Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Art Paintings For Children

Children’s art paintings are fun to look at. They bring me good feelings. I have had a lot of jobs the last couple of years buying children’s art to hang in various places. I have enjoyed every single job.

I bought two children’s art posters for the children’s hospital to hang in one of their waiting area. They were both from Maurice Sendak’s book Where the Wild Things Are. I loved that book when I was a kid and this art brought back some good memories.

I found a Jim Daly children’s art print to frame and put in the physical therapy lounge at a local rehabilitation center. They wanted to put together a friendly feeling place that would help keep kids entertained. I put the painting where parents can read.

I was asked to hang children’s art along a long hallway in a home I was decorating. I thought that this was an odd request because there weren’t any kids living there and the home had a very stark and cold feel to it. It was definitely the minimalist style this homeowner had that left me puzzled.

The children’s art paintings that I ended up choosing for the hallway were all from the same artist. The artist specialized in mini paintings and they were all so simple and beautiful. They actually fit with the owner’s style. I had each painting put into a simple frame with no matting and hung them all along the long hallway.

I actually liked this artist so much that I purchased twice as many children’s art paintings than I needed to complete the hallway job. I plan to give these paintings as gifts to people that I know with either a child or a whimsical spirit. I even liked the artist’s name, Lollipop Art.

I was asked to add some decorations to a family’s daughter’s room. The family was extremely active and bicycling seemed to be the primary family exercise. I thought it would be fun to find some children’s art painting that depicting cycling in a fun way. I found an acrylic signed by the artist of a woman on a bike with a child and a yellow balloon.

I had a client call me asking about buying a children’s art painting by artist Stephanie Bauer. The painting was called Dragonfly. I did find the painting and also found that it was not for sale. Fortunately, there is a fine art print made from this painting. My client was more than happy to purchase the print and have it framed in an extremely nice frame. It hangs in her daughter’s room now. She loves it because it is pink!

I was hired to find a painting for the waiting room at a local dance studio. I found that all of the classes were for children, so I looked for a children’s art painting to hang there. I found one called Little Girl Ballerinas. It was very colorful and whimsical. The owner of the studio loved it.

I was hired to redecorate three girls’ bedroom. The family had three daughters that all wanted children’s art paintings on their walls. Each had a distinct personality and interests that didn’t overlap with the other two. The first girl received an acrylic painting called Sports Girls. This sister is the one that is very athletic.

The next sister is very interested in entomology. She is very shy and quiet. I found a children’s art painting for her that she really liked. I could buy the actual watercolor from Pily Torres, so I bought a reproduction that looked great after it was framed.

The third sister was completely immersed into dancing. I found a gorgeous children’s art painting of a folk art ballerina that had several different pinks in it. It looked great without a frame and she was really happy with it.

The most recent job I had wanted something really unique. They wanted a children’s art painting, but they were more interested in an extremely large mural. I found one that the family really liked that depicted a fantasy scene. It looks like there is a castle in the background and a unicorn in the foreground is leaping. I liked what it added to the room, it was the perfect choice.

Sunday, 27 June 2010

Neoclassicism Paintings

Between the 18th and 20th centuries, a few quite distinctive trends were absorbed into the category of Neoclassicism, and it during these times that the movement as a whole came to absorb the classical inspirations that created a revival of ideals. These ideals, though standards from ages past, were defined by the artists synthesis of these elements into new works of art. It does not recreate styles of art from scratch, but instead shows the artists control over a particular body of classical works. By drawing from the classics of the past, Neoclassicism was paying tribute to eras of awareness that perhaps slipped away, but to regain some sense of these classical influences.

In Europe, neoclassicism began as a reaction against the Baroque and Rococo styles, and a desired return to the art of Romanesque and Renaissance classicism. Each individual grouping of Neoclassicism, whether affecting architecture or the visual arts, has attempted to capture the ideas of times gone by to utilize them in forms of art that were considered modern at the time. In neoclassicist painting in particular, the subject matter seems to hearken back to those classical ideas by reviving those Greek to Renaissance themes, and forcing them into peculiar constraints that would recreate the elements into new formats.

The Neoclassical style of artwork was heavily present during both the American and French Revolutions, and revival in the interest of classical thought in the style of ancient Greece and Rome, at times affecting a more Byzantine stance in some countries. A counterbalance came in the form of the Romanticism movement, and it never replaced Neoclassicism so much as aided in the influencing of many artists throughout the 19th century and beyond. When the architecture began to dominate the main aspects of neoclassicism, and has been found to be academically selective of the best Roman models guided with self-restraint.

