Collecting Fine Art - Some Advice

Great original art gives and lives inside the owner. It distinguishes him/her as an individual. It's best to become informed by utilizing museums, galleries, auction houses, other collectors, art books & periodicals. What is the state of the current art scene? Allow yourself to form opinions. The bottom line must be what turns you on. Do you enjoy subjective or abstract art? Is there an historical period that appeals to you or are you interested in what is being done today (contemporary)? Will your collection focus on a particular region, medium or subject? Do you prefer a certain genre, i.e. impressionism, expressionism, realism. Many people prefer to build an eclectic collection, whereas others prefer to specialize in one type of art. Be careful to avoid fashion trends.
What do you need to look for in a work of art? There are many ways to appreciate and determine quality in fine art. Depending on the artwork in question some elements are more important than others. Breaking a work down into its elemental parts, however, is essential. What is the aesthetic and historical relevance? Aspects such as composition, color, surface, mannerliness, and expressiveness are very important in an abstract piece. Whereas, the narrative, subject, paint quality, play of light or draftsmanship might be more important in realism. Become acquainted with the jargon of art. Understand the difference and function of "decorative art" vs. "fine art." Be concerned about archival quality-will it stand up over time? Learn to recognize quality in all its aspects.
The value of a work of art is not necessarily the same as it's cost. As with any purchase the art consumer is looking for the value to be greater than the cost. Or, put another way, equity is the difference between the purchase price and the appraisal value. Art collectors are savvier today, not as subject to hype and the empty promises of huge investment turn-arounds. Even though art collecting is still one of the best long term investments around it is unrealistic to buy art for the sole purpose of making a financial killing. The bottom line is this: is the personal satisfaction and value you will derive from owning the work of art worth the cost? Watch out for dubious Limited edition prints or starving artist fare, dressed up to look like art.
What makes for a good art investment? In contemporary circles, one determines prices based on the quality of art, the stature of the artist (gallery/museum shows, awards, notoriety, collections, provenance of works, etc) and the fair market value of his/her work. Emerging artists are a good long-term investment if their work is of consistently high quality and if the artist has proven he/she is on a solid career track.
An investment in art will likely appreciate if the work in question has beauty and originality in its favor. Did you know that five percent of the population controls 90 percent of the wealth; these people buy and sell art. Do they know something we don't know? Don't throw your money away but don't be part of the woulda, coulda, shoulda club either. Trust your instincts. How many great pleasures, how many opportunities have passed you by because you didn't trust your instincts? Great artists have a way of tapping into the pleasure centers of the brain. Collecting their art is a kick. If you've been sitting on the bench, get into the game!

Since 1980, Robert Maniscalco's exquisite oil portraits and fine art have become part of over 850 distinguished private and public collections throughout North America. Born in Detroit in 1959, he is the son of internationally renowned portrait artist Joseph Maniscalco, with whom he apprenticed during the early 1980's. He moved to New York City in 1986 where he continued his studies and professional activities. In NYC he also worked as an actor and director on numerous stage, film and TV projects. He returned to Detroit in 1997 after a three year residency in New Orleans. In Detroit he founded the Maniscalco Gallery, which showcased many local and international artists. As host of Art Beat, the critically acclaimed PBS series on Detroit Public Television, he explored the creative process with his celebrated guests.
Excerpt from "Point of Art" by Robert Maniscalco, advice for the serious artist.
Visit my latest SCAN -with recent arts news and information from Robert Maniscalco.

