Experience the Civil War with John Paul Strain Prints

Are you a Civil War buff that just can't get enough of this fascinating period in American history? Do you collect Civil War memorabilia, attend battle recreations, or watch "Gettysburg" once a year? If so, you should check out some John Paul Strain prints. John Paul Strain is a highly skilled artist, one who paints intriguing, realistic, and thought provoking historical art. He focuses heavily, but not exclusively, on the Civil War.



Strain is not a newcomer to the world of Civil War art: he has been painting since his teen years, and had his art displayed in the prestigious Trailside Gallery at the tender age of 21. He is the most acclaimed, recognizable, and hardworking historical Civil War artist on the market. He continues to create new, exciting, and creative art to this very day. John Paul Strain prints are some of the lowest priced, yet most distinctive and admired, pieces of historical art in the world.



Through the years, his Civil War paintings have become synonymous with this period in American history. His work has been featured on over 50 different magazine covers, and has been used to represent Civil War life in books, movies, and film. No other historical artist in the world demands as much respect as Mr. Strain.



Strain focuses on a variety of Civil War subjects, including horseback bound generals, epic battle recreations, detailed city scenes, soldiers in the wild, charming depictions of a soldier’s day-to-day life, and even heartbreaking scenes of death. He paints his subjects with exacting realism, and complete respect. He doesn't exaggerate or mythologize their lives, but presents them "as is." This humanizes the conflict, illustrates its difficulties, and gives you a glimpse into this fascinating era.



Although he focuses heavily on the Civil War, it is not Strain's only subject. John Paul Strain prints often include subjects as diverse as depictions of Native American life, wild life in their natural habitat, and beautiful, sweeping landscapes. Strain's diversity always surprises his fans, even when he stays within his primary focus of Civil War generals on horseback.



One of the most amazing things about John Paul Strain is his surprising generosity and humble nature. He regularly donates his paintings to groups as diverse as the National Park Service and various historical societies. These groups have used his paintings to decorate their parks, and important Civil War locations, such as the home of General Jeb Stuart. He has also held auctions on his artwork to raise money for important historical restoration projects, battlefield preservation, historical societies, and Civil War reenactments.



It's this kind of respect and humility that has endeared John Paul Strain to many historians. Not many artists of his caliber are willing to work so hard to actually preserve their subjects. The Civil War is becoming an increasingly distant memory, but with people like Strain working had to preserve its memory, we can make sure to learn our lessons from the war, and never repeat the same mistakes again.

Capture the World's Natural Beauty With Jerry Gadamus

The human race has always had a deep appreciation for the natural beauty that the earth has to offer to us. Themes such as the ocean, a night sky, a sunrise, birds flying, insects weaving, rodents burrowing, and much more have served to be inspirations for humanity. These have been major driving factors that have led individuals to seek new levels of accomplishment, thought, and the exploration of new innovations and ideas. They are simple affairs for nature, but have been known to influence greatness within humans. This is why it is no surprise that, even as human beings become more advanced, we still choose to surround ourselves with scenes of nature, particularly in the decor of our own homes.



As technology improves, humanity becomes further separated from nature. This is a likely explanation as to why the demand for natural imagery has increased. Artists have responded to this increase by providing consumers with high quality paintings and photographs containing scenes of nature. One of the more notable artists who have contributed greatly to this movement of natural artwork is Jerry Gadamus.



Jerry Gadamus is an internationally recognized artist who is respected for his ability to use an airbrush. By using this airbrush, he is able to achieve unbelievable detail by applying a method that is known as freehand airbrushing. Freehand airbrushing is a process where the artist will use their airbrush without the aid of stencils or guidelines. By utilizing this method, artists can blend certain colors together and create incredible detail in their pieces. Oftentimes, these pieces can resemble the quality one would normally find in a professional photograph. The result of this is that artists, such as Gadamus, are able to better capture scenes of nature, and express the emotions that they feel from this image onto their easel. This has given artists the ability to create new masterpieces of contemporary art.



Jerry Gadamus specializes in the painti



Gadamus graduated with a Bachelors degree for fine arts and has had his art work featured on countless magazine and book covers. His inspiration comes from repeated painting and photography trips into the Western States of the US, where he is able to study and paint the abundance of wildlife in the region. His ability to capture and recreate the scenic locations that he visits has made him a well-respected person within the art community. If one finds a great interest in the works of Gadamus, his art pieces can be found on a variety of art supplier stores across the Internet and nation.
ng of natural scenery, specifically animals. His reputation is something that greatly precedes him. Gadamus has received a large number of awards and recognition over the years, including "Best of Show" at the Wildlife and Western Art Exhibition, "Century Collection Artist" for the Channel 10/36 Television Auction, the Award of Merit from the Anchorage Audubon Society for National Art Exhibition of Alaskan Wildlife, the "People's Choice Award" for the National Northwoods Wildlife Art Show, as well as many "Artist of the Year" awards from various networks, and much more.

