The wedding of the Century to date — that of Prince William and Kate Middleton — is now a part of history. What an incredible event that was, but for many it was not the most important. We are now entering the most popular months of the year to celebrate this wonderful occasion. Will you be attending a wedding in the near future? If so, you might want to consider a gift that is unusual, yet very special, to the new bride and groom.

The gift of fine art would be something that the couple could enjoy forever. It would decorate their new home, increase in value over time, and always be a reminder of their special day and the fact that it came from you. Many wonderful works of art can be found at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. The price range is varied, so you might even consider getting together with other gift-givers to combine your resources and purchase a more elaborate piece from all of you.

One very appropriate choice might be The Wedding by Marc Chagall. This piece is available either framed or unframed. Another lovely artwork selection which comes unframed is Les Amoureaux (The Lovers) by Pablo Picasso. There are so many beautiful works of art from which to choose. You may even fall in love with one of them for yourself.

Landscape paintings are an ideal solution. The subject matter is familiar to everyone. The colors are bright but soft enough to fit with any décor. Oil paintings have colors that stay fresh for many years.

The paintings at Mary’s Art, Inc. was hand painted en plein air (in open air) on canvas. The style is modern, contemporary, colorful and somewhat abstract. The prices are affordable and ready for sale. Visit us at http://www.murphyartstudio.com today and find a landscape painting for your home that appeals to you and your loved ones.

Oil paintings are a great addition to a home because of their long lasting colors. Landscape paintings are always well received.

At Murphy Art Studio we offer hand painted oil landscape paintings that are bright and happy but with soft colors that will fit any décor. These playful originals have colors that will last a lifetime. Come visit us at http://www.murphyartstudio.com And find a painting that is just right for your home or as a gift to a friend.

Landscape paintings are restful and pleasant and a wonderful addition to the bedroom. A painting behind the bed aids in drawing your eye to the most important part of the bedroom.

We at Murphy Art Studio have a variety of landscape paintings that would be pleasant in any bedroom. Come and visit us at http://www.murphyartstudio.com to find one that you would love for your bedroom.

Oil paintings have a richness of color that connects emotionally with the viewer while the subject of the painting connects with the experience of the viewer. Trees are familiar to everyone and landscapes provide a subject that is restful and pleasant.

A large landscape oil painting is what you are looking for. It will get the visitor’s attention, be a familiar subject, connect emotionally with any viewer, and it’s style will reflect your interests and personality. Come visit us at http://www.murphyartstudio.com and find an original oil painting that is just right for your living room.

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I know you are thinking Christmas is still five months away, but if you are like me, time slips by so quickly, and I don’t get things done as soon as I want to. Take the time to look over our lace ornaments, they dress up you Christmas tree, and they make wonderful gifts for those that you want to give a little something to, but don’t have a lot to spend.

Thank you for looking at our ornaments, and take some time to look at our other embroidered items, we are sure that you going to find something for that special someone on your list. And if you don’t see what you want, give us a chance to see what we can create together at. The shipping on all embroidered items is always free at http://www.householdgoodsdepot.com.

Brett Livingstone-Strong has a reputation as an artist that is beyond all other modern artists by far. He is recognized throughout the world for his incredible artwork. Who else has been commissioned by the United States government to create The Bicentennial Constitution Monument, or by the country of Japan to produce the Nagoya Sister City Goodwill Monument? He was also commissioned to create four official posters for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Strong is the master of carvings, such as the one of John Wayne into a rock he purchased, but he is also known for his sculptures, watercolors and lithographs with some of his works selling for over a million dollars. His painting of Michael Jackson, entitled “The Book” sold for 2.1 million dollars. His talents were even recognized with a Grammy award for album cover he created for Fleetwood Mac’s “Tango in the Night.”

Although these are the works of Strong that are out of range for most people to own, there are many that are far less expensive and affordable to many. One of his most famous works is a set of 4 watercolors entitled Les Fleurs Suite. This set of watercolors was created and re-created in limited edition lithographs, however, the set that is offered at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com is one of the rare sets available. This particular fine art set is one of only 50 artists proofs and it is being offered at a discounted price. The name of each floral, its number and Brett Livingstone-Strong’s signature is in his original hand at the bottom of each piece. Each is in a decorative matted gilt wood frame. The buyer of this Suite will receive the Certificate of Authenticity for each piece along with a glossy of the 1994 “Art Times” Newsletter that announced the release of these magnificent florals. How incredibly special would it be to own this unusual artwork? Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. It is an investment that will only increase in value, while you can enjoy owning the fine art of one of the true masters of our time.

