One of the most famous quotes would be; “art is objective.” This is a very true statement which is why there is such a variety of art forms that can be found, so there is something that will appeal to every taste.  Italy is one country that is well known for its artistic expression and a lot of Italy vacation packages where they will give you tours around all of the greatest artistic cities. When you consider the various mediums of art that can be found within each of the mediums it becomes obvious that the art world is much like our universe; you have worlds within worlds. The best basic explanation is that each medium is like a separate planet and each aspect that is found within those mediums is like individual life. When it comes to art many people feel that there are only two basic forms; painting and sculpting. The truth is that there are many more genres or art to be explored; remember what may seem like junk to one person is something of beauty to another, so lets take a look at some art forms that might surprise you.

One of the most obvious forms of art is of course painting. Painting has many aspects to consider such as the period of time it was done in and the style that was used. Painting styles can range from classic to modern and even cubist. The medium of painting is something that can have an appeal for everyone; it simply depends on finding what will strike your fancy. Painting tends to be one of the more popular mediums of art because of the different meanings that can found in a work. Finding the meaning behind a painting can be an education all onto itself as different people can easily find different meanings, which can be an interesting insight into each individual.

The next most recognized art form would be sculpting, but this particular form can be as varied and as unique as the pieces of art themselves. Not only is there the consideration of the style of the piece but you also have to consider the various materials that can be used to form a sculpture; the possibilities are endless. There are many styles of sculpting such as the classic style done in marble that is usually used to capture a live subject. Marble sculptures have a foothold in history, dating back as far as the Grecian empire. Although this particular style isn’t as widely pursued as it once was, mostly because of the cost that is associated with marble, there are still sculpting enthusiasts who embrace this medium.

A more practiced form of sculpting deals with metal and welding. Many sculptures, especially when it comes to lifelike representation, are now being sculpted from Bronze. Bronze tends to be easier to shape and mold as well as having the ability to withstand the elements. Another benefit to bronze is that, although it can show signs of weathering, these signs can be easily cleaned and the piece refurbished with little effort.

There is still another medium of sculpting that involves metal and that is free-style sculpting. These types of sculptures tend to utilize various metals as well as welding to hold the pieces together. Free-style basically does exactly what it says by taking pieces of metal and fitting them together, allowing them to develop whatever form or shape appeals to the vision that the sculpture has for their work.

Before you actually add the artwork to your blog, you need to find the images. It is very important to make sure that the images are free to use and are not copyrighted. If you are in doubt, don’t add the art to your blog post. There are many websites out there that have images that are free to use, and usually some of those images are artwork.

Once you find artwork you want to use, it’s fairly easy to add it to your blog post. It depends on the program you are using to write your blog, but usually the ‘add image’ button is fairly well visible. From here you can usually add a caption. Even if you got your artwork from a free to use website, it’s a good idea to credit the image by putting the website you got the image from as a caption underneath. This will cover you just in case the image was actual not free to use.

If you try to add posts to your blog every day, you may find that it is hard to find images that are relevant to each blog post. It can take some time to find free images, but it is possible to find ones that fit each of your blog posts. By adding images, it can make your blog posts that much more appealing to your audience. Images on your post will also help you increase your readership as well. If you don’t want to ruin your website while trying out these tips, you can always get a free website first. That way you can get practice without messing with your own page.

When adding images and artwork to your blog posts, it’s very important that the image matches the words in your post. If your images don’t match, you may confuse your readers. It is better to have no images in a particular post if you cannot find one that matches the topic of that particular blog post.

Using artwork as the images in your blog posts will add another layer of sophistication to your blog. This will make your blog stand out even more which will allow you to possible pick up more traffic and regular readers. Most blogs use images, but very few use actual artwork as parts of their blog posts.

Artwork is a great way to add images to your blog posts. It will make your posts stand out from the other blogs out there, add another layer to your blog which will allow you to hopefully get more traffic and regular readers for your blog.

1) Arguably the most famous work of art is the Mona Lisa. Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 16th century the Mona Lisa is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

2) Sistine Chapel Ceiling: This Fresco Painting was commissioned by Pope Julius II. Michelangelo began the work in July, 1508 and completed the ceiling over four years later in October 1512.

3) Khufu’s Great Pyramid and surrounding complex: Constructed around 2560 BC and located in Giza, Egypt

4) The Sculpture David: The standing nude marble statue was commissioned in 1501 and completed in 1504 by Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The Sculpture David represents the Biblical hero David. The original statue now resides in Academia Galleria in Florence, Italy.

5) Starry Night: This canvas oil painting was completed by Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh in 1889. This work is one of the most replicated items of the modern times. This work currently resides in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, USA.

