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I was just reading up on art and design at msn.com and came across a great article that discussed all the recent trends -- which ones are still holding their weight, and which are starting to fail. This past year, as I'm sure you noticed, woodland animals like birds, deer and bunnies were really big in everything from fashion to art and decor. Birds were particularly popular, appearing on skirts, wall paper, bedspreads...just about everywhere!

MSN article on home design trends

MSN says the bird trend is still on the wing, and I'd have to agree. If anything, I'm seeing more and more bird-themed images in the world of art. I love the selections we're getting at ArtSelect! There's something kind of nostalgic and romantic about them, like this one:

Bird Collage Study I
By Katie Pertiet

The original image was a collage, and the visual texture really carries over beautifully into this fine art reproduction. It has a lovely, Old World feel, doesn't it? We also carry some great sets in this category, like this adorable pair, which has a more contemporary feel:

Existentialism II & III
By Jennifer Goldberger

A slightly more modern take on the bird theme, wouldn't you say? I could see these two images working beautifully in a master bedroom suite...or a guest bedroom suite, or a study, or a hallway, by the umbrella rack. There's something so universal about the subject matter of bird art, isn't there? It's almost like these images would suit just about any room.

Here's one last image for today:

Maple Chorus I
By Keith Mallet

I just love the striking simplicity of this piece. With its streamlined color palette and brilliant use of shape, balance and space, this artwork is at once understated yet powerful. It also has a bit of an Asian flair, wouldn't you say? The color scheme also reminds me a bit of autumn -- which, believe it or not, is just around the corner, waiting for us to start nesting.

So three cheers for bird art, and see you next week!

p.s. By the way, all the frames you see in this entry are brand new ones we've recently added to our collection. We're always adding new mouldings to offer you more selections that will give you a perfect fit for your decor. Next time you're looking at an image, be sure to scroll down all the different frame options to the right of the image -- there are so many possibilities to consider!

Vega-Nor
By Victor Vasarely

If your summer travels happen to take you near Buffalo, NY, this year, be sure to head to the Albright-Knox museum. Aside from the gallery's already impressive collection (over 6,500 works of modern and contemporary art), the facility is also housing a terrific Op Art Exhibit -- starting today.

Whether or not you're familiar with the term "Op Art" (also known as "Optical Art"), you've probably seen works by many of the genre's most popular artists, like M. C. Escher, Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely. Like it sounds, Op Art offers the viewer some sort of optical illusion, whether hidden images or a sensation of movement, swelling or flashing. In a nutshell, it's pretty trippy stuff! Here's a fun one by Riley:

Movement in Squares
By Bridget Riley

There's a distinctly mathematical quality to all Op Art. Clearly, the artists have a strong sense of proportion, ratio and pattern, and how to manipulate depth, perspective and space using shapes, lines and color. The famous M. C. Escher was known for his mathematical prowess:

Circle Limit IV
By M.C. Escher

The Albright-Knox's Op Art exhibit lasts through most of January, and it's pretty dazzling. If you're shuffling off to Buffalo, don't miss it!

I'm sure you've heard of South African-born Canadian artist Tandi Venter by now. Her work really seems to be gaining in popularity, so I recently decided to put together some new sets to showcase her work. Here are a few:

Silver Lining
By Tandi Venter

Before Winter
By Tandi Venter

Technically, it's not winter anymore, but the images above seem to be perennial favorites among art fans and home decorators. Perhaps it's the color scheme -- these days, no matter what season it is, silver is always in. More than likely though, it's the universal, nature-inspired subject matter and the abstract, geometric flair the artist lends them.

Here's another intriguing pair. Please note, I scaled them down so you could see them side by side in this blog -- but they're about as wide as the others in actuality.

Art by Tandi Venter

I really like the peacock feathers in this pair. The set somehow reminds me of something I studied in art history, about how peacock feathers got their "eyes" in the first place. So the story goes, the Greek god Zeus seduced a priestess named Io, but then turned her into a cow to hide his affair from Hera, his wife. The clever Hera asked Zeus for the cow, and what could he do? He gave it to her, and Hera sent Zeus' son Argus to watch over it. Argus apparently had many eyes, so who better to choose as a watchdog, right? Well, father or not, Zeus didn't like Argus watching over Io the cow. So he sent Mercury to kill him (ah those Greek gods - such lovely kinfolk). When Argus' body was returned to Hera, she took his eyes and immortalized them by placing them in the feathers of the peacock. And that's how peacock feathers got their eyes...

