Category Archives: Inspiration

Art Gallery Question Of The Week – Who is the Photographer

As art consultants, we are often asked what is possible in our gallery. Each week we will highlight a FAQ on our blog to help you get the most out of your art shopping experience.

Q: Who takes these photos? Do you accept other artists?

A: All of the photos are by just two people, Stephanie Hogue and Steve Munch, the gallery owners and photographers.

Both Stephanie and Steve were professional photographers before they met, Steve already owned a small photography studio as well as a golf shop, and Stephanie was a popular wedding and portrait photographer.

The photographic universe kept bringing the artists together. They knew of each other for some time, but their paths didn’t cross until 2010 when Steve ran across the street in front of Stephanie’s car.  They were both in the harbor to photograph the snow-capped mountains and the resulting images were “Mighty Chieftain” and “Snow-caps and Sunshine.”

“Mighty Chieftain” by Steve Munch

The next day fate worked it’s magic again as they were seated next to each other at dinner and Stephanie’s husband, Jim, who knew Steve from the golf shop and photo lab, made the introduction.

“Snowcaps and Sunshine” by Stephanie Hogue

It so happened that both of them needed what the other offered: inspiration and knowledge.  That was serendipitous beginning to this artistic duo joining forces and becoming the photography team known as Latitudes.  We are so happy they did!

Give An Unforgettable Gift of heART

Give an unforgettable gift of heart this Valentine’s Day

Tired of the same old Valentine’s Day? This year, wow them with art! Unlike flowers or chocolate, a piece of art will be appreciated and enjoyed for years to come. Just like love… art keeps on giving.

Need some ideas? We’ve put together some special Valentine’s Day bundles just for you!
Only available now through the 14th.

~Special Gift Bundles~

Select your choice of in-stock items:

1. A 5″x7″ Photo Notecard, 4″ Tile, & a Mini-Pano Lustre Print- $24 (a $34 value!)

2. 5″x7″ Photo Notecard, 4″ Tile,  Mini-Pano, & a 10″x10″ Modern Wood Print- $64 (a $80 value!)

3. 5″x7″ Photo Notecard, 4″ Tile, & a 12″x18″ Artisan Wood Print- $144 (a $184 value!)

Love from the Latitudes Team

P.S. – Don’t miss out! These bundles are only available for a limited time.
Not sure what to give? See our fabulous art consultants who will help you find the perfect gift of heART.

Our Favorite Things

We spend so much time focusing on finding the perfect thing for our Latitudes customers, that often we overlook our own homes!  So we are sharing some of our “Favorite Things” with you and finally designing our own walls.

Stephanie:

“In 2017 I am definitely going to surround myself in nature’s beauty.  I want to start first with my favorite recent dunes photograph from the shores near my home. I like it so much on wood…it creates the natural and rustic feel that I like for my home, lots of natural materials and texture give it the warmth that I love.”

Stephanie’s Favorite- 40″x60″ “Seaside Sunset” Artisan Wood Print“I love to decorate with warmth and texture”
Steve:

“The living room in our Kauai Condo is usually decorated with my surf boards and gear.  I have had a few images on this wall but it has been sitting empty for awhile.  I love “Foamy Flute” in a canvas triptych…it just makes me feel good.”

Steve’s Favorite- 30″x60″ “Foamy Flute” Gallery Wrap Canvas Triptych.“Foamy Flute just makes me feel good.”
Tasha:

“We have always had this awkward niche in our home where nothing ever quite felt right.  As the entry focal point it needs to be big & bold, and with two story high ceilings it’s hard to update the look.  I love Stephanie’s new “Matador Beach” because of the motion of the water and the glow of the sun. The colors are just right to tie into the caramel & sand wall color accents and variety of wood tones in this space.  Canvas wrap is so versatile, it works perfectly with my eclectic style.”

