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Today is Wassily Kandinsky's (Dec. 4, 1866 - Dec. 13, 1944) birthday and a day well worth celebrating. Kandinsky is, after all, one of the first artists to experiment with Abstract Art. Surprisingly, though, he only started drawing and painting at age 30 -- up until that time, he'd had a successful career in law and economics. He is renowned for his bright, expressive Abstract works.

Did you know that Kandinsky was also an accomplished musician? His approach to painting was incredibly lyrical. Here's a quote I love:

Colour is the key. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically. -- Wassily Kandinsky

Isn't that poetic? And here's an example of Kandinsky's artistic vision put to paper:

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) 1913
By Wassily Kandinsky

See the bright, swirling shapes? Every one of Kandinsky's artworks is like a visual symphony of colors, form, visual rhythm and balance. Here's another example:

Komposition X 1939
By Wassily Kandinsky

Although he eventually studied art in Munich, Kandinsky was largely a self-taught artist. He had had a fascination with color and form from an early age, and it suddenly bloomed onto canvas later in life.

I don't know about you, but for me, that's pretty inspiring. That's not to say it doesn't take work. But you really never know what hidden creative genius lies inside you until you start exploring! Until next week...

Remember the good old fashioned Christmas Wishlists you used to give your parents when you were a kid? Whether you knew it or not, you really made holiday shopping easy on them by letting them know exactly what you'd love to receive!

If you want to give your friends and family thoughtful, personalized gifts this year, you can offer them the option of creating a Christmas Wishlist on our site. That way, they can hand-pick just the right wall art to suit their homes and decorating needs. It's easy. All they have to do is:

1. Click on My Gallery at the upper right of any page.
2. Go to Create a New Gallery.
3. Enter the Gallery Name and Email Address fields, and click Create My Gallery.
4. From there, start browsing the site for art.
5. When they find something they love, they can custom frame it to suit their decor (or not!) and click the Save in My Gallery button to the bottom left of the image.

Once your giftees create their galleries, they can share them with you by telling you their Gallery Name and the email address they used to create it.

Here in the Midwest, the weather's been mighty chilly the past few days. We've had plummeting temperatures, plenty of snow, and as of yesterday, a whopper of an ice storm. Just look at this ice-covered bush outside my house:

It's beautiful, isn't it? I love the way the colors play on each other -- the red berries, the crisp white snow and the dark, silhouetted branches. Quite seasonal colors and themes, actually!

I'm working at home today (too chilly to venture outside!), so I thought I'd let my creative juices flow a little and pick out a few works of art inspired by the seasonal color scheme above. What do you think?

It was really fun to play with combining different elements here, from the black and white photography to the Abstract art and still life with flowers. A set like this works surprisingly well together, and it also has a lightly seasonal effect. Who says decorating for the holidays has to be all holly and ivy?

Until next week...

Wait a minute...where did December go? Here we are, mid-month, and Christmas is just around the corner. The 25th may seem a long way away, but in fact, there are just 6 days left to order QuickShip Art in time for Christmas!

QuickShip Art always makes a great gift. Framed and ready to hang, it ships out the next business day and is available in a wide range of subjects and styles, from Abstracts to Landscapes, from Contemporary to Traditional.

From now until Christmas all QuickShip Art is 25% off, and ground shipping is free, but you'll need to upgrade to Expedited shipping after the 17th to get it to the tree on time.

Here's our Holiday Shipping Schedule, if you need a reminder:

December 14th -- 17th: Order by Noon CST - Standard FedEx Ground (Free)
December 18th: Choose 3-day Express Shipping for $9.00
December 19th: Choose 2-day Express Shipping for $14.00
December 20th: Order by Noon CST Overnight express shipping for $20.00

After December 20th, you can still order QuickShip art, and it's still on sale until the 25th -- but it might not make it in time for Christmas. You can always send a last-minute gift certificate though! If you need more information, you can also visit our Holiday Shipping page.

Good luck with your last-minute holiday shopping!

Introducing...ArtSelect's New Savvy Decorator
Kim Counts!

Hello there, art lovers and home decorating fans! I've had a blast sharing art facts and finds with you over these many months, and now it's time for me to pass the torch to another super savvy decorator -- Kim Counts.

Kim's bringing tons of art expertise and home decorating know-how to the table, and trust me -- you're going to love her! Her industry cred is terrific. She has a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design; she has 12 years' experience in the stock photography field; she's a Fine Art Specialist; and she's also a freelance illustrator and portrait artist.

Oh, and on top of it all, she's a busy mom and wife, and she knows the challenges of juggling career, family and her personal life along with explorations in design, decorating and style.

So, readers: stay tuned for Kim's debut Savvy Decorator posting next Tuesday! I know I will...

This past Tuesday marked the birthday of Modern Art master Paul Klee -- a revolutionary artist in his time. Known for working with many different types of media -- including watercolor, oil paints and ink -- the Swiss-born German painter defied categorization throughout his career.

Head of Man Senecio
By Paul Klee

Born in Muchenbuchsee, Switzerland, Klee studied both art and music at an early age. In his teens, he decided to seriously pursue a career in art and in 1898 went to Munich to study with artists Franz von Stuck and Heinrich Knirr at the Academy of Fine Arts. After his studies, Klee traveled to Italy and then settled in Munich in 1911, where he met Franz Marc and other avant-garde artists.

By Red and White Domes
By Paul Klee

Although he was connected with the Bauhaus Art Movement and the German Expressionist Group "Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider), Paul Klee's style had its own signature flair. His paintings tended toward flat, semiabstract compositions and usually featured delicate, dream-inspired color harmonies. At once childlike and sophisticated, Klee's work was strongly influenced by music and poetry.

Lady Apart, Serigraph
By Paul Klee

During his successful career, Klee exhibited regularly and also famously taught at the Bauhaus school of art and architecture along with his friend and contemporary, Wassily Kandinsky. Today, his work is celebrated in museums worldwide, and particularly in the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland. The famed Zentrum features the world's largest collection of Klee's paintings, drawings and watercolors, in addition to biographical archives from his life.

Now that the rush of the holiday season is nearly over, it's a great time to sit back, relax and plan ahead for the new year. What are your resolutions for 2008? Whether it's making it to the gym or a starting a healthy new diet, your to-do list probably includes a lot of items that will leave you feeling refreshed and renewed, if you follow through!

The new year is a terrific time to reinvent yourself, your style and your surroundings. We're offering great discounts on all the art in our Decor Style collections up through January 6th to help you do just that!

Are you ready to infuse your home with an exotic, Global feel? Or would you rather an uptown Contemporary atmosphere? Perhaps you'd like to brighten up the Kids' rooms with a little color? Either way, when you shop art by Decor Style, you're sure to find accents that suit your style. Plus with discounts up to 25% off, it's easy to keep this New Year’s resolution!

Happy New Year from ArtSelect!