Martha Rea Baker

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

Martha Rea Baker — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:32:13 +0000

Martha Rea Baker has spent the last six weeks traveling and visiting many art museums and inspiring venues in the Southwest and on the California Central Coast. The value of viewing great art in all media cannot be overly emphasized!

The journey began in March with a trip through Scottsdale and stops at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West and the studio and residence of Paolo Soleri, where Martha enjoyed the vision of these two organic architects. April took her west, beginning in LA at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Getty Museum, traveling up the coast to the Santa Barbara Art Museum and Hearst Castle at San Simion. The California trip ended in Carmel by the Sea, a vibrant art lover’s community.

In mid-April, travels to Texas gave Martha the opportunity to visit the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio where she saw a comprehensive Andy Warhol retrospective, and on to Houston where the rich Museum District was the icing on the cake! The Houston Museum of Fine Art and the Houston Contemporary Art Museum did not disappoint. In the Beck Building at the HMFA the exhibition, Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics: The Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio Collection was stunning! The Menil Collection included the impressive exhibit, Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective and visits to the Cy Twombly Gallery and the Rothko Chapel, both equally meditative.

The artist has returned to her familiar Studio Tres Picos near Santa Fe, an inspiration in itself, and is back at the easel. We have posted the most recent painting, inspired by travels in Italy in past times. We eagerly await the influences of the recent journeys.

Siena Campo——48″ x 48″

Kerrville paintings delivered to Brown’s Fine Art

Martha Rea Baker — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:56:42 +0000

Martha has completed two additional paintings from the Hill Country painting trip. Brown’s Fine Art in Jackson, MS requested work in these soft palettes.

Kairos III-----48" x 36"-----Acrylic

Golden Falls----48" x 36"----Acrylic

New Kerrville Paintings for Karan Ruhlen Gallery

Martha Rea Baker — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:23:10 +0000

As promised, we are posting two additional paintings, recently finished. Although begun at the Hill Country Arts Foundation, these works have changed dramatically! Martha has now completed five new paintings for the Karan Ruhlen Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

Mesa IV------48" x 36"------Acrylic

This painting, Mesa IV, works as a companion piece for Mesa III-Pedernal, posted earlier and delivered to Karan Ruhlen Gallery before the Kerrville trip.

: Kairos II—–36″ x 36″—-Acrylic

Kairos, an opportune moment in time——This mostly high-key neutral acrylic has bits of vibrant color shining through.

THE KERRVILLE PAINTINGS–2012

Martha Rea Baker — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:24:48 +0000

Martha Rea Baker has been adding finishing touches to the canvases painted on her annual two-week visit to the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, TX. This time spent in Ingram/Kerrville in the beautiful Texas Hill Country each year in January is a time of great creativity for the artist.

We will post the paintings as they are finished. Here are the first two.

Mesa II continues the Mesa Series, influenced by the light, colors and landscape of New Mexico and the Southwest.

Barranca I & II-----30" x 60"------Acrylic Collage on Canvas

This diptych consists of two 30″ x 30″ canvases that work together to create a wide horizontal. This exciting piece conveys energy and spontaneity, as well as a refined sense of design.

Check back often to see additional paintings posted here!

New acrylic paintings in the Mesa Series

Martha Rea Baker — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:41:51 +0000

A recent acrylic abstract was delivered to Karan Ruhlen Gallery just before Martha left for her annual painting trip to the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas.

: Mesa III-Pedernal——–48″ x 36″

The ten-day painting retreat was very productive. Martha worked on several 48″ x 36″ canvases producing exciting abstracts influenced by landscape and nature.

Stay tuned—-the new work will be posted soon.

New acrylic delivered to Karan Ruhlen Gallery

Martha Rea Baker — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:31:51 +0000

Martha has recently finished a five by four-foot acrylic on canvas for Karan Ruhlen Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. The abstract, from the Mesa Series, is influenced by the colors, light and landscape of New Mexico.

Mesa I----60" x 48"----Acrylic on Canvas

Tamarind Institute

Martha Rea Baker — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:34:42 +0000

In August, Martha had the privilege of a day of monotyping at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, NM. Assisted by Senior Printer, Alex Kirillov, they created six multicolor monotypes drawn by the artist on linoleum with lithographic inks diluted with isobar and oil sticks printed with the offset press. Two of the monotypes are shown below.

White Cliff II----13" x 12"----Monotype on paper

Mississippi Blues III----13" x 12"----Monotype on paper

Senior Printer Alex Kirillov at the offset press:

Alex pulling a print

Alex setting the paper with the linoleum plate in the foreground

Encaustics delivered to Brown’s Fine Art

Martha Rea Baker — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:46:05 +0000

Martha delivered five new encaustic paintings to Brown’s Fine Art and Framing in Jackson, MS this past week. Some of the paintings may be included in the Holiday Show in December. The new work was well received by Allison and Joel Brown and the gallery staff.

Cinnabar I-------12" x 12"--------Encaustic

Cinnabar II--------12" x 12"--------Encaustic

Vermillion Remnant--------20" x 16"--------Encaustic

Mississippi Blues I--------20" x 16"--------Encaustic

Mississippi Blues II--------20" x 16"--------Encaustic

“Excavated Passages” opening at Karan Ruhlen Gallery a great success!

Martha Rea Baker — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:25:13 +0000

The opening of “Excavated Passages—the Hot and Cold Wax Paintings of Martha Rea Baker and Mary Long-Postal” at Karan Ruhlen Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM was well attended and a grand success! A record crowd attended the opening reception with both artists present and the interest in the work was over-whelming. The exhibit hangs through August 4th.

Martha Rea Baker with "White Cliff" from the Canyon Walls Series (48" x 48")

Installation of Excavated Passages Exhibit

Martha Rea Baker — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:59:23 +0000

Installation photos of Martha Rea Baker’s paintings from the “Excavated Passages” exhibit at Karan Ruhlen Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM have been posted below.

Chronos I, II and III--oil/cold wax--30" x 30" each

Excavated Passages, Kairos, Haiku I, Pyramid, Excavation-- (left to right)

Kairos (oil/cold wax--54" x 24" and Haiku I (encaustic--12" x 12")

Pyramid, Excavation (encaustic) and Traces of Time Series (oil/cold wax)

"Red Wall" (encaustic--24" x 24") from the Canyon Walls Series with the Chronos Series