The Art of Charles Wysocki

When people start collecting, they usually start with things that, at some level, are art. The best example is what they display on walls; but if it is to be collectible, it needs to be special. Limited edition prints fulfill that need. They are accessible yet not widely available. This means that the one chosen will not be on a teenager’s wall next to a pop artist’s poster, unless that teenager is quite discerning. Charles Wysocki limited edition prints fit that bill and do it very well.



Many people do not think they know Charles Wysocki, but they have seen his work or at least work influenced by him. In many ways Charles Wysocki is the epitome of the American artist. He is the son of a Polish immigrant father and a first generation Polish mother. Born during the depression in Detroit, Michigan, he finished high school and was drafted during the Korean War but did his service in Germany. After finishing his service, he used the G.I. Bill to put himself through art school at the Art Center in L.A.



The Art Center was good to Wysocki and he became a successful commercial artist. He even founded a freelance company in L.A. Though somewhat successful, his artist’s heart had a different calling. Oddly, it was a different style than he had been exposed to growing up in Kansas or what he had studied in L.A.



Wysocki was fascinated by the work of the folk artists of New England. He learned how to use a limited field-of-depth, basic colors and bold lines to paint timeless paintings. While he is known for paintings of pre-1900's New England, he also is know for another subject; cats.



Why he had such a fascination with cats might never be known, but his treatment of them has affected almost all kitty painters since. When someone picks up a greeting card with a painting of a cat on it, they can be assured that if the image of that cat has an emphasis on the circular feline body shapes and a limited depth of field, that the artist embraced the influence of Charles Wysocki. That was the way he portrayed them, especially his favorite one to paint, his iconic mackerel tabby.



Charles Wysocki paintings and prints bring a warmth and innocence to any room. They are of a time before the modern chaos, of a simpler era when horsepower meant how many were hitched to your buggy, the doors could be left unlocked, and tabbies slept peacefully on bookcases. Purchasing Charles Wysocki limited edition prints is a timeless investment in Americana and a true American artist.

Terry Redlin; A Painter of Natural Beauty

Decorating your home with beautiful art does not have to cost you a fortune. Instead, you just have to start looking at the Terry Redlin paintings and be amazed at the great looks and feeling these paintings provide your house. Once you see these paintings, it makes it easy for you to have a problem selecting the one you want to have hanging on your wall.



The quality of the art is one of the first things to enjoy with these paintings. You may have never thought about this before, but you need to realize that some paintings just do not have a quality image for you to look at. For example, you may pick up on some shadowing problems, but you may also pick up on the subject being totally missing from the picture. With these paintings, you do not have this issue and can easily enjoy looking at these paintings for hours on end. 

If a simpler life in the country and being surrounded by nature's beauty and God's creatures is something that appeals to you, then so will the art of Terry Redlin.

Different portrayals of nature and the horse are something else quite a few people enjoy and can relate to. Typically when you buy a nature scene, it is because you enjoy one of the animals who is pictured. The horse is one of the most majestic animals around, and the way the Terry Redlin paintings portrays them, you are going to feel like you are in the countryside with the horses and other animals. In fact, some of these paintings are so life-like, and portray a sense of time and surroundings so comforting, that you could easily melt away into that world and allow your imagination time to run wild while gazing into the painting.



The ability to hand paintings down to family members is something else to consider. Typically, a painting you buy is going to be handed down to family members for generations to come. Since this is the case, you should realize the content of the painting needs to be relevant and timeless. With these paintings, the content is going to stay relevant, because almost everyone enjoys horses and beautiful rural scenes; most of the time people like seeing a horse in a painting portrayed as realistically as possible. Since that is the case with Terry Redlin’s art, these paintings can easily be handed down for future generations to enjoy.



Finding a new painting for your wall that you will enjoy seeing every day can be a hard thing to do. However, if you know about Terry Redlin’s paintings, it is easy for you to find the best painting around and know it will be the one you want on your wall. Then you do not have to be concerned about spending hours on end at the art gallery trying to find the perfect piece of abstract art, because you settled on the realism and natural beauty of horses and nature.

