As the son (with two siblings) of psychiatrists who had a modest collection of depression era etchings and prints, Craig grew up with art. There were a few art survey books in the home library and Craig was an avid reader. His uncle was a noted commercial photographer. It never occurred to him to leave a wall unadorned, walls should have interesting, stimulating images to make them complete and the house or appartment a warm, fulfilling home.
As a young woman in high school, Kathy’s interest in languages let her meet and interact with Benedictine nuns who were multi-lingual, artistic and aware of other cultures. One nun shared her portfolio of water colors created on a two year tour of Europe. Kathy spent many hours in the library reading about Germany and France, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The chorus and the band trips to Indiana University to see passion plays and broadway musicals were fun. She was able to see framed art that hung in the union building and to get to see some of the studios where art classes were taught.
As an adult these interests evolved into a lifetime love of art, touring museums and listening to music. Kathy collected a few pictures along the way. She also enjoyed watercolors and drawing. Her watercolors enhanced her enjoyment of the beautiful landscape scenes that were a part of the rolling hills of Southern Indiana. She had a few good pictures hanging in her home, supplemented by art prints checked out from the library on a rotating basis. Art has been an avocation of Kathy for many years and she brings this knowledge to the business.
The value of art is not so much the potential for capital gain (although that exists) but in the emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual gain that living with good art brings. It is subtler than the gain of owning a pet. A dog is always glad to see you when you get home, no matter how good or bad your day has been. Art in your home greets you and comforts you as well as being a “constant” of your own choosing. It adds to self-image and helps shape it. Art becomes an extension of your being as much as a spouse, a child, the aforementioned pet, a car, or a good suit. Yet, at the same time, it stimulates. It can be moved with you. It can be rearranged. When you collect more than you can display at one time it can be rotated. It can be bequeathed and become a statement living after you. The value of art is personal and enduring. Living with art is having our personal experience and knowledge leveraged by the experience.
The Bartons started Barton Images with the goal of providing affordable art to many. Photography lends itself to multiple original prints reducing the overhead involved in returning the investment in the production of art and therefore results in a lower price to the consumer just as in lithography or etching. Limiting editions to a small number of prints like 250 ensures value for individual images and as image editions are sold out those prints should increase in value although we hope the value comes from living with our images, not in reselling them.
All images on this site have our digital watermark embedded in them. At the recommendation of several professional web developers, larger images also have a visible copyright notice watermarked onto them to discourage indiscriminant downloading. Prints purchased from us do NOT have any visible watermarks. All images are ©Copyright by Barton Images, all rights reserved.