Scenic artwork has been around for centuries and is a popular subject amongst artists and buyers. Regardless of the location, season, or lack of activity, this art subject never grows old.  Scenic art shows the beauty of nature through the perspective of the artist creating the piece. The places we pass everyday and don't even look twice at comes alive when put into art. These pieces make great decor for offices and bedrooms, they bring a peaceful feel to the room.

The Brain and Nature

It is a well-known fact that a natural environment promotes positive emotions.  Nature is non judgmental, always perfectly balanced, and as pure as a newborn baby.  While our lives evolve into the fast-paced technical world, it is soothing to know that some things never change.  Scenic art almost feels like going home again, before the craziness of adulthood began.

Bring Back Memories

Memories often have a lot to do with scenic painting selection.  Childhood visits to the beach or mountains can tap into that buried subconscious and open the senses of sounds, smells, and touch. Personal to individual tastes, scenes that recreate the past deliver peace in quiet, private areas, like bedrooms or dens.

Aesthetic Appeal with Changing Seasons

Many artists are able to capture the vivid colors and feel of spring, summer, fall and winter.  Select a favorite style and redecorate living areas with appropriate seasons.  William Vanscoy, for instance, is an artist that weaves emotion into nature, making visitors stop and listen to their heart and soul.  Intriguing scenes of different seasons make these paintings perfect in living areas.

Kitchen Atmosphere

Everyone loves the comforting feel of a cozy kitchen.  Fruit and flower still life is not a necessity in bringing a natural goodness to this popular room.  Artist Diane Romanello brings an uplifting spirit of friendship in her natural exhibit of 'Among Friends I' for spring and summer, while Stephen Lyman is spectacular with the winter scene 'A Walk in the Woods.' 

Scenic artwork is the perfect touch to the decor in any room of your home. The colors range from black and white to earth tones to bright colors. This makes it easy to find a scenic art print to match your color scheme. Find the right emotion for each season with perfect paintings or prints. Contact Us to discover your own satisfying scenes of nature and display them proudly.

When it comes to French commercial artists from the Art Nouveau period, one would be remiss to skip over Jules Cheret. Despite having passed away in the fall of 1932, his work continues to mesmerize art and advertising students alike. Here’s a snapshot of his career and some of his famous framed art:

Born in the late spring of 1836, Cheret officially began his artistic career in 1849. He started with a brief apprenticeship in France and later moved on to England. Once there, he focused his attention on London’s most famous entertainment venues. Among them were the now iconic Moulin Rouge, Olympia, Palais Garnier and Folies Bergere. During that time, he created a highly visible and coveted series of posters. Many of them featured dancing girls designed to promote the venues’ assorted shows. The collection of framed art produced for such venues includes the following prints:

• Folies-Bergere Le Miroir
• Pantomimes Lumineusses Theatre Optique of E. Reynaud
• Folies Bergere La Loie Fuller
• Alcazar d’ Ete Kanjarowa

The much sought after posters were not the only works he produced throughout his career. Cheret was also known for his paintings, book jackets and extensive advertising work with a variety of commercial enterprises. They often included elements like great coloring, watercolor washed backgrounds, floral designs and engaging subjects like actresses. Among the ones immortalized in Cheret’s works are Rene Maizeroy and Sarah Bernhardt. Examples of his commercial work include advertisements for the following companies:

• Monaco Parfumerie Distillerie, Iris Villa Monte-Carlo
• Quinquina Dubonnet Aperitif
• Saxoleine, Petrole de Surete
•  Vin Mariani, French Tonic Wine

Because of his large body of impressive artwork, he later went on to win the prestigious Legion d’honneur (1890).

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.

Showing your love for someone special during Couples Appreciation Month doesn't have to include fattening foods, overpowering perfumes and expensive flowers that eventually wilt and die. There is a better option, love art. Love art comes in different forms to match the personalities of those you appreciate the most. For instance, there are heart paintings, romantic art and love prints to choose from at our gallery. Created by a variety of accomplished artists, they’d fit into a wide array of interior designs too. Let’s take contemporary interiors and pop art fans as examples. They may enjoy art by Roy Lichtenstein.

Roy Lichtenstein’s artwork often features comic book characters kissing or pining away for a loved one. His romantic yet contemporary scenes may be placed on to canvas, framed or laminated to suit your loved one’s design sensibilities. We've even heard of couples who display the comic book lovers alongside of memory boxes filled with souvenirs of their first date, engagement or wedding.

Word art also tends to be quite popular among Couples Appreciation Month celebrants.

