So you're a sports fanatic seeking to decorate your home or office with conversation pieces or maybe you just want a vintage sports theme for a specific room like your man cave or bedroom. Purchasing antiques can get expensive and require space to display them. Consider filling your space with vintage sports photography. Artwork is something that can hang on your walls so it doesn't take up too much space. It’s also a great way to surround yourself with conversation starters without going broke. There are a few tricks and things to consider when choosing vintage sports posters.

Choose a color!

One big thing to consider is the color. What will fit best in your decor, black and white, sepia toned or color sports photos. The color theme you choose can depend on the color of your walls, furniture and other accessories in the room. If the room is full of color it may be a good idea to use black and white or sepia to tone the colors down. Using color sports photography in a room full of color can become overwhelming. The sepia tones and photographs that lack rich colors is what tends to give the photograph a more vintage feel. When you find the right color for your room, the finish for the print is your next big step. If a frame compliments your piece best, you'll want to use a frame that has more of a vintage feel rather than a modern frame. Some mat colors that may pair well with retro sports photos include egg shell, buff and serene cream.

The Sport or the Name?

Before you automatically select photography that includes famous athletes or stadiums, browse pictures that feature the unexpected or show humankind’s love of the sport. Good examples are photos like Free Golf and Retrieving the Ball. Each one presents everyday people engaged in the sport of golf. We carry prints in various types of categories like football, racing cars, hockey, tennis, lacrosse and more. So take time to find the beautiful golf course or the motivational soccer poster rather than automatically searching for famous sports players and stadiums.

If you do feel compelled to spotlight famous athletes or locations, there are tons of sports places and people to choose from in our categories. One of our best illustrations in that regard may be found in the photo titled, Lou Gehrig – With Bats. It's almost a 3-D look the way that the baseball bats are positioned, it gives the illusion that they are literally coming out of frame. This piece and pieces like it would look great printed on a seamless piece of canvas or a two-toned, ebony and gold bastion frame.

The Last Game

The last best thing to consider is the last game. If you have a favorite athlete, finding photographs from their last game is not only great decor but a great conversation starter as well. A good example would be to pair photos like Lou Gehrig – Farewell #2 or Babe Ruth - Farewell.

Finish it Off

Artwork is not complete with out a frame, laminate or canvas finish. If a canvas best suites your desired piece, choose a painted sides color that matches something in the frame. For black and white photos, black painted sides is always an amazing finish. If you're choosing a frame finish, choose a vintage styled frame. You can also choose a frame that matches the furniture in the room it will decorate. If you have a mahogany colored bed frame and the chosen piece is going in that bedroom, try choosing one of our mahogany frames if they match the piece as well.

All of our frame and canvas finishes come with 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Now that the snowy weather is upon us, why not deck the halls with prints featuring winter landscapes? After all, they can easily be used with a variety of cool weather holidays. So you won’t have to technically swap them out with new artwork until the spring thaw. With that said, here are five winter landscape art collections that would be ideal for holiday decorating purposes: 

Winter Landscape Art Collection #1: Bill Breedon

Are you a fan of early Americana and scenes of pastoral bliss? If so, watercolor artist Bill Breedon is one man to put onto your radar. His paintings of idyllic winter landscapes are tailor made for decking the halls. This is especially the case with the prints that feature a horse drawn sleigh. You’ll be hard-pressed not to at least hum a few bars of Jingle Bells every time you pass by one. Sleigh themed prints to look for include Sleigh Bells, Sleigh Bells Too, O’er the Hills We Go, Back Home Again and Twilight Glow.  

Winter Landscape Art Collection #2: John Rossini

Another artist known for painting wintry countryside scenes is John Rossini. His prints have a distinctive New England feel to them. As such, they would pair well with traditional holiday decorations and candles. Pieces from Rossini’s collection to consider bringing into your home or business include December Glow, February Night, Bringing Home the Tree, Nor’easter and Winter’s Reflections.

Winter Landscape Art Collection #3: Peter Sculthorpe

While we are on the subject of country scenes, artist Peter Sculthorpe is worthy of attention as well. He has a multitude of seasonal prints that feature Pennsylvania’s charming farms, horses and homes. They would pair well with classic decorations like evergreen boughs, wreaths and Yule logs too. His prints of note include Buckskin, Buckboard, Moon Over Hillendale, Melon Basket and The Woodsman.

Winter Landscape Art Collection #4: Camille Pissarro

Do you prefer to surround your family with pictures of snow laden cityscapes instead of farmland? Then Dutch West Indies born artist Camille Pissarro’s body of work is sure to please. Several of his paintings feature scenes from France. Prints that may appeal to your sensibilities are The Avenue de L’Opera, Paris Sunlight Winter Morning and the Chestnut Trees at Louveciennes.