Defining Abstract Art

The term "abstract art" is like the term "modern music" in the sense that it is a very broad umbrella sheltering a wide variety of art. But like "abstract math," the general sense of the term is that it is the opposite of the concrete, or "realism." At one end of the continuum is a painting of a violin so perfectly rendered that we feel we could reach into the frame, pick up the instrument, and play it. At the other end is a canvas painted pure white or black all over. There is nothing in it to reach in and touch.
A simple, common definition of "abstract art" is "not realistic." Yet many artists who call their work abstract, actually do have a subject in mind when they paint. They take a figure or landscape and simplify it, exaggerate it, or stylize it in some way. They are not trying to imitate nature, but to use nature as a starting off point. Color, line, and form are more important to them than the details of the actual subject matter. They want to give a sense or feel for the subject rather than an exact replication.
Historically, the term "abstract" has been associated with a variety of art movements. The cubism of Picasso, Braque and Cezanne was a geometrical abstraction. In the United States, a group also known as the New York school of action painters was defined by critics as "abstract expressionists." Yet the individuals in this group varied greatly in their approaches. Jackson Pollock did overall drip paintings. Mark Rothko painted shimmering color field canvases based on a simple square pattern. Willem de Kooning did not abandon subject matter like the others, but abstracted the female figure in much of his work.
Art that has no intentional beginnings in any subject matter is sometimes referred to as "non-objective," or "non-representational." A related term is "minimalism," or the tendency to take as much away from the painterly surface of the canvas as possible. A white square painted on a white background is an example of minimalism. The end result is not so much the point as the daring it took to get there.
"Modern art" is another term commonly used to refer to abstract art, though originally this term was used to differentiate the experimenters of the twentieth century from the traditional European painters and sculptors. Thus, "modern art" began over seventy years ago, and is no longer new. Many movements in art have come and gone since then. For example, "pop art" incorporates popular culture such as comics and movie stars. Well-known artists of this genre include Andy Warhol, who painted Cambell's soup cans and portraits of Marilyn Monroe; and Jasper Johns, who did a series of flag paintings.
"Contemporary art" is another one of those terms that covers a wide variety of art. The best definition of "contemporary" is the work of any living artist, though the term has also been used to mean art that you would hang in a contemporary home. This sense of contemporary is more like the term "modern," in that it means the opposite of "traditional." Thus, "contemporary art" is also sometimes used to mean "abstract art."
Another way to define the term "abstract art" is to enter it as a search term on Google or Yahoo and look at the results. There will be millions of them, proving that the term is used today to cover a vast amount of art. I use the term "abstract art" to define my own painting because I know that people who love my art tend to define it this way. They often find me by entering the term on Google. Others use the term "modern art" or "contemporary art" to find me.
So where does that leave us in our definition of abstract art? Like most definitions of art movements, the answer is complex. We can look at it historically from an art critic's perspective, or use it as the general public would, to mean something other than traditional realistic representation.
Copyright 2006 Lynne Taetzsch

Lynne Taetzsch is an artist and writer whose contemporary abstract paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the world. Described by collectors as “vibrant” and “exciting,” her colorful paintings and prints can be viewed on her website at http://www.artbylt.com.

Decorating Your Home With Art Deco Design

There are many style options you can choose from to decorate your home in today's day and age, even options that one would never have considered back in the 20th century or even in the past few decades. This includes one style from the 20th century that seems to be regaining some popularity recently, and that style is art deco.
Back in the 1920s to 1930s, art deco design was very popular. In that time period, art deco was considered to be functional, elegant, and ultra modern. Art deco designers would often reject the traditional ideas and materials of decoration and interior design, instead opting to use more unusual materials such as ebony, marble, stainless steel, lacquer, aluminum, inlaid wood, sharkskin, and zebra skin.
The use of harder, metallic materials to construct the furniture used in art deco design were to reflect the celebration of the machine age. Sometimes, art deco designers would alter the furniture they had to give it more of a look that fit the art deco interior design. This is why the process of Lacquering (or giving the furniture a glossy finish) was created.
In addition, art deco designers liked to emphasize clean lines and geometric shapes. Strong, sharp angles were often added to the layout of the room to emphasize the art deco interior design.
If you are considering turning your living room or bedroom into a room that accentuates the art deco design, here are some ideas and tips to consider.
Realize that there is often a pyramidal effect on the rooms that use the art deco design, thanks to the Aztec and Egyptian elements that influence art deco.
Giving your room a gradual lessening of form can present a perception of strength and endurance to those who experience your room. That is why this type of interior design was very popular back during the days of the Great Depression, as people tried to display their financial strength and stability in that dark economic period.
There are other ways to emphasize the art deco interior design in your room.
One way is to add more furniture pieces and accessories that have black and green tones to your room, as black and green are primary colors in art deco design.
Adding intriguing and unusual accessories, such as distinctive artwork, is another way to add to the art deco flavor of your room.
Another way is to have wall-to-wall carpet that coordinates well with the art deco design of your room. This would include having neutral color carpet to help soften up the intensity of the art deco interior design.
You should also pay attention to the lighting in your room, as it should match up well with art deco decorating. Lamps with geometric glass shades often work best with art deco interior design.
In addition to artificial lighting, you should also consider the natural lighting from your windows and the window treatments. With art deco design, going with ordinary-looking drapes may be your best option, though if you want to have people focus on your window style, you could consider using vintage drapes instead.
Decorating your home with art deco design involves using materials that are different from traditional materials, such as ebony, marble, stainless steel, sharkskin, and zebra skin. Lacquering is also a key component in art deco design. Art deco also emphasizes clean lines and geometric shapes, especially strong, sharp angles. Art deco design continues to make a comeback after being very popular in the 1920s and 1930s; if you want an ultra modern, functional, yet elegant design, art deco would likely be your best interior design option.

