This week’s featured art is Snowy Christmas Eve by Joe Vittek

Perhaps the most recognized symbol of the winter holiday season is the Christmas tree; at least, according to the study that I made up for this review. Santa Claus might be more widely recognized, but whilst browsing for art today, this is the piece that struck me. Santa will have to wait.

Snowy Christmas Eve by Joe Vittek — View Larger

What really jumped out at me about this photo is the starkness of it; the thousands of points of light against the flat black background. The illuminated ground adds depth and character in a wonderful way. The feeling of the piece, what I get from it… is that the holiday season should be a time for reflection and introspection, and I think that this photo speaks to the hope for peace and basic human kindness that everyone desires.

The frame and mat are basic, but then again, so is the shot - in a good way. Of course, they may be customized by the buyer or left out altogether. In fact, considering the composition of the piece, with the title border at the bottom, I’d prefer to see the art without a mat and with a more ornate frame.

Prices for Snowy Christmas Eve begin at $33.96, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is Christmas landscape by Zdenek Sasek

For the second of my four-week series of holiday-themed artwork, I’ve chosen a beautiful fictional landscape. From the wispy sky to the soft glow of the house light on the snow, this is a quintessential image of peace.

The attention to detail is striking. Individual icicles adorn the roofline, and trees are visible in the mountainous background. I particularly like the soft edge given to the piece. Great, great work.

Christmas landscape by Zdenek Sasek — View Larger

The frame and mat may be customized by the buyer, which is fortunate because they are the only aspects of this piece that I am not thrilled with. I’d much rather see a brighter white or midnight blue mat with a more classic frame. Of course, the artwork may be purchased without a frame or mat as well.

Prices for Christmas landscape begin at $16.98, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is Iceflake I by Maureen Grey

I love to be surprised, and I love having the opportunity to feature the art of people that I know. I did a search in the Imagekind marketplace for “Christmas” because this week marks the first of four weeks that I will be featuring holiday-themed art. I wasn’t looking for a particular artist, I was looking for a piece of art that jumped out at me and said, “Hey! Talk about me!” This one did, and I was surprised and thrilled that it turned out to be a piece by my friend, Maureen Grey.

Iceflake I by Maureen Grey — View Larger

The attention to detail is fantastic. I like the frost patterns quite a lot, even if they are symmetrical across the piece. I’m a big fan of symmetry. The water drops that can be seen toward the middle are a nice addition, giving the piece a touch of dimension and realism. The color choices are quite appropriate for a winter-themed piece.

The choice of frame and mat here are great. A lighter shade on the mat would risk washing out the art, and the frame, being basic, is just what the piece needs. The frame and mat combo here really augments the stained glass effect.

Prices for Iceflake I begin at $19.10, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is chickengray5 by Heidi Panelli

When I was growing up, I had a friend whose mother decorated the entire kitchen, and much of the rest of the house, with chicken art and nicknacks. This piece reminds me so much of that time it’s unreal.

chickengray5 by Heidi Panelli — View Larger

The simplicity of this piece is quite engaging. I like that the color has been all but removed, save for the crown.

I met Heidi in late 2006 at Affiliate Summit in Orlando. She was as friendly and personable as her art is open and inviting. I’m thrilled to be able to feature one of her works here.

The choice of frame and the mat are perfect for this piece. A bright white mat would blend into the art in a way I’d not like, and the basic black frame compliments the easygoing nature of the art.

Be sure to check out Heidi’s other galleries at Imagekind as well!

Prices for chickengray5 begin at $9.93, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.

This week’s featured art is Gerbera Daisy II by JGoode

My friend Jen - JGoode - is the first artist to be featured twice here at Artistic Opinions thanks to this fantastic modern floral art.

I said in a previous opinion that I don’t often do florals. An artist needs to do more than just take a picture of a pretty flower to make it work as a piece of art. This works.

Gerbera Daisy II by JGoode — View Larger

I love the contrast between soft and sharp here, and the use of color is great. While many artists might have left out the flower’s shadow, I think it’s an important element, and perfectly executed.

Compositionally, the image is flawless. The eye is drawn to the flower, framed by the dark green and set against the lighter background. The bands of green on the left help ease the viewer to the right. Excellent. The wall texture in the background sets off the entire piece and gives it another element of realism. I like how the vase is screened back, but not so far back as to be invisible.

As far as modern floral art goes, there is nothing to complain about here. Wonderful!

The frame and mat work perfectly, but they can be customized (or removed altogether) by the buyer prior to purchase.

Prices for Gerbera Daisy II begin at $16.98, subject to change.

New art featured weekly, courtesy of the artists at Imagekind.