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Expert Advise and Interior Design tips
Oil Paintings Spark Colors in your Emotions
Have you ever been sad on a gray cloudy day? Have you ever felt whimsical walking through a colorful autumn forest? How about silly and spontaneous in the bright yellow sunshine? Odds are, you probably have.
Colors effect our emotions. In fact, it’s been documented that colors can affect our pituitary glands, which in turn can change hormone production and mood alteration. And it’s not just in natural settings this phenomenon occurs. Often we even find emotional connection to artificial color, like in a painting.
For homeowners and art lovers, adding or changing wall art in a room or office can create new emotional experiences for guests and owners alike. The key is finding great art on a budget that can achieve this while still adhering to the “look for less” philosophy.
When choosing art, be careful. There’s some bad wall art out there. You don’t want to end up with an orange “waiting room” painting that makes your guests feel like they’re at the doctor’s office. Your safest bet might be to simply stick with the classics – they’re always in style, and they’re always tastefully elegant.
But classic gallery art costs a bundle, so reproduction wall art may be your best bet. Adding a reproduction of a dark classic like Van Gogh’s Starry Night can bring a sense of heaviness and cool to a room, while a colorful Monet might create a sense of lightheartedness.
Reproductions like this are not hard to find. Companies like OverstockArt.com, the web’s leading producer of reproduction oil paintings and frames, offer hundreds of different paintings for different occasions. Finding the right colors and the right painting is just a mouse click away.
Consider your home and the mood you want to set not only for yourself, but for your family and your guests. Then think colors. A vibrant new painting might be all it takes to turn a dreary day outside into a happy day inside.
Using Wall Art to Create and Eliminate Space
For most of us, colors tend to represent various emotions and different levels of energy in our world. Applying this concept to wall décor creates a similar atmospheric effect and can even create or eliminate special perception in rooms.
Adding art that combines certain colors to a room can achieve impressions of space and dimension, making things seem larger, or even smaller. Neutral colors like whites and yellows often make a room larger by reflecting light and giving gloss to an area.
For example, putting up Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” with its bright colors and hues can make a room seem inviting and larger. Conversely, putting up a dark and ominous Rothko can eliminate spatial perception, raising blood pressure and creating fatigue. Dimly lit restaurants and hotels often use darker wall decor for effect.
Colors like blues and greens create a sense of calm and cool. Hospitals and care centers often stick to these colors, as do homeowners in warm areas of the country. Shades of pink can be great comfort colors for baby rooms and grays help create a conservative corporate atmosphere.
For the average consumer, finding the right wall décor can be a challenge. There is a lot of bad wall art out there. So when you can’t find something to choose, stick to what works – the classics. All of the emotions created by color can be found in the elegant works of masters like Monet, Picasso and Degas. And often, like a good pair of khakis, they’re right for almost every occasion and every room.
Restoring Oil Paintings
Any guidance about cleaning an oil painting that is covered in filth or grime must come with a major red glaring warning sign. Unlike other sort of DIY projects, cleaning oil paintings should be performed by professional conservators. However, if your painting is not terribly valuable to you (monetary wise or sentimental value…), there are some tips to make it look cleaner and brighter.
Up until the Forty’s of the last century, paintings of oil on canvas were often covered with a layer of varnish to add gloss and protect the thick layer of paint, called the impasto. Yet varnish tends to crack and yellows up over time. It can make the oil painting seem dull and discolored.
The good news is that underneath the varnish the thick layer of paint might still be in good shape. Try applying a mild solvent called conservation liquid. Art supply stores might sell a “mix” designed to clean and remove varnish. Be prepared that the solvent might damage the oil paint underneath. If you are willing to take that chance, smear the emulsion with a cotton ball very delicately. Try testing the reaction of the solvent on one corner before moving on to the entire canvas.
