Buying our first home was definitely one of the highlights of my life and five years later, it's still just as fun, for now I'm enjoying the process of decorating it, room by room!  Our home has two-stories along with a very open floor plan.

When you walk in through the front door, you can immediately see the hallway upstairs, which to this point was completely bare.  I've been tolerating this empty space for years, but finally decided that before another holiday season rolls around, I would do something about it.  My recent quest for quality artwork led me to discover GalleryDirect.com, a fine art publisher who believes in the motto "Fine Art for Everyone!"  Keep reading to learn more about an online retailer who can instantly beautify your home for less!

GalleryDirect.com is the largest limited edition fine art publisher, printmaker and artisan framer in the world.  This means that they do it all: they find the artists and the artwork and they market and recreate the art themselves.  There is absolutely no middleman between the artwork and your walls, which is why they can bring their customers fabulous pieces of art at prices you only dreamed of.  When I discovered that I would have the fortunate opportunity to review one of their pieces of art, I was thrilled for their selection was truly astounding.  The hardest part was trying to choose just one piece!

I have always been a huge nature lover and so started my quest for the perfect piece of framed art for our upstairs hallway with this theme in mind.  GalleryDirect.com offers gorgeous landscapes and stunning botanical and floral art too, but because our hallway and foyer are composed primarily of tans and deep browns, I thought that a gorgeous painting accentuating these colors would be just the thing we were looking for.  This led me to find the absolutely amazing collection of paintings by artist Sara Abbott and select the limited edition piece "Transcendental I".

Sara Abbott's foray in the art world began with photography.  Although she loved the black and white process, she sought to expand her vision.  She began mixing paint with photographs, using found objects such as car doors for frames, and fire to light up an image. Her work now includes light boxes, abstract paintings with photographic transfers, and large scale photographs mounted on plexiglass.  Abbott's work has been collected all over the world and is now proudly and prominently displayed in my home!

Now that the hard part of actually choosing the artwork was over, it was time to customize this piece exactly how I wanted it.  That's another wonderful feature of shopping at GalleryDirect.com:

• Their limited editions are exclusive, part of a series of 950 prints.  (I received #432 in this series, which is marked on the lower right-hand side of the print.)
• Each signed and numbered image is recreated from the original source material.
• GalleryDirect.com is a little different than a traditional fine art publisher insofar as they also give their clients full customization features normally reserved for the interior design trade.
• The chances of you seeing this image customized to your specifications anywhere else in the world is unlikely.

So not only can I get a top-notch piece of artwork to hang on my walls, it will also be uniquely mine through the high-end customizations available to me!  First, I had to decide which particular medium I wanted the "Transcendental I" painting to be reproduced on.  GalleryDirect.com currently offers the following options: Canvas, Paper, Aluminum, Acrylic, Mirror and Wood.  For my particular needs, I thought that a framed canvas would look the best.

Next, it was time to decide the size.  Since this artwork would be hanging on the large upstairs hallway wall which can easily be seen from our downstairs entryway, I wanted the size to be large, so that it would really make a statement.  I chose the large size, which measures 40" x 20" on the inside of the frame.

Finally, I needed to choose which frame option I wanted.  I had the choice of gallery wrapping, floater frame or framed canvas and since our entire home has sort of an old-world, traditional feel, I decided to select a traditional frame.  This is where I was once again extremely impressed.  GalleryDirect.com had several gorgeous frames to choose from, and the instant preview feature on the website allowed me to immediately see what my particular artwork would look like in each frame.

This was very helpful and made me realize that the 3.5" Natural Very Dark Brown Frame with Pewter Lip was the only frame for me!  I was also pleased to discover that all artwork from GalleryDirect.com comes with the hanging hardware already installed, so that it is ready to go straight from the shipping carton to your wall.

Once the ordering process was over, I figured I would have to sit and wait several weeks before receiving my one-of-a-kind artwork, but boy was I WAY off.  I actually received my artwork via Fed Ex two days later!  I never dreamed it would arrive so fast and although it may have seemed like a rush job delivery-wise, this was definitely not the case quality-wise.  The canvas was perfect in every way, down to the extreme care that was taken in framing it and even packing it.  There was not one singular, solitary flaw that I could find ANYWHERE, either on the print itself or on the frame.  Now that's impressive!

I couldn't wait to get this Sara Abbott painting up on my wall and hung it the day it arrived.  I think it looks absolutely perfect and am so inspired to completely finish decorating our upstairs hallway now.  The painting itself is truly amazing, for it looks so lifelike, that at first my husband and I couldn't decide whether it was a painting or a photograph.

I couldn't be happier with the entire experience I had with GalleryDirect.com.  Their online art selection was extensive and fun to shop, their art customization and framing options were wonderful and the service was above and beyond what was expected.  If you are looking for the perfect piece of artwork to grace your home's walls this holiday season, then by all means, go to GalleryDirect.com and find your affordable masterpiece today!  Both your home's walls and your bank account will thank you!

Disclosure: I received the Transcendental I by Sara Abbott Framed Canvas Wall Art from GalleryDirect.com in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.