“Italian Feast” by Loran Speck is a beautiful and exquisite piece. With his various works of art, Speck would rather the painting explain itself than with an actual written out explanation. He creates highly detailed pieces and has been often compared to great Dutch masters because of his astonishing use of color and light. 

Bold Statement

To incorporate this painting into a Dining Room, Breakfast Room or even a Kitchen would be no challenge at all. With the paintings wide variety of rustic color, you could accent this piece with almost any colored picture frame. You could use a dark red picture frame to bring out the tablecloth and red wine or you could use a dark brown to contrast with all of the tans, beiges and creams that are found throughout the picture. If you have a bright or upbeat color for the walls, the painting might not work as well in the room. You would need a calmer, more neutral color for this piece to make a statement on its own and to match the other décor. You want to make sure the colors are more subtle rather than overpowering. Whether kept for yourself or gifted to another, “Italian Feast” can be a beautiful centerpiece to a room.

Italian Feast by Loran Speck

Style

One thing Speck really wanted to achieve through his paintings was to give off a sense of who he was. With this being said, he loved simplicity and quiet intimacy. This is definitely a great interpretation of who he and how great he was at still life’s, shown with the painting “Italian Feast”. This is a simple, yet bold piece. It is not too busy with many different elements and it doesn’t get lost with too many different colors. This piece is a perfect balance between simple objects and portraying them in a beautiful way.

Obvious Popularity

Loran Speck intended for the piece “Italian Feast” to exude simplicity and for this same reason, it gained its popularity. He used a beautiful color scheme and wide variety of brush strokes to interpret his vision onto paper. There is no doubt that many people love this work of art for its simplicity as well as many other reasons. It is left up to the imagination to determine the purpose and intention this piece perceives. Someone doesn’t need to know the artist or the paintings background to fall in love with this work of art. Along with enjoying how it looks, people also enjoy the unspoken meaning behind the painting. With the endless possibilities of how to decorate with this piece, there is no question why it is a favorite among many.

Loran Speck brings still lives to life because of how he uses many details for his work. “Italian Feast” is just one of many still lives that Speck has created and it is beautiful nonetheless. Although there are and have been many artists in the world, Loran Speck does a good job of setting himself apart from the others through his work.

“No Place to fall” is a beautiful, lively photograph taken by none other than William Vanscoy. Vanscoy believed that what was being expressed made photographic art rather than what was being seen. He merged together traditional and digital photographic landscape because he believed it was important to capture the beauty of life and nature.

Style Of Art

William Vanscoy did a wonderful job with making this piece one that is well sought-after. By capturing timeless and detailed scenery, his photographs look as if you are looking at the scenery in person rather than a photograph. Vanscoy uses digital capture and extensive digital post-production to make his photographs. Sometimes he combines multiple photographs to create one realistic image. “No Place to fall” made it clear that Vanscoy did not need to describe or give further explanation to his pieces; he rather lets them speak for themselves. This gives the viewer a wide range of imagination to explore while looking at this photograph. This piece creates a sense of:

·         Wonder.

·         Serenity.

·         Beauty.

·         Self-expression.

This photograph is not explained which leaves it up to you to interpret the meaning.

Accenting The Piece

“No Place to fall” is a very bold piece. Although it is a big enough statement on its own, it can easily use small accents when hanging in a room. This piece could go well in any type of room but would work very well in a living room. By using beige, brown or dark tan colors around the room, this photograph will pop even more. Making this the focal point of the room would be a bold choice and really pay off when your guests can’t take their eyes off of it. Pairing the photograph with a beige colored picture frame would contrast with the darkness of the painting and bring out the details of the work.

Unintentional Popularity 

Many owners of this piece describe it as “beautiful” and that is exactly what it is. Vanscoy captured this scenery perfectly. Some elements that reflect beauty are:

·         The sun shining through the trees.

·         The balance between light and dark.

·         The extreme detail in the photograph that Vanscoy captured.

