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Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
Find Your Own Pot of Gold: 15% Off All Green Art this Week!
All my life, St. Patrick's Day has inadvertently held strong significance for me. Although I'm not Irish, I attended an elementary school named St. Patrick's, and the teachers there (nuns from Ireland, no less!) taught us traditional Irish dancing, which we performed on March 17th. Then, I went to college in Savannah, Georgia -- a city known for its over-the-top St. Pat's festivities, including turning the river green and throwing a huge parade and party.
This year promises to be a bit more low-key for me, but I'm happy to announce that ArtSelect is holding a St. Patty's Day Art Sale from March 11-17. In between munching your shamrock cookies (or however you celebrate St. Pat's!) be sure to stop by. We're offering 15% off all of our vibrant, green-hued art prints, like this fresh floral piece:
There's something so inspiring and uplifting about green, isn't there? The color seems to carry with all sorts of connotations of spring, renewal and regeneration. And according to color therapy lore, you can use green in your decor to promote healing, relaxation and revivification. What do you think? Does this little guy revive you?
These are just a few of the images that you'll find in our St. Patty's Day Art Sale. As you see, there's a wide range of genres and art mediums, including landscapes, photography and Abstract Art. You'll also find some Art Deco, like this luscious piece by Tamara de Lempicka.
Well, like I said, I'm not Irish, but somehow it seems fitting to end today's post with a traditional Irish Blessing. Have a great week!
May your blessings outnumber]]> -
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
~Irish Blessing
The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
This week, an ArtTherapy San Francisco article posed one of the age-old home decorating dilemmas to readers: should you hang art in your bathroom?
It's a long-standing debate, and there are certainly pros and cons. On the one hand, you want every room in your home to look beautiful and reflect your signature style -- but on the other hand, art tends to warp in bathrooms due to temperature fluctuations and steam from the shower. Nonetheless, according to the ArtTherapy survey, most home decorators are going for it anyway!
Reading over the poll results, the general consensus was that it was ok to display art in the bathroom so long as you don't overly invest in it. Framed snapshots were popular, as were smaller-sized art prints, art found on sale, and non-warping art items like mirrors and sculpture.
One thing that struck me was how many readers said they used the bathroom as a place to hang art that was more kitschy, fun or risque than art they'd display elsewhere in the home. Vintage art posters, nudes, and other kinds of cheeky or intimate images came up as examples. When you think about it, it makes sense. After all, for a lot of women, the bathroom is a bit of a boudoir -- a place to put on make up, light candles and take long baths. A beautiful nude, for instance, is evocative of the sensual nature of the boudoir.
What about you? What do you hang in your loo? Send me your comments, and see you next week!
]]> -Destiny Hope Cyrus or Hannah Montana...We've Got Her Posters!
It's official. According to a recent People Magazine article, the wildly famous teen actress Miley Cyrus, daughter of Country rocker Billy Ray Cyrus, has changed her name to "Miley Ray Cyrus." The actress was originally born "Destiny Hope Cyrus," but her father nicknamed her "Miley" because she was such a "smiley baby." Now, the actress is officially changing her name to "Miley" and adopting "Ray" as a middle name to honor her father.
On TV, Miley is better known as "Hannah Montana," the dual-lived teen diva who goes by "Miley Stewart" by day. Whew! That's a lot of names for one girl! But whether you know her as Miley, Destiny Hope or Hannah, you can have her on your walls today -- whether in a poster, a framed art print, or a texture-glazed Framed Posterz.
Be sure to check out our new Hannah Montana collection!
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
Hey folks! You know me -- I'm always scouting out great home decorating deals and art sales for you. So here's another: ArtSelect's Leap Year Art Sale.
Here's the scoop: our Leap Year Sale is full of beautiful custom-framed art that's up to 35% off. Pretty good deal, huh? It's a great opportunity to find discounts on wall art for your spring redecorating. Also, if you spend $300 or more, you get an additional 10% off, which brings your total savings to almost 50%. I'd say that calls for an exclamation mark!
Just remember to use the promo code "LEAP" at the checkout. But the sale ends this Friday, February 29th, at midnight, so better "jump" to it soon... See ya next week!
]]> -Which is the Fairest for Your Wall?
