Valentine's Day at Baterbys

Love and Art are universal languages, capable of transcending the boundaries of space and time to speak directly into the hearts and minds of those who experience it . This February at Baterbys, the walls of our gallery are covered in the vibrant colors of Soco Freire, Alfred Gockel, Charles Lee and Elena Bond to name a few. Bring your Valentine in today and take home the gift of Love and Art.

The Complexities of Love

Inspiration plays an intricate role in the development of the aesthetic inventions that invigorate an artist’s creativity. When inspired, the visionary absorbs every facet of their motivation and cultivates some of society's favored works. These avant-garde artists are recognized for their unique color adaptations and their expressive shapes that stimulate the minds-eye of the viewer. But they, like many artists before and after them, have all been inspired in various certainties by the complexities of love.  

In many languages, love is not always spelled the same nor have the same pronunciation. The meaning of the word has numerous complications. Love is an easy word to confuse the heart especially when you are unsure of the motive behind the implication. Loving a person versus loving a chair doesn’t negate the fact of love, but it doesn’t necessarily ignite the same burning desire either.  This is why; the art of love transcends art movements by being a part of each movement. Plenty of master and modern artists understand the importance of emoting their feeling onto canvas. No matter the inspiration: a flower, a woman, or a poem, artists use their passion to tell the admirer what they are thinking or how they are feeling. The passion the artists feels towards their muses breaks the mold of mediocrity and kindles the true desires of the wanting to be heard and recognized as an individual. Similar to Romanticism, (which has nothing to do with using muses), strong emotional balance is the main ingredient to authentic creativity. No matter when the image was created or when it is viewed, the creator’s desire is to leave part of themselves in the art. Each creation becomes their product of love.  

This Valentine weekend, Baterbys will be hosting an Art of Love: Soco Freire event. Not only will you be able to view beautiful romantic artworks that you can add to your collection, but this will give us a rare opportunity to meet one of Baterbys most romantic living artists, Soco Freire. Soco pours passion and love into her creations. Her colors explode onto the canvas with a cascade of chaotic order. With each image she creates a story worth sharing, they are reflections of the power of influence. Soco has learned to master a style that emotes the senses to its fullest potential. Valentine’s Day, being her favored holiday, was the inspiration she needed to create a new collection that she will introduce to the Baterbys clientele.

Come mix and mingle with us, and we celebrate the Art of Love with Soco Freire on Friday, February 15, and 6:00p. RSVP, and enter the chance to win a framed artwork, just for attending!

Don't forget to sign up for February's newsletter, coming out in 8 days!

>>>Sign up today!

Also be sure to RSVP to Soco Freire's event on Friday, February 8

Hurry!

January's newsletter is approaching!
Sign up today with your email so you don't miss out! 

And as a bonus for signing up you'll get exclusive offers
to our online store every month

newsletter.baterbys.com

Also don't forget to RSVP to our first event of the new year with Ivaldo Robles!
www.baterbys.com

Newsletter

Check out our online newsletter!

Explore upcoming Baterbys exhibitions and events, art news around the globe, DIYs, Calendar of local events, and more being added monthly. Check in monthly for new content and exclusive offers!

newsletter.baterbys.com

Just updated posts:

• Advice from Artists
• Art News
• DIY/How To's
• Featured Masters
• Art Terminology
• and more...check it out!

Plus sign up for our email newsletter for exclusive online deals!

Thank you and then…

To the artists who sacrificed time and energy to benefit more than themselves. We at Baterbys salute you!

This Second Fridays is our 2012 Artist Competition: Special Olympics event and we are truly excited! The event is not only a time to come together and applause these talented individuals, but it is also a time to celebrate the Special Olympics and the opportunity they grant their patrons in being a part of a well celebrated culture.

The night will start off like so many of our other Second Fridays events. There will be food and drinks provided by Cuba Libre along with a great time of socializing. The difference however, will occur when the program officially begins. In honor of the 2012 Summer Games, we collectively decided that it would be our pleasure to honor the Special Olympics of Florida.

For those who have attended Baterbys art auctions, they understand that we are dedicated to serving the communities through our charity donations. The Special Olympics provides year-round activities for people with learning disabilities who wish to be a part of developing their physical fitness, strength and endurance. The organization’s objective is to help their members with mental or physical limitations, to surpass their handicap by offering them a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills through sport training and competing.

