Green art is an excellent way to bring life into your home, and what better time to do so than one of the liveliest days of the year, St. Patrick’s Day? The color green differs in quality and mood depending on shade, creating an array of decoration possibilities that is practically infinite. Maybe you’re a St. Patrick’s Day fanatic or into the peaceful vibe nature brings, or maybe you just love the color. Whatever your motivation, adding green to your home décor adds a fresh note to even the drabbest of walls. It is a choice you won’t regret.

Quite a versatile color, green can evoke life in medium to dark shades or convey a more whimsical quality in brighter hues, such as lime. St. Patrick’s Day embraces green’s entire spectrum, with art offerings including a variety of colors that can all be considered called green. You’re not just limited to art, however—something as simple as adding a plant or two can do wonders on its own. Life speaks to life, and plants will surely bring the energy level in a room way up. If trying to engage family members in a lively discussion, place plants in your dining or living room. Each is a setting designed to put people at ease and socialize.

Born Lucky

What happens if you are a notorious plant neglector? Don’t let go of the lively family discussion ideal just yet—many things resemble or remind people of plants and don’t need to be watered twice a week. Check out plant-inspired artwork. For Saint Patrick’s day, this is easy—just sample any one of the many prints with four-leaf clovers and rainbows. Or, if you want a lot more green and a lot less rainbow, check out simpler art pieces that focus on that single color spectrum. Search for prints that convey only four-leaf clovers or prints with four-leaf clovers and other green items in the background (they exist—you don’t need to look hard to find them).

If you’re more career-oriented than family oriented, green is still a wonderful choice for you. Plants can make your study a more productive area, inspiring you to push through that last bit of work you’re sure you don’t have the energy to complete. If you dream of pots of gold, look for festive St. Patrick’s Day prints that incorporate them. Toss some good luck into your equation, too, with a bonus four-leaf clover or two. Some prints out there are stuffed with as many St. Patrick’s Day items as possible, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a print with your preferred combination. 

No matter what kind of a person you are, you’re likely to respond well to your greener environment. This is because green has so many qualities that work in different ways. Research has proven that green has an array of positive effects. Bring green into your home and note the effects on your mood.

We already said hello to 2016, but not many people have ushered in the colors of the year, serenity blue and rose quartz. In a world of political turmoil and everyday stress, these pastel colors can calm us down and speak peace into our lives. Now is the best time to incorporate the colors of the year into your home décor. Moreover, this is an ideal year for colors because there is not just one but two colors of the year for 2016!

Tranquility And Warmth

Rose quartz and serenity blue were chosen as 2016’s colors of the year for the feelings of tranquility and warmth that they evoke. We can all use a little more peace in our lives, so serenity blue is a timely color for the year. If the winter blues are getting to you, a touch of rose quartz will cheer you right up. Add these colors to your home décor for a greater sense of order and calmness. If you are looking forward to spring, or if you are looking for a piece of art that majors on the colors of the year, check out Sung Kim’s “Covered Bridge in Spring.” Blossoming trees highlight shades of rose in the distant Blue Mountains, and a silver-blue river flows peacefully under a covered wooden bridge.

A Duo For Relaxation

It is a bit unusual for there to be two colors of the year, but when you look at rose quartz and serenity blue together you will understand why they were chosen as a duo. These two colors complement each other perfectly, and together they accomplish more than they could alone. This is illustrated in Klaus Strubel’s “Paradise Dawn,” a glorious painting of a beachside sunrise. Swirls of rose quartz and serenity blue invite you to relax in the Adirondack chairs at the water’s edge and soak in the beauty of nature.

Accent With Frames

Since the colors of the year are so light, it is best to accentuate them with a frame. A gold frame will draw attention to the artwork and can be added to either of the pictures mentioned above as well as most of the artwork available from Fulcrum Gallery. You may also consider a black frame for a sleek finishing touch.

Color Pairings

What other shades can be paired with the colors of the year? Serenity blue stands out against dark blue and black; it can also be used with white or dark grey. For a different flavor, rose quartz can be matched with various shades of pink and red. Both serenity blue and rose quartz can be used with other pastel shades, such as green and yellow. Of course, the color combinations you choose will affect the mood of your environment. For example, a room done in pale yellow with the colors of the year will have a light and cheery air, while a room with white and pastel blue will seem nautical, and a room that adds the colors of the year to black or navy blue will feel serious and professional. Any of these combinations is magnificent; the choice is up to you and what atmosphere you want to create. Have fun and be creative with serenity blue and rose quartz this year!