But now I've gotten off track a bit. Back to Tandi. Here's a final set for you to take a look at today. In my books, this pair would be a great choice for the Global decorator -- partly because of the earthy colors and global-chic imagery, and partly because I've framed them up with our new bamboo frames.

Safari Sunset
By Tandi Venter

Safari Sunset II
By Tandi Venter

So that's our latest work from Tandi! What do you think of it? Drop a line and let me know. We also have a great assortment of her older work as well, so be sure to check it out. Until next Tuesday...

Lovers
By Marc Chagall, July 7, 1887

Did you happen to notice the Chagall-style banner on Google this past Monday? Kudos to Google for remembering Chagall's birthday and giving him props. The late artist is one of art history's most beloved painters, celebrated the world over for his colorful, whimsical works.

If you haven't read up on Chagall, here's a nice, brief biography about his life, art and loves:

As you can see in this video, and of course in the artist's work as well, love played a key role in Chagall's creative inspiration. He is quoted as having once said, "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." For Chagall, love, life and art were all intricately interwoven.

Here is one of the artist's most famous works, I and My Village:

I and My Village
By Marc Chagall

Goats, donkeys, lovers, flowers, vivid colors -- these are all the hallmarks of Chagall's joyful paintings. Viewing all things with equal tenderness, Chagall even saw the colors on his palette as as friends: "All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites."

On the Roof of Paris
By Marc Chagall

So a happy, happy belated birthday to Marc Chagall! Here's another great quote to end with:

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works;
if from the head, almost nothing. - Marc Chagall

15% Off Art Prints for Pet Lovers

The dog days of summer are upon us, as they say -- it was 90 F yesterday, and temperatures are supposed to keep on climbing. How are your pets holding up, if you have any? Mine are braving the heat beautifully, as you can see below:

From left to right, there's MuShu (8 years old), D'Artagnon (10), Sascha (10 1/2) and Raichu (4). They're all from local shelters, and they enrich our lives so much!

Here at the ArtSelect office, we all figured, what better way to honor our favorite pooches and pets than by having a special Dog Days of Summer Sale? It's on now, so if you're a pet lover in the market for new animal art, check it out! We're offering 15% off all sorts of adorable images, like this one:

Obsess
By Sharon Beals

Isn't he too much? Baseball is America's summer pastime, but it looks like this little guy has run off with the ball. This image is a great shot for summer, and a year-round favorite for dog-lovers, especially bully-breed fans. Here's another fun pooch shot. A "pugshot," as it were:

Pugsy Malone
By Jim Dratfield

Let's not forget our feline friends. Here's another great image from our sale collection:

Lu Lu
By Kay McDonagh

I love the simplicity of this piece. Both color and composition are understated, and yet so much is expressed. There's nothing like the quiet comfort of a cat curled up on one's lap, is there?

I think I'll finish up with this lovely piece by William Stewart MacGeorge:
The Goldfish Bowl
By William Stewart MacGeorge

It's just so lush and beautiful, isn't it? My husband is the aquarium enthusiast in our family and has a tank filled with all sorts of colorful fish.

In any case, whether your favorite pet is a dog, cat, rabbit, fish or bird, I'm sure our Dog Days of Summer collection has the perfect art print to honor him or her. Unless, of course, you own an iguana or a shark or something!

All the best, and see you next week!

Ah, I love these moments in my blogging career, where I get to hand you a great deal on a silver platter. Today's scoop is that ArtSelect is having it's annual Red Hot Summer Sale:

This is my favorite sale of the year. Everything in the sale room is beautifully custom framed and ready to hang -- which makes decorating super easy. Plus, this stuff is seriously marked down! Some pieces are 75% off! Need I say more?

Yes, actually, I do. The best part is that all of our Red Hot artwork ships for free! Woohoo!

It's like I said, right? Super savings on a silver platter. There's some really lovely stuff in there (mirrors, tapestries and other neat art finds), so be sure to check it out soon. The sale runs all month, but you want to get there before all the goodies are gone.

See you next week!

Hey folks! TGIF, right? Did you notice the slight alteration to my header, above? I decided that every now and then, I'd have a special "Friday Feature" posting to showcase some of my personal favorites on the ArtSelect site. So here's the first one:

Flaming June
By Lord Frederic Leighton

This one is such a classic. They say Flaming June was Leighton's magnum opus. I love it because it's so lush, rich and sensual -- the perfect print for summer in general, and June in particular.