The Special Olympics considers their organization to be a movement! They invite the world not only to attend their Games but to think, feel and act differently about the way the game is played.

Today, Special Olympics Inc. is the world's largest provider of fitness training, education and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities or a similar developmental disability. Coupled with social, life, and leadership skills this platform allows the contestants to overcome obstacles that may infringe on their dreams.

So we encourage everyone who can, to come celebrate the Summer Games with us. Vote for your favorite artist, eat, drink; socialize and give to an organization that is so special, that it’s in their name.

HUGE SALE! come fall in love

There's never been a better time to purchase art! At Baterbys Art Gallery, we already offer master pieces for the best prices in Orlando. This week, we're marking those prices down even further, so that you can have access to beautiful paintings at prices you can easily afford. Remember that when you are buying a piece of art, you are including a very special, very intimate thing of beauty into your life. It's like no other purchase we make: it enhances our lives in so many ways. Don't miss your chance to fall in love with your own piece of artwork this week at Baterbys.

Sale ends July 21

Friday the 13th Special Olympics Party at Baterbys

As a company, we realize that the local art market is full of today’s innovate and talented future masters. In order for us to be a part of this movement- Second Fridays was created.

Second Fridays, at Baterbys, provide a positive social evening for our Orlando art community. This event started with the competition: Florida Best Artist, in our area. We welcomed six local brilliant individuals whose artworks were featured in our gallery. This evolved into providing a positive social evening for art lovers all around our city.

Second Fridays fills the gallery with people who enjoy beautiful artworks while keeping company with today’s upcoming gifted artists. Artists like, Robin Pedrero, Kenneth Aunchman, Elaine Murphy and more, demonstrated their talents by doing a live painting exhibit. This not only gave them the opportunity to make new admirers, but also show the collectors what’s new and current within their collection.

For the next couple of events we are going back to the origin of how Second Fridays were created. We are proud to introduce our 2012 Artist Competition: Special Olympics competition.

http://www.baterbys.com/2012-artist-competition.html

We are currently accepting the work of local upcoming artists into our competition. If you’d like to participate, complete the registration form and let us know when we are to expect your artwork. Early submission in ends on July 12th, your artwork will be featured at our Second Fridays: 2012 Artist Competition opening night. All other submissions will need to be turned in by July 24th to be featured on July 27th.
Even if you’re not an artist, you ought to come and enjoy our Second Fridays events. Culture, food, and a good cause! There’s something for everybody. So mark your calendars, because this Friday the 13th is a day to be celebrated.

Tips for Starting an Art Collection

Good news: you don’t have to be a millionaire to have your own art collection. There are a dozen ways to get fine art hanging on your walls, and starting a collection is a worthwhile endeavor. Here are a few tips.

Buy an art book to decipher your tastes. You may want to know what you like before you start looking, and feel more comfortable if you’ve exposed yourself to different types of art before making a purchase. Remember to keep yourself open to new possibilities; you may surprise yourself with which pieces captivate you, or make you think.

Visit a gallery. Find a local gallery that carries artwork you’re interested in, and start conversations with the sales representatives there. Often times, you’ll be able to negotiate a reasonable price for a piece of fine art that’s right for you. You may want to start by getting something small, or go big off the bat with something you fall in love with.

If you’re looking to save, buy a print or a giclee. (If you’re wondering, a giclee is a high quality reproduction of a painting, generally on canvas, that is nearly indistinguishable from an original, save texture.) There are usually only a few prints in existence, so be confident that you are getting a collector’s item and not just a poster. It is not uncommon for an artist to go back and embellish the painting themselves, adding a few brushstrokes and a signature. This adds value because of the presence of the artist’s hand.

Support local and upcoming artists. Who knows if you’ll be getting the next big thing before it’s big? Being a supporter of the arts is rewarding in and of itself, and with all the beautiful things being made today, you can find something that suits you and fits your budget.

Most importantly, remember that we have art in our lives because we love it. It’s good for us, and it’s there to make us happy, make us excited, make us dream, make us wonder. If you fall in love with a piece of art, if it’s something you want to visit again and again each day, that is a rare and beautiful thing. It’s worth fighting to keep something like that in your life. Don’t hesitate… start your collection today!

