Giving your mother the gift of art for Mother's Day can be a very memorable, touching, and personal experience. Depending on the décor of your mother's home and your relationship with her, there are several types of art gifts for Mother's Day to consider below.

#1 – Fine Art: If your mother has classic décor in her home, and she appreciates a more traditional lifestyle, time-honored fine art pieces are probably the way to go. Fine art has a way of evoking sentimental feelings, and a piece chosen for your mother's home on Mother's Day are sure to grace her walls for many years. The American artist and renowned Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt created many beautiful paintings featuring Mothers and children, such as Young Mother Sewing. Gustav Klimt, an esteemed Art Nouveau artist, created one of the most famous Mother and child paintings: Three Ages of Woman. There are also hundreds of other Mother-themed fine art pieces to choose from!

#2 – Word Art: If your mother's house is very homey and down-to-earth, and she appreciates a more relaxed lifestyle, word art is a great way to go! There are many choices for word art that can express whatever you want to communicate with your mother, whether it's the joy or the difficulties of being a Mother. For example, you might choose a rustic, country word art prints that say: “A Mother's Heart is a special place where children have a home.” Or, go contemporary and a little funky with this joyful block-art print that says: “Best Mom Ever.”

#3 – Animal Art: If your mother has pets or a favorite animal she remembers from childhood or loves to talk about, consider animal art as a gift. The Proud Mother art print by Ruane Manning, for example, depicts a Mother dog standing watchfully over her two puppies. For the modern woman, Mother's Love by Su Yue Lee shows a Mother lion carefully licking her cub. From giraffes to hippopotamuses, you're sure to find the perfect animal art to give for Mother's Day!

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of Albert Einstein, the German genius whose brain gave us theories like E=mc² and whose disheveled hair gave us a lovable image of the "mad" scientist. Einstein might have been born March 14, 1879, but his legacy still lives on today. On his would-be 135th birthday this year, why not celebrate a masterpiece of a mind, with a masterpiece on your walls? There are so many options to choose from.

Quotations

Einstein was known for his profound quotes that connected science and mathematics to a variety of everyday topics, like life and love. The relatability of Einstein's words is what makes wall posters with his quotes on them so popular around the world.

Do you want to remind you and your significant other the great phenomenon of finding someone and loving them? Check out the classy monochromatic "Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love" poster. Do you find yourself needing motivation or a pick-me-up at your work desk? Consider a "Life is like riding a bicycle--to keep your balance, you must keep moving" poster.

Whatever the situation or room you're in, a quotation piece gets the job done. Even if you don't put one up in your kitchen, it'll be sure to serve up some food for thought that's perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and that midnight snack.

Portraits

You know the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Well, with the evocative photographs and paintings created of his likeness, Albert Einstein is definitely no exception to this!

You can choose from posters of Einstein painted with different patterns, colors, and scientific symbols to get your creative juices flowing, or opt for another relatable piece that shows the scientist riding his bike. And, for the ones who don't take life too seriously, you can add a light-hearted touch to any room with a poster of the famous photograph of Einstein sticking his tongue out.

So, quotations or portraits? The best part is, you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Just check out our site to get the best of both worlds! You'll be celebrating a great man of science and displaying great art on your walls at the same time--and you don't have to be a theoretical physicist either!

Today I'm going to take the time to explore the work of artist John William Waterhouse. Known for his Pre-Raphaelite style, many of his paintings are the epitome of romance. Here’s a look at his life and adoration for the softer side of life:

John William Waterhouse was born into an artistic family in the spring of 1849. Nicknamed Nino, he entered the world in Italy but later moved to England. It was there that he began his formal art education in the late 1870s. However, he did not stay put. As a young man, he frequently traveled across Europe in search of inspiration. Much of J.W. Waterhouse’s paintings featured remarkable women with ties to myths and legends. He portrayed them with a great sense of realism, strength and tradition.  In addition, he liked to use both oils and watercolors in his representations.

Some of the women featured in his paintings were placed in solitary situations. Examples include The Crystal Ball (1902), The Shrine (1895), Mermaid (1901) Ophelia Lying in the Meadow (1905) and the Lady of Shalott (1888). Other female subjects were displayed in a romantic embrace, frolicking with others, working and engaging in other activities. The list of his works that feature romantic liaisons includes, but is certainly not confined to, La Belle Dame Sans Merci (1893), Echo and Narcissus (1903), Lamia (1905) and Hylas and the Nymphs (1896)

When he wasn’t painting, John William Waterhouse was teaching, traveling and participating in artist communities with his wife Esther Kenworthy. Although not as successful as her beloved husband, she had her own passion for painting. Her list of favorite subject matter included a variety of flora.

Today, prints of John William Waterhouse’s paintings are available through Fulcrum Gallery. So you may want to stop by before Valentine’s Day and check out Waterhouse’s work for yourself.

For years, artists have been painting and photographing cityscapes. One location that tends to be featured often is New York City. So this week, we wanted to look at five artists whose work can quickly bring forth a New York state of mind:

Erin Clark

Who better to capture the essence of New York’s cityscapes than a native like artist Erin Clark? She spent a portion of her life working and living in the Big Apple. Thus, her cityscapes have a realistic vibe that’s hard to find in other artists’ works. Pieces of her framed art that cosmopolitan thinkers may adore are Manhattan Bridge Aura, Flaming Cyclone, Gotham Grandeur, Tribeca Twilight and the Gilded Empire.

