"I learned a ton from exploring new techniques and making mistakes. Don't be afraid to try new things and fail. Make that a part of your development." ~ Michael Mullan. See more quotes by Michael Mullan by reading our Q&A interview with him. 

Michael Mullan is an artist who initially lived in Chicago. His artwork is a combination of digital and traditional media. He uses hand drawing and technology which makes his art unique from other styles. Although Mullan has now mastered his art technique, he hasn't always known his style. Mullan started out by going to an art school, he drew book series for an author. He went to Savvanah College of Art and Design to get his MFA in illustration, after that his career really took off. Mullan has worked with many big projects since, his art has been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Walgreens in Chicago, the Wonderment Beer Label and many more places.  When asked what is his favorite advertising project he has done so far, he replied "I recently worked on branding for a new brewery in Vermont. This was a fun one because I love packaging, I love beer and it was for a local business. I cant wait to see my work on all sorts of beer swag!"  Michael Mullan believes that his unique style of art has developed through trial and error. He is always looking for new ways to improve his style and technique so he can stay current.

Mullan's work is featured in many well-known places as murals on the wall, artwork and products. His fun, colorful and inspirational art is motivation for many people including the staff here at FulcrumGallery.com! Michael Mullan is always excited when a new project comes his way, especially when the completed project turns out better than he expected.

In his future, Mullan hopes to still be creating art. He aspires to get into new illustration markets that he hasn't gotten into yet. For example, handmade goods. Michael Mullan is also interested in expanding his art skills like getting into painting so he can take on gallery work. 

We are currently running a giveaway for a signed print by Michael Mullan. Two lucky winners will be picked by entering our giveaway on Facebook and two lucky winners will win by pinning their favorite Mullan prints from his artist page. Good Luck :-)

Fall is almost here! As the temperature drops and the days grow shorter, nature follows suit with a change of colors. Yellow, orange, gold, rust and red take over the landscape, diffusing autumnal spell. An irresistible spell. A spell you want to bring inside your home and spread the magic all around. Here’s how you can bring the colors of fall into your home:

Celebrate the Colors of Fall

Fall means the orange of pumpkin, the red of corn, yellow of gourds and the rust of fallen leaves. Often, they don’t come in one shade but myriads of shades and hues – a subtle yellow, a bold red or deep burgundy. Fall celebrate colors, perhaps nature’s way of cheering the beginning of colder weather. Fall colors are warm and inviting and what better way of duplicating these hues than inviting them into your home. How? By using fall art and prints that capture the essence of the season. For instance Bright Autumn Day showcases trees touched by the glow of orange and red while Autumn Embers captures a more subdued autumn. What you pick depends on the mood and feel you’re going for.

Celebrate the Season 

In America, fall calls for celebration – pumpkin patch, hayrides, harvest fest, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Often, fall décor is employed to amp up the ambience. Apart from using pumpkins and gourds and fall flowers to build the atmosphere, consider using fall art and prints to add layers of interest. Transform the kitchen into an autumnal landscape of irresistible warmth and colors. Consider pictures of fall harvest such as playful Sharing the Harvest or thoughtful Harvest Blessings. Choices abound with pictures of wine, olives, prairie landscape and Tuscany harvest. 

Celebrate Fall One Room at a Time

Think of how many ways you can use fall décor and how many places you can go with that. We’re talking rooms in your house. The kitchen may be the most obvious place to deck out fall décor but don’t limit your fall magic to just one room. Cozy up your family room with autumn flowers or autumn landscapes or abstract art. Or the living room or the den for that matter. Follow your fancy and allow fall magic to invade your living spaces.

Use art to celebrate fall in all its glories!

 As summer rushes on with all the fun activities, school is not too far off. Back to school season can trigger a flurry of activities – time to get new shoes, new clothes, new lunch bags, new backpacks, and new school supplies. For the educator, a new school year gives you the chance to decorate the room for a new batch of students. For the parents, you may be looking to decorate your child’s room with educational art. If you’re looking to use educational wall art, consider these pointers:

School is Cool

As a teacher, you want school to be enjoyable and fun for the students. You want to create an environment where the student is constantly learning, in obvious ways or not. A classroom that has eye-catching visuals will not only appeal to the students, but it will spark interest in them to learn.  Cleverly chosen posters can make the classroom conducive to learning, even without the child knowing it. From the alphabet poster to the history of the United States, you can make your classroom a learning haven.  And the best teacher ever!