At first, the style had been grafted with other popular European forms of architecture, and this style became quite pronounced as neo-classically inspired furnishings were popular for the time. The style soon had international renown, and it was at this point that the architecture became strongly influenced by Roman designs after the discoveries at Pompeii, during excavations that took place at that time. Though all these designs seem a bit absurd and overcomplicated nowadays, there was a flush of Greek inspired work in the forms of busts and vases after 1800, and this was called the Greek revival.

Continuing to be a force after the turn of the 19th century, even as Romanticism and Gothic styles took favor, but it seemed anti-modern to influential critical circles by the late 19th century. In the mid-19th century, several European cities had grandiose examples of the neoclassical style of architecture, and even early American architecture reflected this movement in various national monuments, and some of those monuments were the Lincoln Memorial and the National Gallery in Washington D. C. Soon, however, World War II would shatter those preconceptions for the world round.

Covertly, there were many modernists that chose to express a neoclassical influence with subtle tribute here and there, and even Picasso played around with reincorporating neoclassical motifs into his work at one time. Even the Art Deco style was using these ideas on a very sly level of utilization, playing with classic Grecian lines and even breaking out in American culture through architecture and the dime by 1950, and became a strong ideology in the time between both World Wars. This literary and very literal side of the movement rejected the romanticism of Dada, for example, for the restraint of religion and reactionary politics.

It can be a difficult bout to sort through all these items to find the ideal artwork that you would enjoy, and there many whose catalogs are extensive to say the least, making it quite an effort to glimpse through all of those works to find the pieces that you would enjoy the most. Finding the particular classifications that art periods fall under, such as neoclassicism, can keep your interest guided by where you can find most amount of work that you can acquire. Keep in mind, however, that many of these pieces are quite priceless to many collectors, and that buying a print of a particular famed work mat be more cost-effective for your budget.

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Wednesday, 23 June 2010

Buying And Collecting Abstract Paintings Is A Labor Of Love

Buying and collecting abstract painting can be a labor of love. I love abstract paintings. I think that my favorite medium is gouache. I recently purchased a work from Oscar Bluemner. The person I bought the abstract painting from had it in storage for over twenty years. I am going to hang this piece in my office.

I found an oil abstract painting that was dated 1947 that was painted by Louis Bassi Siegriest. I liked the composition, it felt oddly soothing. The artist signed the back of the painting. It was a little out of my price range, but I bought it anyway.

Trade Winds is the name of an abstract painting I bought from the artist Joanne Riddle while I was in Connecticut. The piece was huge and I had to have it sent by freight to my home. The blue in the painting was so vivid. The whole composition was absolutely inspired.

I bought an abstract painting for my sister-in-law last year. The artist of the piece was Leonardo Nierman and the medium he used was oil. I bought the piece unframed and took my sister-in-law to framer to choose the frame.

I tried to buy an abstract painting from the mayor of our town. I offered him two thousand dollars for the modernist abstract colorful figure. The artist used red, white and blue and I wanted to acquire this for my stepmother. She would have loved it, but the mayor was unwilling to part with it.

My mother has decorated her home in a style that she liked in Santa Fe. I bought a large abstract painting for her from her favorite artist, Lou Monti. She has seen his work in a number of homes and always raves about them. She was so happy when she saw the painting I bought for her hanging on the wall of her living room.

I dated a guy once that had a signed abstract painting by Robert Gilberg on his wall. I saw something different every time I saw it. That painting had an attraction that I just can’t quite explain. He was always buying art and changing out abstract paintings on his walls, but this particular piece always stayed. I guess he was attracted to it as well.

The abstract painting that I bought for my older brother did not work in his apartment. I ended up buying a painting that was a little too large for the room it was intended for. The colors did not work in the only room that worked for its size.

I ended up selling that abstract painting the same place that I had bought it, on eBay! I ended up making a profit on the abstract painting. There was more information in my auction about the artist, Richard Diebenkorn, than there had been in the auction that I won. I think the extra hour of research I spent made the abstract painting’s value increase.

I learned a long time ago that an abstract painting is worth exactly as much as someone is willing to pay for it. I have friends that just cannot be convinced of this basic truth. I think that if no one wants a particular abstract painting, then it is worth nothing.

