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What is a face, really? Its own photo? Its make-up? Or is it a face as painted by such or such painter? That which is in front? Inside? Behind? And the rest? Doesn't everyone look at himself in his own particular way? Deformations simply do not exist. —Pablo Picasso

Over the centuries, many famous artists have chosen the multifaceted beauty of women as their subject -- and their muse. The video montage below is an innovative celebration of the faces of some of art history's most famous leading ladies, each one carrying her own unique beauty.

In the video, you may have recognized some familiar images. For instance, there was Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, as interpreted by Sandro Botticelli in The Birth of Venus.

This famous work of art portrays the long-limbed goddess emerging from the sea on a shell. She is blown shoreward by two Zephyrs, symbolizing spiritual passions, and given a flowered cloak by Horae, Goddess of the Seasons. The original painting is currently in Florence, in the Uffizi Gallery.

You probably also recognized the eternally enigmatic Mona Lisa.

Widely considered to be Leonardo da Vinci’s magnum opus, or greatest work, the Mona Lisa is one of the most renowned paintings in history. Over the years, it has been scrutinized, studied, written about and parodied more than perhaps any other work of art in the world. Today, it hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

The charming redhead below was also one of the many female faces in the video montage.

Who was this nameless Venetian beauty, rendered immortal by Albrecht Durer’s meticulous brushstrokes? Her comportment and jewelry suggest that she comes from a family of means, yet her dress is not overly ornate. Whether an aristocrat or a commoner, her beauty certainly defies any social status.

Another mystery woman, this time by Henri Matisse:

As famous for his expressive line drawings as for his paintings and sculptures, Matisse was a master of evoking form with few lines. In this charming portrait, the artist likens his subject to a beautiful, blooming flower.

Without question, women have inspired countless works of art throughout the ages -- and certainly more than this short blog entry can cover. Do you have a favorite muse/portrait? Feel free to post a comment and some photos.

Outdoor Art Saves the Day!

The other day, a good friend of mine asked if I knew of any no-hassle ways to add a little flair to her front porch. The answer was easy: aside from all the usual stuff like potted plants and floormats, why not try WeatherPrints outdoor art?

If you read last week's ArtBeat entry, you know that WeatherPrints are works of art that hold up beautifully in all kinds of weather -- sunshine, rain, and even sleet and snow! Weatherproof art -- what'll they think of next?!

WeatherPrints can take an outdoor porch like this...

...and transform it into a mini oasis like this:

This work of art, Patio Urn I, by Liz Jardine, fits in beautifully with all the green foliage and flowers in bloom right now, and it will perk up my friend's porch all winter long. Yet another decorating mission accomplished!

If you're curious to know all the nitty gritty details about what WeatherPrints are made of, check out this in-depth entry on Outdoor Art.

Until next week!

An Artful Line Designed by Yours Truly

Some recurring themes I've noticed lately, both in art and decor, are striking silhouettes, nature-inspired motifs, and above all else, clean, simple lines. So when ArtSelect charged me and my team of designers to design a new collection of custom-framed artwork featuring the season's most chic trends, we came up with The High Design Line.

First we started with the artwork. We hand-selected pieces that featured bold, stylized, sometimes exotic imagery. Then we customized each piece with elegant frames and chic, contemporary matting for a modern presentation.

There are framed art prints with bottom-weighted mats:

And there are prints with all-around thicker mats, which give the artwork extra visual “breathing room.”

If you happen to be in the market for some fresh, new art for fall, now's a great time to browse our new High Design Line. It's on sale, starting today, and going through August 7. Everything in the collection is ready to hang and ships out the next business day, so it's great for decorators in a hurry. Even if you don't buy, just check it out and let me know what you think! Sometimes our best inspirations come from your feedback.

See you next week!

Convergence
By Jackson Pollock

Have you ever strolled through an art gallery and wondered about the artists’ creative process? Take, for instance, the work of the late American Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock (1912 – 1956). Pollock’s famous “drip paintings” (created from 1947 – 1950) featured artful, evocative smatterings of paint that might, at first glance, appear random. However, Pollock’s works were anything but accidental. He generally painted with a vision of the outcome, and his finished pieces were always compositionally balanced.

