With Custom Framed Art

If you are spending a good deal of money on a particular art piece that you are simply in love with, then you are certainly going to want to make sure that you have a wonderful place for it in your home or office. Any time you are looking for the best possible way to display your art, you should really think about having it framed. Of course, you could always take your art once you receive it off to a framery to have the work done. But, that can take quite some time and you may even end up having to pay all sorts of extra shipping costs. In addition to that, there is usually nothing worse than having your treasured art in your possession one moment, only to have it off to be framed the next.

When you make your art purchase from Gallery Direct Art, you can choose the option to have your painting or print custom framed and then delivered to your home or office. Included in this beautiful framing service, you will get your purchased print along with a stunning, solid hardwood frame moulding, and picture glass. You will even receive all of the hardware for hanging so your artwork is ready to place in your desired space from the very moment that it arrives.

Custom framing is the perfect choice for the savvy art fan. You will also find that custom framing can be just right as a gift for anyone on your shopping list.

How Do You Spell Cozy? K-I-M-B-L-E

Have you ever had the chance to visit a home where you felt comfortable and cozy from the very minute that you walked in through the front door? Unfortunately, this is not a feeling that you can experience with every home that you visit, however it is quite possible when you stop by a home that is decorated with wonderful country artwork. If you have ever been in a home decorated with such a style, then you are already more than aware of the calming and soothing effect that such decor can have on the human soul.

If you are looking to bring some of that same country feel into your current living space, you can do so with the simple addition of one or more of the wonderful works available by artist Warren Kimble. One of the most celebrated folk artists of his time, Warren Kimble is very well known for his use of exaggeration and incredible, bold color. Whether you are a fan of nautical themes, cats, beautiful Vermont landscapes or fruits and flowers, you are sure to find a bevy of Warren Kimble designs that will speak to your soul.

The nice thing about many of the pieces created by Warren Kimble is that they really stand the test of time. You can rest assured knowing that a Warren Kimble that is purchased today will look just as incredible in your living space twenty years from now. All you have to do is find the right piece for your home and your personality and you are sure to become hooked on this artist!

A Great Gift for Valentine's Day

Nothing could be better for Valentine's Day than an artwork depicting the innocence of a childhood love letter. The masterpiece by Bob Byerley is available as a hand signed and numbered limited edition is titled "The Love Letter" and is reproduced as a beautiful giclee print.

It featured a girl in her teens grinning as she reads a love letter while her younger sister dies laughing in the background. The colors are rich and the whimsical feeling of the painting will delight everyone that sees this work. The painting is 16-inches by 20-inches and there are only 350 in this series, once those are sold, there will not be any more. If you're looking for a gift for someone that is both beautiful and fun for Valentine's Day, consider this painting as they will be thrilled and it would be even more special if you happened to have been childhood sweethearts as well.

As with the other artworks here are at Gallery Direct Art, you get to choose your matting and framing options. If you know the decor for the home you are buying this for, get the frame in a color to match the wood in the room it will be hung in. If you don't know or arent' sure, a good rule of thumb is to match the frame to one of the darker browns in the artwork itself so it will be self-matching and will blend easily into any interior design.

Give the gift of a fun memory, all girls remember that first innocent love letter.

Add Some Passion to Your Walls!

The artist Hessam Abrishami knows and his outstanding work of art has even released on a hand signed and numbered limited edition giclee on canvas. The piece is titled "Color of Passion" and it features vibrant colors and is a really striking piece. If you're looking for an impact piece for your room, this would make a great choice.

Giclee prints on canvas look like an original artwork. If you want the look of an original artwork without the cost, a giclee print is the way to go. Giclee in itself is a very interesting process for creating prints. The process of giclee was originally created to "proof" art prints to see if the print renderings were ready for mass printing but it was soon discovered the proof was as good as what was produced. The term actually describes any high resolution ink jet printer produced print. Most giclee prints are made with archival inks that are fade resistant and with pigments that hold their light fastness for years to come. Just as serigraph represents any fine art that was produced through silk screen printing methods, a giclee print was produced digitally through the use of an ink jet printer.

This particular giclee is printed on canvas and then mounted, creating a large finished piece that measures 30 inches by 60 inches. The vivid colors will lose none of their impact in the translation from original to giclee and best of all, this limited edition giclee is signed by the artist just like an original piece!

Artwork Fit For the King of the Beasts

Simon Combes is an amazing artist that turned his love of big cats into a large part of his art that he creates. He has a stunning work available in a 150 run limited edition. The piece titled, "In His Prime" depicts a young male lion leading his pride from a muted and dreamily colored background into a bright and sunny plain. You can feel the steam from the African day and the sheer heat that is depicted in this piece.

Simon Combes grew up in Africa and has a first hand knowledge of his favorite subjects, big cats. His beautiful animal portraits and sweeping landscapes earned him honors from The Society of Animal Artists, the Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show and the Florida Wildlife Expo. In the early 1990s, Combes set out to paint a series of the world's largest cats for The Greenwich Workshop, a project which eventually resulted in the trade book Great Cats: Stories and Art from a World Traveller and included in the book is a collector's portfolio of limited edition prints.

His artworks are collected all over the world and he's a prized artist in both private and public collections. Part of Combes' mission is to raise awareness about wildlife conservation through his art. He is a large contributor and has served on the councils of several wildlife conservation organizations.

Now that you know a little more about this amazing artist, help the big wild cats stay wild and support his art by adding a limited edition piece to your own personal collection.

Spirit Bear- One Artist's Work Towards Helping Endangered Species

The sad truth is, some animals that we have known all of our lives may not exist when our children have children of their own. One artist in particular is working to try to change that.