·         The aspect of serenity.

Because of these elements, there is no question why this piece is so popular. Why wouldn’t you want to have this calming and beautiful photograph in your house or place of work? The only way to explain this photograph to a viewer would be to call it a “statement piece.” You could add other photographs around that complement “No Place to fall” but it could also work well standing on its own. This is such a bold piece; you could have bare beige colored walls with this, as your only hanging piece and the room would be beautiful.

Although the piece could be interpreted many different ways, one thing we can all agree on is the beauty is exudes. With the contrast, realism and serenity of this photograph, it’s no wonder it’s so popular and could work so well in many different settings.

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.

July is already here, that means it’s time to scream for ice cream! July was set as National Ice Cream Month in 1984 by President Ronald Regan. He also set the third Sunday of the July to be National Ice Cream Day only right here in the United States.  This fun national holiday is a great excuse to sit back and relax while you enjoy a few (big) scoops of ice cream. If you're really in love with ice cream, check out some of our ice cream artwork before they all melt away!

Catherine Jones’ Malt Shop Collection

Catherine Jones, an artist who was born into a family of creative artists, creates paintings of the vintage styled ice cream shops. Her malt shop prints feature vintage advertising for small ice cream shops. Jones has a few other art pieces that include other frozen treats. Some of these are strawberry ice cream cones, hot fudge sundaes, chocolate shakes and root beer floats. Catherine Jones creates art work that will make you appreciate ice cream and its history.

Virginia A. Roper’s Ice Cream Parlor Collection

Catherine Jones is not the only artist to ever pay tribute to malt shops and diners. Artist Virginia A. Roper has previously tried her hand at spotlighting ice cream parlor treats. She has a series of five prints that showcase sundaes, cones and a delicious-looking, three-scoop banana split.  Yum! Like Catherine's pieces, these ice cream prints by Roper also have a vintage look with their light colors and patterned frames.

Andy Warhol Ice Cream Dessert Collection

Andy Warhol is a well known artist for his pop art creations. He also has a few ice cream pieces in a dessert collection as well. Created in the late 1950s, the iconic artist’s prints make the frozen treats look more like colorful works of art than a dessert item. The four prints to look for are Ice Cream Dessert (Fancy Red), Ice Cream Desert (Purple Fancy), Ice Cream Dessert (Red and Pink) and Wild Raspberries. The later was made in conjunction with another great artist, Suzie Frankfurt.

They are just three artists whose ice cream art are a part of the Fulcrum Gallery’s current collection. Some of the many other names to consider are Darrin Hoover, Dawn Collins, Megan Meagher, Rosiland Solomon, Jennifer Sosik and Megan Duncanson. See more ice cream artwork to decorate your home with in our ice cream art category. 

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).

Mother's day is almost here, every mother or soon to be mother should be appreciated always but especially on this day. So, what should you get her to commemorate the occasion? Every mother is different so if you don't already know what mom likes, it can be tricky shopping for a gift for her. An easy and meaningful gift to give mom is artwork. If your mother likes the beauty of flowers or wine then getting artwork is easier than ever. But for mothers that don't like anything specific, that you know of at least, what about art that highlights the special bond between parents and their children? Let’s take a look at some unique fine prints and you’ll quickly see why art is truly the best gift for moms.

For the Flower Loving Mom

Flower art is a great gift for mom's that like flowers and gardening. If you know her favorite flower, you can shop by flower type and get her a painting or photograph of her favorite flower. If she doesn't have a favorite or you don't know her favorite, try searching by color. Giving mom a flower print that is her favorite color is a gift that keeps on giving. Even a print that matches the color scheme in her bedroom or living room. This will make decorating so much easier....all she has to do is open the box and hang the frame or canvas piece.

Another good alternative to getting her flower art that is not her favorite (if you don't know her favorite) is getting a painting or photograph of two flowers together. Giving this to her as a gift can represent you and her and it can also represent your relationship together. If it is a gift from both... find flower art with three flowers.