Flaming June was painted by Lord Frederic Leighton back in 1895, and it's just as popular today as it was back then -- in fact, more so. I've seen it just about everywhere, printed on T shirts, calendars, coffee mugs... It's quite a universal favorite.

This image has special relevance for me as well, because I received it (not the original, of course! a fine art reproduction) as a Christmas gift from a dear friend. I have it hanging in my home now, with the same gold frame above. I couldn't have framed it better myself. The rich gold color and ornate texture really enhance the image and give it a regal finish.

This image has me inspired to go home and curl up for awhile on the couch. Ah, the lazy, hazy days of summer... See you next week!

I use Skype quite a lot at work, and I always get a kick out of seeing the ever-changing images and quotes people use on their profiles. This week, one of my colleagues had this image up:

Pop Art is for Everyone
By Billy Name

A great image and a great quote, I'd say. This quirky series by photographer Billy Name celebrates the off-beat words of Pop Art King Andy Warhol. As I'm sure you know, Warhol gained most of his inspiration from pop culture, and he felt that art was absolutely everywhere, to be enjoyed by everyone. Who but Andy Warhol could have turned the ubiquitous Brillo pad into a cultural icon, and a work of art at that?

Here's another great image from the Billy Name series:

It Takes a Lot of Work to Figure Out How to Look So Good
By Billy Name

Of course, Warhol was a social butterfly and high on his list of priorities was looking ab fab. Always easy to spot in a crowd, Warhol typically sported a signature ensemble of a black suit, a white shirt and those famous thick plastic glasses. And who could forget the hair? The birth of bed head!

Here's one more:

Think Rich, Look Poor
By Billy Name

This quote's a bit of a contradiction to the last one, wouldn't you say? Then again, Warhol was a man of many paradoxes. He hobnobbed with both homeless bohemians and New York City's most famous celebs. He spent his days turning the world of fine art on its ear by bringing everyday objects into the limelight. He was immensely social and yet incredibly private. A fascinating man, to be sure.

Anyway, my colleague's Skype window obviously got me thinking! Interesting how everyday images work their way into your mind and spark your creativity, isn't it? Somehow, I think Warhol would have approved.

Save 15% on Our Eclectic Art!

You've heard us raving about the quirky, off-beat beauty of eclectic art displays many times on this blog. With eclectic decorating, just about anything goes! You can pair mirrors with photography prints, bright colors with neutrals, oversized art with smaller pieces -- the sky's pretty much the limit.

Whether you're already a seasoned eclectic decorator or you're more traditional but wanting to get your feet wet, be sure to check out our Eclectic Art Sale. It's chock-full of intriguing little finds you can mix and match or add to your existing pieces.

As you decorate, be sure to keep this fundamental principle in mind: try to have at least one common theme -- whether size, color, subject matter, or frame style. That way, there's an underlying element that unifies your diverse selection.

And without further ado, have a terrific weekend!

New Miro Exhibit in Spain
Read the Artdaily.org article!

Heading to Spain anytime soon? I just happened to read on artdaily.org that there's an incredible new Joan Miro exhibit opening at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Apparently, the show will feature about 70 works (mainly paintings -- but some sculpture, drawings and collages as well) and will span his entire career, from 1918 to 1983. The focus is Miro's earth-themed work, of which there is, obviously, quite a lot! You should check out the article if you're lucky enough to be in the area at the time!

If, on the other hand, you're like me and a roundtrip ticket to Spain just isn't in your summer budget this year, you can still enjoy Miro quite close to home. In fact, why not in your home? Here's a bright, bold piece from our ArtSelect Miro collection:

Soleil Rouge (Red Sun)
By Joan Miro

The Spanish Surrealist artist is well known for his dramatic use of bright saturated primary colors. Clearly, Miro's work has an extraordinary Abstract bent to it! What a fascinating mind, that would interpret a dancer like this:

La Danseuse, 1925 (The Dancer)
By Joan Miro

The bright, bold colors and stylized interpretations of Miro tend to work really well with Contemporary style decor. If you tend to favor clean lines, primary colors and an overall modern look, Miro's artwork would be a great choice for your home.

Portrait of a Young Girl
By Joan Miro

Pretty incredible artist, wouldn't you say? ¡Viva Mirot!