Tasha’s Favorite- 72″x 108″ “Matador Beach” Gallery Wrap Canvas Triptych.
“This niche needed wow factor.”
Alex:

Living in one of Ventura’s victorian homes, it’s been challenging arranging furniture and finding proper wall spaces to display my artwork.  When I studied Marine Biology, I fell deeply in love with Orcas, and although I have never had the opportunity to see one in the wild, they are one of my favorite marine mammals because of their agility and intelligence. I’m in awe that Steve Munch was able to capture an Orca right off of our coast near the Channel Islands.  My medium of choice is acrylic for “Orca at Arch Rock” due to it’s ability to translate a swift moving animal so clearly.”

Alex’s Favorite- 40″x60″ “Orca at Arch Rock” Acrylic“One day I hope to be as lucky and see one of these beautiful beings with my own eyes, but for now, I love seeing the Orca through his.”
Kimberly:

“Two Trees, Topa Topa” has long been a favorite image of ours. I especially like that these two iconic geographical features are seemingly at the same elevation. And who could resist that special moment of the day when the sky turns every color but blue? The framed signature series not only added a little dimension to the mounted canvas, but also gave the living room a finished feel. We love coming home to this beautiful scene and are so glad we “found ours!”

Kimberly’s Favorite- 24″x72″ “Topa Topa Two Trees” Premium Framed Canvas“We love coming home to this beautiful scene.”

Art Gallery Question Of The Week – Materials

As art consultants, we are often asked what is possible in our gallery. Each week we will highlight a FAQ on our blog to help you get the most out of your art shopping experience.

Question: What are the image finish options?

Response: At Latitudes, we take pride in offering a wide assortment of material options to fit any decor. We can print any of our images in all of our finish options. The most popular options, include;

Metallic Acrylic –

 

 

 

 

Quarter inch thick polished plexiglass with a metallic print mounted to the back of it. Ready to hang with a french cleat.

 

 

 

 

Metal –

 

 

 

The hottest new printing material! The image is printed directly onto the metal and will take on a brilliant sheen unlike traditional printing materials. It comes ready to hang with wire and hooks.

 

 

 

 

 

Artisan Wood –

We create the platform of choice and prep it for our image to be directly printed onto the surface. Our in house artist will create the “rustic” appearance by carving out portions of the wood around the outer edges. The image is sprayed onto the surface similar to an inkjet printer, just on a larger scale.

Option 1: Planked Style –  

 

 

 

 

Rougher texture with spacing between each slat of wood.

 

 

 

 

Option 2: Grooved –

 

 

One solid piece of wood with horizontal or vertical lines carved into the wood surface.

 

 

 

 

Option 3: Solid Smooth


Option 3: Modern Edge –

 

 

 

A clean cut option without carved edges.

 

 

 

 

Gallery Wrapped Canvas –

 

 

The image is printed onto fine art canvas and wrapped around a wooden stretcher bar with a finished look on the sides. Ready to hang with wire on back.

 

 

 

 

Luster Paper –

Standard photographic paper with a luster finish, ready to frame

 

Framed Premium Hard Mount Canvas –

 

 

Our high end canvas option for those who want a traditional framed look without the maintenance of a stretched canvas

4 Ways to Warm Up Your Home- in a Snap!

Winter is the perfect time to warm up your home.  Friends and family come to visit, the weather chills and we want a cozy place to curl up in.  Our in-house designer has 5 quick ideas to give you what you crave.
1. Large Custom Canvas 

Nothing creates WOW like a big image on your wall. Just one piece has so much power in creating mood and unifying a space.  Call us today- there is still time to get it by the holidays!

2. Metal Prints

Our hottest new material will definitely give you a blast of “high-def” color.  Create a neutral backdrop with your room and let the color in your art take the focus.

3. Grab-and-Go

With over 40 wrapped decor canvas in-stock, you can quickly update your look, today!


4. It’s the Little Things

We have so many small ways to warm up your space, from our fantastic photo tile coasters and trivets, to our 12″x18″ Artisan Wood Prints, everyone can make their space just right this season.

 IMG_5173Tasha Cleaveland is Latitudes Fine Art Gallery’s Manager and Design Consultant.  She has been working with Stephanie and Steve since 2014 and is always excited to help Latitudes customers find the perfect piece to transform their space.

