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).

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!

If former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln were still walking this earth, he’d be turning a whopping 206 years old this past February and we can’t imagine what that would be like for him. However, what we can imagine is how wonderful it would be to walk into a display area during this month’s Presidential holidays that’s filled with images from American history. The former 16th President’s image could be at the center of the display.

Over the years, there have been many paintings and photos taken in Abraham Lincoln’s memory. The list of artists whose work has spotlighted the former world leader at one time or another includes George Henry Story, Howard Pyle, Nathaniel Currier, Jason Lauritis and Mark Hampton. Some of the artists, like Howard Pyle, also created a great deal of art devoted to the Civil War and American history in general.

Others, like Jason Laurits, choose to take a quirky approach towards the former U.S. President. For example, he created a print featuring Lincoln wearing roller blades. It would pair well with contemporary pieces like Abraham Lincoln’s Face Against Colored Backgrounds, Abraham Lincoln: Honesty, Freedom, Equality, Tails and Heads. We should also mention that the artists who created the first two pieces are unknown. The third and fourth prints were created by artist David Bromstad. They are part of a two-piece series that showcases American currency.

Politics aside, Lincoln was such an interesting figure in his own right. As such, his image could be paired with artwork associated with his personal life. For instance, it is well-known that he loved his pets and often let them eat at the dinner table with him. He was also very religious, enjoyed wrestling and even participated in a séance at one time in his life. So a display created in his honor could include pictures of cats, dogs, wrestlers and the reprint of a 1800s Poster Advertising a Psychic Performance by the Davenport Brothers.

To find the framed artwork mentioned above and other pieces of Americana that could be used to celebrate Presidential holidays, please contact us at the Fulcrum Gallery.

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!

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.  

Belong long, January 2015 will be here and it will be time to take down the New Year’s decorations. Perhaps you’re wondering what to replace them with until Valentine’s Day rolls around in February. Well, wonder no more because we’ve dug up five wacky holidays that are tailor-made for hanging up wall art. Here’s a look-see:

1.) National Soup Month

Why not decorate the kitchen or dining room in honor of National Soup Month? Believe it or not, there is a lot of interesting wall art that focuses on the delightful dish besides Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s Soup Series. There are artists like Will Rafuse, Pamela Gladding, Dan Dipaolo, Jerianne Van Dijk and Jane Maday too. They’ve created art that shows chefs making big, bubbling pots of soup. In addition, over the years there have been many artists who've painted fresh ingredients, bowls, wait staff, restaurants, movie posters and advertisements hawking various kinds of soups.

2.) National Hot Tea Month

While we are still talking about wall art for the kitchen and dining room, we’d be remiss to mention National. Our art gallery has more than 150 pieces of art devoted to tea and tea making equipment alone. One of the artists involved is Helen Vladykina. She’s created a three frame series on tea that focuses on different regions of the world, including Morocco, Russia and Asia. So they could easily fit into a variety of interior design themes. The list of other artists whose tea prints are tied to geographic locations includes Krista Sewell, Charlene Audrey, Gregory Gorham, Deborah Bookman and Ingrid Van De Brand.

3.) National Polka Music Month

Now that we’ve covered the wacky holidays tailor-made for kitchen and dining room art, let’s move on to the den. It’s a good spot to hang wall art in celebration of National Polka Music Month. We’ve got a series of Panoramic Images that capture true-to-life scenes from Poland that would be perfect for such an occasion. There’s also a map of the country available courtesy of artist T. Jeffreys. If you don’t want to hang up pictures of Poland, there are other options as well. They include displaying pictures of dancers, musicians, musical instruments and fun uses of polka dots.

4.) National Mail Order Gardening Month

National Mail Order Gardening Month is also on tap. So why not create a display wall in the den dedicated to mail catalogs, seed packets and gardening implements? Artist Deborah Schenck has created a series of artwork featuring vintage letters and various flower blossoms that could be used as a basis for the display. As for the pictures of gardening tools and seed packets, there are many different artists’ collections to choose from. Among them are Atelier Nouvelles Images, Ginny Joyner, Susan Winget, Daphne Brissonnet, Vision Studio and Kate Ward Thacker.

5.) International Wayfinding Month 

Lastly, we can’t forget about International Wayfinding Month. It’s a great way to incorporate an array of maps, directional signage and transportation related art into your building’s hallways, entrance ways and living rooms. If you decide to stick with the living room, consider using movie posters that contain directional words in their titles. Examples include Last Exit to Brooklyn, Exit to Eden and Exit the Dragon Enter the Tiger. To find these pieces of art and others that are ideal for celebrating any number of January’s wacky holidays, please contact us at the Fulcrum Gallery today.

Selecting the right type of kitchen art is a daunting yet exciting experience. You want your kitchen to stand out and have a concise style that makes it differ from the rest of your home decor. It is a little challenging trying to find the perfect piece to put and the best spots to put it in the kitchen. Finding the perfect piece of art to hang usually is difficult because most likely, you have appliances of a certain color already in your kitchen. This could also make it easier because you now have a specific color to shop for. If you have one specific bare wall in your kitchen, or a place you want to replace with art, try these tips and styles of art to give it an artistic boost.

Old World

The old world look is beautiful for a kitchen that has soft earth tones and dim lighting. Light brown or cream walls with a cherry wood dining table and chairs is extremely flattering for this style. Kimberly Poloson is one of the many artists who create old world prints that would specifically look great in the kitchen. Some of these prints, like Old World Rooster and Vintage Bouquet I- Mini have a main image in the center of the piece, then have a intricate monochromatic boarder with patterns that help the center image pop. Including these images in your kitchen decor will add a vintage feel that will make you kitchen truly unique.

Traditional

A light and airy traditional kitchen needs some accents that bring out its color palette. If your kitchen is white with beautiful pastels, why not opt for some lovely botanical prints? Photographs and paintings of daisies, poppies, sunflowers, and water lilies are eye pleasing and would look wonderful on a blank wall near the dining table. If you already have a lot of patterns in colors in your decor, botanical prints are a great way to add more decor without clashing with what is already in your kitchen. Pauline Eble Campanelli is one great artist who creates many pieces perfect for kitchen decor. A lot of them are simple and elegant with a solo basket on the table filled with fruits or plants. These prints are one example of adding a perfect touch to an already traditional styled kitchen or transforming your kitchen's decor to traditional style.

Contemporary 

Contemporary kitchens are usually sleek and sophisticated with two main colors for the theme and a few stainless steel appliances. It may be tricky trying to figure out what art style would match with this type of kitchen‘s appeal. A great place to start looking for contemporary art for your kitchen is in contemporary food prints. These prints range from paintings of fruits, coffee, wine, spices, and much more! Contemporary food art is also a great place to start looking because within this style category you can find art to fit your theme. For example, there are many prints that are Tuscan themed, educationally themed, and more!

These are just a few ideas that bring out the styles of kitchens. Kitchen art can be as colorful or as simplistic as you choose. Remember to choose a finish like laminate, frame or canvas, that will protect your art from stains and water damage. Check out our website to browse through hundreds of art pieces to find the perfect art that compliments your kitchen decor!