Vineyard Hummingbird at Sunrise

A special end of year offering of beautiful artist’ signed prints on quality paper stock.

A signed certificate by artist, Karen J Lee, is included. A great gift and for home decor.  $35.

View prints and order: http://karenleeartgallery.com/printsforsale.aspx

Capturing the vineyard harvest, where sunlit reflections set the daybreak with enriching colors of purples & mulberries.

“Whether the flower or the color is the focus I do not know. I do know the flower is painted large to convey my experience with the flower – and what is my experience if it is not the color?” Georgia O’Keeffe

Color captivates, expressing joy, peace, love, lust, anger, zest, danger, life, death, and endless emotions. When combining colors, another set of emotions can attract our attention. Research studies show that colors can actually have an influence on a person’s state of mind and cognitive ability. Further studies indicate  approximately 85% of a consumer’s purchasing choice is based on its color.

Selecting colors for home decor becomes a puzzle of sorts. German-born American Abstract Expressionist Painter, Hans Hofmann, 1880-1966, noted: “Colors must fit together as pieces in a puzzle or cogs in a wheel.”

Color choice comes down to practicality, personal taste, emotion, and external stimuli. Currently, edgy color ideas are surfacing. For example, black is on the rise because people associate it with luxury – and in the “new economy,” the color takes note in decor. Combined tones of purples and boysenberry are among colors of interest as a hue for creativity and irreverence.  http://dutchboy.swatchbox.com/colorsimplicity/main.asp

Vignettes – resources for color selections

Trends and techniques can also be examined through NCS Colour Global Color Research. They have created an exclusive Colour Card including the top interior trend colors for 2012. http://www.ncscolour.com/ The Colour Card includes 20 selected trend colours defined with NCS Notations.

Imagekind makes it easy

Creative color design with artworks are available through Imagekind to bring on-demand printing for color creations. Here one can see palettes and patterns hanging on your wall. http://www.imagekind.com/Vineyard_art?IMID=d3ea3944-85c6-45c4-b27d-6585077fb370

 Whatever your color choices, relish in fitting the pieces of the puzzle together, and expressing your personal prefererences to live in, and to enjoy!

“

Dried milk pods, dark berries on trees, little lavender flowers growing amidst roadside weeds, pumpkins, squash, and dried corn stocks, all announce that the Fall season is here. Falling, colorful leaves in golds, reds, oranges and rusts, show off with a blue sky and sunlight shimmering through. We drink all of this in, rejoicing in the beauty, and appreciate these days before the cold winds take it away. Bringing these elements into the home is a natural process with so much available at Farmers Markets, and while hiking in the inviting woods.

http://karenjlee.imagekind.com/store/imagedetail.aspx/4dfcda19-7f55-47e5-a639-4148fc466020/Floral_on_Piano

Harvest pottery & door decor  – A door hanging decoration is a welcoming note, with ample ideas to bring the elements together. Above the fireplace, pottery in browns and red rustic tones, a painting of a Fall scene, little pumpkins and varied candles can show the outdoors coming in. Or perhaps a vase, bowl and pitcher by skilled ceramicists in durable terra-cotta pieces done entirely by hand. Pottery Barn’s carefully hand thrown accents, with a hand-applied leaf design and a glossy glaze, add interest with the slightly distressed finishing for textural contrast.

 http://www.potterybarn.com/products/harvest-leaf-terra-cotta-vases-bowls-pitchers/?pkey=cvases-urns

A festive decorative door spray using fresh-cut evergreen branches will definitely add cheer to the home. Here are just a few examples of the many colors and forms of evergreens: http://www.marthastewart.com/268398/traditional-door-spray

An aspect of the fun of the season is to search and find favorite fall accents along the roadsides, or in a favorite hobby store. Whatever the finds, they will add welcoming highlights to make the home inviting and cozy. Stay warm!

Inspiration by Dutch Boy: http://dutchboy.com/colors/families/reds/dramatic/index.jsp

Test out Sample colors on-line. http://dutchboy.swatchbox.com/colorsimplicity/main.asp

Table runners, centerpieces, napkins, placemats, napkin rings, table linens offer a variety of options for creativity in setting an inviting table.

Change of seasons and holidays seem to signal the need to change home decor accessories, and there is no easier way than to indulge in inviting table settings. Table runners, centerpieces, napkins, placemats, napkin rings, and table linens offer a variety of options, and they are interchangeable year after year. http://www.pier1.com/catalog/browse/493.902.table-runners  Setting the scene of your next gathering says volumes about your personal creativity, along with culinary delights that are a warm welcome to family and friends. http://karenleeartgallery.com/contactus.aspx

A meandering pathway with black hollyhocks taking center stage as piano music drifts throughout the spaces.