6) Pieta by Michelangelo: The Pieta is a Renaissance marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the body of her son Jesus Christ after his death. Michelangelo was in his early twenties when he started the sculpture in 1498. He finished the sculpture in two years. The original sculpture sits in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

7) Water Lilies: Claude Monet is synonymous with the French Impressionist style exhibited in these well-known works. Water Lilies are a series of 250 oil paintings. The original works are exhibited across the world.

8) Riace Warriors: These are two bronze statues that were sculpted about 430 to 460 BCE. They show nude bearded warriors. They are currently housed by the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggia Calabria, Italy.

9) Terracotta Army: This replica army was discovered in 1974. It is one of the top attractions in China. The replicas represent Emperor Qin’s army which was the first army to unify China over 2000 years ago.

10) Taj Mahal: Located in Agra, India the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in remembrance of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum was built from 1632 to 1653.

11) Diana and Actaeon: Italian Renaissance painter Titian finished this work in the late 1550′s.

12) La Danse: These are two related works by artist Henri Matisse which he completed in 1909 and 1910. The first was a preliminary work for the second. They reside at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

13) Las Meninas: Spanish artist Diego Velazquez painted this work circa 1656. Translated, it means Maids of Honor. The original resides in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. The painting reflects a room in the Madrid Palace of King Philip IV of Spain.

When someone thinks of a person selecting to be an “artist” as a career choice, the popular phrase “starving artist” comes to mind almost automatically. However, the reality is that artists aren’t destined to live pauper lives in order to truly express their art. In fact, there are many artists who are making a very decent income exclusively from the artwork that they create. So what’s the key? What’s the difference between the artist who is barely scraping by and the one who is enjoying the financial fruits of his artistic labors?

It’s Not About Talent Or Skill

Some of the most talented artists are also among the poorest. It may not seem fair. In a perfect world, artists would get paid according to their ability to produce high quality and creative works of art. However, in the real world, there isn’t really a correlation between talent and income. Sure, for an artist to make a stable and consistent amount of income, he or she does need to have some pool of innate artistic skill. That being said, just because one artist is “better” than another doesn’t mean that he will generate a larger income.

It’s About Having Business Sense

The artists that can earn good money through their efforts are also the ones that have a strong business sense to compliment their artistic abilities. Business-minded artists know the value of their work. This may go against the grain of how traditional artists think, but business-minded artists consider their works like their products.

But It Goes Further Than That

Artists that make a living with their art not only know the salable values of their artistic works, but they also consider the end consumer in mind when they are creating their artwork in the first place. If they know that art buyers are looking to purchase paintings about lighthouses, they’ll go ahead and do a few lighthouse paintings. Although creating art is fantastic, artists with a business sense know that in order to be able to continue creating their artwork, they need to be able to support themselves financially.

Besides keeping the desires of art buyers in mind, business-minded artists are also masters at marketing themselves and their work. They understand that the more people who know about their artistic abilities and their finished products, the greater the likelihood of generating larger valued sales. Like most businesses, in many respects it’s simply a numbers game.

An artist, even if he is the next Picasso, who doesn’t know how to market himself will end up penniless with an apartment full of masterpieces. Whereas the artist with average talent who is strong at marketing can become quite wealthy selling his artwork.

How much money do artists make has much more to do with their business skills as opposed to their artistic skills. The great thing about this is that the artist himself has control over how much he wants to make. If he wants to make more money, he doesn’t have to become a better artist. He just has to change the way he sees himself and his art. Although art is hard to teach, and almost impossible to master without some inborn talent, learning effective business strategies can occur with proper education, discipline and determination. Artists that can support themselves through their artistic efforts see themselves as businesses. They are not any less passionate about their art. They just understand that success comes with the proper balance of art and business sense.

Decorating your home with art pieces is a terrific way to add a touch of color and personal style to your decor. Art comes in a wide variety of types all the way from the Old Masters of centuries past through the new masters of today. The only really limiting factor is your personal taste and style and the cost of the works you like. Liking Rembrandt portraiture can cost millions while liking a newbie painter will probably be much more affordable.

One of the great things about decorating with artistic works is the search for just the right piece for your personal world view. You never know where you might find that one perfect sculpture for the living room or a great wall decal for the den. The joy of the thing is not only having the art works but in seeking them out and obtaining them. The pursuit of the art is almost as rewarding as the owning of it. Finding a new young artist before anyone else can make your collection quite valuable for little investment on your part.

The fact of the thing is that gathering a collection of art should never be done as a way to build an estate but rather as a way of making your home or office environment personalized and beautiful. A piece of art should be bought because it is beautiful and because it speaks to you, not because it might someday be valuable. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What you see as timeless quality someone else might see as an eyesore. Not everyone appreciates velvet Elvises, but not everyone appreciates Fredrick Remington cowboy sculptures either.

If you have decided to decorate with art there are a few things you should keep in mind. First the cost of art is usually commensurate with what people will pay. Fad pieces cost more when the fad is running high than when it fizzles out. The pictures of light that were very expensive and rare have become very common and much less valuable, but could easily soar back up in price. Buy something because you love it, not as an investment because no one really knows what will go up or go down.