For the Wine Loving Mom

If mom loves wine, chances are she'll love wine art as well. With over 1,600 art prints in our wine category, you're bound to find one that mom likes. Some women don't like to drink wine, but they love the beauty of wineries and the beauty of wine glasses and bottles. Prints like Vineyard Hill I by Sung Kim and A Wine Tasting by Marilyn Hageman are perfect for the Mothers that love wine for the beauty.

For mothers that love the beauty of wine, but also love drinking it for the taste prints like Wine Bottle, Grapes and Walnuts by Loran Speck would be a better choice. It shows a wine glass with food and also shows foods that go great with wine like fruit and nuts.

For the Animal Loving Mom

Animal paintings are always a great path for a gift, it can speak to lovers and non lovers of animals and gives a personal touch to your gift. The first way you can go about shopping for animal gifts for mom is to shop by animal. If she has a favorite animal, you can start there. If you don't know Mom's favorite animal, you can look for images of animals in pairs. We carry many art prints of baby animals with their mother. Art prints like First Christmas by Bonnie Mohr, Watching the Horizon by Lucie Bilodeau or Makulu by Ron D'Raine are few of the many mother animal and baby animal prints we carry that would make a perfect gift for Mom.

Motherhood Gifts for Any Mother

Emile Munier Collection:

First on our list is Mother’s Day art by Emile Munier. He was a French-born painter who specialized in portraits of women, children and household pets. We have several of his best works in our collection, including Pardon Mama, A Special Moment (1874) and Maternal Affection. Some of these paintings that would be a perfect gift for Mother's Day are ones that include a mother embracing her child.

Giving these paintings to a mother can show that she is passionate and loving. These specific pieces are best when given from the mother's child but can also be given from a spouse or other close relative as well. These paintings can be grouped together or paired with paintings by Munier’s mentor, William Adolphe Bourguereau. Bourguereau is the next French-born figure painter on our list.

William Adolphe Bouguereau

Unlike his student, William Adolphe Bouguereau liked to paint cherubs and angels too. His paintings relate to all mothers as he has paintings of young mothers with their children as well as older mothers. He also has portraits of couples together which would be a great gift from the spouse to the mother. Paintings like Mother and Child and Not Too Much to Carry are perfect depictions of motherhood. In some of William's paintings, women and children often appear in a holy light. Examples include paintings like Awakening Heart and Whisperings of Love (1889). However, not all of his women and children were given angel’s wings. These pieces that show women and children as angels and other spiritual figures are perfect pieces for a religious mother or a mother that believes her children were a gift.

Giving Mom the gift of art is a gift that keeps giving. She will feel appreciated and loved every time she sees it hanging on the wall. Have Mom's gift already hanging on the wall and surprise her! Check out our how to hang framed art and how to hang canvas art pages for help on hanging the art for her. 

"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 :-)

Salvador Dali is one of the most famous artists in the world. Not only did he have the sheer artistic talent to create marvelous images using the medium of oil painting, but it was his ability to integrate numerous art movements seamlessly into his vision and help bridge the styles of the early twentieth century into what became our idea of modern art. 

The popularity of his art seems to be unwavering with the changes in styles and trends. These images fit into our concepts of timeless beauty because they reference arguably the most beloved artists of all time, Renaissance painters such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo, with such technically proficient realism. Yet Dali's images are derived using the context of the surrealism movement, which add layers of emotional complexity.

Surrealism, a historically important art movement of the early 20th century, created a style that mixed art and the rising importance of psychology. It delved into the subconscious and sought to find meaning in dreams and the internal psychosis of the mind. This sort of art touches upon academic fields such as, psychiatry, history, photography, science, and playfully references popular culture. Dali's art can lighten up a room, but also give the viewer something to contemplate and continually stare at. 

