Over December we have many beautiful gift ideas for you (we should all treat ourselves to a guilty pleasure at Christmas time) and your loved ones including our stock of fabulous paintings and our new home and giftware items. Keep an eye on our website for new products as it will be updated over the next week. On December 7 we will be open late for the Tetbury, Gloucestershire Christmas light party. As the main event is on our doorstop we're the perfect place to party while you shop. We'll be keeping things merry by serving wine, beer and cheeses.
On December 18 we will be holding another event as part of the Tetbury Edit collective - we'll be sharing more on that later.
Our last day of trading in the gallery is Saturday 23 December until 2 January. We can honour any websales over that period but please take into account post office opening times.
To see our new artwork please go to the online Art shop. The paintings can be bought online or in our Tetbury, Cotswolds gallery. We have some really fantastic new paintings by established and emerging artists; Bay Gallery Home is particularly excited about Steven Jupurrurla Nelson's flourishing career - his paintings exude the energy of Jackson Pollock, the expansive work of Flora Nakamarra Brown and the beautifully detailed Seven Sister's Dreaming paintings Justinna Napaljarri Sims is producing.
Above: Flora Nakamarra Brown, Mina Mina Dreaming 91cmx91cm Acrylic on linen
Our wonderful My Country ceramic wall tiles have been reduced as a special Christmas gift to our clients. Please get in touch if you'd like to order at £20 off per tile over the Christmas period. Or you can order online at www.baygalleryhome.com.
Our innovative Bush Onion 2 tile sequence lets you create your own artwork: perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, pools and summer houses.
Bay Gallery Home's award winning wallpaper is now on Houzz the home of interior design, decorating, renovating and building inspiration. Houzz discovered our wallpapers at Surface Design in February and we're delighted their intrigue lead to asking us to being on their platform giving our wallpapers the chance of being discovered on both sides of the pond.
We have taken original artworks and translated them in coated non-woven wallpapers (made in the UK) producing an additional income stream for our artists and their art centres.
We are delighted to be included in the Botanik feature in 'My Room' a "Raum Und Wohnen" special edition. The Swiss interiors magazine chose our Pink wallpaper to be showcased alongside hugely talented designers and design shops from all over Europe including Object Carpet, Trigger Design Studio, Wall & Deco, Petit Friture and Moooi.
Our award winning 'My Country: design with origin' collection is shipped worldwide through our website www.baygalleryhome.com. Please get in touch with any queries.
The artists in the Communities we represent are known for their use of bold use of colour with expansive swathes of it journeying across their canvases. Some like Shorty Jangala Robertson became known as a world class colour field abstractionist were its pioneers Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Clyfford Style. Shorty would not have been aware of these artists nor their search for myth, meaning and the infinite expressed through abstraction. Instead he would have drawn on his skin name's Dreamtime stories taking colours from what he saw around him in Australia's Central Desert. With the establishment of art centres he and the other artists accessed many fabulous acrylic paints they utilised to great effect as evidence in the art we sell. The artists continue to experiment with colour and technique producing an exciting body of work. Amongst those is the incredibly talented Steven Jupurrula whose work you can see below.
A good Pantone green making itself onto Aboriginal canvases including those by emerging artist Steven Jupurrula
We recently sold this piece - new works by Steven Jupurrula will be in the Gallery soon.
When we were young my parents flew a small aircraft around the Australian outback. These were the days where you could land next to Uluru and crawl all over it allowing you to experience its awesome spiritual power. Another sacred site we clambered all over was Kings Canyon. The worlds largest monolith and one its most ancient canyons were formed at the same time the first life forms developed on earth - around 600 million years ago.
Kings Canyon, covered with a plethora of fossil imprints was one of the most emotionally powerful places we'd ever encountered. This ancient canyon reminded us how insignificant we are in the big scheme of things (although 35 years on we have the power to destroy it all - after a five year fight in June this year the traditional owners learnt the mining threat, including fracking had finally been nullified).
While exploring Kings Canyon we came across this watering hole spending a significant part of the day enjoying its cool waters. As Watarrka National Park, where Kings Canyon sits, has been given back to its traditional owners you can no longer swim in it. It's now identified as a sacred men's site. We felt slightly heartbroken we couldn't share the same experience of swimming in it with our children. Much of what we accessed all those years ago is no longer open to us in the way it was. It gave us the slightest insight into what it must have been like to to torn from your land unable to share it's beauty and spirit with younger generations.