As every savvy decorator knows, it's easy to add space and light to a room by hanging a few well-placed mirrors on the walls. Mirrors naturally reflect light -- whether from an open window or an overhead lamp -- and they have a wonderful way of adding life and sparkle to dull spaces.
Now's a great time to revisit our mirror collection, since we've just added a new line of fresh, frameless styles! The beauty of unframed mirrors is that they blend seamlessly with just about any furnishings or decor styles.
round mirrors:
oval mirrors:
square mirrors
Westminster style mirrors:
...and many other frameless mirror styles! So there you have it -- a wide array of choices to choose from. Which is the fairest for your decor?
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
You remember last week's posting about that tragic art theft from Zurich's Buehrle Collection? Great news! Swiss police have recovered 2 of the 4 famous stolen paintings.
According to a recent BBC article, Monet's Poppies near Vetheuil and Van Gogh's Chestnut in Bloom were found in the back seat of a white car parked (of all places!) outside a local psychiatric hospital. As you might expect, the museum director was extremely pleased to have recovered the paintings, and he's hopeful the others will turn up as well.
In the interim, perhaps you've been wondering why ArtSelect does not offer fine art reproductions of these images on our site? Much as we'd love to offer prints of every single Monet or Van Gogh painting ever created, sometimes it's just not possible, due to estate and museum ownership rights, printing permission, etc.
Having said that, though -- we do have quite sizable collections for both artists in our online gallery. And the good news is, you don't have to steal them to enjoy them on your walls!
Be sure to check out our beautiful selection of Monet titles, like this one:
And stop by our Van Gogh collection as well:
See you next week, and may the 2 missing titles reappear!
]]> -Spring's just around the corner -- thank goodness! That means, it'll soon be that delightful time of year where clothing, furniture and home decor designers across the country start ushering in a fresh new palette of seasonal colors. To help you get started on your spring decorating, we're offering 15% off all the art in our seasonal 2008 Color Trends Collection:
We've done our homework on this year's trends and this season, designers are looking to the lush, oasis-inspired colors and tones of the tropics and the Mediterranean. 2008's most inviting hues in design are:
Golden Olive – warm, earthy
Daiquiri Green – uplifting, inspiring
Cantaloupe – bright, fresh
Snorkel Blue –oceanic, inviting
Croissant – neutral, soothing
Pink Mist – delicate, invigorating
Here's a gorgeous Abstract artwork by artist Marlys K. Mallet that happens to feature every one of these delicious colors!
Inspired to explore 2008's freshest new colors in art? Jump-start your spring decorating and check out our 2008 Color Trends Collection!
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, the romantic in me wanted to dedicate this post to lush, love-themed artwork...and yet, the journalist in me can't resist reporting this headlining news story in the world of art:
You can click on the links above to read the original story, but apparently, there's a band of art thieves on the loose in Switzerland. Just a few days ago, a team of 3 masked, armed men broke into the Buehrle Collection and relieved it of the 4 famous oil paintings you can see above: Boy in a Red Jacket by Paul Cezanne, Viscount Lepic and His Daughters by Edgar Degas, Poppies Near Vetheuil by Claude Monet and Blossoming Chestnut Branches by Vincent van Gogh. The incident follows on the heels of yet another theft -- 2 Picassos! -- from a nearby cultural center just last week.
Clearly, some crooks out there have good taste! My question is, what on earth will they do with these precious works? I mean, it's not like red flags won't be raised if they try to actually sell them! Who knows though -- maybe these sticky-fingered thieves just happen to love art. They're certainly risking a lot to obtain it.
Speaking of love (you knew I'd find a segue, didn't you?!), it's definitely in the air this week. Have you found the perfect gift to woo your sweetheart with? If you're looking to go the extra mile (i.e. not just flowers and chocolate), be sure to browse our Art of Romance collection for sensual artwork that will inspire your Valentine's romantic side all year round -- like this lush print by Pierre August Cot:
By Pierre August Cot
Looks like we have yet another thief on our hands -- Cupid. Clearly, the wiley little guy has stolen both of the young lovers' hearts. ;-)
Enjoy your Valentine's Day!
]]> -A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature
to stop speech when words become superfluous.
-- Ingrid Bergman
Throughout history, great kisses have inspired many a legendary song, poem, photograph and painting. Think about it -- how many songs can you think of that feature the word "kiss"? If you ponder it a moment, dozens will probably come to mind.
