News

It’s hard to believe that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. It’s so beautiful that we set aside a whole day to honor and celebrate the women who raised us, those who are raising children beside us, and to have a day to acknowledge how truly special a gift it is to be a mother.

It’s arguable that no one is more deserving of a special show of appreciation than Mom, and also that there is no better gift than that of art. I’ve created a custom SBFA gift guide with something suited for all of the special mamas in your life.

All of the gifts listed below are handmade or produced in the USA by a small, local business.

Curbside pickup is available for all orders and free local delivery within central San Diego for orders over $100.

order custom watercolor paintings

*email hello@stefaniebales.com to order

“What every mom really needs is a wife”

In honor of the 1 year anniversary of the opening of Stefanie Bales Fine Art Gallery, I teamed up with my good friend, brand photographer, and creative collaborator Angela Garzon to create a one-of-a-kind, temporary art installation in the space.

We were inspired to transform the gallery into an art installation that aimed to make visitors feel as if they were walking into one of my paintings. We selected fabric in colors and textures reminiscent of the light and skies in my paintings and draped the materials amidst the previously constructed handmade clouds in an attempt to create a beautiful, whimsical, and immersive experience. We named it “Sogni Di Nuvole” which is Italian for “cloud dreams” , as we wanted to pay homage to the gallery’s neighborhood of Little Italy, San Diego. We are so happy with how it turned out and would love to hear your thoughts on it too!

Amongst the hanging clouds and draped fabric, we interspersed 3 starlights with twinkling blue led bulbs as well as strips of iridescent sequined fabric, meant to mimick rain, in the most beautiful of ways. The back wall of the gallery completes the installation, giving ground to the sky. The sequined mermaid fabric is intended to read as light reflecting on the sea, and the round iridescent mirror can act as either a sun, or a moon.

View the slider images below for a closer look at all of the details that make up the full art installation!

An inside look into my most recent rainbow mural

Hello and Happy New Year! (though how is it already February?!) I intended to send this about 3 weeks ago, but I’m happy to report that I’ve been preoccupied having the best month in the history of my business this January! Among other things, I sold 7 original paintings this month and am hoping that the rest of 2020 will maintain the same trajectory. Anyway, here’s a quick look back on the highlights of 2019, what I’m currently working on, and what’s on deck! (Be sure to scroll to the end for some important updates/changes).

1. Highlight of 2019! SBFA was voted as the Silver Winner for Best Art Gallery by San Diego Downtown News.
2. My art was published in San Diego Home Garden and Lifestyle (twice!) In Her Studio Magazine, There San Diego (3 times!), and was featured on Fox 5 San Diego News.
3. I was accepted as a member of the exclusive Female Founders Collective created by Rebecca Minkoff. (My new calendar was featured in their 2019  holiday gift guide!)
4. I painted 7 murals this year: at Frost Me Gourmet, The Carlsbad Forum, The Dailey Method, The Flower Hill Mall, and in 3 private residences.
5. I was a finalist for Honeybook + The Rising Tide Society’s “20 on the Rise.”
6. I spoke on my first public panel about defining, creating, and growing a strong brand organically. (Hoping to do more of this in 2020!)
7. I created my first large-scale interior installation with my brand manager Angela Garzon. It’s called: “Sogno Di Nuvole” which is Italian for “Cloud Dreams.”
8. I collaborated with Neyenesch Printers (again!) to create custom greeting cards for Creative Mornings San Diego.
9. I sold 13 original paintings and completed an additional 6 commissioned paintings.
10. I hosted 4 watercolor workshops– 3 in my gallery and one for the San Diego chapter of Ladies Wine Design.

I’m excited to share these 2019 highlights. It was definitely a year of growth- both personally and professionally, and I’m SO excited to see what the rest of 2020 has in store for me, my family and my business.

My first big project of the New Year was a really unique and special one. I was commissioned by a local biopharma company to create a painting of a ribbon diagram of a new revolutionary biotherapeutic drug they have developed. It was such a fun challenge and change of pace!

I hosted two botanical themed watercolor workshops in the gallery on Sunday, February 9. For future workshops, click here to see our event schedule.

SOLD!
These beauties (and more!) new homes in the month of February.