Untitled, 1946
By Jackson Pollock

Deeply influenced by the “pouring” style of Indian sandpainting, Pollock worked with large canvases on the floor. Walking around and often on the canvas -- as though in a meditative trance -- he energetically flung, dripped, spattered and poured paint until he was satisfied with the end product.

Would you like to see Jackson Pollock in action? Below, you’ll find fascinating video footage of the artist painting, narrated by Pollock himself.

This video also offers a rare glimpse into Pollock’s creative process:

Interestingly, research on Pollock’s drip paintings (by physicist and art historian Richard Taylor, for one) has indicated that some of his pieces actually display properties of mathematical fractals. Moreover, this tendency became further pronounced as the artist progressed in his career.

Pollock’s critics dismissed his works as simplistic and messy, but there was clearly more to it than the simple splattering of paint. Through moving meditations, the artist created ingenious Abstract Expressionist artworks infused with primordial patterns. Which is more than just great art; it’s good math, too.

Have a favorite artist-in-action clip? Feel free to share.

Want to Know What’s Cool for Fall?

One of the greatest perks of my job at ArtSelect is getting to spend all day on the lookout for top trends in art and décor -- and then getting to share them with you. Right now, for instance, as summer heads toward fall, I’m noticing some really distinctive themes carrying over in art, design and clothing too, for that matter. Which is why my design team and I compiled 5 new art collections to help you decorate with autumn’s freshest looks.

Let me give you the rundown!

1. Silhouettes

This highly stylized collection features art prints and canvas with striking shapes and patterns.

Got the Bamboo Blues
By Jan Weiss

2. Giclee Canvas

The richly textured, collector-quality art in this collection will add luxury to any room. The images are all printed with fade-resistant archival inks, no less!

Earth Meets Sky
By Cheryl Martin

3. Boho Global

A celebration of worldwide style, this Bohemian collection features rich, Euro-chic art prints and canvas.

Tuscan Textures
By Studio Voltaire

4. Nature Inspired

This is one of my favorite collections, because it features artful imagery with flowers, birds and other nature-inspired motifs.

Orange Tanager
By Nicholas Wilton

5. Simple Elegance

These days, elegance doesn’t have to be synonymous with frufru. The images in this collection are stately yet not too fussy.

Empire Style xviii
By L. Rigo

And remember, you can custom frame any artwork from these collections (and on our site) to put your own spin on things.

Happy decorating!

Need help finding posters that suit your style? Try browsing our new Unframed Art Prints collection in these 3 easy ways:

1) Subject

2) Decor Style

What's your signature decor style? Bright, bold and Contemporary? Rich, exotic and Global? Shop for posters by Decor Style and find images that click with your furniture and overall style.

Goddess of Wealth,
A Global style poster

3) Artist

Perhaps you'd like a Renoir-themed bedroom or one large Cezanne image in your living room. Either way, we make it easy to find fine art posters by all your favorite artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Cassatt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and other greats.

Enjoy your forays into the world of posters! And be sure to check back for new fine art print titles, we're adding more every week!

These days, there’s a lot of wall art being marketed as “canvas transfer,” but it’s not all of the same quality. True canvas transfers are made by transferring images from a paper print and permanently embedding them into artist-grade canvas. This process seals and preserves the images in acrylic, which lends them a deep, lustrous texture that's quite similar to what you'd find in original oil paintings.

Aquamarine
By Brent Nelson
(shown in canvas transfer with deep museum wrap)

Canvas transfer knock-offs, on the other hand, are just paper prints that have been laminated to canvas. This shortcut method results in a far less textured artwork that is nowhere near as beautiful and which will fade over time.

When you're shopping for quality canvas art, don’t be fooled into buying a lesser product. Authentic canvas transfers offer far superior quality, beauty and longevity.