“The global appetite is increasing for great works of art but the supply is radically limited,” notes Simon Shaw, head of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby’s.

Hunting for good art is an exciting journey, one that is often woven throughout a lifetime. We discover it everywhere: while meandering through a touristy vacation pebbled walkway; while perusing galleries or attending an outdoor art show; and while shopping at antique auctions and used resale shops. The venture is endless in nature, and entertaining to find that just right piece that expresses something personal in design, colors and shapes. In her search for personalized art, Georgia O’Keeffe defined her journey this way: “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way–things I had no words for.” We seem to seek the same satisfaction with buying and decorating in the arts. http://www.imagekind.com/Black-Hollyhocks–Piano_art?IMID=1d6891a2-190c-4e86-a85f-caa9f75e21c5

Recent commentaries on the arts, note there are a growing number of consumers who seek original art for their homes as part of their interior design planning. And as an art dealer said of art in the home: “It provides you with feelings or sensations that you cannot get from anything else—visceral rewards, emotional satisfaction, the fact that you can look at the work in your home every day and continue to get renewed pleasure. It doesn’t wear off.” And, collectors, follow this path and are serious hunters: http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=3349&current=True  

From every perspective, opinions and personal preferences are limitless. Or, as Claude Monet reflected – “Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” Color draws us, makes an emotional appeal and reaches our senses with many varied responses. The influence of color, in terms of current design trends, we’re seeing taupe-based purples and mauves, warm magentas, gold’s, and corals mixed with foundational colors of cool grays, whites and creams. www.karenleeartgallery.com

Inspiration is around the next corner, and seeking rewarding art is wherever your daily routine takes you.  Seeking out new artists and pursuing unexpected treasures is a rewarding pastime.

Happy hunting!

Martha Stewart Paints: http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Paint-Samples-Posters-Fan-Decks/Martha-Stewart-Living/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbo8pZ4tg/R-202485678/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

ORDER PRINTS/CANVAS http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=198e5963-87bd-4ef5-85a9-e9a14e0e2254

FINE ART MURALS AND TILES – on ceramic, tumbled marble and glass tiles, http://www.artworkontile.com/artist.asp?artistId=289

The Sea Pines Resort’s world-famous Harbour Town Golf Links, where golfers can follow in the footsteps of legends in golf. http://www.imagekind.com/Harbor-Links-Hilton-Head-SC-art?IMID=923a987c-d84c-4d75-8dad-64f2bb00c26e

In decorating with passion in mind, art is often incorporated into the theme of the home. Even those people who are not big golf fans, for example, may love beautiful golf scenes. The visual beauty of the great courses like Augusta National are among the favored locations and inspire and adorn many homes and offices. http://www.imagekind.com/Art-Fair–Travel-Destinations_art?IMID=50adb8bb-1c56-44e3-8714-9e340ad915f4

What is your passion? Whatever the subject, it can be a joyful process in discovery to find the just right art, and accents, that clearly reflect your leisure pursuits. Enjoy the journey of finding the art work, accessories, and favored colors that mirror your personality. http://karenleeartgallery.com/default.aspx

ORDER PRINTS/CANVAS http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=198e5963-87bd-4ef5-85a9-e9a14e0e2254

FINE ART MURALS AND TILES - on ceramic, tumbled marble and glass tiles, http://www.artworkontile.com/artist.asp?artistId=289

Beautiful things and small art pieces are an open invitation to enjoy the space

A home with art and interesting accessories demonstrates the visual heart of passion of the dweller, and presents an ambience of personal preferences. Accessorizing can bring varied moods: pieces that make us feel tranquil, memory photos to inspire us, and corners and nooks where beautiful things and small art pieces are an open invitation to enjoy the space. The effect gives a sense of balance, and an opportunity to have fun and let the energy and personality flow within the home. http://karenleeartgallery.com/default.aspx 

Home accessories complete the look of a space

A few ways to dress up and complete the style look include: bookshelves, special table top accessories, and flowers and fruit accents. For example, bookshelves are the perfect display option to show off small mementos and great pottery pieces. Layering books in vertical and horizontal mode gives opportunity to display titles/authors, and also places for a small vase or a miniature statue atop a stack of books. Keeping it simple with limited number of books, and several key accent pieces allow for the spaces to breathe, and for the eye to observe and appreciate. http://www.marthastewart.com/270159/simple-floral-centerpieces

 Table Tops: Platters & Trays

Table tops offer an ever-changing chance to display decorative serving trays, candles, and fruits. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/tabletop/tblsrvcol/?cm_type=lnav The dining table presents the perfect opportunity to use the special accents of excellent large, colorful design dinnerware pieces. http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/dinnerware-entertaining/serveware/  A very large ceramic colorful tray, or a large vase of flowers, offer an eye-catching piece of unusual proportion that enhances the feeling of space and proportion in a room.