Martin Luther King, Jr., a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement, preached peace in the face of brutality and died a violent death at the age of 39. His methods, shared by Mahatma Gandhi and other well-known leaders, have been praised long after his death, and he lives on through his quotes. Color your living room with the words of a great man who continues to influence millions.

These art prints evoke a sense of hope and security, even through less vibrant colors like black and white. Although simple, they remind us that the words are the focal point by refraining from using graphics that can distract from them. This provides a calming contrast to more colorful decorations in your living room. If there aren’t many other decorations, it emphasizes the minimalism in a very classy way. Martin Luther King art prints fit in just about anywhere, no matter the environment.

Just Words

Some of the most bare bones art can be the most potent. Veruca Salt’s “Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate” proves this with black, cursive-like scripts against a plain white background. Featuring only four lines of text, it offers a quote that’s easy to remember. Capitalizing the word “LOVE”’ creates a focal point near the bottom center, and it also drives home the point of the quote and reminds us of how much power love really has. This is a great print to hang in the living room to bring your family together. Family love can turn into love for your fellow man for the people who live alone. “Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate” inspires warmth and simple goodness through its minimalistic approach.

This approach is repeated for Veruca Salt’s “You Have to Keep Moving Forward – Martin Luther King Jr,” which sets King's words in a variety of texts (most frequently block text) against a dark gray background. Using large letters that take up the entire space of the poster, it is easily readable. Capitalized verbs accentuate the importance of actions, while the word “forward” is italicized to create a forward slant. Different words are bolded to add emphasis.

Words And Simple Graphics

Taylor Greene’s “Martin” uses large capitalized white print over a generic silhouette. Rather than taking away from the text, the graphic enhances it, giving King’s words an ideological context by placing it within a person’s head. That it isn’t Martin Luther King’s head isn’t a problem: rather, it echoes the belief that his approaches are universal and that anyone can benefit from using them. With this print in their living areas people can challenge themselves to put King’s ideas into practice and bring him back to life through the realization of his ideas.

Martin Luther King, Jr. art prints can bring hope and positive energy to people’s homes and provide constant motivation to love one another and work for a better future. Treat yourself to a happier life by hanging Martin Luther King’s words on your wall.

Christmas is a joyous time of year; it has evolved from a strictly religious holiday to a worldwide holiday of giving and charity. It is one of the most recognizable holidays with many iconic symbols and themes. From Santa, to snowmen, to Christmas trees. Christmas art is both stunning and special to many during the holidays. Decorating your house and trimming the tree and time honored traditions passed down from generation to generation.

Santa Claus

What rich history and fond memories come from the image of Santa Claus. No Christmas is complete without Santa, and what is more endearing than Santa art from Peggy Abrams to Donna Race some of the most renowned artists of our time, and their detailed renditions of Santa in all his glory. He brings us presents in the night with his sleigh and rain-deer shimmying down the chimney and feasting on our milk and cookies to fuel him for the rest of his journey.

Christmas Tree

Under the tree come presents. And in the stockings come treats, and that a lovely piece of art “Santa's Stocking” by Peggy Abrams fine art print is, when we think of presents and the tree we think of that big box of special dreams we asked Santa to bring us, and dream at night in hopes of getting what we so desired. Stocking hung are an age-old tradition.

Santa And Snowman 3 by TheMacneil Studio

Christmas Scenes

Sledding in the park is one of the fun things that you can do in the snow Remembering your time out in the snow with your friends while you mom cooked the evening dinner, with the sun setting on the fine white snow your shivering fingers and toes.

Winter Art

The winter scenes portrayed by the legendary Ansel Adams, in “Pine Forest in the Snow, Yosimite Nation” is one of his most inspired photos and memorable themes in his trademark black and white the rich detail and flow will make you want his whole collection.

Snow

Lets build a snowman, or look at a great picture on the wall while we stay inside warm and cozy. Mary Ann June's “Snow Folk Faith” is a warm and inviting fine art print that is sure to become a family heirloom.