Winter Landscape Art Collection #5: Utagawa Hiroshiqe

Last on our list is artist Utagawa Hiroshiqe. He created a series of woodblock and ukiyo-e style artwork prior to 1858. Understandably, much of his work focused on scenes from Japan. Winter prints to contemplate adding to your collection include Women in the Snow at Fujisawa and View of Mount Haruna in the Snow. You may want to hang them up in areas filled with Asian themed, holiday lights and sculptures.

For a closer look at these winter landscapes art prints and more, please visit FulcrumGallery.com

Is a canvas finish always the best option for art? No. When choosing the finish for art, there are a number of important aesthetic factors to consider, including colors, details, and style.

 Colors

Think about the texture of a canvas. It has fine grooves that seem to disappear at a certain distance, yet are very noticeable up-close. The distance point of this seemingly disappearance is largely related to the amount of colors in a given art work.

When art works have chunks of clearly defined colors, the texture of canvas stops leaving an impression on the eyes at a short distance. In other words, the bolder the colors, the less the canvas texture stands out. Even though some of the most amazing artworks in history were created on canvas, the recreations of these artworks often look much better when printed on high quality art paper.

Renaissance, neoclassical, and romanticism in particular have exorbitant amounts of gradient colors that blend into one another. These blended colors become muted and far less noticeable when the texture of canvas comes into play, which creates a blurred rather than a detailed image.

 Details

 Artworks with bold or simple colors and crisp details work best on canvas. Pop Art, vintage art, and photography are great examples of art that looks amazing on canvas. The bold colors and simple shapes of pop art are not lost in the texture of canvas. Similarly, the crisp details and colors of vintage art also look great on canvas, since the details are not at risk of being blurred or obscured by the texture of canvas.

 Photography also looks great on canvas because the crisp, almost perfect, details of reality are captured through the lens. When photographs are then transferred to canvas, it creates the less than perfect perception of reality that actually occurs with human vision, instead of the view of the objective lens.

Style

The colors and details of art certainly relate to style of art, but there are many artworks that are less defined by genre or artistic movement and more defined by the individual style of the artist.

Word art, for example, may or may not look best on canvas, depending on the colors, as well as the style. Curvy font, subtle shifts in color, and scroll-work would not be well-suited for canvas, while block font, bold colors, and a clean background would be well-suited for canvas.

Keep these elements in mind when choosing the medium to showcase art, and feel free to contact us about any questions you may have!

Even before Facebook, artists were creating art from a combination of words and images. Such a combination was used to identify Roman coins, books from a particular college (using a famous quotation), and historical figures. The ornate script identifying the subject of the portrait in the frontispiece of this book (published in 1663) leaves no doubt that it was intended as part of the decoration.

Today, a collage of random words can make an interesting pattern, but when it comes to something that will hang on the wall, most people opt for meaning. After all, if it’s something you’re going to look at every day, you want it to speak to you. Literally.

Of all the rooms in the house, this communication seems to happen most frequently in the kitchen. People talk when they eat, and the cook is going to have her say, regardless. What does your kitchen communicate? A welcome? A blessing? An invitation to laugh? Or maybe just a promise.

Religious subjects are natural for this type of art, of many cultures and languages. Artists use the co-mingling of language with portraits to express the philosophies closest to their hearts. Most importantly, this is art that comforts.

 Even art that was once informational, as this amazing world map, is used to inspire and enlighten. Poetry that moves us when it’s just words on a page becomes doubly meaningful when rendered in a painting that we can identify with.

Above all, some combinations of beloved art and meaningful words become classics that deserve reproduction for many years to come.

If you are a fan of abstract paintings, there is a good chance that you’ve at least heard of artist Maeve Harris. For those that have not heard of her, please allow us to make the introduction. She is a versatile, Seattle-based phenomenon that’s known for her intuitive use of organic forms and blending techniques. In addition, she tends to incorporate elements of photos, literature and history into her work. Here’s a look at several excellent examples of her innate talent:

Maeve Harris Collection: Moment Series

Maeve Harris’ Moment Series is a prime example of her brilliant use of brush strokes to create the illusion of movement. The paintings in the series are appropriately titled Moment I and Moment II. In both instances, she blends blacks, whites, yellows and browns to create two distinct, abstract focal points. Because of their abstract nature and coloring, the paintings could very easily be used in a variety of settings.

