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Tintoretto's Last Masterpiece - A Painting of Paradise

Submitted by Christine on October 13, 2012 - 3:22am

By today’s commercial standards, we’ve become used to large picture displays, like billboards and those enormous fabricated ads that drape over the sides of tall buildings. They’re typically decorated by printing machines, or in the case of some projects, by hundreds of helping hands (kids and volunteers). They're also usually completed in a weekend or two at the most. What is exciting is that one self-taught artist, Jacopo Tintoretto (1518 - 1594) by name, had the enormous vision to make an incredibly huge painting, and the where-with-all to dedicate himself to completing it over 400 years ago.

Camille Pissarro - Impressions of France

Submitted by Christine on October 7, 2012 - 5:08am

If you have ever been to the French countryside, maybe you’d like to compare your photographs of the lovely landscapes to what Camille Pissarro saw there over one hundred years ago. Of course, your photos have the clarity of digital technology seen through a camera’s lens, and Pissarro’s paintings were designed to show the views as he saw and felt them. He’s not called, “The Dean of Impressionism” for nothing, as his works will make you stand back and “feel” the view.

Camille Pissarro’s fine art paintings of the hillsides, farms and gardens of France capture the amazing views of the countryside and the people who lived there. He was born in 1830, in St. Thomas in the Caribbean, and was sent to private boarding school in Paris at the young age of 12. He remained in France, and made art his life for the next sixty years.

Art Reproduction Oil Paintings of "Musical" Masterpieces

Submitted by Christine on October 4, 2012 - 10:45am

For those of you who are music lovers, and would enjoy paintings all the more for their inclusion of musical instruments (mainly stringed instruments), you should check out the works of Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso and Pieter Claesz. The works of Spanish artists Gris and Picasso are modern, with Gris developing more of a taste for Cubism than his contemporary, Picasso. Pieter Claesz, on the other hand, was a Dutch Golden Age artist from a completely “different world”. His individual and masterful style of painting was the more popular choice for art connoisseurs then, but also now.

Masterpiece Angels Painted by Bruegel, Bouguereau and von Stuck

Submitted by Christine on September 30, 2012 - 7:48am

There are many artists who have made masterful paintings of angels, and the majority of them were born in the days when religious scenes were the most popular or acceptable subject to paint. Modern artists also paint pictures with angels, but the older works are sometimes more engaging. Some artists have produced paintings of 'stereotypical' angels, and then there are those artists who have made paintings that really capture the attention. Here are three artists who have taken angels to a new level; a very inspiring and sometimes imaginative level, indeed:

A Nativity Masterpiece in Time for the Holidays

Submitted by Christine on September 27, 2012 - 7:13am

Many folks love to celebrate the Christmas holidays with a Christmas tree, colored lights, and numerous decorations. A great addition to the decorative aspect of a room just waiting to be dressed up for the holidays would be a marvelous painting of the Nativity or an Adoration of the Magi scene. A beautiful hand painted oil painting, classically framed and depicting the birth of Christ would be a great asset to the ambiance of the room and a sure way to brighten the Christmas spirit. Famous artists from all over the world and from centuries ago have created Nativity scenes for their churches and patrons, as a reminder for why they celebrate on Christmas Day.

Eugène Boudin's Paintings Capture the Sea and Sky

Submitted by Christine on September 25, 2012 - 2:32am

Some artists have a special subject that they love to paint, and those who do have one generally paint their subject well. Eugène Boudin was such an artist, in that he loved the beach scenes, and marinescapes were his forte. He would paint the beaches and skies in soft pastels, with a steady hand and a keen eye for details. He was well-respected by his fellow contemporary artists and friends who saw his genius. Corot told him once that he was the “master of the skies”, a compliment that few deserve as well as Boudin did, and yet it was Boudin’s sandy beaches, the beach-goers and the crafts as well, that pulled his patrons back to him time and time again.

Wonderful Winter Scenes by Bierstadt, Bruegel and Grandma Moses

Submitted by Christine on September 22, 2012 - 5:04am

Winter landscapes seem to have a timeless quality about them, whether they show little mountain villages nestled in the snow, hunters trudging through the frosted trees, or children playing in the pristine new snow. Somehow the older the paintings are, the more they give off a sense of nostalgia, making us long for the world that seemed to be full of happier days. It’s as if winter is the time that the world sleeps, before being awaken again in spring. Artists from different eras, who have recorded the seasons with their paintings, have provided some of the most interesting winter scenes for us to enjoy.

Rossetti, Michelangelo and Audubon: Famous Artists Following Their Muse

Submitted by Christine on September 20, 2012 - 7:48am

Each artist has at some point had a revelation, or inspiration, that guides their work for much of their career. Although each may have a masterpiece, it is the model or the first painting of the landscape and subject that should be given note. Sometimes all it takes is to see a beautiful work of art and want to make it even better. Finding that moment of truth is just a matter of tracing back to the beginning.

Check Your Colors before Ordering Your Reproduction

Submitted by Christine on September 18, 2012 - 10:01am

The colors shown on a video screen can really make a difference! You may have walked through an electronics store or department store with several television sets on display, right? They were probably all kind of different, with multiple features and screen types... and color displays. When you compare television screens to computer screens you will find the same issues, but most likely you’ll take home the best item with the best picture that suits you the best, and leave it at that. Now, take another leap here, and think about comparing the paint colors used on original paintings and those used on their reproductions. It’s just so variable sometimes, and you may not know the difference until you do see the original work of art in person.

How to Tell if Your Painting is Hand-Painted

Submitted by Christine on September 15, 2012 - 7:24am

A good work of art can be found in an unusual place, like at a garage sale, or a thrift shop, in an attic or in a basement; but a valuable art piece or painting usually "waits to be discovered”. There are important tips to finding out if a painting is an original or an antique, or even if it was recently hand-painted, rather than printed out by a machine. A couple of these tips also work for you if you’ve purchased a reproduction; for instance, if you'd asked specifically for a hand painted piece and you'd want to be sure that it wasn’t spray-painted by a giclee printer. All you have to do is to look for these indicators:

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