The Joy of Community and Free Spirit - Wild Horses

What’s great about nature photos is that they bring both serenity and elegance to any room, setting or space. Extremely popular for calendars, nature photos capture the unique wildlife in its daily routine that is breathtaking and irresistible to admire. When it comes to horses, they are among the most popular and requested animals to be photographed. Wild horse photos are continually in demand because of the graceful movement and group spirit that these creatures represent. 

Wild horse photos are different from other kinds of horse photography. Such photos are considered wild because they often feature the following:

•    Wild horses are often portrayed galloping in herds behind strong foliage or natural scenes that don't constrain the animal.

•    Fenced meadows or pastures are not considered wild horse photography, as they do not capture the creature in its natural state.

•    Wild horse photography is spontaneous, glorifies the elegance of wildlife, and tends to depict the animal engaging in group frolicking, grazing, or galloping.


It must also be noted that wild horse photos aren't always physically captured by the camera lens. Wildlife photos of horses can be printed, painted, photographed, or even sketched, provided that it keeps to the original guidelines of what makes the art consistently rich in texture and the beauty of nature. These photos add liveliness and sophistication to any decorative space, such as the office, bedroom, guest room, or even dining room. For the office, wild horses can be framed in strong black frames and hung in a succession of black and white prints that can bring a graceful texture or theme into the workspace. Impressionistic styles of wild horses can be found on huge canvasses that work beautifully for the warmth of a basement or den. For the guest bedroom, rich, deep colors of wild horses in action bring a sense of magical allure into the room. Place these pictures in bookcases, along the wall near the bed, or by the fireplace or lounge chair to create an atmosphere fused with relaxation and a sense of freedom. The bedroom of a child can be brightened with wild horses frolicking or with close up images of their gentle eyes and features. The dining room always welcomes large prints or photos of wild horses to fill the wall space and create a beautiful energy in a social setting of the home. Wildlife horses in photography make a wonderful gift for a friend, family member, or someone who is an avid lover of horses. A perfect gift for the holidays, horse photography is truly a stunning and unique art.



Purchasing wildlife horse photography can meet any budget. However, because the art is in high demand, prices can vary, but it is a strong investment that only increases in value as the years go by. With some of the most famous photographers venturing out to capture or recreate the dense imagery of these charging creatures, light up your home with all of their beauty and you'll be richly satisfied.

The Beauty Of Vintage Cowgirl Images

Artwork that displays vintage cowgirl images is becoming more popular these days. There are many theories as to why, but the fact remains that they are. Anyone who appreciates vintage art and art based on vintage Old West images is going to be interested in this style because it has both a vintage look and an American based theme.

For many decades now, artwork depicting horses has been hugely popular, because they are beautiful animals that can be showcased just as beautifully. Women are the same way. For as long as people have been painting and drawing, they have been using women as their inspiration.


What vintage cowgirl images do is combine the two, and just recently has this been more appreciated. It isn’t very often that you see women depicted as hard working individuals and beautiful at the same time. This artwork does just that, as well as putting it all in a rustic light. It’s not quite romanticizing the subject matter, as much as it’s putting it into a framework of color and texture so as to bring out a beauty rarely seen. These truly are beautiful works of art that a trained eye can pick up on quickly.


The most common setting that these paintings are going to use are going to be outdoor settings. This gives the artist a lot of options to choose from in regards to colors, shading and the overall textured look of the scene. A lovely painting is going to depict movement. A cowgirl, maybe 2 or3, walking down a dirt road with their horses away from a corral and at sunset is a superb example. An accomplished artist is going to depict the details of the sunset, the dirt getting kicked up by the movements of the cowgirls and their horses, as well as the weathered look of the leather saddles, and the faces of the women.


The best vintage cowgirl images that are put to canvas are not going to have bright, garish colors. Instead, and keeping with a vintage look, moderate and shaded colors that have a polished yet faded look are going to be used. The cowboy culture of the west is as old as America itself, and the best paintings are going to reflect that accordingly with the right colors. These are also paintings that can go as well in your house as they can in your office, keeping in mind of course, that these paintings will not go well with a modern look. If your interior décor is modern with modern colors and shapes, these paintings will not fit well with that scheme. On the other hand, people who like that kind of décor will most likely not see the beauty in this type of artwork.


These paintings are for a particular type of person who has a particular taste in art. More people are starting to see the relevance in this subject matter though, because at the base of it all, it depicts the beauty in a hard but satisfying and very American way of life.