Take for instance, the popular print of "Cinquenta... Tigre Real," painted circa 1963 by Dali. This image, an exercise in abstract painting, geometric painting and popular art, blends painted square panels into a repeated image of Soviet Union leader Lenin, which seen from a distance becomes a reference on a communist Chinese personage, and upon further viewing as a whole the overall painting becomes the head of tiger. It's a striking image, a subliminal political commentary perhaps; yet it is also a maze, a puzzle to be solved. At it's core it's a visually appealing complex image with beautiful colors, depth and a playful composition. It has the aesthetic structure that could define a decorative style for a whole room, due to it's checkered pattern and gold color.  

Salvador Dali is one of the 20th century's most important art figures and an unforgettable personality. His art walked the fine line between high culture and commercialism. Its the perfect marriage of what is deep and evocative and the manufactured cool of pop culture. 

Imagine a background presided over by rocky mountain landscapes covered in slight mist, with a foreground enlivened by surreal characters, all woven by a soft glowing majesty as in a dream.  This could be synonymous with the works of early 20th century American painter Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966).

A product of New England, Parrish was born and raised in Philadelphia.  He graduated from Haverford College in 1892, and attended the Pennsylvania Academy from 1892 to 1894, where he took some of Howard Pyle's classes at the Drexel Institute.  He then moved to New Hampshire during his late 20's, where he rendered prominent works such as "Daybreak," "Ecstasy," and "Evening Shadows," which partly make up a collection of work spanning over four decades.  In some cases Parrish's works appeared as illustrations in several of magazines of his day, such as "Life" and "Colliers."  Parrish also had international success around 1900 when his works were used as illustrations in the classical children's books "Golden Age" and "Dream Days," by Kenneth Graham's books.

Attributes of his artistic technique included the use of glowing colors, achieved through glazing, which involves bright layers of oil set apart by varnish.  In the early part of his career, he often painted women on rocks, then later transitioned to mainly painting landscapes.  His success in book illustrations could be attributed to his passion for reading books.

Consider adding an image of soft glowing majesty from one of America's renowned painters to your home or art collection: Consider the works of Maxfield Parrish.

Vincent Van Gogh is undoubtedly one of the greatest Dutch painters after Rembrandt. Born in 1853 in the Netherlands to a minister and a bookseller’s daughter, Van Gogh dabbled with various vocations including art dealer and clergyman before deciding he wanted to become an artist at the mature age of twenty-seven. Within 10 years, before he died of a self-inflicted wound to his chest, he produced over 2,100 pieces of works, mostly watercolor and oil paintings. In his lifetime, he sold just one painting, but he became posthumously famous when his sister-in-law took it upon herself to promote his art. Now, several of his paintings are ranked the most expensive in the world. If you’ve always loved Van Gogh’s paintings, here are some categories where he distinguished himself as an artist.

Style

Although Van Gogh had some formal art training, most of it was self-taught. His bold lines and an eye given to beauty and light gave brilliance to his artwork. Inspired and moved by light and color, he was able to produce stunning pieces of work depicting flowers, landscapes, portraits and architecture. Whether it is the Starry Night or Sunflowers or Café Terrace, they all possess rich tones and hues, with a flow that only a genius can create.

Subjects

What is mundane to people became a subject of study for Van Gogh. He was able to capture the ordinary and elevate it to a higher plane by his renditions. Examples include paintings of railway station, gasworks and nursery gardens. These ordinary settings come alive with his brilliant depth of colors and his ability to create movement across the page. During his confinement in a hospital, he took to painting his surroundings. Popular pieces like cypress trees, olive grove and wheat field came from that period.

Japanese Influence 

Many artists of his time became fascinated with Japanese paintings, Van Gogh included. He first saw Japanese prints in 1885 in Antwerp and became drawn to how simplicity of lines can be so profound when rendered with ease. He became an ardent fan of Japanese prints and reproduced some of Hiroshige’s work. Blossoming Almond Tree becomes one of the best known paintings from that influence.