Rock hole found in the Garden of Eden, Kings Canyon, Australia
Papunya Tula is the legendary site where the contemporary Aboriginal art movement bloomed becoming famous for its Western Desert dot art.
Amongst the different displaced Western Desert people's brought to Papunya Tula (Tula meaning small hill where a Honey ant dreaming sits) were Tommy Watson, Clifford Possum and Ningura Napurrula, each of whom went on to become wildly successful international artists.
The original company now operates from Alice Springs but we paid a visit to the existing art centre and found some of the sacred iconography depicted in the early works honoured while developing new interpretations of their ancient Dreamtime stories.
We had to keep a respectful distance while photographing the artists. Close up the paintings were breathtaking. Below is the landscape around the art centre.
As part of our expanding body beautiful and giftware range we now have scented goats milk and shea butter body bars. The designs on each part is from an established Aboriginal artists original painting depicting the Dreamtime.
Royalties from the sale of the body bars go to the artists and their community.
Visit our online store under Interiors or visit us in the gallery.
The MacDonnell Ranges run 664km across the Northern Territory, Australia through the Aboriginal countries and communities we represent. The Ranges are integral to their life and Dreamtime stories.
The Aboriginals (the Arrernte mob) believe three giant caterpillars: Yeperenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye created the stunning ranges after emerging from of an escarpment in Mparntwe or Alice Springs. Rock art exists at Emily Gap near Alice Springs which tells the story of the caterpillars emergence and bitter fight with the Irlperenye or giant stink bug which killed the caterpillars off.
Caterpillar remains made rock formations and gaps in the ranges. Surviving Yeperenye caterpillars made the rivers and the trees and in some Aboriginal Dreamtime stories the Caterpillar dreaming resides underneath the eucalyptus trees.
The McDonnell Ranges and the flora living on them is often depicted in the Aboriginal artwork and wallpapers we sell. The Country where they sit is the embodiment of the Aboriginal people who have been custodians of the land for at least 40,000 years.
The MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs
My Grandmother's Country by Denise Ngwarraye Bonney 107x51cm available online or in the gallery.
We have sadly learnt that one of our favourite artists who was also an incredibly inspirational women has passed away. On our recent trip to our Aboriginal communities in Australia we caught up with Alma. She had been ill for some time but we believed she had beaten her illness so it was a dreadful shock to find out she has died. Alma had started painting again following her illness and we were looking forward to having more of her works after her sell out show at Bay Gallery Home in 2015. Sadly, this will not be the case.
Alma was instrumental in helping obtain permission to create the 'My Country' interiors collection and for that we are forever grateful. Our thoughts are with her family, the art centre staff and the Community.
On our visit in Easter we caught up with Alma who shared her recent works with us.
Bay Gallery Home is celebrating the start of Desert Mob this week with a painting by one of our favourite emerging artists whose work is reflected in our beautiful Cotswold Chrysanthemums. The Dreamtime story depicted in the painting is a Wardapi Jukurrpa or Goanna Dreaming. At the site where this story sits you'll find yellow & white ochre which is used for love potions and ceremonial purposes.
Desert Mob falls immediately after Darwin Art Fair both of which are important cultural events in the Indigenous art calendar. Bay Gallery Home proudly supports members of Desert Mob through our Tetbury gallery in the heart of the Cotswolds so drop in or visit us online to learn more.
Wardapi Jukurrpa by Ruth Nungarrayi 46cmx30cm acrylic on linen
It's wonderful to have our 'My Country' Aboriginal wallpaper featured in magazines in countries as far flung as Chile. The Aboriginal spirit and aesthetic is something people from all over the world can connect with as it harks back to the very essence of humanity and creation. Add design with origin to your home by ordering from our online shop.
The use of Ceramic Tiles in homes and architecture is as ancient as universal and diverse, which is why this April 2017 saw the launch of Britain's first National Tile Week– "a celebration of tiles, aiming to educate consumers on the quality and versatility of tiles and how they can be used throughout the home."
We turned to Johnson Tiles after hearing about their specialist Artile service through the British Museum. Using state of the art techniques, Artile painstakingly reproduces any illustration, drawing or picture onto a tile with no loss of detail or colour.