The Art of Beverly Doolittle

Artist Beverly Doolittle ranks highly among the most popular and respected creators of Western based themes, portraying rustic scenes depicting unique landscapes, wildlife and various aspects of Native American Culture. In an amazingly successful career that has spanned over forty years Ms. Doolittle has utilized her considerable talents to make a lasting impression upon all that view her portfolio of work, and in the process gained an honored position among her peers as an innovator in expressing her unique understanding of the natural world.



Born in Los Angeles, California in 1947, Ms. Doolittle attended The Art Center College of Design on a scholarship and studied a variety of art disciplines including graphic arts and design art. Upon graduation, Beverly Doolittle embarked on a career as an art director for a local Los Angeles advertising firm, working for several years before deciding to broaden her personal artistic horizons.



Traveling throughout the American West, M
s. Doolittle embarked on a one-year journey along with her husband while fine tuning her style as it related to the subjects she discovered. The final result enabled the artist to communicate a specific story in each and every one of her finished projects regardless of the topic selected, beautifully presented in a manner quickly embraced by art patrons around the world.



Two particular aspects of the work artist Beverly Doolittle creates makes her body of work especially unique - her use of watercolor as a prime medium and her use of what has become known as "camouflage technique". Western art has long been dominated by artists utilizing oil paints, and with the arrival of Ms. Doolittle came a fresh perspective in the use and depth of color and texture. The "camouflage technique" enables art enthusiasts to discover images within each work that are not usually absorbed at first glance, offering thought provoking insight on several levels of visual understanding. 



In addition to her wonderful paintings Ms. Doolittle has also experienced considerable success as an author. Her first two books depicted her body of works and her journey in becoming a prominent figure within her chosen genre, followed by three wildly successful children's books.



The work of artist Beverly Doolittle is timeless and highly sought by collectors as cherished investments - quite a few of Ms. Doolittle's limited edition works fetch prices in excess of $5,000 each as demand continues to grow. In overview, perhaps the lasting legacy in Ms. Doolittle’s efforts resides in her in incredible ability to help art patrons absorb natural beauty in a new light.

Arabian Horses – Art in Motion and on Canvas

Arabian horse artwork is an exceptionally popular form of art. Arabian horses are extremely majestic animals and it is quite fascinating to capture their allure in a painting. Some portraits of Arabian horses display their splendor and grace in combination with beautiful country landscapes, farmyards or barns. Others picture them running free or under saddle or harness. Wherever they are rendered, they are sure to impress with their elegance. Artists such as Lynn Wade, Howard Dubois and Janet Griffin have illustrated Arabian horses in an exemplary fashion, catching the very essence of this breed that so appeals to their owners and admirers.



Prior to becoming a full time artist, Lynn Wade was a professional horsewoman. At the age of six, she competed with her own hunter/jumpers. She later managed boarding facilities for horses and provided instruction in riding. Her more than 20 years of experience has provided extensive knowledge about horses that has allowed her become an award winning artist. Lynn Wade is known nationally for her work as an animal portraitist and her illustrations for magazines. She has received five nominations for the Best Drawing of the Year from the American Horse Publications Awards. At the AAEA show she was awarded the Masterwork Award. She was also a finalist twice in the Annual Artist’s Magazine competition. In addition, she is the author and illustrator of the book, "The AAEA Sketchbook of Horses". Lynn Wade’s artistic portrayal of horses has been featured in national shows such as the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, the National Arts Club in New York and the International Museum of the Horse. Her work has contributed greatly to Arabian horse artwork.



Howard Dubois is another artist whose work has produced some illustrious examples of equestrian art. Dubois also has a great deal of expertise with horses. He worked with horses for many years when he was younger and attributes his love for horses and the lifestyle of the cowboy to his success as an artist. His expertise with horses has provided the skill that stands out in the details of the horses he illustrates. Howard Dubois uses multiple mediums in his artwork but his preference is pencil and oil. Most of his work is done in oil on a cotton duck canvas. Dubois primes the canvas by applying several coats of acrylic primer to add texture. Prior to beginning a painting, he works with the idea on tracing paper. Them he transfers it to the canvas. His style and technique have provided many outstanding portrayals of Arabian horses.



Janet Griffin-Scott has created many wonderful illustrations of horses in mixed media. In her younger years, she worked with horses at the country fair and Club level. Later she attended York University where she majored in graphic design and photography. She began her career working for ad agencies and as a freelance artist. Many of her works have been provided as a commissioned artist. Her great love for horses has inspired her to produce numerous fine works of Arabian horse artwork.