Some of art history's most famous artworks feature lovers kissing, like this classic Gustav Klimt image, entitled simply, "The Kiss":
This rich, ornate piece is arguably Klimt's most famous work of art. It was painted in 1907-08, and today appears reproduced on calendars, T-shirts, stickers, temporary tattoos and in all sorts of surprising places.
This black and white photograph taken in Times Square in New York City on Victory Day, after World War II ended, features another powerful pucker-up. The photograph, snapped by U.S. Navy photo journalist Victor Jorgensen, captures a passionate embrace between a returning sailor and a nurse -- who apparently did not know each other. Many people claim to be the man and woman shown in the photo, but to this day, the mystery has not been solved.
Going back to the mid 1800s, the following image beautifully captures a stolen moment between a young man and woman in a courtyard or castle in Italy. In that time period, the social mores dictated much higher levels of modesty for young lovers -- which makes this image (and the kiss it depicts!) all the more delicious.
Moving forward again to the 21st Century, this fourth and final image depicts a scene fraught with romantic tension: the moment just before a passionate kiss. The original painting is by Jack Vettriano and is aptly named. Vettriano himself is quite the romantic, and much of his work centers around lovers and their embraces.
In the mood for amore? Be sure to check out our Valentine's Day Art of Romance collection!
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
I was just browsing through our movie posters the other day and came across some truly stunning images of Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929–January 20, 1993) . What a beauty she was -- inside and out! And what talent. She's one of my mother's favorite actresses.
Have you seen her in Breakfast at Tiffany's? The 1961 Academy Award-winning film was based on the novella by Truman Capote, and in it, Hepburn was at her most delightful, elegant and memorable. In the film, Hepburn played the role of Holly Golightly, a wacky, lackadaisical New York City socialite. The actress won hearts worldwide for that film, and to this day, both Hepburn and Holly Golightly remain powerful icons for style, poise, grace and quirky, off-beat charm.
If you're a fan of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Audrey Hepburn in particular, you can easily add classic Old Hollywood glamour to your decor with a few images from our movie collection. Like this one:
This black & white photography portrait of Hepburn is another beauty:
Somehow, it seems fitting to end today's posting with this quote from Audrey Hepburn herself:
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
- Audrey Hepburn
Until next week!
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
Who Says You Have to Hang Art in a Straight Line?
One thing that really gives me a boost in the dull days of winter is scouring other design sites for inspiration. Today, I came across these snaps of some really innovative art displays from a recent Design*Sponge blog post:
Don't you just love the creativity here? There's such a varied assortment of art styles, shapes and frames on this wall, and the images are all hung at different levels. Eclectic art displays like these can turn a bare wall into a work of art. The key is to have a common theme in one way or another. Notice how, from the cuckoo clocks to the drawings and paintings, just about every artwork here features bird imagery.
Here’s another terrific display:
Isn’t this one intriguing? What really catches my eye here is all the different shapes of the artwork. Ovals, squares, rectangles, circles – there’s a little bit of everything on this wall. As we mentioned in a previous post, inventive art displays like this can really add interest to a room. Don't be afraid to mix it up a little and combine clocks, tapestries, mirrors, canvas art and more. Just be sure your display has a common element, whether color, shape, frame style or overall theme.
In my own decorating, I like to use “décor research” like this as a sort of springboard for my own creativity, and I encourage you to do the same! Browse the internet, see what others are doing, and then put your own artful spin on it. And as always, be sure to have fun! Until next week...
]]> -French artist Edouard Manet was one of the most influential artists in the nineteenth century. Although he associated heavily with the Impressionists, he forged his own path as an artist and defied categorization throughout his career.
Born in Paris in 1832, Manet was raised by a well-off, well-connected family who groomed him for a career in law. His uncle, however, regularly took the young Manet to the Louvre and encouraged him to pursue painting. In 1845, he enrolled in a drawing course taught by Antonin Proust, who would be come the Minister of Fine Arts and Manet’s lifelong friend. After several years of travel and study, Manet opened his own studio in 1856.
