Baker Artist Portfolios

an experimental series created for a 2d show. Combining my strengths in watercolor and hair, I used shadow boxes to celebrate the female form. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7asKmr76L1o&feature=share

a new line of investigation into the adorn,ent and wearable nature of hair as an extension of blackness.

"Beachcomber" is an oil painting of my daughter. I loved the contrast of the realistic image of my daughter against the abstract nature of the ripples in the water and the refraction that is visible in the water and on my daughters hand and legs. The idea that to capture her realistically in the water required me to fracture the image and distort her body was interesting to me. 

"Saguaro" is an oil painting of cactii in the SouthWest. I was captivated by my photo of the light at this time of day and how rich the colors became in the foreground on the desert floor. 

As I have stated, I must be ADD because working in a particular style with one particular media doesn't work for me so I am constantly trying new processes and learning something that somehow makes its way back into my more traditional watercolors and oil paintings. This was a piece that incorporated printmaking, stencils, handmade paper, gilding, and the use of collage elements. The collaged elements are actually my highly detailed paintings of flowers.

"Happy" is a huge acrylic mixed media painting. I used a variety of methods even including bubble wrap pressed into paint to create a variety of textures. When working this large, it became critical for me to put the painting somewhere that I could back up from it and see it from a distance. Playing with color, line, shape and texture were so liberating and in some ways I found working in an abstract manner almost more difficult than the tight oils and watercolors that I also create. 

This is a mixed media piece that I had a blast working on. Judy Tallwing (Apache Elder who shows her artwork at the American Visionary Museum) is a huge inspiration to me. I taught art for 20 years and one of the fieldtrips I made happen every year was to AVAM. As we took the tour, a docent said she was a Charm City Local. I don't know what came over me but I called her and asked if I could ever get her to come participate in a paid residency at the high school I taught in.

"Feed the Seeds" is a mixed media piece that celebrates the idea of aligning your gut, your heart, and your mind with your higher self or your intentions. I used metallic watercolor and handmade marbelized paper to create this composition.