Maeve Harris Collection: Jetty & Crème Series

Understandably, Maeve Harris does not restrict her color palette to the ones found in the Moment Series. She has two series that would be ideal for use in beach homes or areas ripe with cool tones. Those two series are Jetty and Crème. Each abstract painting in the two series incorporates white and off white colors. The Jetty Series, however, also infuses those colors with shades of blue and green. As such, all four paintings would look wonderful paired with natural items like pressed seaweed, sand sculptures, bowls of beach glass and driftwood fragments.

Maeve Harris Collection: Floral Paintings

No discussion of artist Maeve Harris’ work would be complete without a mention of her floral paintings. She has several collections that focus on flowers. Among the flowers highlighted in the various collections are marguerites, orchids, chiaroscuros and roses. Colors used in Harris’ floral paintings vary greatly. Therefore, it is easy to find one that will fit in with most design schemes.

Would you like to learn more about artist Maeve Harris and her exceptional paintings? If so, stop by the Fulcrum Gallery today.

Everyone loves popular color trends when they decide to remodel their home or renovate! It's fun to change your decor every once in a while to keep up with current popular color schemes. A very popular color for home decor, especially for this autumn season, is gold. Gold represents a meaning of success, achievement, and triumph. We often associate the color gold with money or wealth, but the color gold has so much more to tell us than just wealth. Many people have linked the color gold as a way to feel empowered and choose to think gold can give off a vibe of positive energy. Some also believe that gold can bring good wisdom, understanding, and enlightenment.

 Represents a Meaning of Success, Achievement, and Triumph!

Often we see gold metals for the winner of a race so we connect the color gold and it's meaning to the winner's metal. This color draws attention to itself, it is eye-catching, passionate, and confident. Gold is a color that is often overlooked when choosing decor because of the flashy and wealthy vibe it shows. Decorating an office with gold art, or neutral colored prints with a gold frame, can give one a sense of empowerment and success. Getting gold art, art with a gold frame, or art on canvas with gold painted sides is not only suitable for your office. These will also raise your feeling of success in a library or study room. 

Perfect Decor for Autumn Season!

Not only is gold great decor for offices, classrooms, libraries, and study rooms, but it is also great for general home decor during autumn season! Decorating your home with paintings and photographs of golden autumn trees and the golden kissed sky during sunset is a great way to bring the beauty of autumn into your home with out having crunchy leaves. Gold autumn decor helps a room pop with color and come to life. Golden touched autumn art is especially a great decor choice for those who find themselves who favor autumn over other seasons. If autumn season is your favorite, why not leave the autumn decor up year round to keep your favorite season around!

Although gold is a popular color to decorate, you want to make sure to not overdo it. Having too much gold decor in your home can be overwhelming since gold is such a bold color. If the room is painted a solid color that compliments gold, just decorating with gold is perfectly fine! But remember, gold is a loud color that does not need help standing out and making a statement. Too much gold decor can ruin the statement you want to make. If done correctly, gold decor can be the perfect inspirational art, or the perfect seasonal art!

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!

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.

Abstract art is an exciting form of contemporary art that expresses independence and innovation. Popularized in the U.S. in the early 1900's by Pablo Picasso and other famous artists who challenged tradition, abstract art ranges in style from imagery that departs slightly from normal representation of objects and people to imagery that defies reality.

Often characterized by shapes, abstract art calls attention to lines and colors that evoke emotional responses and inner creativity. When viewing abstract art, the observer becomes involved on a personal (and often subconscious level) and is quite likely to see extremely varied scenes and images that just seem to pop-out.

Abstract art is said to mirror the ever-changing and highly technological aspects of post-modern society. On a very basic level, abstract art values the energy of subject matter over and above the physical form, which also complements new theories in Quantum Physics and even spirituality, from parallel dimensions to the practice of deep meditation.

In 2013, The North American Journal of Psychology published an article that explored the “Preference for Abstract Art According to Thinking Styles and Personality.” Researchers found that people who prefer abstract art over traditional art enjoy new things and are “particularly sensation seeking, open-minded, field-independent thinkers.” Those who preferred abstract art also showed a natural inclination toward abstract thinking and higher levels of enjoyment for new and unusual foods and music.

If you're open-minded and a free-thinker who doesn't believe everything is exactly how it seems, then abstract art is the ideal choice for home decoration to get your creative energy flowing. Consider the Four Meditations art print by Ian Scott Massie, which depicts gorgeous gradients of color and abstract windows that are sure to expand your senses. From reaching human arms to sea creatures, you're likely to find a myriad of images that speak to you over time with Peach Season 1 – Grande by Maureen Love, which highlights a minimalistic approach to create an earthy sort of inner chaos.

With uniquely modern hues, imprints of shapes, and the universal symbol of the circle, The Gathering Shore by Heather Ross would be an excellent abstract art statement piece for your living or dining room. For more examples of fine abstract art prints, visit Fulcrum Gallery online.