Classroom Chic

If you’re into themes for classrooms and don’t mind changing the decorative art from time to time, you can transform the room to reflect the theme you’ve in mind. Want to take the kids to outer space, introduce them to the magic of math, or the wonder of science? Whatever theme you pick, there’s bound to be a category of educational wall art for it.

Grade Appropriate

An elementary student may enjoy the magical world of make-believe while a middle-school student may need to learn about the rules of self-respect. Age-appropriate educational posters abound. Take your pick – the selection is as varied as your students’ needs.

Your Kid’s Personal Space

Perhaps you’re a parent hoping to jump start your kid’s school year to a great start. You want to create a learning environment for your kid, right in his own space. Choose an eclectic assortment of educational posters or a cohesive theme of ideas. Surrounding your kid with educational posters will foster learning without trying too hard. The visual presence will impart knowledge, stimulate creativity and motivate your child.

Warm up a rustic kitchen or family room with the earthy hues of Tuscany. From neutral wall paint colors to cultural art, you’ll feel like you’re relaxing in a foreign land. The best part of travel art is that it creates a home that is both cozy and worldly.

Tuscan art for your Kitchen

When decorating the kitchen with travel art of Tuscany, focus on images of wine bottles, grapes, apples and lemons. Or go for the bigger picture with a garden landscape. The blue skies in garden art complements the warm brown and orange tones of the Italian landscape.

Decorating ideas:

* Clay tiles, from your local home improvement store can be used as a back splash, or use the individually as drink coasters.

* Wooden decorative objects in the shape of pears, pepper mills or wine bottles add to ambiance.

* Try your hand at decorating a small area with a leafy green stencil. Keep linens including table settings and window treatments in off-white hues.

* Upgrade cabinet hardware French Country knobs and handles.

Black wire baskets and candle holders finish out the Tuscan look in your kitchen.

Tuscan Living Room

For a Tuscan theme, consider your rooms with beige or golden mustard walls. For pops of color in the room, use large golden yellow or burn orange candles.

Add details to every corner:

* Use small garden statues as bookends.

* Spice up the room with coffee-colored furniture or decorative objects.

* Decorate the largest wall with multiple pieces of Tuscan art.

* Use small images in wooden frames on shelves and end tables, to resemble personal travel photos.

* Decorate windowsills with leafy vines in stone vases.

* Create a focal point in the room with a tall garden vase to complete the worldly transition.

Shop your favorite Tuscan art today and save 50%! For more information on decorating a with culture art, please contact us. 

No country home is complete without country art!

So your home has that good old country vibe to it. You have cute country style drapes hanging over the kitchen window and you possibly have the horseshoe hanging over the door, but what good country home needs is some stylish country art. No country home is complete without some country paintings. For the living room or the family den, you may have styled to feel like it's the open range or the mountains. You have animal skins hanging up or maybe you have a cow print rug on the floor, well how about adding a painting like log cabin retreat to the scene. It gives off that sense of wilderness and the colors are vibrant. It would go well with any room you're trying to give off the nature vibe. Maybe you're looking for something that'll really capture your guests' attention when they're in the kitchen, you have yellow walls, maybe rooster or fruit drapes, well add a painting or two into the style.

 Bless our home would go well with any yellow decor or color scheme. It even has sunflowers and you can't top sunflowers. Maybe you want something that just totally stands out that just pops then check out Razzberry Creek crossing. The colors are very soft and it could really stand out in the kitchen. If you're finally fixing up that bathroom and you decided to go with a bear theme then add some bear art! Country bath would not only fit in with your bear and wilderness theme, but it's completely adorable! If you want something more cute than that, a big favorite is bear necessities. Not only will it give your bathroom a zing to its decor, but it'll remind your guests of the Disney movie The Jungle Book. So if you're look to spice up your country home then check out Fulcrum Gallery for all their latest country master pieces.