Art Smart (2.4.11): Sweet Serenity

Enjoy the serenity of these Minimalist Landscapes available through Canvasart1 on Etsy.

Art Smart ~ There's Something About You

{ORIGINAL OIL on CANVAS - Something About You}

I've really fallen in love with the portraits of vincenzorizzo here at his etsy shop. His portraits of women really have a vibrancy and soul to them captured on paper. They are inspiring me to pick up the paint brush! Well, at least thinking about picking up the paint brush ~ finding the time, that is another story...

Art Smart ~ Tree-lined

Enjoy this Tree Silhouette outdoor print from Ballard Designs - built to withstand the outdoors, but so nice indoors too!

DIY Tips and tricks: Key to what?

Is collecting vintage keys your new hobby? Well if it is, or if you just have a key fetish, here is a fun way to display them! All you need are some keys and a shadow box. Pick how many you want to show case and pin them to the back. Easy breezy DIY project!

Check out Centsational Girl for some ideas!

Go with the one key approach and hang in a sequence.


Or go with multiples (on a key ring splayed out or individually lined up in the design of your choice).


Need keys? Don't want to do the leg work? Pottery Barn has them, don't fret!

Art Smart ~ Witty Tea Towels?

This illustrated tea towel called "Dishes I'd Rather Be Doing" from dear colleen's etsy shop is artsy, hilarious and the perfect gift for your fav gal pal's new home. :)

Which Hollywood Hunk is your favorite?

Art Smart ~ Gingerbread Haus!

Here is a really cute post on the art of gingerbread houses and how the tradition started in Europe and continues today.

Art Smart ~ Interview with katherinejlee on Etsy

{pair of organic napkins - large mermaid print in teal OOAK}

Good morning everyone! Here is a fun interview with katherinejlee about her creative process, and at the bottom of the interview is her etsy shop featuring various organic home decor she screenprints her designs on.

Art Smart ~ Music Icons literally "made" from records

{Photo by Steve Mercado of ShadowMonster Design}

Here is a photo of me (Jen) and an amazing portrait of Micheal Jackson at the Mr. Brainwash Art Show during Art Basel last week.

From far away it just looks like a painting of him, and when you get up close you realize that the portrait is made out of actual pieces of records!

Art can be fun and meaningful at the same time. I thought this portrait was very fun, yet tasteful and really interesting to show a musicians portrait literally made out of pieces of records. There were also Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix portraits done in the same manner. Music icons literally "made" from records, it's really inspiring.

Art Smart ~ Art Basel Miami 2010

Good morning P4Ders! We have Art Basel 2010 going on down here in Miami Beach right now. There are soooo many events going on, I don't know where to start. I will report to you more next week with photos and highlights of my week/weekend here at Art Basel.

Last night I went to the opening of Art Basel in the convention center as well as the Bass Museum. Both places were a great time and all the swanky people of Miami are out in full effect. I'm hoping to run into someone famous, I will let you know if I do! :)

If you are in the Miami area, this is THE place to see art this week!

Here is a little history on Art Basel:
Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland's Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 41 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. Exhibition sites are located in the city's beautiful Art Deco District, within walking distance of the beach and many hotels.

An exclusive selection of more than 250 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st century artworks by over 2,000 artists. The exhibiting galleries are among the world's most respected art dealers, offering exceptional pieces by both renowned artists and cutting-edge newcomers. Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art. The show will be a vital source for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-calibre artworks.

Top-quality exhibitions in the museums of South Florida and special programs for art collectors and curators also help make the event a special time for encountering art. And every year, a greater number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world participate in Art Basel Miami Beach - the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world.

Art Smart ~ Stick it to your wall!

P4D loves wall decals. They really are the most fun and cost affective way to make a room truly unique. Blik is one of our favorite wall decal distributors because they have such intricate designs that you can literally purchase a mural-like sticker. AND you can customize their decals by selecting from a wide variety of color choices. From simple designs to the elaborate, visit Blik to see what kind of wall art you can bring into your home or work space. Here are a few favorites...

Storm


Socket Light


Classical Must Haves

Art Smart (11.11.10): Customized Coasters

Hand painted scrabble tile coasters from Terrill's Tiles on Etsy are a great holiday gift. Pick and choose the perfect letter combination!

Art Smart ~ Perfect Design

Check out this gorgeous photo from AbbyBlaine's etsy shop. Just in time for the fall season, this spider web photo would look great with your decor. Keep it up the rest of the year for it's poetic view of an intricate spider web. Also, she is having a buy 1 photograph & get 1 free sale!

Art Smart (10.28.10): Mixing paint with photography

Love, love, love these original photographs digitally mixed with paint. Pole Rouge by Lobokoff is available at Etsy for $30 per square and signed! Mix and match your favorites.

Art Smart ~ Art You Want To EAT!

K. Madison Moore's still life pieces capture food in a fun and whimsical way. Here are my two favorites!

AllSorts Candy (I see this hanging in my girlie room!)


Luscious Lemons

Art Smart (10.14.10): Welcome Fall!

These close up leaf photographs from ConsideringNature are inspiring me for Fall! Get these prints to frame from their Etsy Store. They are a very cost effective option to fill your walls with original art and bring some color into your home!





Don't forget! Click here to enter our latest contest with CSN where you can win a $55 Gift Certificate!

Art Smart (10.7.10): Art in a Click

Buying art can be challenging because there are other factors besides simply liking a piece of artwork that you have to take into consideration before settling on a piece. Here are some tips from P4D's guest blogger Bridget about utilizing online art stores and the advantages they have to offer.

Tip #1
You never really know how it will match your home until it's up on the wall. Thankfully, we live in a time where wall décor destinations, like art.com, offer technological ways to "see" your art before you spend a dime. The picture below, called art.com's Room View, exemplifies how you are able to upload an actual picture of your room and place the art on your choice on the wall, with custom framing and all. This takes the guesswork out of home decorating.




Tip #2
Before going out to stores, do some research online so that you know what is available. Many art stores have half-empty bins and limited selections, so definitely take advantage of the large selection of homemade prints on sites like etsy.com.

Tip #3
Lastly, make it personal! Art is supposed to be an expression of you. You can tweak a piece slightly just to make it your own with custom framing options, custom matte options, and art on acrylic versus canvas. Many online sites allow you to do all of this at once.

Art Smart ~ City Fun

{133 Buildings ~ Screenprint}

What a gorgeous screen print of 133 hand drawn buildings in Nate Duval's etsy shop. It really invokes the feeling of a city in a playful, geometric way.

Art Smart ~ Life IS A Daring Adventure

Now this print from happydeliveries etsy shop is something I could look at everyday to keep me going! How about you?

Art Smart ~ It's Gonna Be a Bright Sunshiny Day!

Everyone needs some positivity in their life. To wake up to any of the prints at farouche's etsy store would be great in my book! The typography is just gorgeous as well.

Art Smart ~ Playful Photography

A whimsical picture that is playful and artistic. I just loved the colors of this Ferris Wheel Shot by HeyZee available through Etsy.