Christmas time is a wonderful time of the year, making your house a home with fine art and starting your own new traditions with your family and children is sure to create lasting memories that you kids will be able to talk about for years to come, and when they begin to have families of their own they can pass down your traditions and start a few of their own.

There are many different ways you can spice up your home with works art. Ranging from a child’s room to the kitchen, unusual and unique decor can make any room stand above the rest.

Creative Kids Room

Almost all kids enjoy fun things to look at while they are in their room. Their room is probably cluttered with toys and the walls might be filled with their homemade artwork. I think most kids can agree that they love to watch cartoons. If it’s not watching actual cartoons, most kids like the way cartoon characters look. If your child has a love for cartoon looking characters and you’d like to incorporate cartoon posters into their bedrooms somehow, FulcrumGallery.com has a wide variety of cartoon art to choose from. These pieces of art would look great hanging above your child’s bed or on the opposite wall where they keep all of their own artwork. Finding a piece of art that matches your kid’s color scheme won’t be hard because there are many different colored cartoon posters to choose from.

Casual Chic

In our own bedrooms we like to create a safe place for ourselves. Somewhere that is filled with things that represent us and who we are as a person as well as the things we love to look. Your bedroom is a place that you can go to calm down when life gets hectic so you should decorate it with things that make you happy. What better way to create a calming environment than decorating with artwork? If you are fond of calm yet beautiful pieces of art, casual chic art is just for you. Many of the art at http://www.fulcrumgallery.com/c35168/casual-chic-art.htm offers a variety of colored art that can match your color preferences. The best part about casual chic art is that two or three pieces in a room are not going to overpower each other because they are individually simple on their own and accent each other. Add flair to that bare light blue wall in your room and add a casual chic art piece.

Unusual Teen

There’s something about teenagers that makes them feel the urge to express themselves anyway possible. Some teens spend a lot of time in their rooms and don’t mind not ever leaving if they didn’t have to. If your teen has a liking for unique and unusual things, artwork can be a great way to let them show that liking. From landscapes to unusual objects, any type of art can be a good way to bring life to a bedroom. Allow your teen to add flair to the study area in their room or beside their bed, by adding unique art that they would enjoy. Many artworks have different colors in them and would look great with any neutral color scheme.

Whether it’s for you or for someone you know, art is a way that people can jazz up the rooms of their home. With endless possibilities on how to accent a room, consider cartoon art for your kids or unusual art for your teen.

As the hot summer months start to wind down and you hang up your swimsuit and sunhat it can be sad to say goodbye to the sunny beach vibes of summer. But who says summer has to end once the leaves begin to change and the weather cools off? Keep the sun and fun of summer going strong through out the changing seasons with some warm summer prints. Summer art is perfect for a tropical themed bathroom or a restful beachy guest room. No matter where you hang it, every time you gaze at them, it’ll be like you’re lying out on the beach in Hawaii sipping on a refreshing Mai Tai and feeling the warm sandy grains between your toes.

Tropical Beachside Tranquility 

Nothing transports you back to the relaxing feelings of summer quite like a serene view of a tropical paradise. Artists capture all of the warmth and relaxing vibes from tranquil paintings of beachside scenery. Artists capture both realistic scenes and create a dreamy view of paradise with vintage appeal. Feel like you’re lounging around in a gently swinging hammock surrounded by a tropical oasis all year long with Joe Sambataro’s painting “Summer Breeze.” In a very different style, American Flat’s fun vintage styled travel poster entitled “Summer Loving” jet sets you to the Hawaiian tropics, capturing the scene of a couple paddle boarding in the crystal blue waters of a private cove. These paintings make for great additions in the bathroom or guest room that will transport you to an island getaway every time you gaze upon them.

 Chilling Zone by Klaus C. Dietrich

Classic Summer Scenes

Summer art doesn’t have to be all about the beach and artists do this through capturing a variety of summer scenes. Classical paintings that evoke the feelings of summer from a breezy picnic to a romp through a field of sunflowers can be appreciated all year round.  “Summer Breeze” by Richard Judson, is an impressionistic styled painting of a woman in a white dress carrying a parasol, a warm breeze ruffling her hair as she turns to look back at her young companion. “Summer Blooms” by David Short captures a rustic Tucson scene of rows of cheerful yellow sunflowers, a bright blue sky hanging overhead, and a white Tuscan farmhouse sitting in the background. With bright and vivid colors, these summery paintings are perfect all year round.