At ArtSelect.com, you'll find only the highest-quality authentic canvas transfers. We offer a wide range of subjects, artists and styles, including:

Abstracts

Solar Ice II
By Marta Castells
(shown in canvas transfer with deep museum wrap)

People and Figures

Flaming June
By Lord FredericLeighton
(shown in canvas transfer with antique gold frame)

X-Ray Photography

Hibiscus
By Steven N. Meyers
(shown in canvas transfer with satin black frame)

Explore the possibilities for yourself in our canvas art collection...

If you'd like to learn more about canvas art in general, click here!

Lydia in Fuchsia
Giclee Limited Edition by Yvonne Maloney

Do you love off-the-beaten-path art and décor finds? If so, be sure to check out our eclectic collection of Limited Edition artwork by diversely talented contemporary artists.

Like the designer dress that's fashioned for only a select few to wear, our Limited Edition collection features artwork printed in small quantities to retain integrity and value. Each piece is hand-signed by the artist and comes custom framed with conservation-grade materials to ensure archival quality. All titles come with a certificate of authenticity.

We currently offer 2 luxurious types of Limited Edition art: giclee and serigraph.

1) Giclee Limited Edition

Our Limited Edition Giclee art prints are vibrant, lustrous works of art printed using archival inks and paper. The process entails digitally capturing an original image, optimizing the digital file, and then precision printing it using a state-of-the-art giclee printer. It takes an hour or more to print just one high-caliber giclee, and the end result is a stunning, collector-quality work of art.

Sound of the Bees
Giclee Limited Edition by Valerie Willson

Limited Edition Serigraphs are created through a meticulous silkscreen procedure that can take up to 100 days to complete! First, the serigrapher painstakingly separates the colors in the original painting and creates a stencil for each hue. Then, he or she slowly builds the image, color after color, layer after layer, by pressing ink through successive stencils onto a piece of paper positioned beneath a silk, nylon or wire screen. The amount of time, skill and effort invested in the creation of a serigraph edition is reflected in the strong archival qualities of this medium -- serigraphs have extreme longevity and are excellent heirloom pieces.

Palouse Hillside Dusk
Serigraph Limited Edition by Marcus Bohne

Our Limited Edition artwork offers an entryway into the rich, multifaceted worlds of a great many up and coming contemporary artists, including Marcus Bohne, Lourenco Didier, Kent Lovelace and others. And with subjects and styles like Abstract Art, landscapes, figures, cityscapes and more, you're sure to find that distinctive, eye-catching home accent you've been looking for.

It turns out Leonardo da Vinci's most famous subject, Mona Lisa, may not have looked exactly as he depicted her in his magnum opus. According to a recent article on LiveScience.com, a French engineer named Pascal Cotte has used a cutting-edge multi-spectral imaging camera to reveal the painting's earliest layers -- and along with them, Da Vinci's earliest renderings of his subject.

AP Photo from "25 Secrets of Mona Lisa Revealed" on LiveScience.com

Cotte's experiment unearthed some surprising facts and also helped resolve age-old debates between art historians. For instance:

1- Mona Lisa's famous, quizzical smile was originally much wider.
2- Da Vinci initially "gave" his subject eyebrows, but in subsequent alterations and layers, they were covered over.
3- Blotch marks on the corner of Mona Lisa's eye and chin are the result varnish accidents, which many historians misinterpreted as Mona Lisa being ill.

Mona Lisa
By Leonardo da Vinci

How well do you know the Mona Lisa? Read the LiveScience article and find out!

Tomorrow's December 1st -- how's your holiday gift shopping coming?

Perhaps you're the sort of person who gets things wrapped up early (literally), but if you're like the vast majority of us, you could probably use a little inspiration getting started. If so, here are a few of our favorite things...

Framed Mirrors

Framed mirrors are wonderful gifts to give. They add space and light to any room, and they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and frame finishes. You can also look for framed mirrors by decor style, so you can be sure to pick the perfect one for the home it's going to.