For more recent paintings, the build up of dirt and other particles on your masterpiece is more likely to be the issue. In this case, check if the paint has any cracks, this will indicate if the paint is glued well to the canvas. Then you can carefully dust the surface with a very soft brush, such as a shaving cream brush.
For those of you who are not afraid to experiment, there are some unorthodox ways to restore oil paintings. One method that has been explored is by means of white French bread. Ball up a piece of French bread and gently stroke it against the canvas. You’ll see it darken like an eraser. For pet hair on thick textured paintings, I found that a low suction vacuum with a brush nozzle does the trick.
Restoring oil paintings is an art form all on its own. It is an enduring task that should be left to the hands of skilled professionals. The great conservators have methods that are secretly passed down generations. However, Most of us don’t have thousands of dollars to get a professional restoration job done on our family portrait. If you decide to do-it-yourself keep in mind, that altering true valuables always decreases their value, whether or not the end result is satisfying.
Top Decorating Trends for 2008
It’s that time of year again to start thinking about a new look and all the things that we can do around the house to make our home more fashionable and trendy.
So what’s hot for decorating in 2008? Think affordable luxury with a wide variety of styles and flavors to suit any Decorator!
As the wheels of fashion turn, so do the wheels of home décor trends, observe the coming of Neo-classic art back into modern décor in the year 2008. Luckily, it’s never been easier to create a luxurious home to suit your lifestyle with these simple decorating tips:
- Eco-friendly decor – The focus this year is on organic and the natural artifacts. In the past, eco-friendly or what is now termed Green Design could be summed up in one word: ugly. That isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Eco-friendly design has met a stylish interpretation proving that earth friendly decor can at the same time be elegant, beautiful and exciting as well as Green.
- Contrasting color combinations - Contrast colors and textures like smooth against rough add a touch of the unexpected to your décor. Pair up accessories or furnishings for that special feeling and spark to lighten up your décor.
- The ‘X’ factor - X is everywhere, Find it in furniture and accessories. It was first spotted at the Highpoint European Show and has since been making its way down the trend ladder to almost every trend seeking home in America.
- Beautiful Design is simply not enough - For today’s multi-tasking, on the go lifestyle, home décor needs to be multi-functional as well. Home Décor shoppers want utility as well as sheik in their furniture and accessories. Look for furniture and decorative accessories that will make your everyday life easier and more organized. It’s time we demanded more from our décor!
- Expect to see the softer side of leather – Earth tones on smaller pieces of furniture with contrasting more feminine like colors.
- Art that Inspires Luxury - 2008 is all about the Classics of luxury. Add elegance via home decor, and specifically wall decor. Shop for hand painted art reproductions of famous works of art. Hang a hand painted Impressionist masterpiece like a Monet or a Van Gogh. Like David Sasson, President of OverstockArt.com says: “It is sure to bring many admirers…”
- Whites - From pearl white to ivory, the white color family will be on display in 2008. From your furniture to your wooden frames. Adorn your home in soft whites.
- Make a dramatic Impact – Oversized décor for a dramatic look. Shock your friends and add one focal point piece as a jaw dropper. Imagine one huge work of art in your living room that would leave everyone in awe.
- Gray tones and Metals – Add a touch of steel to your design with elements such as Silver, brushed nickel and aluminum. Recycled would be a preference (remember to think green!).
- Feng Shui – In this hectic and fast pace world we all want a bit of piece and tranquility in our home. Let your design and furnishing make you feel at ease. Add the Feng Shui elements and embrace piece on earth.
Have more trends to add? Post your comments and hopefully we can all create the right environment for growth and exploration in our homes in 2008. I wish you all a fabulous and enjoyable year full of joy and successful decorating endeavors.
Decorating with Postcards
Have you ever thought of saving old postcards and using them as decor for the kitchen, family room or office?
Henry Matisse sent an envelope of letters to Andre Rouveyre, a 1943 decorative Gouache pen and ink with beautiful yellow inset surrounding three flowers with black ink, this series of postcards is considered by many to be the most beautiful correspondence of the 20th century…
We might not all be Matisse, but the decorative nature and emotion that holds a small card sparked an idea, which I’d like to call “postcard décor!”
