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One of my favorite new artists on our site is Vladimir Gorsky -- have you heard of him? He's fairly famous. Born in Moscow, he immigrated to the U.S. in the late '80s and has since built himself quite a name as an American artist. His work ranges from enormous canvases to tiny gold-leaf paintings on wooden eggs -- but what I'm fascinated with lately are his Pop Art masterpieces.

Marilyn Monroe
By Vladimir Gorsky

Isn't it cool? It's from Gorsky's popular new Pop Art Celebrity Portraits collection, where he captures Hollywood idols and world-famous icons in bright, vivid colors. A la Andy Warhol, the images are oversized, reflecting the stars' larger-than-life personas.

Frank Sinatra
By Vladimir Gorsky

James Dean
By Vladimir Gorsky

East of Eden was the first movie I ever saw with James Dean, way back when. Boy, was I crazy about him! And who could blame me?

Well, that's it from me this week. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out our new Vladimir Gorsky art prints -- especially if you're an Old Hollywood movie buff!

We've touted the benefits of decorating with mirrors many times in this blog. That's because mirrors are wonderfully versatile and a great way to add space and light to a room. So naturally, now that our mirror collection is up to 25% off, we thought we'd give you a shout.

Stop by our mirror collection for awesome savings on a wide range of framed and frameless styles, plus an assortment you can custom-frame to suit your own decor. Our frameless mirrors are the newest addition to this collection, and we just love the clean, polished elegance they offer:

Frameless Mirror, Round

Of course, if you prefer the framed look, you can always customize our mirrors -- and even take them for a "test run" on the color of your walls. Just click on the "Wall Color" link below the mirror of your choice and select the hue of your room.

I thought I'd start today's entry off with my favorite photo of my husband and our son. In case you forgot, Father's Day is this week, June 15!

Did you remember to make that phone call or send that gift? If not, there's still time. Besides, you know dads -- they tend to cut you a lot of slack with these things. Anyway, if you're still in the market for a great gift for Dad, check out our Father's Day Art Sale and get 15% off awesome art picks for your pop. Here's one I love:

Fatherhood
By Jay Shoots

Are you familiar with Jay Shoots' work? He specializes in black & white photography prints of babies and children, and they all seem to have the same power and tenderness you see in the image above. Plus, there are a lot of contrasts in this image: large, small, black, white, adult, infant. See what I mean? Props to Jay!

I also love this art print by Patti Mollica:

Father and Kids
By Patti Mollica:

Patti has a really skilled use of color and technique, don't you find? And as far as the subject matter goes, could anything be more fitting for a Father's Day entry (or gift, for that matter)? With their father's strength, compassion and dependability behind them, the children in this image confidently wade out into the ocean, testing their boundaries.

As a funny aside, apparently, when I was 4 years old, I accidentally pulled off my own father's wedding ring doing this very same thing! It was never found -- at least, not by us -- but fortunately, my dad was an ocean of forgiveness...

Traditions
By Stephen Reich

Somehow, I find this last art print especially touching. As a daughter to a great dad, this image reminds me of the special bond between father and daughter. The dad in this image wants his daughter to learn something, and in teaching her, he learns that he first has to let her go. Pretty powerful, when you think about it.

I think I'll close this blog entry with a shout out to my own father, my husband and all the great dads out there: Happy Father's Day, and thanks for all you do! See you next week...

Colorful New Art for Kids' Rooms

Could your kids' rooms or nursery use a little sprucing up? If so, check out the colorful new additions to our Kids' Art collection! We've just added some fun, lively images kids are sure to love, like this one:

Red Bird
By Mayberg

What's not to love about this perky red pup and his feathered companion? For the purposes of this blog entry, we've framed it up with a white molding and thin yellow mat, but you can customize it absolutely any way you like online. It's easy, just browse through our mat and frame options and find the perfect fit for your kids' room.

Here's another one we love:

Peek-a-Boo Zebra
By Yuko Lau

Artist Yuko Lau has a wonderfully whimsical series of peek-a-boo animals that kids just adore. Choose from the tiger, hippo, monkey, lion and giraffe, and again, custom frame your selection to match the room's furnishings. You can even take your artwork for a "test run" against the color of your room's walls. Simply click on "Wall Color" beneath the image you have framed.

Green Frog
By Susan Zulauf

Got a baby shower coming up? A birthday party for a niece, nephew, or one of the kids' friends? This frisky frog would make a great gift -- as would any of our charming new kids' art prints. Be sure to stop by and see our adorable new additions to our Kids' Art collection!

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!

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!

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.

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!