The bookcase pieces, small art accents, flower and dinnerware, all add a personal touch, and reflect a special welcome home presentation.

We enjoy the oceans and the sea, and it’s embrace at the shore

Jacques Cousteau, the ecologist, filmmaker, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea, has been quoted as saying: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
Indeed, we love oceans and the sea, and enjoy it’s embrace on us. It is this essence that creates a desire to capture a touch of it’s presence and bring it into our homes. That may be through a simple seashell, a favorite photo, or a room designed with these concepts in mind. Which leads to the question: How can one capture the essence of a great beach getaway or special destination by water into the decor theme?. Some of these elements may include a variety of accessories, a painting and combination of seashore colors. 

PRINTS/CANVAS http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=198e5963-87bd-4ef5-85a9-e9a14e0e2254

Paint color is a great decorating tool. Color in the room is centered on neutrals which provide versatility and allow to quickly change the look. The appearance and the perception of size and even the perception of temperature, can be realized through the selection of paint colors. Martha Steward notes some leading seaside shades that are sure to implore good results. http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/decorating-with-seaside-shades . The spectrum of warm whites, tawny tans, hinted yellows, corals, and blues and greens, are some of the colors that will find their way to bring the atmosphere alive.

Accessories to complement these colors and finish a room include an enticing opportunity to engage favorite items. For example some of the accents may include a driftwood centerpiece; seashells – in a tall clear vase; a nautical accent such as carved sailboat; a vintage captain lamp, and dinnerware of fish and shell designs. Additionally, colored seashore glass pieces, scattered on a plate or placed in a clear bowl are an eye-catching reminder. http://www.potterybarn.com/search/results.html?words=beach%2C+shells&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button&type-ahead-viewset=ecom

At the center in the room, an ocean, beach art piece, draws the personal combinations together in a captivating mood to enjoy the seashore endlessly.

ORDER PRINTS/CANVAS http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=198e5963-87bd-4ef5-85a9-e9a14e0e2254

FINE ART MURALS AND TILES - on ceramic, tumbled marble and glass tiles, http://www.artworkontile.com/artist.asp?artistId=289

KAREN J LEE’S ART and color fusions bring visions of favored travel destinations, or dreams of places to plan for vacation get a ways. “http://www.karenleeartgallery.com/

The Botanic Gardens in Chicago provides hours of treasures to visitors, where summertime brings a mixture of live music and fragrant plants. The Chicago Botanic Garden boasts the highest membership of any US botanic garden at over 46,000 and is the second-most visited with over 750,000 visitors a year. Enriching our outdoor spaces with significance and pleasure is a national lobby of home and cottage dwellers. Gardens often take center stage in our lives, for food and for visual delights. Bringing those visuals into our homes makes the decorating experience fun and poignant. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/evenings/index.php Ideas and examples flow at exhibitions, art galleries, museums, that tout the beauty and selections of floral visuals. http://karenjlee.wordpress.com/category/how-to-select-your-color-palette/

For example, a large array of beautiful floral arrangements from the local market brings a welcoming spark to a room, as well as a painting of a bouquet. In selecting a floral print, one can choose from various patterns and designs to make the room more attractive and reflect personal preferences .http://www.potterybarn.com/products/floral-blocked-looped-rug/  One can also select different themes for different rooms depending on choice and decorating touches. http://www.marthastewart.com/color-palettes-schemes

Top Ten Best Botanic Gardens, US  http://blog.hotelclub.com/the-10-best-botanic-gardens-in-the-us/

ORDER PRINTS/CANVAS   http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=198e5963-87bd-4ef5-85a9-e9a14e0e2254

FINE ART MURALS AND TILES - on ceramic, tumbled marble and glass tiles, http://www.artworkontile.com/artist.asp?artistId=289  

KAREN J LEE’S ART and color fusions bring visions of favored travel destinations, or dreams of places to plan for vacation get a ways. “http://www.karenleeartgallery.com/”