Art is Not Just for Artists

There seems to be an air of segregation presented in today’s art world. It is believed to be made up of an exclusive group of individuals that eat, breathe and sleep everything that is indicative of the arts. They view the people outside of the artistic community as either uneducated or devoid of taste. But on the other side of the extreme: you have the “non artistic” groups who tend the see the art world to be full of pretentious and nonsensical stoners that need to get a real job! They do not understand how a line drawn through a circle on a canvas could merit top dollar bids or even be considered as innovative.

With these two extreme beliefs it may seem impossible for there to be a happy medium, but the majority of the opinionated straddle the border on both sides of the fence. This group bridges the gap between the painter and the cynical; making way for the appreciator.

Art is an important part society that originally belonged to the public. For hundreds of years, the church employed painters like Michelangelo, Grunewald, and Bernini to depict scenes from the Bible in order to educate the largely illiterate population in religion. The paintings created a sense of escapism, entertainment, and education for common people. It created community and culture for the places it was produced in. It has also helped define eras of history and gauge our political pulse.

In today’s day and age, there are a million ways to stay entertained, and unfortunately the traditional practice is not to first visit a museum or gallery for fun. Walking around appreciating other people’s creations may not seem like a pleasurable pastime when there is only so much free time given to a busy individual. But take the chance to educate yourself beyond the mundane. In most cases, collectors may not be an aesthetic creator, but seeing the history before your eyes can be intriguing.

For the artistic novice: you don’t have to understand everything to share your views. If there is a certain piece that interest you, read up on it and find out about the movement the artist painted in or the history of the artist. The more knowledgeable you are the more interesting the art may become to you. You may go from saying, “Why did Miró paint like a kid?” to “It’s amazing how Miró re-imagined image making!” So, give yourself a chance to learn something new, and remember: appreciating art is different than liking art.

If you are an art knowledgeable: invite those around you to appreciate art in their own way. Take the time to explain the process of the medium chosen or when the artist originated. This can turn the observer for being curious about the artwork to becoming invested in the artwork.

The artistic world doesn’t belong to those who only understand, it is a human expression that exists for the betterment and enrichment of humanity as a whole. It is not meant to be hoarded, but shared, experienced, and allowed to inspire those who appreciate it.

4 Simple Steps to Hang Artwork

There are very few people who may be comfortable in knowing exactly where to place their favorite artwork. Because, placement is crucial! No one wants random holes throughout their walls, nor do we often have time to wait for a professional to come out and hang the art for us. So we did the work and search for you! Here are four easy steps in how to hang your art! Step One: Choose the artwork YOU love.

• Find an artwork that speaks to you. Disregard the idea of matching or tying it with your current décor and being trendy. Try not to stick to having one theme in your home, but mix it! IE: still life, portraits, landscapes, abstracts, and photographs to have a variety. This keeps your home interesting.

Step Two: Placement is Key

• Like real estate, placing your artworks is about: location, location, location. If you’re grouping several pictures together, try placing them on the floor first to create a layout before you hang them on the walls. Try new ways and angles that appeal to your taste. Grouping should start high to ensure space while you are adding pieces. Usually larger pieces on the top make more of a statement.

• There is a belief that artworks should be hung at eye level. That is not the case! The artworks should be hung in relation with what’s underneath and around them. A rule of thumb: there shouldn’t be too much space between the artwork and the furniture around them. IE: If your ceiling is 15 feet high, for instance, pictures should still hang just 5 and a half feet off the ground. Above-mantle pieces, if the art isn't leaning, it should be hung approximately 6 inches over the mantle. Leave 10 inches clearance above sofas and headboards. Also, if you have any arched furniture, be wary of the lines because the lines may conflict with each other.

Step Three: Awareness

• Safety first! If you have a big and heavy find someone to help you avoid the risk of injury and damage to the artwork. Heavier artworks may need wall anchors tend to need more nails to secure them to counter their weight. Make sure the art is leveled neatly.

Step Four: Hanging your art

• To hang your art, a tape measure, a trusty hammer, and small nails are the essentials. Use a pencil or tape; mark the top frame while your friend is experimenting with different heights. Measure the distance from the top to the nail crosswire, this is where you will insert the nail. When you’re content with the placement of your artwork, hammer the nail to your desired area. Look at it from a distance to see if you need to apply any necessary tweaking.

