Once again, the first post of the new year is a report on Martha Rea Baker’s annual painting retreat in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The Hill Country Arts Foundation in the small town of Ingram, TX is host to a group of 17 artists who each January travel from Texas, New Mexico and Tennessee to begin the new year creatively with talented artists who also happen to be dear friends. This is Martha’s tenth year of attending and next year will mark the twenty-fifth year of group which began as a wintermester art course at Collin County Community College in Plano, TX. The current group has adopted the name AWOL—-Artist Without Limits—- which describes the philosophy of these artists.

This year Martha spent the first three days of the retreat completing two 24″ x 24″ acrylic paintings on canvas to be included in the 2015 exhibition in the Duncan-McAshan Art Gallery at the Foundation.

Additional work entered in the exhibit, AWOL 2015 included oil/cold wax paintings on panel. This exhibit will hang from January 10-30, 2015.

During the final week of studio time Martha worked in acrylic on gessoed wood panels. A selection of the paintings are posted below. These pieces are very close to being finished.