2011 Top 10 Holiday Gifts

While you still have a small window to get your orders in, here's our list of this year's best holiday gifts; priced right!

 1.  Jim Ptacek ornaments - Brand new and featured at this Saturday's show, these 3" hand hammered, hand signed aluminum ornaments are perfect as a keepsake for any Clevelander, near or far.

2.  Three Wise Men in a Boat by James C. Christensen - A great new release by the master of fantasy art with a holiday subject.

3.  Winter Awakening by Anthony E. Cook - This winter scene will brighten any room and give you that winter wonderland feeling all year!

4.  Drifting Off  & Favorite Gift by Jim Daly are probably our most iconic holiday images.  They evoke "visions of sugarplums" and Christmases of long ago.

5.  Santa at the North Pole by Scot Gustafson - The most exhilarating night of the year has arrived and the North Pole buzzes with activity. The reindeer are harnessed, the sleigh is almost loaded and Mrs. Claus brings out a last minute snack for Santa.

6.  A Victorian Christmas Carol by Thomas Kinkade - Part of Thom's Old Time Christmas Collection, this piece will fill both your heart and your home with holiday cheer.

7.  Just Shy of Sly by Carl Brenders - This year's newest release, Brender's fans haven't been able to resist this little fox kit.

8.  Cape Cod Christmas by Charles Wysocki - Beautifully traditional Americana, and full of whimsy and charm.

9.  Holiday Figurines and Ornaments by Will Bullas and Jim Daly are humorous and nostalgic!

10.  The Wizard Mouse by Dean Morrissey is this year's children's book. A field mouse's place is in the field-or so say Rollie's father, his grandfather, and everyone he has ever known. But Rollie wants something more.  Read about his adventures - or better yet, read them to a child you know.

Top 5 Things You Can Do to Display Your Art Collection Most Effectively

1.  Always seek out Certified Professional Framers - The Professional Picture Framers of America offers a rigorous certification course designed to assure the public that their framer is an expert in the archival preservation of their treasured works of art.  Successful graduates of this program earn a Certified Professional Framer (CPF) certificate.  (Gallery One’s custom framing department has been supervised by a CPF since 1986...and two additional staff members hold this prized designation.)  Be sure to seek out CPF framers in your community for assurance that your fine art is properly conserved and displayed.
Click here to view Gallery One's framing process.


2.  Arranging your art collection 

Hanging artwork in groupings can create an exciting look for any room. The simplest grouping is a pair: two pieces of art, framed identically. They can be placed side by side or one over the other, in an even or uneven manner.

Another simple grouping might be three or more pieces of art of varying sizes. Each piece must be framed in the style and color that works best for that individual item. It will look best if one work of art is quite large, while the companion pieces are of smaller sizes. For more information, check out our guidelines.


3.  Fill small or narrow wall spaces - Remember narrow spaces, especially around entrances or over doorways.  Some artists specialize in long narrow pieces.

Autumn Trail by Rod Frederick

You might want to check out the works of Rod Frederick, Cassandra Barney, Michael and Inessa Garmash, Stephen Lyman, Steve Hanks, Terry Isaac, Tim Rogerson and John Seerey-Lester and Disney artists, James Coleman, Katie Kelly and John Rowe.


4.  Don't insist on matching frames to your furniture or your other frames.  Matching your frames to existing furniture could prove to be a problem in the future when you replace the furniture.  A well-designed frame should complement the artwork.  In that way, your decor can change a number of times and the art will always look as perfect as it did originally. 

Likewise, choosing frames based on the other frames in the room works well with groupings of family snapshots, but not necessarily with your fine art prints and giclées.  Their subject matter, color and texture will vary and the framing should reflect it. 

5.  Rotate your artwork occasionally to keep your decor looking fresh.  You can do this in a number of ways.  Switch art from room to room for a whole new look.  The seascape over your bed might look lovely over the couch or fireplace.  Or the floral in the living room might cheer up the guest room. 

Display some pieces in the summer and others in the winter.  This is particularly true for seasonal pieces around holidays; or when the subject of the art is clearly a summer scene or an autumn landscape.

Hang a few small pieces together that you hadn't grouped before.  A grouping of two or three small framed items can include a small personal item to round out the look.

Your art is meant to bring you a lifetime of pleasure.  Preserving it carefully with professional framing and displaying it to it's best advantage will ensure that.   Enjoy collecting and displaying your own art collection!

Introducing New Landscapes By Photographer/Activist, Anthony Cook

Gallery Giclees, our sister company, produces giclees which are printed IN HOUSE using the latest giclee printing technology along with inks and canvases of the highest quality. Giclees are expertly coated with a UV protectant to extend the image life and provide a water-resistant surface.