At the end of the day if it looks good to you, then that is where it is supposed to be. It is your home; no matter where you place your art make sure you are satisfied before you commit to hammering the nail in your wall!
http://video.about.com/interiordec/How-to-Hang-Art.htm

True to Herself

Elaine Murphy, beautiful, smart, talented Irish born artist and designer, understands the balance of her aesthetic vision; passion. Her motivation derives from her passion as an artist, making her a triple threat among her talent as a jewelry and clothing designers, as well as a painter. These talents also grant her the ability to create each facet with refined grace and self-respect.

A first time artist in our Baterbys collection, we are excited to introduce Elaine to some of our favorite clients. She will explain what motivates her, what inspires her, and the causes that she believes in. We thought some basic Q&A will entice our readers to understand what sets her apart as an artist. This is just a prequel of what to be expected on this Second Fridays event as we celebrate Elaine Murphy as she is true to herself.

 
Baterbys: Please tell us about yourself.  

Elaine: I’m an Irish artist and designer who have lived in the US for 20 years. My art is and always has been my passion. I’m happiest when I’m creating. I love animals and support animal charities. I have 7 animals. I rescued my 3 dogs on the streets of Mexico, where I had a factory, (Elaine Murphy Designs) at one time. I brought them and 2 cats legally into the US Then I rescued 2 more cats while living in California. --I love music and I love being in nature. --I remember when I was 4 years old in my grandparent’s kitchen, and my grandfather put me on his knee and asked me what I was going to be when I grow up. I said an artist. -- I love painting on canvas with acrylics. I don’t have the patience for oils. Acrylics are immediate, they dry fast, I can do washes, scrapes, splashes, anything with them.  

Baterbys: So Elaine, what would you say is your motivation?

Elaine: I like to create beauty. I can respect paintings of an artist’s demons and nightmares, but do I want to look at it in my living room every day? Eh, no! I always paint to really loud music – it gets me “into the zone” and blocks out my mind so that the “feeling” of the painting takes me over.  

Baterbys: What philosophy do you adopt towards your art?  

Elaine: I paint what I love. It’s that simple. It’s only if I love it that there will be passion and energy in the painting and the viewer senses that. I can always tell if an artist has put his/her heart into a painting.  

Baterbys: How would you say others describe you?  

Elaine: Probably as a very genuine person with a very kind heart. However people who know me really well know that I’m no wimp. I’m very resilient and strong when it comes to overcoming difficulties.  

Baterbys: So, with a personality like that have you had any disappointments in your works?  

Elaine: Nothing has disappointed me about my artwork. However, I had a lot of disappointments in trusting the wrong people with my artwork, and I paid a very high price for it. But I learnt a lot, and life is a continuation of learning experiences.  

Baterbys: Well said! So would you consider yourself successful?  

Elaine: Other people seem to think I’m successful, but I don’t feel even close to as successful as I want to be. I do feel successful however in the fact that I’ve been true to myself and followed my passion throughout my life, despite a lot of knocks and setbacks.  

Baterbys: We know how others would describe you, but how would you describe yourself?

Elaine: Probably kind, compassionate, {and} genuine.  

Baterbys: So if you were to inherit $20 million dollars, what would you do with that money?  

Elaine: Definitely support animals on a much larger scale. Also I’d probably buy a beautiful hideaway retreat in a remote tropical place that had a huge glass art studio adjacent to it. I’d probably buy another retreat in a little country village in Ireland with a lot of land to have an animal sanctuary. And I’d enjoy life even more, twenty million times more!!!

 Don’t forget to RSVP this Second Friday, and see why Elaine Murphy lives the Baterbys motto: Where Art is a Passion.

Well! Art to me is...

As a writer, I am drawn to emotional subjects. My writing pattern has free-flowing spirit that often needs to be tamed or toned down to appease certain readers. Being that I am not with everyone to explain my thought or how I was feeling when I phrased a line a certain way, it is crucial for me to listen to more than my own voice when I am writing an article (or the company’s blog) opposed to my emotions when creating a poem.

I envy artists that can paint, sculpt, draw- well anyone who can describe beauty on a canvas of their own choosing- because they are not defined by critiques or someone’s opinion. Their artistry is an expression of what they see inside of their soul or from the outside of their mind. Even if we are not present when inspiration imparts to an aesthetic artist, we recognize their creativity whether it is appreciated or not.