My brother used the money from the sale of the unwanted abstract painting to find himself another abstract painting. He ended up with an abstract collage that was made in the late 1930s. I liked it when I saw it and it worked beautifully in his office.

Sunday, 20 June 2010

About Asian Botanical Paintings

I have a love for Asian botanical paintings. I’ve been seeking them out for a long time. I have many in my collection and love each and every one of them.

The first Asian botanical painting that I bought was Vietnamese. It was one of a series of twelve paintings that I bought that were created by Vu Viet Hung. I have them all over my home.

These oil landscapes by Vu Viet Hung are stunning. These Asian botanical paintings really set a serene tone in my home. The subtleties of the colors and the simple themes go so well on my walls.

I found a lovely Asian botanical painting quite by chance at a yard sale. I don’t usually make a habit of looking for paintings at yard sales, but this one was displayed out front and enticed me to stop. At first glance, I thought I was looking at a painting of a palm tree. At closer inspection, I found that the painting was of a bonsai tree.

My office has a more contemporary feel than the rest of my house. I have found that I like to have an abstract Asian botanical painting to ponder while I am thinking. I searched for a long time to find just the right piece to hang there. I finally found a piece by an artist named Soniei called Enlightenment.

Soniei has a collection called the New Zen Sho Collection. I love his work. The abstract that I bought is considered an Asian botanical painting because it features bamboo. In addition to the bamboo, there is beautiful calligraphy.

I have my eye on another Asian botanical painting by Soniei that has shades of sea-foam green. It is much more subdued than the one I bought called Enlightenment. This one is called Self-awareness and it is just lovely. It is another painting of bamboo.

My mother-in-law admires the Asian botanical paintings that I find. I found one that I really liked at a gallery in Hartford while I was on vacation. It did not fit with my home and so I bought it for her. She has really enjoyed it. It features two flowering trees in acrylic on two panels. The painting really is stunning with all of the shades of red. It looks great in her house.

My husband isn’t as big a fan of Asian botanical paintings as I am. They just don’t speak to him. He has allowed me to hang one painting in his office because he approved of the color scheme. The Asian botanical painting he chose for me to hang for him was a black and white.

Our daughter loves watercolor Asian botanical paintings on fabric. She keeps her eye out for advertisements in our local paper for people selling them. She has already purchased three. She is well on her way to her own collection.

Bamboo is the most popular subject in Asian botanical paintings. I have found so many paintings in so many different mediums that all feature bamboo. I catch myself buying so many paintings that I’ve started giving them as gifts for friends and family for house warming gifts.

My sister recently bought a condo and I gave her an Asian botanical painting of happy birds and bamboo. She liked the watercolor and asked me to find her two more to hang throughout her home. I was able to find several more at the same shop that were created by the same artist.

The other Asian botanical paintings were of snow bamboo in moonlight and green bamboo. I’ll keep checking back at that store for new paintings. She said that she could probably use one or two more.

I am planning to redecorate my kitchen. I do not like the French Country décor that the previous owner chose. I would prefer that my kitchen reflect my personality better. I will absolutely need an Asian botanical painting hung prominently in my kitchen.

I have the perfect Asian botanical painting in mind already. It is a nice Chinese painting that was done on rice paper with ink, water and color. It is mounted with nice silk border by an expert and is ready to frame.

Thursday, 17 June 2010

The Fun Of Mixed Media Art Auctions

Mixed media art auctions have a lot to offer. Today I found several seriolithographs. I liked the colors that the Polish artist Zamy Steynovitz used.

The fun part of mixed media art auctions is that you just never know what you’ll find. I found a pebble art piece from the 1960’s that featured a bare-chested chariot driver cracking a whip. The piece also had three horses. The medium of pebbles was very interesting.

Another interesting find while I was looking through mixed media art auctions was a mirrored wall hanging that represents the Manhattan skyline. This piece was made before the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings and they are represented in the piece.

Sometimes the medium used in mixed media art is the same as other categories of art. I found a nice acrylic painting in a mixed media art auction that was unusual because of its subject. The artist painted a red sea dragon with a lovely woman. I learned that the artist was influenced by Salvador Dali, HP Lovecraft and his love of the game Dungeons and Dragons.