This is especially the case with prints that include romantic poems or sayings. Artist Louise Carey has several pieces of art that fall into that category. The sayings that she uses in her artwork often talk about unending love, true happiness and friendship. They tend to have a contemporary, youthful vibe that many people adore. Those that prefer a more mature feel to their artwork may prefer prints by artist Bonnie Mohr instead. Her paintings include complete romantic poems and verses that touch on issues like fate, spiritual love, marriage, new beginnings and the joy found in sharing life’s journey with another.

Those are just a few of the art themes lovers will find among our holidays collection.

April is National Decorating Month but that’s not the only reason to shop for wall art in the days ahead. There are a lot of funky holidays scheduled to take place throughout the month and we’ve got several framed art pieces that can help you celebrate them in style. We’ve picked out five unusual observances to help you get started:  

Straw Hat Month

It’s Straw Hat Month. So why not celebrate it by decorating your home or business with paintings featuring people wearing straw hats? Famous artists Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Pierre-Auguste Renoir have created several paintings that would blend into a straw hat theme. There are also full color photos that celebrate straw hats too. They include Susie Boyer’s Working Day is Done and Walter Bibikow/Danita Delimont’s Cuba, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, Cuban Straw Hats.

National Kite Month

National Kite Month is another reason to redecorate in April. Try setting up a display wall featuring artist Jack Sorenson’s Flying Kite with Friends or Paul Brent’s series, Beach Kites. Brent’s series would pair perfectly with artist Katharine Gracey’s Beach Houses collection or Michael Paraskevas’ My Seven Aunts. They feature flying kites too.

International Guitar Month

International Guitar Month also falls in April. That said, you might want to hang a series of guitar themed artwork throughout the house. The list of artists whose work contains great images of guitars includes, but doesn’t end with Pablo Picasso, Tang Ling, Edouard Manet, Adam Perez and Deann Hebert. Of those five, Tang Ling’s collection includes a series of black and white photos taken at a guitar factory. In our opinion, they’d look fantastic on display in a music room.

Car Care Month

Fans of vintage motor vehicles rejoice! It’s officially Car Care Month as well. So hang up framed photos of classic cars, racing posters, race drivers and more. We’ve got more than 700 pieces of car art to choose from, including works by artists Antonio Massa, Scott Westmoreland and Keith Mallett.

National Card and Letter Writing Month

Lastly, April is prime time to pay homage to the lost art of letter writing. Yes, it’s actually National Card and Letter Writing Month. Celebrate it with movie posters like Letters to Juliet or contemporary prints like Wild Apple Studio’s Letters Series. Other artists who’ve creating pictures featuring letters are Deam Millman, Albert Ludovici, Cristin Atria and Alma Lee.

If you have any questions about purchasing artwork that fits right in with these and any number of April’s funky holidays, please contact us!

"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 :-)

Do you know which wacky holiday takes place in March? Okay, we know there are several but there is one that really caught our eyes. To keep you from having to guess for hours, we’ll give you the answer. Its Humorists are Artists Month. The observance is designed to honor people who make us laugh, which opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to framed art. Sure, you could hang up copies of comic book covers and well-loved cartoon characters but that’s not all.

Consider the case of artist David Fischer. He’s created a series of prints called Java Comic. As you’ve probably assumed, it features cartoon renditions of humans drinking coffee. Best of all, they contain those classic word bubbles we’ve all seen used before to convey a comic book character’s thoughts. Some of the sayings he puts into the bubbles are funny, like the one about rich men. We think if his prints were hung up in a kitchen or hipster coffee shop, they’d make great conversation starters.

If you prefer to get your laughs from the silver screen, stage or TV, you could still celebrate Humorists are Artists Month with assorted Hollywood memorabilia. Take this Jay & Silent Bob Get Old wall poster for instance. It would look cool hanging up in a media room or kid’s bedroom next to other posters like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Three Amigos! Other funny pieces of art that could go with them are pictures of famous comedians, like William Shatner, Groucho Marx and Adam Sandler.

Of course you could branch out and display funny animals, kids, quotes and signs. We've got them too along with funny renditions of food, wine, beer and spirits!

Properly aligning framed art on the walls of your home may seem a daunting task. Should the pictures line up according to the top or bottom edge? Or the middle? Or should they be hung salon style with the entire wall covered by art? The answers to these questions vary greatly depending on personal preference, room aesthetics, and the size of the art. Use these easy to follow decorating tips to achieve the best look for your space:

Aligning Art by the Top or Bottom Edges

For many folks, aligning art by either the top of bottom edges of the frame is the simplest and easiest method. The sizes of the pieces do not need to be the same and it's easy to interchange one piece for another at a later date.

Best place to use: Align art by the top edges when displaying art beneath a shelf or row of upper windows. Align art by the bottom edges for display just above a large piece of furniture such as a sofa or sideboard.