When someone thinks of Buddha, it usually conjures up the image of the founder of the Buddhist religion. This image is certainly beautiful to many, but there is another image with a similar name that is quite different. Edna Hibel created an original stone lithograph which she named Jimmy Buddha. Unlike the more familiar Buddha, Jimmy Buddha is a delicate sketch of a sweet, enchanting, elegant young woman. Hibel created only 18 of these images sometime prior to 1974. None have been sold for over 20 years, making it very rare. There is finally one for sale —- truly an art collector’s find. Don’t let this one get away. The opportunity may never arise again in your lifetime. In addition to this unique piece, there are many other distinct works of art at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. It’s worth browsing through, just for the pleasure of your time.

What is considered elegant or sensual differs depending on the taste of one person to the next, especially when it comes to fine art. There is one artist by the name of Janet Treby, who has managed to depict two portrait images of the same woman, both of which are appealing and enticing to all. There is a gentleness and calmness in these portraits that everyone will find attractive. The titles of these two works are Interlude and Camisole. Treby created these as seriolithographs. They are signed, titled and numbered in gold ink and each comes with its individual Certificate of Authenticity. The frames are identical and perfectly suited to the portraits. They can also be displayed in any décor, immediately ready for hanging. These gorgeous works of art have a grace and beauty that is not often seen. The pieces can be purchased as a set or individually at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. Please visit to see the works of many other renowned artists featured at this site.

The stock market is spiraling downward once again. You definitely do not want to have your money invested there at present. The first question is: So where can you still put your money and see it grow? The answer is to invest in fine art. The second question that may come to mind is: What kind of fine art? This is a much more difficult question because it depends on each individual’s taste. It can be a lithograph, watercolor, giclee or sculpture. The one important feature, however, is that it must have future value for your investment to grow. The art should be an original or limited edition piece — the rarer, the better.

Consider, for instance, the artwork of Pierre Auguste Renoir. First of all, everyone knows his name and reputation as a genius artist. That immediately ensures that his work will have value. Secondly, although Renoir was prolific, there are some works that are very rare — such as his Bust of Coco. This exquisite sculpture was created from the original plaster made by him. This featured piece is Museum Edition #30/30. This sculpture is only one of two works that Renoir executed entirely with his own hands. Upon completion of the edition all molds made from the original plaster were destroyed.

This valuable sculpture will not only be a good investment, but it will give you the pleasure of enjoying it in your home. It will give your guests something to talk about and admire. What better place to put your money? If you are interested in other works of art by Renoir or other masters, please visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com.

It is well known that the U.S. Dollar has come under tremendous pressure over the last few years, particularly with interest rates so low. So what does this do to gold, silver and yes, even fine art? These assets are boosted to their all time highs. This is confirmed by the Mei Moses Art Index which tracks the sale of fine art pricing.

You can invest in an art fund, however, the required capital is quite high to get into one of these funds. Most people do not have that capital. Instead, for a far smaller amount, you can buy a piece of fine art yourself. Enjoy its beauty in your home while your investment increases in value. It will give value to your home as well. There are so many reasonable pieces available at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. It is worth the time to look.

Many studies have been done to determine the value of owning fine art. The Mei Moses Fine Art Index was created by two professors at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Their index compares the sale and resale of art to determine its profitability over time by compiling data that allows them to track the long-term performance of fine art. Moses and Mei have compiled 9,000 such repeat-sale pairs and add between 300 and 400 every six months, enabling them to compile their index.

So what does their index tell us? In fact, fine art has outperformed the stock market and sometimes by far. In an article written by Daniel Gross, entitled “Painting for Profit” he states “ . . . and in the five years between 2001 and 2005, art trounced stocks.” Fine art has done so well that Fine Art Funds have been created by some of the top investment firms.

So what are the pros and cons of investing in an art fund versus owning the art, itself? One obvious difference is that you do not own a particular artwork when in a fund. You cannot see the beauty of your investment on your wall. The second difference is that your money is more liquid in the fund and, although you may a nice profit, in all likelihood, it will not be as great a profit as when you sell the individual artwork.