I found a really pretty 3-D art collage shadowbox while I was looking through the mixed media art auctions. The title of the piece was True Confessions of a Mermaid Gone Bad. The piece was listed as professionally framed art with glass in yellow stained wood.

Mixed media art auctions bring so many different artistic styles to light. I found a Scandinavian inspired design of two peacocks on a hand stitched wall hanging. The piece was surrounded by a decorative border and the frame was reported to be in great condition.

Sometimes the mixed media art auctions include artistic things like hand made cards. I found an artist that lists auctions of greeting card collages. The ones that I was looking at used vintage images, ink and extremely decorative paper.

There was an item of art that came up in my searches of mixed media art auctions that I really liked. It was listed as a beautiful abstract tin art. It was actually quite impressive and was listed as measuring two feet by two and a half feet. I think this would actually look great on my mother-in-law’s wall.

So many of the paintings I found listed in the mixed media art auctions were just unusual versions of mainstream subjects. I have found so many art auctions with poppies painted on canvas, but today I found a white poppy painted in oil with a brilliant emerald green background. It was very striking and I think that the contemporary feel to this piece came across very well.

I had never considered vintage maps to be art before I found them in the mixed media art auctions. I guess when a map becomes antique and is no longer useful for its original intended purpose, it can become art. I found a listing for battle maps that was very intriguing. This map would look good framed and displayed with other war related memorabilia.

Mixed media art auctions really do have a lot of different kinds of art represented. I found an artist with items listed whose medium is purses. She makes purses from cigar boxes and solders a handle and various embellishments on the side. The purses are really quite delightful.

Monday, 14 June 2010

The Beginnings Of Theater Arts

The early man as a means of interaction, to express their inner thoughts and a means to recording events, discovered arts. The ancient caves; monuments and scripts preserved in the museums bear witness to that fact. As we evolved, so did art. Art has reached such height that now it can be classified into various categories that further have subcategories. Different regions and civilizations have different forms, which have a deep influence of the culture. Vaguely arts can be distinguished as one depicted by expressing it on a medium like paintings, sculptures, architecture, and crafts and the other having human body involvement like acting, gestures, dialogues and singing. On this basis broad classifications of arts that can be made are visual arts, culinary arts, performing arts and language art.

Ancient Greeks played a major role in the persuasion of art associating with human form, which comes under the category of performing arts. Here the human figure is used as a medium of expressing art rather than materials like stone, metal, clay or paint. But to support the human form of art, clay or metal model more vividly known as props are used to enhance the performance which come under the category of plastic arts. Some of the subcategories of performing arts are theater, dance, music, magic, opera, juggling, film, comedy, acrobatics, martial arts, and marching arts such as brass bands. Accordingly the human performers depicting these sub classes of performing arts are known as actors, dances, musicians, magician, singers, jugglers, comedians and acrobats.

The word theater also originated from the Greek word “Theatron” which means “Place of Seeing”. Plays were held on special events having religious importance, so the main idea revolved around ancient roman gods with the role of male gods being enacted with musculature, elegance and poise where as the female gods being enacted with beauty, grace and anatomically correct magnitude. Singing was also used as a means of enacting other than dialogue delivery. Along with the costumes masks were also a part of the actors’ attire. The stage was set in a realistic landscape backdrop.

During the middle ages storylines of the plays were mostly based on biblical incidences with an influence of the Byzantine and Gothic art. The Eastern art was mostly influenced by the Western medieval art. Not much concentration was paid to the realistic illustration. The costumes too were surface patterning, which means the basic color of the robe was emphasized upon rather than enhancing it by playing with light.

The nineteenth and the twentieth century saw a revolution being effected by the discoveries made during that era by Aristotle, Einstein and Newton. Light was used to modulate the color and to bring about a realistic feeling by creating an environment to absorb the audience into it. As inventions were made, traveling became very easy. This led to the influence of one culture over the other, which also globalized the western taste in theaters around the world.

As time progressed there have been diverse changes in theater arts that depicted different culture and moral values. The themes have revolved around fairytales, fables, religion, folktales, comedy, fiction, tragedy, romance, legend, history, epic, biography, adventure and material truths. The different forms of theater arts are mime, opera, kabuki, ballet, classical Indian dance, Chinese opera, pantomime and mummers’ play. Today Theater Arts are as important form of art as any other arts and attracts all art lovers towards it.