The quality of the reproduction was especially crucial to this enterprise, given that in Australian Aboriginal Art every dot, line, abstract & figurative representation and choice of colour has special meaning and spiritual importance to the Aboriginal people. This interior collection provides a window into a world that many have still not yet had the privilege to see or encounter.
Johnson Tile were a delight to work with, taking on the challenge with dedication, enthusiasm and sensitivity for the nature of our commission — "we weren’t just recapturing an image but a culture, a history, and all of its folklore and traditions. Implementing traditional lithography techniques combined with our state of the art technology and high-res scanning process, we were able to accurately match every detail and colour of Sarah and Geraldine’s paintings."
The original paintings by the contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists we represent, which Johnson Tiles so successfully reproduced onto ceramic tiles.
Tiles, especially ceramic tiles have as many functional advantages as different styles. The ancient Greeks were prolific tile users, designing tile motifs inspired by abstracted natural forms, developing stylistic standards that still today serve as reference points. Tiles are foremost durable: tough, water-resistant, heat-reflective and help regulate ambient temperature. Decoratively, the breadth and width of contemporary tile designs make it one of the greatest creative assets in interiors.
Our award-winning Bush Onion 1 ceramic wall tile as a kitchen splash back, adding a subtle element of ochre red & geometry to the clean lines of this contemporary minimalist kitchen design, creating a space with a unique elegance and simplicity.
National Tile Week is an initiative of the Devon-based company British Ceramic Tiles, who turned to interior designer Julia Kendell, whose passion for emotionally-connected design inspired her successful TV work on DIY SOS and 60 Minute Makeover, inspiring her nickname as 'the Nigella of DIY'. Here are some of her tips and advice on working with tiles:
Ngalypi Jukurrpa Yanjirlpiri, Snake Vine Dreaming, by Geraldine Napangardi Granites
Our Art gallery seeks to showcase the versatility of the contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists, whose brilliant and diverse work is rooted both in the very real modern-day challenges of their culture & their rich heritage. One of these artists is Geraldine Napangardi Granites, who brings her own dynamic, modern painterly interpretation to a traditional subject matter : the Snake Vine Dreaming, or Ngalyipi Jukurrpa.
The Snake Vine Dreaming Geraldine paints is associated with a specific country in the Australian Central Desert: Yanjirlpiri, or ‘star’ (known as Mt. Nicker), lying to the west of Yuendumu. In Aboriginal culture, Dreamings have specific ‘kirda’ (owners), and in the kirda of this Dreaming are the Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men & Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. Geraldine is one such Napaljarri/Nungarrayi artist, the daughter of the celebrated artist Alma Nungarrayi Granites and granddaughter of Paddy Japaljarri Sims (dec) and Bessie Nakamarra Sims (Dec): two of Warlukurlangu Artists Artists Aboriginal Corporation founding artists. Born & bred in Yuendumu, she lives locally with her four children and has developed her artistry by observing her grandfather’s art and that of Judy Napangardi Watson, a Warlpiri artist at the forefront of a move towards more abstract rendering of Dreaming stories.
In Snake Vine Dreaming traditional iconography, sinuous lines represent the Ngalyipi (snake vine), and straight lines represent the witi (ceremonial poles) and karlangu (digging sticks). Geraldine's painting pools from this tradition, whilst giving us a visual representation of how intricately interwoven this plant is in the daily physical & spiritual life of its people, and the profoundly interconnected relationship of the Aboriginal people to Country.
The snake vine, or Ngalyipi [Tinospora smilacina]) is found in the trees and shrubs of sandy spinifex plains and sandhills, this green creeper has many uses in daily life and is of great ceremonial importance. The vine is made up into as a shoulder strap to carry parraja (coolamons) and ngami (water carriers), or exploited for its medicinal uses: as tourniquets, and its leaves and vines are used as bandages for wounds. The Warlpiri people sometimes chew the leaves to treat severe colds, or pound the stems into poultices to cure headaches.