Manet kept the company of Impressionist artists like Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. But while he was heavily influenced by their work, he resisted exhibiting with them and being classified as Impressionist. Like the Impressionists, he often painted with quick, successive strokes, but unlike them, he also favored a much darker palette, as you can see in the following image:
There were other differences as well. Like the Impressionists, Manet painted everyday scenes from Parisian life, but unlike them, he introduced somewhat controversial elements, like the nude in this image:
Again like the Impressionists, Manet enjoyed painting outdoors -- but unlike them, he felt that studio work was equally important. His choice of subject matter also took him into decidedly non-Impressionist terrain, as in his famous war paintings.
Throughout his career, Manet was resisted by art critics and yet championed by contemporary artists like Stephane Mallarme and Charles Baudelaire. Today, he is celebrated worldwide as one of the founding fathers of modern art in the nineteenth century.
See more artwork by Manet!
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
Oh, you're gonna love this! From now until Sunday, January 27th, ArtSelect.com is offering free art! Well, not exactly free, but pretty darn close! It's like this: when you buy art between now and midnight on January 27th, ArtSelect will match whatever you spend, dollar for dollar, in an art credit account you can redeem from March 7-12.
So if you spend 50 bucks now, you'll get 50 bucks worth of art store credit in March. If you spend $308.50 now, you'll get exactly that much store credit in March, and so on. Pretty cool, huh? Sort of like a mail-in rebate -- except you don't have to go to the trouble of licking a stamp!
There are just 2 crucial points to keep in mind. 1- When you buy between now and January 27th, don't forget to enter the promo code "ArtDollars08" at the shopping cart. And 2- Don't forget to come back from March 7-12 to redeem that credit! You have just a few days, but you can use the credit to apply to anything on the site -- posters, canvas art, framed prints, whatever!
Ahhhh, it's days like this where I really love my job the most! Be sure to tell all your home decorating pals...
Feel free to read more about this offer, or start shopping now, while the deal's still on!
]]> -Paul Cezanne, January 19, 1839 – October 22, 1906
Cubist artist Pablo Picasso is famously quoted as having once referred to artist Paul Cezanne as "the father of us all," and with good reason. The Post-Impressionist Cezanne can easily be said to have bridged the gap between Impressionism and Cubism.
Born in West Piedmont, France, in 1839, Cezanne was fortunate enough to have a well-to-do father (a banker) who supported his artistic pursuits throughout his life and career. He studied art as a young boy and then went on to paint with the Impressionists in Paris. Although he loved the light, quick brush strokes of Impressionism, Cezanne soon introduced more earthy, grounded, structural influences into the style, saying, "I want to make of Impressionism something solid and lasting like the art in the museums."
As you can see, Cezanne used the quick brushstrokes and ephemeral style of the Impressionists, yet with a much stronger emphasis on composition, form and geometric shapes. These are the hallmarks of Post-Impressionist painting, which eventually led to Cubism.
Cezanne's forays into geometric simplification inspired a generation of artists -- including Picasso, Braque and Gris -- to experiment with form, and to eventually offer complex multiple views of the same subject. Thus, Cezanne sparked one of art history's most revolutionary movements -- that of modern art.
]]> - The Savvy Decorator—Tuesday Tips
Artist, Fine Art Specialist, busy mom and home decorating diva Kim Counts drops by once a week to share art facts, decor tips and more.
If you're a fan of home furnishings and accents with rich, dark hues, you might get to the point where you're finding your space getting a little, well...dark! No worries, though. You can easily lighten things up with Abstract Art.
Case in point: the drawing room of Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller, as featured in a recent DesignSpongeOnline posting (if you follow the link, scroll down to the 5th image).
See how they use an oversized Abstract artwork with light coloring to brighten this space? I just love what they've done here! Intuitively, you might not think these elements would complement one another -- the earthy, ornamental carpet; the black and chocolate-hued furniture; the large, airy Abstract -- and yet it all works!
That's the beauty of decorating with Abstracts. They can work well in a number of settings, whether Contemporary, Global, Traditional, Casual...or a little bit of each. Here's another one that could really lighten up a dark corner:
The way you frame an Abstract artwork can also help it to merge seamlessly with the other items in a room. You can use the colors in your mat and frame choices to either match, complement or artfully play against the existing palette of the room. And of course, if you're looking for a quick fix, an elegant Abstract Art poster can also do the trick, like this image by Mark Rothko:
Of course, there are lots of other ways to add space and light to a small or dark room (we wrote about this topic in April 2007 if you want a refresher).
Ok, that's it from me this week. As always, happy home decorating!
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