Martha has several oil/cold wax panels in progress, working back and forth between 8 to 10 paintings. These paintings evolve through multiple layers, adding and subtracting as she progresses.  What is removed is as important as what is added. Textures are scraped into the paint and then subtly covered or veiled. A time-worn effect is the goal. Always interested in marks left behind by weather, erosion and  earlier civilizations, Martha’s paintings are excavations, an uncovering of textures which remind us of the passage of time. They evoke a visceral response in the viewer and are reminders of our experiences with nature and man.

Please visit the Oil/Cold Wax Gallery to view recent work.

 

 

Martha is pleased to announce that a “new medium” page has been added to her site. Since September, Martha has been exploring the rich medium of oil paint mixed with Dorland or Gamblin cold wax medium. This is an extremely time-consuming method,  however the results are stunning. The soft, waxy  textural surface is reminiscent of Encaustic. Watch for additional paintings to be posted soon. 

DOES COLD WAX MEDIUM MIX WITH ACRYLIC PAINT?

ABSOLUTELY NOT—-we have had questions concerning cold  wax medium, such as Dorland or Gamblin, and whether it can be mixed into acrylic paint. It is an oil based wax and, therefore, does not mix with acrylic paint, which is water based. MARTHA REA BAKER does, however, use cold wax as a final coat on her acrylic abstracts. The acrylic paint should be dry before applying a thin coat of cold wax. Allow the wax to dry and buff with a soft cloth.

 

The sun has been out in Santa Fe and Martha has explored the color yellow. These paintings reflect the artist’s mood.

 

You were promised an update and images from Martha’s annual painting retreat in the Texas Hill Country. The ten days of uninterrupted studio time was well-spent, with many new panels and canvases in oil and acrylic as results.

Martha worked in oil and cold wax on 2″ cradled panels in her Canyon Walls Series, “Traces of Time”.