AKVIS (www.akvis.com) has revved AKVIS ArtWork, its photo to painting software for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher) and Windows, to version 9.0.

AKVIS ArtWork is a collection of painting and drawing techniques. It lets you create a piece of art from any picture. The software lets a user apply a variety of artistic effects. Each style comes with a number of adjustable presets.Version 9.0 brings new decoration effects and frames, improved innovative interface, and other changes.

ArtWork 9.0 is a free upgrade for everyone who bought the product in the last 12 months. Users, whose license is older and is not valid for 9.0, can get the new version for $14.95.The product is available as a standalone application and as a plugin filter for Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro, and other image editors. A home license costs $72. A demo is available for download.