The Artist Robert Bateman is an internationally known artist that was even commissioned to create a painting that served as the wedding gift for the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles from the people of Canada.His work is also represented in the collection of HRH The Prince Philip, the late Princess Grace of Monaco and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. Bateman has had many one-man museum shows throughout North America, including an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; most of these shows have drawn record-breaking crowds.

He has a beautiful limited edition giclee print titled,"Salmon Watch - Spirit Bear". It is a large piece measuring about 24-inches by 36-inches and is rich with color. Bateman's realistic portrayals of his wildlife subjects are outstanding in their clarity and colors. This artwork in particular is breathtaking and is only available in a limited edition of 180 prints.

Bateman's art reflects his commitment to ecology and preservation and he has worked tirelessly since the 1960's to educate the public through art and public appearances of the importance of environmental and preservation issues. Many of his limited edition print runs are used as fund raising efforts towards helping endangered species, such as the Grizzly Bear depicted in this artwork.

Nervous About Buying Art Online?

You know that it looks odd, but you are not quite sure if you should say anything. Is this the feeling that you have gotten in the past when you lay eyes on a gigantic piece of wall art on display at the home of a close friend, acquaintance or relative? This is often times something that you will come across because many people are not exactly sure of the right size they should choose for the walls in their home or apartment. Lucky for you, since you have seen the damage that the wrong size can cause aesthetically, you can look into finding a couple of tips that should help you to choose the right size wall art or sculpture every single time.

Chances are very good that you are not going to be able to eyeball the position of every piece of art that you will be placing in your home. Some people will go ahead and begin measuring in order to find the right size for every sculpture or painting. While this may work for some folks, others really need a bit more of a visual aid to ensure that they are making the right choice.

Does this make you nervous about buying art online? Never fear - there is a very easy solution. In order to see if it will be the right size for your wall without overpowering it, you can always take a piece of paper measured and cut to the same size. Go ahead and stick this up to the wall in the position that you desire, then take a look at it from several different angles to see if it will work. If you're using several pieces to create a theme, you can use papers cut to scale and get a real feel for how it will look best on your walls. And best of all you can do this for any room in your home from the kid's rooms to the bathroom to your living room.

Use these tips and make your art buying easy - why pass up the great deals online when you can arrange and choose the best sizes for your walls so easily?

Tips For Using Your Art!

So, you have no problem at all when it comes to choosing all of your favorite art pieces to decorate your home with, but how are you with your hanging skills. After all, a painting is only as good as the look that it has once it is on your wall! The last thing you want is to have an incredible framed print or oil painting that you have been dying to get, only to have it hung up in a crazy manner on one of the walls within your home, apartment or office space. Luckily for all of those people who aren't sure how to hang up their wall art, there are a couple of tips that you can follow to ensure a great look every time.

Do you have a problem when you are trying to find just the right position to hang a piece of art on your wall? Sometimes it can be confusing when you are trying to figure out if you have something position too high or too low. A nice rule of thumb to go by is making sure that the center of the piece is right about eye level for the average adult. Certainly, you will have to tweak this tip from time to time depending on the size of the painting itself as well as the height of your room of choice.

Another good thing to look for is the amount of lighting that you have in the area that you are thinking of decorating with wall art. The last thing you want is for your precious piece of art to get lost in a room without proper lighting. In this case, you can always use accent lighting to boost the look of the wall space.

Last but not least, choose art works that you personally are drawn to. Don't choose a beige painting because it looks so great in your living room, get it because you love the subject matter - art should be an extension of your own personality - give the room your own personal touch using art!

Viva La Difference!

Have you ever just wanted to make a statement through your interior decor choices? Such a statement can be very easy with a smart and savvy art selection for any one of the walls within your home. Certainly, you are going to want to make a bit of an art choice that will speak of your tastes and personality. However, there is nothing wrong with stepping outside of the box every once in a while and doing something that is a little bit different than the type of art that you would normally choose for your home, apartment or even the office.

Sometimes, something as simple as a terrific grouping of framed art can be just the thing to change the entire look of a room. You are guaranteed to see that a wonderful grouping can be a fabulous way to draw the attention to that area, making a nice focal point for anyone who lays eyes on it. Finding a trio of framed prints by one of your favorite artists might be a whole lot easier than you would think, especially when you take into account how many amazing choices are available for shopping online.

If you happen to be a person who is somewhat animated, you can always go with a bold splash of color with your framed grouping. Although cartoon-like images might be the first thing to come to mind, there is no reason why you cannot have a selection of sophisticated pieces that really pop with color!

Accessorize Your Home Decor With Canvas Art

You do not necessarily have to be an art expert in order to know what works and what doesn't within your living space. Many times, people like to purchase art solely because it speaks to them and not just because somebody told them that they should like it or buy it. Once you find a certain style that you happen to be very fond of, you just might find yourself on a bit of a spending spree until you have gathered up quite a collection. When it comes to great choices in wall decor, you could see that canvas art will be one of your favorite choices.

Having a nice collection of canvas art in your living space can speak to you on so many different levels. You will have the feeling of comfort each and every time you lay eyes on your chosen pieces of canvas art. In addition to that, each particular piece is almost guaranteed to spark up all sorts of interesting conversations with the guests who have a chance to visit your home.

With some many artists choices available, it is no wonder that canvas art is so popular with those who love to use art to express themselves. You can always go with something breathtaking such as a Monet or even subtle with a Van Gogh. Still life, portraits, florals and more are all waiting for you in the incredible world of wall art. All you have to do is find enough room on your walls at home to display everything that you purchase!