One idea would be to arrange the post cards in alphabetical order by state or country and placing them in a nice big frame.
Another suggestion would be to make an oil painting out of your favorite cards, the Turn Photos into Art service by OverstockArt.com is an inexpensive way to poster-size your memories into a big hand painted oil painting…
Poster size post cards will enable your guests to appreciate decorative art in your home or office; but this hand painted postcard is a one-of-a-kind reproduction and an excellent conversation piece.
It can spark memories of who sent you the postcard, your relationship with them and your fond memory of that occasion.
Postcard decor is a great way to bring home the memories of your travels, long lost friends that shared wonderful moments with you, a passionate piece that will liven up your décor with excitement and fond memories.
Ten Tips for Artistic Oil Painting Arrangements
Express your creativity, and add sophistication to your wall – mix framed oil paintings in creative ways. Like fine ingredients in a fabulous meal, individual works of art can be combined to produce tantalizing wall décor arrangements.
The following is a list of ten well established practices for assembling great displays that turn your ordinary wall into something special…
- Balance – No matter what desired effect you wish your art to convey, successful art displays all have one thing in common: a cohesive balance of order, color and scale.
- Offset large art with small. Grouping small works of art together with a single large art piece brings to life the arrangement.
- Pay attention to the spacing between objects. The spacing should be even among all the pieces. Leave a bigger gap between oil paintings to let each piece be appreciated on its own. For a collage, the unity of the works is key, group the paintings closer together.
- Experiment with balance. Play around with different combinations of small and large works of art. As long as it’s symmetrical and well aligned you can just go with what you like best.
- Unity – A display can be made up of very different elements; an arrangement can still work as long as there’s a unifying thread, an idea that relates the works to each other.
- Choose a subject, theme or color. Subjects such as Nature or Travel are highly popular these days. It can be any theme as long as it links the paintings to each other. I like to create groupings by artists, group four Van Gogh paintings or three Mark Rothko art reproductions together transcends the power of their art and brings to life their unique styles and techniques.
- Use matching frames. Matching frames are a must in linking the different art pieces together in a smooth, cohesive way.
- Impact – Balance and unity are always important, but for a display to truly knock them off their feet, it needs to have an impact. Experiment with the arrangement, and look for ways to create drama in your display.
- Odd numbers of framed oil paintings create the most pleasing effect. Start off by placing the central piece at eye level or slightly above on the wall, and then expand your display outward from there.
- Use wall ledges. Ledges provide a blank canvas where you can layer the artwork so that one frame slightly overlaps the other. This technique puts the focus on the display as a whole, rather than on any individual work of art.
These ten tips are just a few guidelines that you should keep in mind in preparation on your next decorating endeavor. Hope these tips help you out to create fabulous wall arrangements that will bring light and beauty into your homes.
Hanging Art on your Walls
No buts about it… canvas art revitalizes your decor like no other decor essentials can. The art on your wall defines your taste and who you are to the world. It sets your home apart from any other and is the focal point of your perspective.
Where should I hang my Art?
I love to search out possible hanging locations. My favorite is to develop a grouping of oil paintings. In order to develop a grouping you must first test out your collection on the floor by laying out the paintings. As a rule, larger art pieces tend to look better on top with smaller ones below it. If you are trying to achieve a simplistic, contemporary look then I suggest lining the paintings in an orderly fashion. I don’t like offsetting of artworks in a collection; it tends to cause my eyes to twitch…
How high should I hang my Art?
One common miss conception about hanging art is the hanging height. I constantly hear that “artwork must be hung at eye level”. It’s simply not true. Artworks should be arranged and placed according to what’s around them.
