Sipping red wine and gazing endlessly at a famed artist’s latest work adorning a pristine, cream-colored wall at a well-lit art gallery is quite often the “in” thing to do if you’re an art aficionado who appreciates the ‘art of buying’ art. Although that’s the traditional way that seasoned art consumers have shopped for this luxury item for centuries, a new way of viewing and buying gallery-quality giclee art has arrived in Atlanta that doesn’t require dress slacks or a pressed jacket.

Artaissance, a new online art buying experience curated by Larson-Juhl, the world’s premier custom framing designer and manufacturer headquartered in neighboring Gwinnett County, is a sure bet to changing the way Atlantans view buying custom-sized giclee art.

Derived from the French word ‘to spray,’ giclees are vibrant, high-quality art reproductions that are nearly indiscernible from the original pieces. These value-priced works appeal to those who possess an astute taste for fine art and enjoy furnishing their homes tastefully. While nothing can replace the art gallery ‘experience,’ there is a new generation of consumers who possess discerning tastes and expectations when it comes to the décor of their homes, from furniture design to wall color to fine art.

These ‘Generation C’ – or content generator - consumers know what they like, take great pride in their homes and appreciate value and the luxury of time. An online trip to Artaissance (wearing whatever you wish – even bunny slippers) opens the doors to a whole new world of custom-sized giclee art to these sophisticated consumers at the click of a mouse -- literally.

Artaissance features more than 1,200 unique giclee selections (and growing) from more than 60 artists representing an array of art genres including: still life, Americana, modern, abstract, landscapes, objects, contemporary, nature, photography and more.

“The repertoire of artists we commission for Artaissance includes Atlanta favorite, Rodney White, a self-taught painter and graphic artist, Mary Margaret Briggs, whose printmaking utilizes botanical elements with a color palette that reflects seasonal variations, and David Tupper, who uses bright colors and Hispanic imagery mixed with traditional tattoo and vintage American symbolism,” shares McKenzie. “We’re delighted to also be able to provide our customers with limited-edition pieces by several of our artists,” he continues.

One of the more distinct characteristics of art buying through Artaissance is the ability to custom-size your favorite pieces to fit your walls. How many times have you fallen in love with a painting, only to have to walk away because it didn’t fit the dimensions of your room or space? That can be both frustrating and heartbreaking.

“We wanted to be able to remove any frustration from the art buying experience and serve customers with as many options as possible,” explains McKenzie. “We knew we had to start first and foremost with quality art, and that’s why – after carefully selecting our artists -- we chose to use the ‘giclee’ technique to reproduce the fine art pieces we offer. Giclee is one of the most precise methods of art reproduction, and giclees have the highest apparent resolution available today – as high as 1,800 dpi,” continues McKenzie. “Additionally, the papers and ink we’ve chosen offer the very best in archival longevity.” In fact, giclees look so much like the originals that it’s hard to tell them apart.

An Artaissance giclee can be custom-sized – while staying true to the original artist’s vision by keeping the sizing proportional -- to suit a customer’s desires…and walls. “Our customers even have the choice of selecting canvas or paper to suit their unique tastes, and with the hundreds of images we have available to choose from, we feel confident that these consumers will find several pieces that speak to them,” says McKenzie. “The entire process is so very personal, and our sincere desire is to ensure that the art a customer buys through Artaissance is presented in a tasteful way that will inspire him or her for years to come.”

Yet another service that Artaissance provides, which lends great confidence during a significant purchase, is the knowledge that each piece printed on paper is embossed with the Artaissance chop mark to prove authenticity. “With canvas reproductions, the chop mark is stamped on the back of the canvas,” promises McKenzie, “and a certificate of authenticity also accompanies each limited edition piece.”

And it keeps getting better. A variety of custom-framing options are available through Artaissance-recommended retailers that can add a spectacular finishing touch to a customer’s art selections while protecting the art work, too. And once the masterpiece is complete, it can be picked up at select framing retailers close to home. Participating retailers in or close to Forsyth County include: Carter House Gallery (770-475-9603; chgallery@joimail.com), Designs By Susan (770-410-0334; deepolo@aol.com) and Fine Art Frames (770-495-3700; www.fine-art-frames.com).

What you wear to pick up your customized art is entirely up to you. But you might want to leave the cute bunny slippers at home.

For more information on Artaissance, to order giclee art or to find a complete listing of participating Artaissance retailers, please visit www.artaissance.com.