Kauai Corner Celebration with Steve & Stephanie!

Aloha! We are excited to announce the newest addition to our gallery;

The Kauai Corner

A Latitudes party would not be complete without Steve Munch and as a special treat he’s flying in from Kauai!

stephanie-steve

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Join us for light refreshments and snacks

Saturday, December 10th from 6-9pm

Looking forward to seeing our Latitudes family,

Mahalo

What will you find at Latitudes this season?

what-will-you-findWhat will you find at Latitudes this season?

Now that the hustle of  the Thanksgiving holiday weekend has passed, it’s time to settle in and enjoy time with family and friends. We are looking forward to “finding our” bliss this year by balancing passion and fun.

We are so excited to share our newest item with you!tote-bag23Due to the success of our last photo tote bag, we set out to blow our Latitudes Family away with our newest version.  So far it has rave reviews- we hope you love it too!

Find your cheer!

Ventura’s annual Holiday Street Fair and Winter Wine Walk is this Saturday, December 3rd. It is Ventura’s “can’t miss” event of the year!  Each year we are in awe of the crowds that fill our little gallery and the excitement is electric.twinkle-panoThe Holiday Street Fair begins at noon and is free to the public through 8pm. Enjoy handcrafted products, live entertainment, and there’s even a rumor of snowfall from 6:45pm-8pm.latitudes-party-2015-hr-112Winter Wine Walk starts at 4pm and we are overjoyed to host Casa Barranca Organic Winery for the second year in a row. Don’t forget to stop by Latitudes, to sample their fantastic sulfite-free wines and say hello to our team. The Wine Walk features world class wines and craft beer. Purchase your tickets here now- they sell out before the event.

Looking forward to sharing the season with all of you.

Holiday Fun and Gift Ideas!!

partyIt was fun meeting fresh faces and welcoming back loyal Latitudes customers at the new Arts & Eats event held in downtown Ventura this past Saturday, November 19th. We hope you will join us next time! To stay updated on future events, follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
We will be closed Thursday, November 24th for Thanksgiving! Wishing you a Happy Holiday from the Latitudes Family!

Black Friday special! This weekend only!

Receive a FREE poster of your choice
with any purchase over $75 dollars!

We will be open Friday & Saturday from 10am-9pm and Sunday from 10am-6pm.

If you’re out shopping Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, here are some great gift ideas you can pick up at Latitudes!

Latitudes Posters: Two Trees and Ventura

Latitudes Posters: Your choice of Two Trees or Ventura….FREE with any purchase of $75 or more.

NEW!!! Ventura tote bags....perfect for your groceries!! $14.95 each

NEW!!! Ventura tote bags….perfect for your groceries!! $14.95 each

Latitudes Coffee Table Book $49.95 "Gallery Only Special"!

Latitudes Coffee Table Book $49.95 Gallery Only Special!

tilecoaster

Tile Coaster – “Sand Stars” $14.95

Hot Item – Artisan Wood Prints for the Wall!

We just had to share this awesome new Artisan Wood Print we created for a client’s wall! It is a 4’x6′ custom built, hand carved wood piece printed with one of our favorite photographs: “Good Life”.  This will be a spectacular piece on their wall and create a wonderfully relaxing vibe.

_w8a7223 Visit our website here to see more beautiful Artisan Wood Pieces we have created.
Cali love is too!

Photograph on wood

Artisan Wood Print “Good Life”

Desert Beauty

This winter I made a couple of trips out to the desert. As a photographer, it is always so inspiring to change your scenery now and then for a boost of inspiration. The desert definitely delivered!! I love the otherworldly landscapes, shapes, textured and color palettes. Joshua Tree was the first stop which was expansive and amazing. I enjoyed the cholla cactus garden and winding roads through the variety of landscapes. It was a quick trip but it motivated me to plan to come again and explore more in depth with some hiking and camping next time.

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_W8A9228Latitudes_JoshuaTree_012 Latitudes_JoshuaTree_005

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