 Oleg Lugovasky

Although he wasn’t born there, Russian photographer Oleg Lugovasky has a profound way of capturing Gotham’s cityscapes too. Originally from Tashkent, he currently lives and works in the City that Never Sleeps. His list of notable photos includes Brooklyn Bridge, The Great Bridge, New York City and the Dark Mansion.

Henri Silberman

Keeping with the photography theme, Henri Silberman’s work is certainly worth investigating too. He has a history of photographing the city from ground level and from the sky. Many of his cityscapes are done in black and white. However, there are times when he adds a pop of color into the mix. An example of such is the photograph, Yellow Cab on Brooklyn Bridge. Other cityscapes to check out at your leisure are Radio City Music Hall Crossing, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral NYC, Park Avenue at Night, Empire State Building East View and Gothic Bridge Central Park.

Marti Bofarull

Another artist known for his cityscapes is Spaniard Marti Bofarull. His paintings of the Big Apple tend to feature a soft around the edges look that is sure to appeal to fans of watercolors. The list of NYC scenes that he is known for painting includes a Panoramic View of Manhattan, Under the Brooklyn Bridge, South Manhattan, the Chrysler Building and On Park Avenue.

Ethan Harper

If you prefer the look of vintage advertisements, artist Ethan Harper’s work may be of interest instead. His cityscapes have a feel that’s reminiscent of old time calendar pages, pin ups and advertising posters. Works to consider adding to your city themed display wall are Bull Market, New York Central Line, Small Tour of New York I, Small Urban Icon I and Bridges of New York II.

To learn more about these cityscapes artists and others, please contact us at The Fulcrum Gallery. Our toll-free number is (800) 644-1278.

    Looking to brighten up your home this spring? Need some fresh ideas for color pallets in your living room or bedroom? One way to reinvent the look of your home is to bring in new colors.  Nothing will brighten up your winter blues like some bright new springtime colors on your walls. Here are some springtime colors for decorating your home that will freshen up any room.

    One color trend that I like for the spring includes a dark evergreen with accents of  different shades of pinks and whites.  This color palette would work great in a living room or bedroom.  Mixing a neutral color with pops of unexpected colors is one way to incorporate this color palette a room.  With this color palette, the green is the neutral color and will not be overwhelming on your walls.  The pops of pinks and whites can be incorporated with throw pillows, curtains, and wall art.  It is important to remember to test a few shades of green on the wall before you paint your whole room.  Dark colors on the wall can make the room darker or give the illusion that it is smaller than it actually is.  Make sure to pick a color you are comfortable with.

     Another color trend that I like for this spring is navy blue with teals and taupe.  This trend is a little more complicated to pull off because you have to make sure to balance the lighter shades with some of the more rich dark colors of blues and teals.  This color trend would work in a room where you can use an accent wall.  In order to do this, a neutral taupe color for the walls would balance a floral navy blue pattern on an accent wall in the room.  Adding teals and other blue-green shades into curtains, bedspreads, pillows, and art is what would make the room come together.  To bring a more springtime feel into this look, I would use  floral patterns for the accent wall or in the fabrics and art.

For more spring decorating tips or ideas that complement your decor, give us a call at 800-644-1278 or visit our website at http://fulcrumgallery.com.

Anyone who spends much time contemplating modernist painting in a museum is bound to hear at least one passerby scoff. "This is worth how much? I could have painted that." Flipping through thumbnails of his color field paintings in an art history textbook, one might at first be tempted to shovel Mark Rothko into this category, but upon experiencing these great works in person, one begins to wonder anew: who was the person behind this body of work, and where did these images come from?

Born in Latvia in 1903, the Jewish-American painter we know as Mark Rothko immigrated to the United States in 1913 as a result of his father's fear that his sons would be drafted into the Russian Army. They settled in Portland, Oregon, where young Marcus excelled in school, winning a scholarship to Yale University. Uncomfortable in this elitist environment, he never finished, but was later awarded an honorary degree. He eventually became an American citizen and changed his name from Marcus Rothkowitz to Mark Rothko to sound less Jewish, as a response to rising anti-Semitism as the Nazi party gained influence in Europe. After leaving Yale, Rothko subsequently found work in New York where he experienced the turning point into his career as a visual artist. Passing by the Art Students League, a figure drawing session caught his eye, and he began to take classes there and at the New York School of Design. Especially given the economic depression, his family was not supportive of Marcus's decision to become a professional artist, despite his beginning to gain respect within avant-garde art circles.

Rothko and other artists he associated with at the time feared that American painting had hit a wall, conceptually, becoming equated with the somewhat literal depiction of landscape and urban scenes. Even in this early work Rothko was interested in color as something that human beings respond to on a very basic level, beginning at a very young age. He believed that artistic clarity could be achieved through increasing levels abstraction, but his early work was still somewhat figurative. Rothko's interest in mythology and the writings of Nietzsche became a strong influence on his painting, beginning a quest to lessen the spiritual emptiness of the modern man.

Mark Rothko began creating work in what we now consider to be his signature style in the late 1940s. These paintings, which critics termed "multiform paintings," featured rectangular fields of color on a large vertical canvas. Some criticized their large scale as an attempt to compensate for lack of content, to which Rothko replied that the scale was meant to allow the viewer to step close enough to feel part of the work itself. "I want to be very intimate and human. To paint a small picture is to place yourself outside your experience, to look upon an experience as a stereopticon view or with a reducing glass. However you paint the larger picture, you are in it. It isn’t something you command!"