Maine Art Scene

I just did an interview for Maine Art Scene. You can read it here.

Press

Somehow word has gotten out....

The Gettysburg Review is featuring my paintings in the Spring 2012 issue. It just arrived on my doorstep; it looks great!

And Aparte 20 Minutos, a free Spanish Newspaper based in Madrid, has a small feature about me in their arts and culture blog this week.

New Year

Well, I'm back from South Africa and hard at work preparing for an exhibition later this year. The time away from the studio was wonderful, the travel fantastic, the people amazing, but yes, it's great to be back in chilly Maine, holed up in my studio making paintings. While in South Africa I did a small portrait study of my cousin (once-removed) Margot Chamberlain and her daughter Anne.

My efforts here in the studio have mostly gone into this painting of my neighbor, L, who has modeled for a number of my recent paintings. I'm very happy with how well (and quickly) it has been going.  The painting is biggish (36 x 52 inches).  For this painting I treated myself to a canvas stretched by Chris Polson of Twin Brooks Stretchers. He and his business partner, Joe, make the most amazing stretcher bars and, yes, they do stretch and prime as well. The quality is excellent, they are a pleasure to work with, and it is, as I said, an absolute treat to go straight from the drawing to the canvas without having to take a few days off in order to prepare the linen.

The nearly finished painting and the drawing:

South Africa / Watercolor

As some readers may know, I am in South Africa visiting family and doing a bit of portrait painting. I'm here with my wife and children--it's a great adventure. I have fond memories of visiting people and places here when I was a child, and though it's rather different to be here as an adult (and a parent), it is still a magical place to be.
Last week, after over 24 hours of travel, including a 17 hour flight originating from Dulles airtport and via Dakar, we arrived in Cape Town; though weary for sure, all in all, we were in good spirits. We caught our breath and caught up with some relatives before quickly making our way to Hermanus, a lovely and peaceful seaside town about an hour and half's drive on the eastern (Indian Ocean side) coast. It didn't take me long to regret not having my oil paints with me so I bought a small travel watercolor kit on our first day here and have been enjoying challenging myself with the medium.  I'd like to think that I'm following in the tradition of Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent, but truly I've got a long way to go before achieving anything that resembles mastery of the medium. Nonetheless, I'll post a few of my efforts in order to share a glimpse of the stunning scenery:

Updated Expats

Expats

Untitled Triptych, oil on linen 30 x 86 inches

This photo of the painting is from a couple of weeks ago. Things are significantly further along now, and though I swear I took a photo of its current state, I can't seem to locate it.  The depicted frame is a mock-up that I did for my friend and framemaker, Hugh Williams, who is now in the midst of building the actual frame. The working title for the piece is Expatriates. 

Dad

Graeme C. Baker, 1938 - 2011

The last month has been an emotional roller coaster.  In spite of my success in the painting world, my father's rapidly declining health and ultimately his death hovered over most days. When his final day came it was merciful;  nonetheless we are heartbroken and will miss him terribly.  

The high to balance the low was my exhibition at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland. Jake and Mary did a super job hosting the event. Thank you to good friends Davis and Alyssa Taylor  as well as Mandy Schumaker and Ted O'Meara for making the trip to Mid-Coast and showing support. Some of my favorite pieces are off to excellent collections across the country. I had a chance to meet some of the collectors and was charmed by many, but especially the fabulous photographer Cig Harvey and her husband, filmmaker Doug Stradley; Kaja and Cali Veilleux; and the Barkers from Nashville.

I have posted many of the paintings that were in the exhibition, and though they are on the DW site, this one in particular is a favorite that I hadn't yet posted:

 Summer Selkies,  oil on linen mounted on panel, 24 x 40 inches

And looking ahead: I've been working on another triptych. Though the painting is quite far along, I've struggled to carve out the time to bring it to a close. It totals 8 feet in width and contains some passages that I've very pleased with.  I'll snap an in-progress shot this weekend and post it on Monday.

D