Summer Blooms by David Short  

Bright Artwork for Every Season

Fall and winter are beautiful seasons, but sometimes the dreary cold weather can get you down. Summery artwork can help beat the winter blues. Featuring bright and vivid scenery, you’ll feel the hot summer sun beating down and warming you up even when it’s a rainy downpour or a blizzard outside. The clusters of red wild flowers blossoming up from the wispy grass in a field in Ian Cook’s painting “Summer Begins,” is like summer breaking through the cloudy skies on a cold winters day. Lift your spirits and listen to a tree full of bright birds twitter in the summer sun with William Vanderdasson’s painting “Summer Friends.”

Summer Begins by Ian Cook

Sepia tones weren’t always looked at as part of up-to-the-minute, design schemes. They started out as a necessity. People harvested cuttlefish from the sea and used some of them to make ink. Over the years, the ink was used to create many different things. As such, it eventually found its way into the hands of photographers. They added it to their work in the hopes of increasing visual interest and longevity. Their efforts paid off and sepia toned pictures became very popular. Today, people are still using them to decorate their homes and offices. Although there are no framing or matting rules, most people choose to keep the overall look down-to-earth. Thus, sepia photography is often paired with frames and matting that matches or compliments the images’ natural tones. Also, people no longer feel the need to restrict their displays to images of the past.

Golden Gate Bridge II

Alan Blaustein

Consequently, sepia tones are creeping into contemporary artists’ photos too. For example, it is common to find them in collections of wildlife photography by artists like Susann Parker, Barry Hart, Monte Nagler, Tony Stromberg and Wendy Caro.  It is also seen in bodies of work that focus on flowers, trees, architecture, waterscapes, transportation, business and more. So modern minded decorators have no shortage of geometric shapes, tones, textures and themes to work with when it comes to sepia photography. Of course the tones are still used to recreate the feel of bygone days as well. The list of fine examples includes Al Capone’s Wanted Poster, Tennis on the Wings, Vintage Football, Rosie O’Grady Firetruck and Jim Christensen’s Train Series. Each would certainly have a place in homes or businesses with a penchant for nostalgia. For instance, the Tennis on the Wings photo might look good next to model planes, antique altimeters or vintage rackets.

Tides and Waves

Alan Majchrowicz

From bathroom to bonus room,  Michael Mullan's art prints are perfect for adding creative cheer and inspiration to rooms in your home. Mullan grew up in Chicago and currently lives in Woodstock, Vermont. He works as a graphic designer and illustrator and he enjoys playing the violin and guitar. Michael Mullan went to Millikin University and earned a BFA in graphic design. He also has a MFA in illustration from SCAD. Mullan's creations are published as wall art. His art is also displayed on fabrics, dishware and more. These can be found in quality stores such as Bloomingdale's, Hallmark, and Target. Mullan's art has a special way of speaking across generations and lifestyles by adding modern flare to classic themes. To read more about Michael Mullan's accomplishments, click here.

Enhance the creative cheer of the most necessary room in your house with Dancing Bubbles I. This is an art print of a bathroom sink full of water with bubbles in the background. The print is made of light blues, beiges and browns. Hanging this art print in your bathroom not only adds a complimentary decor, but also brings a relaxing and soothing feel. This print sets the mood of the bathroom because it has words like "calming" and "soothing". Dancing Bubbles I features a simple, fun print with gorgeous earthy hues of blues and browns for relaxing in your bathroom. 

Spice up your kitchen decor with splashes of deep reddish brown. Many of Michael Mullan's kitchen art prints include phrases like "A cup of love" and "Cooking is love made edible". These prints will bring love into the room and make it more family friendly. Most of Mullan's kitchen prints use red, black, white and light blue. The simplistic colors of these pieces make it easier to one to match your kitchen and choose a finish as well.  

With the wonderful hues of light sage and aqua, Mullan's prints like the Night Owl II print is perfect for children's rooms and sun rooms. This art print shows a owl perched on a tree branch under the moon. Right next to the owl's feet in small letters are the words "GOODNIGHT SLEEP TIGHT". The colors are light and compliment each other.

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).

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!