When we look at a painting and instantly connect with the artist’s subject, an admiration is formed for what was created. But too often, if that painting is not seen in a gallery or museum we tend to question the authenticity of the art’s aesthetic value. The opinion of the masses too often dictates the worth of an artist creation. This can push an artist to be more adventurous by not caring of what critics say about their talent, or the latter; discouraging them to move forward in the pursuit of their talent. It is easy to respect the artwork when there is understanding, but if a subject was only understood, would that demean the value of the creation?

Whether we admit it or not, critics are the driving force behind the creative mind. Opinions tend to characterize the art world. Yes, we have all heard that art is subjective, but it still poses the question of what is considered art. Does our opinion give us the right to dictate what we consider art? Or have we stopped listening to the
 innovative cries of a creator?

Meet Kenneth Aunchman!

Kenneth Aunchman, an artist full of zeal; has an intuitive imagination when it comes to his talent. He creates works that are three-dimensional aquatic life, which he named SEA3D. To create this illusion, he diffuses and mutes the color in the background, while using brighter, warmer colors in the foreground.



Aunchman’s interplay between the cooler and warmer colors makes the objects in the front extend off the canvas that is further enhanced with the use of special polarized 3D lenses. This births the outcome of a multi-leveled painting; which allows the viewer to feel the sensation of being a part of his creation.

We (Baterbys) are privileged in hosting an evening that will feature Kenneth Aunchman and his whimsical creations. At our Second Fridays event (Friday, May 11^th) he will share with the viewer’s his colorful oil painting of coastal and marine seascapes submersed with light.



Aunchman's out-going persona will exemplify interest and intrigue whilst you watch his live painting demonstration.  The feel of his artworks and choice of colors all coincide in a harmony that marries creative scenarios with the natural characters of the sea.



To view more of Kenneth Aunchman's artworks, visit our website today! And don't forget to RSVP for our Second Fridays event. See you there!!!

Oel ngati kameie (I See You)

Other men said they have seen angels, But I have seen thee and thou art enough. - by G. Moore

  There are many great artists whose main inspiration derives from love and romance. They use beauty found in their muses to dictate the feeling of passion found on the canvas. Gary Benfield's work is romantic art at is finest. His work is a rhythmic of the imagination, uniting precision and artistic skill to depict his 'lifelike fairy-tales'. He creates a unique juxtaposition of chaos and classical proportions, collision of color and line, realism and fantasy.

In Benfield’s work the viewer can grasp the intention behind the thorough, yet intimate brushstrokes. His rendition of movement has a balance of spontaneity and conscientiousness. His paintings represent a discrete world of objects which combine figures, mythology, nature and still life.


Despite the casual appearance of his compositions, all imagery is highly organized, and after long observations one finds the hidden symmetry and beauty beneath the layers of finery. The background of his paintings is soft and his palette is constructed on sepia tones, most of it defined only with pencil and a slight highlight of color.

Gary Benfield’s treatment of softer colors is similar to that of Da Vinci who was one of the first Florentines to adopt oil paint and observed that the “true” color of a non-shiny surface (such as a face, hands or clothing) is to be found in highlighting movements and areas of the body. He used the term “sfumato” to describe the way in which he delicately blended highlights into shadows to “soften” edges between colors without the brushstrokes showing, without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke.

 Though Gary was born in Birmingham, the most populous British metropolitan city outside London, today he paints in his Irish Countryside studio where he is inspired by the stunning nature of landscapes and animals that surrounds him. His works with animal subjects show his inclination to use nature as a framework to express himself - a trait that was markedly associated with Romanticism. Gary’s work is reminiscent of those classical works by Francisco Goya who was believed to be the most prominent Romantic artist. In Goya’s “The Milkmaid of Bordeaux” as with Benfield’s work depicting his muses in motion, the bodies of the female subject are painted in darker tones and they gradually fade into the background. His technique is of this caliber and collecting his work would entail a taste for Classical excellence.

“I love the beauty of the line and I use these skills to create and transform inert materials into images of beauty and romance,” – Gary Benfield

For more on Gary Benfield's works visit us at Baterbys.com