Second, you should buy because you have a place for the item, not just because you can afford it. Having art in a storage shed is a travesty and should be avoided as much as possible. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid an overage of lovely pieces as when you downsize your home, but as a rule, do not add to a collection is there is no display space available at home.

Third, in selecting pieces be aware of the colors involved. Some colors are more peaceful than others and some colors will fit in with each other better than others. Take into consideration the art already in your home and how the new piece will join the rest.

And finally, remember that any art is supposed to be fun. It might be deep and meaningful fun intended to teach a life lesson, or it may be a light hearted romp on the wild side, but either way it should be fun for you to have around. Decorate with art but remember to enjoy it.

The United States contains many art colleges where students who have a passion for artistic expression can receive degrees. However, it may be difficult to figure out exactly what art schools are considered to be a notch above the rest.

Rhode Island School of Design specializes in fine arts and design and is located in Rhode Island’s capital, Providence. The school’s campus is contiguous with that of Brown University, sharing social and academic resources as well as classes. The school even has its own museum which houses over 80,000 works of art. Rhode Island School of Design is very prestigious and is considered by many to be the finest of all the art colleges in America.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has a fantastic reputation and is one of the largest accredited independent schools of art and design in all of America. It is located in downtown Chicago, Illinois, and offers both undergraduate and graduate level degrees. The classes offered are in anything from art history to visual communication.

The Yale School of Art is a branch of Yale University and is a professional art school. Because of this, the school grants only Masters of Fine Arts degrees. Students’ studies can be completed to earn a Masters degree in any of four fields: graphic design, photography, sculpture or painting/printmaking. Any student applying to become a student of the school must have a good undergraduate record and a completed body of work to present.

Maryland Institute College of Art is located in Baltimore, Maryland and is one of the oldest art colleges in the United States. According to U.S. News and World Report, Maryland Institute College of Art was the second best fine arts program in the Unites States and its Graphic Design Master of Fine Arts program was ranked as one of the best graduate schools to learn about Graphic Design.

The California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, California, and was the first school of higher learning that granted degrees and was made for students that were interested in both the visual as well as performing arts in the United States. The school is also known as CalArts and was created and founded by Walt Disney. The California Institute of the Arts is unique in that the students do their work in a workshop-like setting that is more easy-going than other schools of art.

Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California, and is a private college. The schools offer a wide array of programs that are both graduate and undergraduate. Art Center College of Design also offers public programs for both children as well as students in high school. The college has two campuses and was noted by BusinessWeek as one of the best design schools in the entire world.

For many years works of art have been placed in museums, art galleries, and the private homes of the rich and famous, and the not so famous. Art, like music or theatre is in the eye of the beholder. It spawns from a particular taste or event or feeling that someone may have. From that can come the most marketable pieces ever presented.

Art is bought or displayed by people who like to look at it. The pictures they see form a different meaning for each of them and yet they are suspended in time and cannot be duplicated. They can be copied but once the picture or print is done, that’s it. It becomes a signature of the painter or sketcher. The artist paints more pictures or sketches more drawings for display or purchase. This can become a business, a very lucrative one.

In recent years certain works of art have gone for millions of dollars. People who collect art do it for many different reasons – to resale, for an investment for the future, or to just look at. Some collectors buy art for bragging rights; they were the first to grab up a particular painting, one that others wanted but probably couldn’t meet the asking price.

Paintings are sold all over the world. People who buy them buy because they like what they see. Looking at a beautifully transformed piece of art can make a person’s day. It’s not just important to own art it’s also important to see art – it broadens the horizons. The genre of art is considered acceptable in civilized society and has been almost since the beginning of time. And those who can paint are widely sought after in their circle.

Consider the art critic who can make or break an artist with favorable or unfavorable mention. Of course there are pictures that speak for themselves and need no mention pro or con. Pictures from artists like Picasso, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Monet, Matisse, and Tanner. These famous painters’ works have stood the test of all time. Not only are they still relevant today, which is the mark of a true artist, but their paintings go for astronomical amounts when found – all that are not displayed in museums, that is.

One can make a good living from collecting artwork. This kind of investment can be used to pay off debts, contribute to a college education, finance a house or car, or take care of an elderly parent in their golden years. Can artwork be an investment? Yes, it can. In many ways art pays for itself if it is a good piece, appreciated, widely known and accepted, and is seen by the general public as interesting or beautiful.

Like the paintings that Monet did throughout the 1800′s, which included family members as well as landscapes, his works will be remembered forever for their simple grace and profound colors. Other artists have done similar works but did not become as famous as Mr. Monet. A painting has to speak to its audience in clear complete language. So not only can artwork become an investment but it can be enjoyed for many future generations.