Thursday, 10 June 2010

The Types Of Theater Arts

Writers, directors and producers play a vital role in the building of the storyline of a play. The script modeled by them encompasses various kinds of arts to be taken into consideration to bring out the true essence of the story. The various factors considered helps to classify the genre of theater into various subcategories like comedy, tragedy, musical, drama, and action.

In a musical theater the story is narrated by signing, which can be accompanied by dialog delivery or dance or both. This type of conveyance of art was adopted especially during the Greek times. Later on background instrumental music was also added to it.

The word comedy originated from the Greek word “Komos” meaning celebration or merrymaking. Comedy plays may not actually go by the literal meaning of comedy that is the whole play can be funny or there can be plays with some adversities to start with but at the end could have a joyous finishing. Comedy too can be further classified as pantomime, comedy of situation, romantic comedy, black comedy and comedy of manners.

The type of theater dedicated entirely to entertain the children is known as pantomime. Usually a musical drama accompanied with dance and comedy is brought during the holiday season exclusively for the kids.

Comedy of situation as the name suggests begins with a messy situation which leads to a problem which they concentrate to resolve on throughout the rest of the play.

Comedy can also be flavored with romance to give a nice feeling to the spectators and to take them into dreams of fascination. The focus is on the love story between the leading actor and actress which is sparked with canny plots, calculated coincidences which ultimately results in them getting together and living happily ever after.

Although morally acceptable, black comedy has ghastly experiences with some comical elements in contrast with it.

Comedy of manners is dependant on a serious note but with a light outlook. Dramatic comedy is made a part of the play which revolves around the social standards and mannerism which is expected to be respected by the actors during the play.

Commedia dell'arte, native to Italy, includes an array of comical events which are created on the spur of the moment.

Melodrama is the typical stereotype dramas where there is a hero and a heroine who suffer at the hands of a villain and in the end they gain triumph over the evil-doer.

Play comprising of bitter events and which result in sorrowful consequences is know as tragedy. The word tragedy has been derived from the Greek word “Tragos” which means goat. It has been derived from this word because the blood of goat is used as a replacement to bring a real feeling to the bloodshed during the play.

A blend of comedy and tragedy is known as tragicomedy which has elements of tragedy and comedy within it.

Theaters targeting real life social issues play a vital role in opening the eyes of the audience and make them aware of the wrongdoings in the society. By doing so it encourages the spectators to address a change in their way of living or on a large scale a change in the whole society.

Morality play have theme with more spirituality and morality.

Play that focuses on the nick-nacks of the daily life and relationships between common people is known as domestic drama.

The type of theater having implausible situations, high exaggeration, and violence and with some spice of comedy to relieve the audience of the pressure is known as farce.

In the Indian peninsula, the Natya and Nautanki form of theater arts evolved. The Natya is a sacred classical version of musical theater. Folklores are enacted by dancing to Indian classical music known as nritta and facial expressions or mime known as Natya proper. The other theater art Nautanki, is usually staged in streets. The storyline of these street plays are usually mythological dramas which also include folk songs and dances.

Opera is a more musical experience with emotions being expressed with songs and music.

Rock opera is more like the usual opera only that the music played along with the songs is rock oriented.

Fantasy is that genre where the hero enacts a fictitious story usually a happy one. Sometimes the characters have proxy supernatural powers.

Plays where the story is being explained using body movement, gestures, dance, mime, and puppetry is known as physical theater.

Saturday, 5 June 2010

Musical Themed Paintings Are Fun To Find And Buy

Musical themed paintings can be fun to find and fun to buy. I have a musician friend that recently purchased a new home. She bought new furnishings and asked me to find a new painting for her. I found her a fabulous creation by Osnat. It was an enormous, gallery size painting.

My friend’s new furnishings were very contemporary and the Osnat musical themed painting I bought for her was breathtaking when all five parts were mounted. The musical staff ran the length of the painting with musical notes painted on it. The painting had pretty shades of yellows and oranges. It looked so elegant.

I found a still life musical themed painting of a guitar to buy for a friend. He always has had beautiful pieces of art in his home and he wanted to change some of the pieces he had grown tired of. The abstract piece that I found really struck a cord with my friend and he ended up buying another painting from the same artist.

I found a painting that was called Music of Fire that didn’t really seem to have a musical theme. I showed it to a friend and she told me that the flames looked like they were dancing. She told me that I was using a very narrow definition of musical themed paintings when I was buying art.