So why not surround yourself with beauty while increasing your net worth by buying your own fine art? You can find many incredibly beautiful pieces by some of our most famous artists and at various ranges of prices at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com.

Yes, it’s true. Buy a piece of art that you love, enjoy its beauty for a period of time and then give it away. Yes, there are those who will donate their artwork for a substantial amount of money and take the tax deduction or use it to offset the cost of college tuition. This will often save them even more than selling the piece and is usually worth far more than what they paid for the art.

The value of fine art has skyrocketed over and above the stock market in recent years. A person can purchase a piece today and in a short amount of time, donate it for a value that is far beyond their cost. Institutions are strapped for money these days and are delighted to receive such a gift.

There is a Spring sale that ends May 31 at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. Just enter the discount code SPRING2010 at checkout to get a 10% discount on any work of art. That can result in a very large savings. So, visit today and see what you might like to give away someday.

There seems to be no holding back when it comes to the value of Fine Art. Once again, another record has been broken — this time a Picasso was sold for $106.5 Million. That is amazing. Who has that kind of money? You may not have those bucks, but there is still some good news for all of us in this. First of all, the fact that fine art continues to rise while all else is going in the reverse direction, tells you where you should probably put your money. Secondly, you certainly don’t need that kind of dough to buy a creation by one of the art masters. You can spend a pittance of what you might suspect, and still enjoy having a true work of art to admire in your home or office. Take, for instance, the works of Renoir, such as La Balancoire that are being sold at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. If you would prefer to spend even less, check out the Chagall piece. The best part is that this site is currently offering a 10% discount until the end of May, reducing the price even further. Just enter SPRING2010 at checkout. The unframed works are all shipped for free. What a great time to add to your portfolio and love what you see.

Have you been invited to a wedding sometime in the next few months? Most young couples who are just starting out would prefer to receive money as a gift. But there are many couples who already have an established home. In fact, there are some who have to combine homes and have a duplication of home goods and furnishings. You would still like to give them something very special for their new life together —- but what? Give them “The Wedding” by Marc Chagall. This well-known artwork comes in a limited edition and can be purchased unframed. You can purchase it yourself or give it as a joint gift with others. This gorgeous piece of art is something of value that will enhance the beauty of their home with a gift that no one else will think to give. You can be sure that these newlyweds will remember this perfect wedding gift forever. For other works of art, please visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com.

Yes, we are approaching that time of year when you have to put your brain into gear to figure out what to give that important female in your life. Your mind runs through the usual commonplace gifts that she gets every year, over and over again. Of course, you know that she will appreciate anything she receives, but will it be something that she will cherish and admire? Is it something that she will look at and continue to love in years to come? Perhaps you should consider a beautiful piece of fine art that she can enjoy in her home forever. One artist in particular, Edna Hibel, is famous for her artworks of mother and child, a most appropriate theme for Mother’s Day. Paivi’s Embrace is one such piece. If this does not suit you, there are many other wonderful works of art to consider at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. Whatever you choose, this is a gift that will last forever.

Yes, it’s true. Fine art was resilient to the recession. That’s good news in several ways. First, it is probably one of the only investments you made that actually did not lose money in the last few years. In fact, in all likelihood your art is now more valuable than ever. The best part is that you have been able to enjoy your art as it has gained value. You certainly cannot say that about stock certificates, unless you have lined your walls with them.

An article in the BBC News quotes Jeremy Lamond from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as saying, “Arts and antiques have remained pretty resilient throughout the recession and this latest survey once again demonstrates their strength as an investment class.” This same article also states that “17% more surveyors reported rising rather than falling prices of art and antiques in the final quarter of 2009, up from 14% in the previous quarter. This was the highest since the first three months of the year.”

This is the greatest news — that art is still a very sound investment. While the market remains uncertain, there is still a place to put your money while surrounding yourself with beauty. For some wonderfully priced fine art from many renowned artists, visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com.