Framed PosterZ

Framed PosterZ are another terrific option. Great for college kids, young urbanites and art collectors alike, Framed PosterZ feature iconic art images that are mounted onto hardboard, texture glazed, and, finally, framed for a modern finish. You'll find there's a Framed PosterZ for just about everyone on your list, from the movie buff to the musician, the celeb fan and the Vintage Art lover.

Still stumped for gift ideas? Our handy-dandy Art Gift Finder can help. With framed QuickShip art gifts for him, for her, under $100 and more, you're sure to find just what you're looking for. And for a limited time, these selections are 15% off, too! But, if you'd rather let your friends and family choose for themselves, you can always opt for art gift certificates. Either way, what better gift than a fresh, new home accent to inspire for 2008?

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.

Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's

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:

Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's

This black & white photography portrait of Hepburn is another beauty:

Audrey Hepburn

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!

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":

The Kiss
By Gustav Klimt

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.

Kissing the War Goodbye in Times Square, August 14, 1945

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.

The Kiss
By Francesco Hayez

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.

The Last Great Romantic
By Jack Vettriano

In the mood for amore? Be sure to check out our Valentine's Day Art of Romance collection!

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!

Springtime n 6
By Marlys K. Mallet

Inspired to explore 2008's freshest new colors in art? Jump-start your spring decorating and check out our 2008 Color Trends Collection!

This week marks the birthday of one of early America's most defining artists: Charles Marion Russell. Born on March 19, 1864 in Oakhill, Missouri, Russell turned a fascination with the Wild West into a flourishing art career.

Wagon Boss
By Charles Marion Russell

Russell spent his childhood drawing, making clay sculptures, riding horses and reading about the American West. He became a ranch hand in his teens and, over the course of his life, created over 2,000 paintings and sculptures of cowboys, Indians and Western landscapes.

Indian Buffalo Hunt
By Charles Marion Russell

If you're a fan of Western-themed decor, Russell's iconic imagery is a natural choice. There are lots of other ways to lend your home a nostalgic, Old West feel, including

1- Using warm, earthy hues in your decor
2- Including natural elements in your accents, like wood and rock
3- Finding ranch-themed motifs to display, such as horseshoes,
cowboy hats, lasso ropes, etc.

You can also decorate with other kinds of Western-themed art, including art with cowboys, John Wayne and other scenes from the Old American West. Happy home decorating trails to you!

When you hear the word "tapestry," what probably comes to mind are the ornate wall hangings noblemen used to keep drafts out of ancient European castles. Perhaps you're picturing something with rich, earthy colors and Medieval imagery, much like this tapestry below:

Tapestry - Sense of Sight Scarlet
Finished: 53" x 53"

Tapestry - Urban Horizons
Finished: 53" x 33"

Fresh, contemporary tapestries like the one above can bring an urban feel to any room -- particularly if your decor has a clean, modern feel to begin with, like the room below:

We've recently topped up our Tapestry Collection with a wide array of chic, modern titles for today's decorator. Be sure to check out our latest additions, including Asian-inspired designs:

Tapestry - Karma
Finished: 18" x 53"

You'll also find modern landscapes (notice all tapestries come with their own elegant hanging rod for easy installation):

Tapestry - Trinitary
Finished: 53" x 44"

There are lots of new shapes to explore as well. It's amazing how much visual interest you can create in a room with just one intriguing tapestry, like the title below:

Tapestry - Cloisonne Jade
Finished: 53" x 53"

A word to the wise though: not all tapestries are created equal. There are a lot of cheap, synthetic versions on the market but unfortunately, they're really lacking in visual detail and depth (plus, they're less durable). By contrast, our natural-fiber art tapestries offer 40% greater detail. Plus, they're all made here in the U.S. by an American family with a rich, 200-year textile-weaving heritage.

So as you can see, now you can have the best of both worlds -- a continued tradition of quality and craftsmanship, with all of today's most chic, modern images. Of course, our Tapestry Collection also offers an excellent selection of more traditional imagery as well, if that's your decorating preference. What do you say: do your walls need new threads?