It is true that if your walls are 18 feet high, pictures should hang just about six feet off the ground. However, when placing an oil painting over furniture, art should be hung about 6 inches above it. Leave more room above sofas and headboards. And remember, lines tend to conflict above arched furniture.
Hanging the Art
Ingredients: a tape measure, a hammer and small nails. If the art is heavy, you’ll need wall anchors, two per artwork. Some people use picture hangers with integrated hooks, which are somewhat inexpensive and effective, for me a nail always does the trick.
- Use a pencil to mark the top of the frame.
- The painting should come with hanging wire on the back, but if it doesn’t cut up a piece of crosswire and clamp it to the frame using heavy-duty staples.
- Measure the distance from the top of the frame to the nail crosswire. This is where you insert the nail on the wall.
The art on your walls will make you feel more at home. It is a great way to show everyone your taste and your passion.
How to choose an oil painting and a corresponding frame
Choose the right art for you
The first step is seemingly easy: select the art you love. Forget about what’s hip or what’s popular. If it excites you, get it. A Monet, a Picasso, a Van Gogh reproduction or simply a beautiful hand painted scenic landscape… anything that lights an artistic spark in your heart.
Choosing the right frame for your masterpiece…
When you’ve finalized what painting you’d like and where to put it, it’s time for framing. Think of frames as the final touch on a piece of artwork, like shoes on a suite, they make all the difference! In general, for larger works, wider frames are more decorative and ornamental, and thinner frames are more contemporary and subtle. Take into consideration how much space you’re trying to fill. If you need the piece to be larger, choose a wider molding. If you’re creating a grouping, you may want to control framing costs by keeping things simple.
Inexpensive High-End Wall Décor
If you need works of art for your home or office but don’t have time (or money) for the gallery scene, consider shopping for art online, where you can get a masterful art reproduction, hand painted just like the original. In addition to expanding the market beyond regular galleries, online art is a great inexpensive solution to decorate your home in style.
These hand painted oil paintings come in all different sizes and the majority are reproductions of very famous works by renowned artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Klimt and many more. Expect to pay anywhere from $90 to $400. Shipping usually is free within the United States, and shopping is as easy as click-and-buy on your coffee-break.
There are many advantages to buying art online. First, there is no need to worry about hanging gear or fitting the masterpiece in the trunk of your car. The art arrives at your doorstep, ready to hang with all the necessary hardware. Just take a hammer to it and you’re done!
Many of these virtual galleries welcome your e-mails and will happily engage in “virtual” conversations about art as well as décor advice as to hanging the oil paintings and giving helpful interior design tips to transform your space.
Often, online art galleries give shoppers the option of creating their own masterpiece by requesting a custom made oil painting done. Custom painted art is a great way to get that one-of-a-kind, inspirational wall décor item that defines you! It can be anything from a family photo to a cool image you want to turn into a hand painted masterpiece.
Probably the most successful online art gallery in the United States is OverstockArt.com. There ability to deliver high-quality art combined with top-notch customer service has caused this young art retailer to become a house-hold name in many parts of the country.
So, compile a list of your favorite artists and go on a “virtual” shopping tour. There’s always something fresh to catch your eye. Most offer a large variety of artists to choose from. Before you know it, you’ll own a unique work of art similar to an original masterpiece that costs millions of dollars…
There is no question, art transforms our homes like few other design elements can. So go ahead and select art that defines you! After all, you’ll be looking at it everyday…
Instructive Video on Hanging Art
Having trouble deciding where to hang your oil paintings? Wondering how to place the art on your walls so it will go well with your existing decor? How high should you place art above the fireplace? How to offset a collection of paintings on the wall?
Well, this instructive video might help you out! From selecting the art that you love, framing advice, picking the right location on the wall and arranging the art to fit the room… this video has it all! Also included are some great tips on how to go about arranging the art and helping you get the job done as smooth as possible…
If you are framing & hanging canvas art for the first time, this might help you a lot and give you some really good pointers for future wall decor endeavors…