Aligning Art by the Middle Point

Aligning art by the middle point of the picture is a more complicated approach. However, it is the one most frequently used in museums and galleries. An exact method of measurement can be performed to achieve expert results, or many at-home decorators just "eyeball" it.

Best place to use: Align art by the middle point for display in long hallways or great ballrooms with little furniture.

Salon Style Art Wall

A large mass of art displayed on one wall space is considered the "salon style." Overall, the shape of the group may form a square or rectangle, but this shape is not absolutely necessary. The key to perfecting the salon style is making sure the frames complement each other nicely. Placing an ultra modern industrial style frame next to a French scroll work piece may seem out of place.

Best place to use: Align art in a salon style when the sizes of the art vary widely or are generally small. Use in the main gathering room where a large open wall space exists.

Align Art in a Vertical Orientation

Aligning art in a vertical orientation is the most uncommon of all display methods. However, this style can work well in small spaces. Generally, the width of each piece should be the same or nearly the same for the best look.

Which of the above decorating and aligning tips will you use next?

Read more about our frames!

In today’s installment of decorating tips we wanted to talk briefly about the art of conservation framing and how it may protect your favorite, Fulcrum Gallery prints from harm. It is typically a six-part process that starts with selecting art prints that have been created using the highest grade paper possible and goes on from there. Some art lovers may opt to end the process quickly by laminating their prints whereas others may want to continue by choosing museum quality, custom framing materials and techniques. At this time, we’d like to focus on the latter.

If you are hoping to have your print preserved using conservation framing techniques, it’s important to first realize that everything included in the framing package has a role to play. Therefore, it does not pay to only do things half way. In other words, once you make a commitment to a certain level of art conservation, its best to adhere to that level of quality all the way through. Otherwise, you’ll be jeopardizing the integrity of the entire framing package.

The purpose of conservation framing, as you've probably guessed, is to protect the print from moisture, dust, chemicals, insects, temperature change and other atmospheric pollutants. So every piece of framing material must be chosen with that in mind. That said, you’ll typically need the following, acid-free, buffered items for a museum quality job:

- Hinging and Mounting Materials (e.g. Japanese Tissues and Mounting Corners)

- Fade/Bleed Resistant Window Mats

- Frame Backing Paper

- pH-Neutral Tapes or Adhesives

- Frame Backing Board

- UV Filter Glazing

- High Quality Frame

The UV filter glazing is generally placed into the frame first. The window mat is then placed against the UV filter glazing, followed by the print. That way the print does not make direct contact with the glass. Next comes the hinging and mounting materials, which are designed to keep the print from moving around in the mat window. Once the print has been mounted into position, a back mat is added. The frame backing paper comes afterward. It is affixed to the frame using pH-neutral tapes or adhesives. Some framers also opt to finish things off with a few staples to further keep the backing paper in place. Either way, the overriding goal is to make sure that the frame package is air-tight and protected from full UV light exposure.

Black & white photography is timeless. It adds depth to its surroundings and can bring an instant element of class and elegance to a room. However some people shy away from the idea of using black and white photos for decorating, afraid it will look dull and lack creativity. This could not be more untrue. Black and white is the perfect medium for decorating with pictures in any room in the house; even a child’s bedroom. The key is in knowing how to use it.

 Tips for decorating with black and white photography:

Tip 1: Black and white photos are ideal for decorating brightly colored walls because they won’t conflict with the surrounding color. Use the same frame style and color for every picture to prevent competition, while drawing one’s eye to the subject of the photo. Solid black or white frames with white matting work well with vivid backgrounds. 

Tip 2: Adorn a child’s room with black and white prints of a subject they love. Baseball fans will be thrilled by the variety of vintage shots featuring famous sluggers and well-known stadiums. For a child who adores animals, black and white pictures of puppies, kittens or horses play well against pale blue or pink walls. 

Tip 3: Teenage girls enjoy themed decor such as Paris, glamorous movie stars or dance. Paired in brightly colored or black frames against white or cream walls, black and white photos will blend in beautifully with her inspiration.

Tip 4: Neutral colored walls in a living space form the perfect pallet for black and white art. Photos of the beach or ocean framed in distressed white, light blue or natural wood give a special touch to a coastal themed room. A more modern and chic look can be achieved by combining photos in both black and white frames in a beige room with white trim and shelves and black wrought iron wall hangings, candle holders and lamps.  

Black and white photos can be dramatic, playful, elegant or glamorous, bringing tremendous beauty and infinite possibilities for decorating to a home. Consider the possibilities in your own home and then browse our large selection of black and white photography.