We duplicate and then rotate 1.5" of each edge of an artist's image so that the canvas can be stretched over a standard stretcher strip or a 1.5” thick stretcher strip... with stapling on the rear...leaving finished sides. Thus the canvas can be hung unframed, framed in a traditional manner or float framed with no loss of the artist’s image and with nary a staple in sight! Each giclee has been inspected again and again prior to being shipped to you. Our goal - perfection!  That's why we can guarantee your satisfaction!

Winter Awakening by Anthony E. Cook

This Saturday, December 10, Anthony Cook will present his first five original photographs on canvas, produced by the giclee method.

Here's a little background about him:

In 1928, lumber baron, Anthony Wayne Cook, deeded his cherished 7200 acres to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today, that acreage is known as Cook Forest State Park, and Anthony E. Cook, grandson of this visionary, is a tireless conservationist and noted photographer.

With two hard-cover books under his belt, young Anthony is an acknowledged master of landscape photography. Now, a selection of his stunning photographs has been captured as signed originals on canvas by an Ohio company, Gallery Giclées.

These signed works, in sizes as large as six feet by five feet, will be released to collectors December 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Gallery One, 7003 Center Street, Mentor OH. Cook will lecture informally at 11 a.m. as gallery guests enjoy coffee and bagels.

A native of Pennsylvania, Cook grew up exploring the forests surrounding his home. He attended college in New England, majoring in geology. As a dedicated conservationist, he serves on the board of The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, The National Aviary, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

His work has been featured in such publications as “Outdoor Photographers,”  “U.S. Air Magazine” and “Sierra Magazine.” An exhibition of his photography, “Fall Colors Across North America,” opened at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and toured throughout North America.

“The Cook Forest — An Island in Time (Falcon Press, 1997), his first photo-essay book, was a best seller. His second book is “Fall Colors Across North America (Graphic Arts Publishing, 2001). Both books are available now at Gallery One.

Today, Cook with his wife Sandy and their children live in the Cook Forest family home built by his grandfather more than a century ago.

Please join us in welcoming this exciting artist to the GalleryGiclees collection.

Hi!  I'm Guhonda!  The Browns brought me back from their trip to Rwanda in 1974 and I've taken up residence at Gallery One ever since.  I like to think of myself as their mascot.  (Unofficially, of course!)

Look!  I already have FIVE wonderful gifts under the tree.  I can't open them yet.  I have to wait.  But YOU don't!  You have FIVE wonderful gifts too!  Just go to the Gallery One Specials page and take advantage of all of them.  Or choose your favorite from the new Dean Morrissey book, Small Business Saturday, the Wysocki ($1) print special, the Kinkade Highlighting event. or the gorgeous new Anthony E. Cook giclees.

Dean Morrissey is coming Dec. 2 & 3 to sign his books and Anthony Cook is coming Dec. 10 to introduce those incredible landscape photographs.  Also, on the 3rd, Felicia Zavarella Stadelman is coming to lecture on Norman Rockwell!  Check out our last blog post for more details.  I like to think of myself as a fly on the wall for these exciting holiday shows. . .even though I look more like the 800 lb. gorilla!  (hahaha)  Everybody that attends these events is in such a festive mood and it's not just the wine & cheese or bagels & coffee that cause that effect.  They come because there is so much beauty found here and there's always something new!  Why not make Gallery One a regular part of your holidays.  And come see me at the front counter.  (You can't miss me!  They made me wear this stupid holiday nightshirt!)

Guhonda

Updated Fall Calendar

Now with Carl Brenders' show, our first two art lectures and the Gallery Hop behind us, we've begun our fall series of events!  But, there's more to come!  Let's run down the calendar.

First of all - Our Kinkade collectors look forward to getting their canvases enhanced at our annual Kinkade Highlighting event, scheduled as always, for Thanksgiving weekend, Friday and Saturday, November 25 and 26.  Highlighters are hand picked and specially trained by Thom to give your artwork the effect of an original.  If you've purchased a Thomas Kinkade canvas at Gallery One and would like to take advantage of this free service, simply make an appointment with Jen at 440.255.1200 or 800.621.1141...Or purchase from our displays during Thanksgiving weekend and we'll do our best to fit you in.

On Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3, Dean Morrissey arrives for his annual Christmas visit to present his new book, The Wizard Mouse.  He's sure to have some Wizard Mouse originals and new giclées with him as well.  Friday's hours are 6-9 p.m. with a lecture at 7 p.m.  Saturday's hours are noon-5 p.m.  For a limited time only! Get a free autographed copy of The Wizard Mouse by Dean Morrissey when you purchase a Morrissey poster, print, giclée or original! Order in person, by email or by phone. For online Morrissey art orders, just add FREE BOOK in the comment box. (a $16.99 value!)

But come early for Dean's Saturday show because you'll definitely want to hear Felicia Zavarella's lecture about Norman Rockwell at 10:30 a.m.!  You'll hear not the image he presents in his pictures, but his much more complex life filled with twists and turns.  These entertaining and informative free lectures feature complimentary coffee and donuts!  You may want to mark your calendars for the rest of Felicia's season which will feature Frederic Remington on January 28, Alphonse Mucha on February 25, Mary Cassatt on March 31 and Georges Seurat on April 28.

Gallery Giclees, our sister publishing company, is excited to announce yet another artist to our offerings.  Photographer Anthony E. Cook, of Pennsylvania's Cook Forest, will be here on Saturday, December 10, at 10:30 a.m. to present and sign his breathtaking new giclée landscapes.  (Order yours now to take advantage of pre-publication prices.) Mark your calendar to join us for Anthony's informal lecture...AND bagels and coffee! 

See you soon...IT'S TIME FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING!

That's all for now!

Carl Brenders delights fans at Gallery One

The incomparable Carl Brenders paid his 13th visit to Gallery One Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24. What a treat!

In his lecture he shared insights into seven of his finest works including the two giclées produced by our new Gallery Giclées process. His fans were delighted with the quality of these two pieces. Their resemblance to originals is uncanny and the expert framing by Gallery One's Certified Picture Framers set them off perfectly.

After the lecture he mingled with those in attendance and was warmed by the presence of friends and family from near and far. It's always a pleasure to host such a fine artist and offer his collectors new images for their collections. He even hinted that he may be back next year! To see snapshots of the show visit our Art Event Calendar.

Exciting Fall Events

While we still have a few more days of official summer left, our traditionally busy autumn calendar is really filling up with some of the most exciting artistic events in which Gallery One has ever had a part! Whether you're looking for new art, a live appearance of a major artist, art lectures or even community art, the fall art calendar is going to keep you busy!

Let's start with a brand new fund raising effort by Willoughby's Fine Art Association called Gallery Hop. From September 22 - October 21, visit five of seven participating art galleries in Lake County, pick up a special card and collect their unique punch. Go to The Fine Arts Association to attend the October performances of "ART" and receive $5 off an adult ticket AND ten FREE raffle tickets for the Gallery Hop auction. (Discount valid ONLY with proof of punched "ART" postcards. Seating based on availability.) Participating galleries include Gallery One, Fine Arts Association, Lakeland Community College, Finestra Gallery, Waterloo Studio & Gallery, Willoughby Hills Gallery, and Beaded Lady. Read more about it here.

Alan Brown, Gallery One and Gallery Giclées have donated Alan's The Lighthouse - Evolved to the Gallery Hop raffle. Using artistic license and photographic expertise, Alan has created an "evolved" rendition of the much beloved Fairport Lighthouse. "Evolved" images are "monoprints" with variations related to color, composition and/or form.

Coinciding perfectly with the Gallery Hop is the appearance of Carl Brenders, one of the world's most revered artists of the natural world, at Gallery One on September 23 & 24. During Carl's Friday evening appearance, he will lecture informally at 7 p.m. His visit also coincides with the official release of two new works by the Belgian painter. The two new images, Just Shy of Sly and Island Shores - Snowy Egret, are printed and distributed worldwide by Gallery

Giclées, a Mentor company owned by Norah Lynne and Alan Brown.

At 73, Brenders is one of the two or three most recognized wildlife painters in the world. He has visited Gallery One close to a dozen times since 1989 because he has such a strong following of collectors in Ohio. Of course, parking and admission are free. Wine and cheese will be served. There couldn't be a better time to pick up your special Gallery Hop ticket and start collecting punches. More information can be found at galleryone.com.

We've also scheduled this season's popular Felicia Zavarella art lecture series on the first Saturdays of October, November and December at 10:30 a.m. We'll post the complete schedule in this blog and on our facebook page, so stay in touch for a list of the artists she'll feature. Felicia's free lectures are as interesting and informative as they are entertaining and include complimentary coffee and donuts. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience them, do yourself a favor and mark your calendar now.

Wow! If that's not enough to get your creative juices flowing, I don't know what is! We're looking forward to seeing you at any and all these events. But, that's all for now!