The importance of Yanjirlpiri cannot be overemphasized, as the sons and grandsons of Japaljarri and Jungarrayi men are brought here from as far away as Pitjantjatjara country (to the south), and from Lajamanu (to the north) to be initiated. This witi ceremony is performed at night under the stars, during which Napaljarri and Nungarrayi women will dance but then look away and block their ears when it is time for the men dance. In men’s initiations, Ngalyipi is used to tie the witi (ceremonial poles) to the shins of the dancing initiates, and to tie yukurruyukurru (dancing boards) to dancers’ bodies.
You are always welcome to pay a visit to our Art gallery in Tetbury, Gloucestershire or to browse through its digital counterpart in the ART section of this website.
We regularly post blogs on the provenance of our artwork. If you are interested in learning more about Dreamings, do have a read of our blog The Dream before the Art.
Detail from a painting we will be bringing back to Bay Gallery Home's Gallery, a fine example of the ever-evolving work of contemporary Australian Aboriginal Artists.
On the road to Uluru, after being Fool-uru by Mount Conner...
Here's a detail from Australian Aboriginal Street Art in Papunya, by Candy - a dynamic work of Art that feels full of expression and relevance.
Mount Conner, also called 'Fool-uru' by locals for so often being mistaken for Uluru..
Some of the rich stylistic variety of contemporary Australian Aboriginal artists, each incarnating the Artist's experience and connection with Country, their land and identity heritage.
Tidal mark, Kings Canyon inside Watarrka National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.
The Australian Aboriginal people are the one of the oldest continuous populations on earth, and their visual language is considered one of the world’s oldest Art forms, spanning over 50,000 years. The connection to 'Country' is essential. Their tribal Dreamings, creation and mapping myths, rituals and sacred topography inspire bold, beautiful abstract paintings featuring the landscape, plants and animals of Australia's central desert. The Aboriginals see no difference between themselves, the sky, the land and the animals they share it with. All are one and the same.
Fun times in the studio!
Bay Gallery Home believes passionately in respecting, supporting and promoting the Aboriginal communities it represents. Despite a way of life that continues to be endangered, the Australian Aboriginal people continue to exhibit the incredible resilience and adaptation to change that has sustained them over the many millennia they have inhabited Australia.
Yet, they are at a cross road, and the contemporary Art movement now plays a significant role in giving them a voice. The majority of artists Bay Gallery Home represents are hard working, determined women providing themselves with an income to provide for their children. The money generated by the Aboriginal owned corporations creates mobility, educational and work opportunities across the community. Our artists are remunerated for the purchase of their works, and receive a percentage of any interiors' sale.
Irrepressible creativity: very Arts & Crafts!
Colour gems waiting for the right buyer.
We have represented artists from the communities of Central Australia since 2008, and are proud to be one of the rare exclusively dedicated Australian Aboriginal Art galleries in the UK.
Bay Gallery Home's relationship with the Central Australian Aboriginal artists is one of trust, founded on respect for their heritage and contemporary ways of life. In our dealings we have the utmost consideration for the codes of conduct and sensibilities that surround the provenance of this ancient Art & the multi-generational communities that keep the artwork alive & vibrant.
Our Australian Aboriginal wallpapers bring original Art into your interior spaces in a whole new way.
The inspiration for My Country PINK starts with the Central Desert land – its red dusty earth and sun-burnt grasses, and resplendent amongst it all the ghostly white of the Ghostgum tree with its beautiful gleaming bark & sculptural presence. Observing its solitary presence in this arid landscape, it is not hard to see why artist Ngwarraye paints it so distinctively, and why it is so engaging as a recurring pictorial motif in our My Country PINK wallpaper.
In our design process, we take every pains to produce excellent wallpapers, taking account of scale and pattern repeats and colour dynamics so that in the translation between original painting & interior design product we keep the spirit of the artwork alive and present you with exquisitely beautiful products that will bring character & joy to your interior spaces.
Alana Ngwarraye, the wonderful artist behind the original artwork forMy Country PINK.
The voices of the amazing Australian Aboriginal women artists we represent, the sale of their artwork & the My Country Interiors collection means their communities earn crucial revenue streams.
This allows them to gain independence, access to health care, maintain their origins, cultural heritage and connection with the land.
Through their roles as artists they are expanding the global awareness of an ancient culture in contemporary times. The artist communities we represent are made up of men and women, who have distinct but equally valuable stories to tell and paint of their people and country & it is our privilege to share them and give them a platform.