Abstract guitars really seem to be my favorite musical themed paintings. I like to buy them when they jump out at me. There is an artist named Slazo that is very prolific with his musical themed guitar paintings. He has had a lot of exhibitions in Florida.

A friend of mine asked me to find artwork by an Armenian named Aram Koupetzian. I was able to find a musical themed painting called Rondo by this artist. It was really intriguing. I’ve never purchased a painting in the Cubist style before. The exact style of this musical themed painting was Synthetic Cubism. I liked it a lot. There is a lot to look at in the painting.

A couple of years ago, a good friend of mine graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree. He had a double major of music and education. He got a job as an assistant band director at a middle school in Austin. As a combination graduation and new job present, I bought him a musical themed painting.

The musical themed painting that I chose was painting by Tilo Rothacker that depicted a jazz musician playing a trumpet. It was so very colorful and it felt a lot like New Orleans. My friend and I had visited the French Quarter several times together. This musical themed painting celebrated his life changes and our friendship perfectly.

My younger sister is quite the accomplished violinist. She moved to New York and went to Juilliard. Her path changed after a couple of years in New York. She stopped pursuing the violin as a career, but her love for her music never waned. I bought her a musical themed painting when she bought her apartment. It was a contemporary abstract with brilliant rich jewel tones that depicted a woman violinist.

I was looking for musical themed paintings one day when I found Melody of Sunset for sale. I’m not sure why this painting bothered me so much. The woman was playing the piano, but she seems disembodied and strange. Her eyes were closed. This musical themed painting just did not strike a cord with me and I did not buy it.

My favorite musical themed painting in a long time was The Sound of Jazz. It was painted by Sarah Kinan and it is gorgeous. It is hard for me to not smile when I’m looking into this painting. The background looks like confetti and the foreground is filled with musical instruments. This musical themed painting can be described as feeling like a party.

Thursday, 3 June 2010

Finding Paintings For Your Relatives

I have found that people buying paintings for relatives usually have a very specific thing in mind when they set out shopping. It is very rewarding to find just the right painting for a space that really needs it. Sometimes color is the only consideration.

Content is also very appropriate to consider. If you are buying a painting for someone that has very distinct tastes, it is important to keep that in the forefront of your mind. The painting of a rooster might be great for one relative but not for another.

Size constraints need to be taken into account when buying paintings for relatives. If your Aunt Eloise lives in a small apartment, buying a painting for her that takes up an entire wall is not a good idea. It is a good idea to take a look at the place the painting will go before purchasing one.

Color can be a big factor in the buying of a painting. If the color clashes with your relative’s décor, they will probably not be very excited about hanging it. If the color is just right, it will hang on their wall for a very long time.

Religious themed paintings are difficult to buy for friends, but easy to buy for relatives. More than likely, you know what religion your relatives adhere to and what symbols are most relevant to it. Jewish symbolism is lost on a Christian family and vice versa.

Choosing to buy paintings for relatives based on the artist’s previous work is also a good method of finding great art. If your relative already has purchased art from an artist that they like and that they hang prominently in their home, then it is a safe bet to buy another piece from the same artist.

Sometimes buying a nice painting for a relative has a point of inspiration, like a vacation. If your mom and dad just visited Paris, a nice painting of Paris might be a great choice. It is good to know what landmarks they enjoyed most and find an artistic representation of it.

I have some relatives that I’ve bought paintings for that were interested in the Middle Ages. I found some very nice reproductions of the work that was popular in that time period. Buying reproductions is acceptable if the painting is prohibitive in cost.

There is an aunt that I adore that is always buying painting for relatives. Her heart is in the right place, but she has a hard time picking paintings that are appropriate for the recipient. She bought her daughter a lovely painting that was Baroque and completely did not fit the feel of her home.

Landscape paintings done in the Romantic style look so nice in my uncle’s home. I bought him a reproduction of a Monet that he hung in his study. I enjoy watching him study that painting.

My little sister has requested that anyone buying her a painting should stay away from Van Gogh. She has equal dislike for Cezanne and Gauguin. I’m not sure why she feels so strongly about Modern and Contemporary art.

I happen to like cubist paintings by Kandinsky. My husband bought me a reproduction of a Kandinsky that I keep in my den. I can look into it and see so many different things. The painting comes to life and I feel so many emotions when I look into it.