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The History and Copyright of Clip Art

Clip art is a collection of graphic images of various shapes, sizes and colors, including maps, diagrams, illustrations, cartoons and designs, available to you for copying and pasting into your own page layout. You can shop for any activity that needs an image, such as business presentations, birthday/wedding invitations, sports events, holiday greetings, etc. People associate clip art with web decoration, but the images are also available in printed format. Clip art consists exclusively of illustrations, and excludes photographic images.
Clip Art History
Clip art started as reproductions of simple line art drawings. These drawings were pressed full size onto a board where text or additional images were used. The board would be referred to as a 'mechanical' and ready for photographing.
When personal computers were introduced on the market, the average users needed art to spice up their projects. The clip art industry was initiated with the creation of desktop publishing. In 1983 VCN Excuvision introduced a package of clip art for pc users, and in 1984 Macintosh followed up with its own release, graphical user interface (GUI), a term that has become synonymous with web images. Also in 1984, the package of illustrations called "ClickArt" was released.
It was not until 1985 when Aldus released Page Maker 5 for desktop publishing that clip art came into its own. Aldus made it possible for the home user to produce professional quality publishing, which rendered clip art very popular and in great demand. People started producing business presentations, newsletters, invitations, and brochures. Technology allowed for simple designs and basic colors.
Steady progress was made in both home computing and clip art. In the early 90's, the production of cd-roms with an array of electronic art became a necessity. Microsoft began to include clip art in their products. Another company, T/Maker, started producing massive amounts of digital art. Some of their copyright free collections held over 500,000 images.
Through the years, clip art has been a steady add-on for computer programs and a revenue generator for companies. In the 2000's, the emergence of the internet as a sales tool was recognized. Clip art on the web was sold by reputable websites that are still around today. Clipart.com, GraphicsFactory.com and Weddingclipart.com have online libraries for sale, allowing it to be sold not only as bundled software from computer companies, but also as individual pieces in a collection of illustrations. Moreover, subscriptions to clip art websites are increasing at a fast pace. Clip art is a mini industry that is proving to be self reliant and here to stay.
Copyright for Clip Art Usage
The legal aspect regarding the usage of images on the web has long been a grey issue. The web started out with text only, left-justified, a warehouse of articles. It was not until it was well established that images, buttons and graphics were introduced. Unfortunately, by that time, the action of downloading images for personal reuse was rampant. Subsequently, companies and their lawyers have now become vigilant with respect to the issue of copyrights.
The dictionary defines copyright as ownership over a creation. Whether that creation is literary, audio, musical, or has any other artistic attribute, its ownership belongs to the creator. That copyright is in force for the life of the creator and 50 years after. Just because some of these creations are posted to the web does not mean that the item is in the public domain. Another great misconception involves the common belief that if you download it and change it by adding or subtracting from the creation, it then becomes yours. That is wrong. You must obtain written permission from the owner to reproduce or change clip art.
The terms for usage are dictated by the creator of the company who owns the clip art. The reproduction terms may be as simple as a few lines or as complicated as the usage for major companies like Nike and Ford.
What you can and cannot use
You may use clip art images when it is indicated that they are 'free to use' on commercial and personal web pages.
Before copying an image for your use, ensure yourself that it is free to use on a personal web site. However, if you have any advertisement on your website, the copied image then becomes commercial and therefore cannot be used on that particular website, unless it is specified that it can be used on a commercial website.
Linkware images allow you usage of the image if you link back to the creator's page.
This issue is not one of entitlement but one of ownership. If you are caught by the owner using his image, legal action can be initiated, forcing you to remove it and pay for past usage. Be wary because the legal rulings with respect to clip art copyrights are far from being lenient.

Art Historian, Donovan Gauvreau lectures about art therapy with a focus on creativity development. He believes we can learn from the great masters in art to communicate ideas and feelings through painting. He provides content to Aaron Art Prints to educate and inspire people to take a glimpse into an artist's life to better understand the meaning behind their work.