We all know that the real estate market has suffered enormously recently, but there are signs of a strengthening market. There is still a glut of homes for sale, so the buyer’s market prevails. If you are trying to sell your home, you must set your home apart from every other that is in competition with yours. There are many ways that you might be able to do that. One is to make sure that your home looks like it’s in move-in condition. Make those minor repairs or do some simple and quick painting to give your home that clean, bright look. Another way to impress your potential buyers is to be sure that the home is decorated with elegance and glamour. It will add appeal and value to your home. One way to do this is to add lovely artwork, whether on the walls with sculptures on your tables or stands. Be sure not to buy the cheap stuff or that will just make your home look cheap as well. The money you spend on good artwork will add so much to your home’s appearance that you may very well get a higher price than you expected. The best part is that you get to keep the art when the sale is complete. For some great deals on original lithographs and sculptures, visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com and happy selling!

The answer to that question may depend on whether or not the artist was known before his or her death as a respected artist and how prolific that artist was. There are many artists who never come to the forefront and whose works remain just pleasurable to those who own them, but are not high in value. Others seem to have notoriety while alive, but whose works gain attention and value when the source of the art has come to an end. Once such artist is Otto de Souza Aguiar, who died in 2006 and is best known for his mastery of the trompe d’oeil technique which means “trick of the eye”. This is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery to create the image that objects appear in three dimensions, instead of actually being a two-dimensional painting. He was well known for being commissioned to do work for various organizations and agencies. Since his death, interest in his work seems to have escalated. Since most of his work was commissioned, there is much less available for the private collector. To see one of his works that is for sale, visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. The elegant giclee entitled “Angelica” is for sale at a very reasonable price. This may turn out to be an excellent financial investment while enjoying the beauty of the piece over time.

If the colors are bright and the design whimsical, they will stimulate a child’s creativity for greater happiness. The subject should be something to which a child can relate, such as landscape paintings which have a subject familiar to all children, and if painted in a bright, whimsical manner, really appeal to young children.

Children will appreciate the painting more if they talk about it. A parent could ask about the colors, what they are and how may, or about the design, how many triangles or rectangles, or where the bird would build hits nest, or a myriad of other questions to enable the child to think about and enjoy the painting. Come visit us at Murphy Art Studio to find a painting that appeals to your child.

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The economy is starting to improve. The stock market is on the rise. Banks are offering better rates for CDs. Bonds and treasury notes are available at conservative rates for those that are more interested in a conservative route. Boring, boring, boring. Want a more interesting way to invest your money? There is a growing recognition that investing in art can be very profitable while enhancing your surroundings. Add that investment to your home or office. Look at it every day. Enjoy the comments of your visitors. Take pride in your choices. You can purchase art of all types and price ranges. A great site that offers a wide range of art is http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. Invest in something that does not deteriorate over time, while surrounding yourself with perpetual beauty.

In a New York Times article on February 4, 2010 the latest Christie fine art auction in London produced incredible results. According to the article, “The market for Impressionist and Modern masters is shooting up once again with extraordinary energy.” Among the most famous of the artists whose works were for sale was Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Even some of his less renowned pieces went for big bucks. The article states, “When the first five lots sell in a row well above the high estimates, you know that the market is vibrant. The zest with which bidders competed over even very minor works by famous artists removed any doubts on that score.” Owning a beautiful piece of art by one of the masters does not mean you have to spend the money commanded at an auction house, nor should you have to pay the high auction house fees. Enhance your surroundings with an exquisite piece, including lithographs of the Renoir oils featured at Christie’s, by starting or adding to your own art collection. Visit http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com for some incredible deals on art by Renoir, Erte, Strong and many others.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is presenting an exhibition of some of the original works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, entitled Renoir in the 20th Century. To quote from the LACMA web site, this exhibition “on the last three decades of Renoir’s career, when, following his rupture with impressionism, he turned to an art that was decorative, classical . . .” One of the exhibited paintings is that of his artwork “Gabrielle et Jean”. It depicts Gabrielle Renard, Madame Renoir’s second cousin, who was also “nanny” to Jean Renoir, their second son. Limited edition lithographs of this special work of art were created around 1992 at the Maison Mourlot in Paris. They are offered at a very reasonable price with free shipping at http://www.FineArtAtDiscountPrices.com. Click this link http://www.fineartatdiscountprices.com/product/R-GJ-001 to get to the specific page for Gabrielle et Jean.

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Skipping through an imaginary forest, as in plein air paintings, encourages children to use their imaginations in play. Colorful, playful landscape paintings lift the mood toward positive attitudes. Murphy Art Studio is a good resource for gleeful, fantasy paintings.

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