Karen Baker  CPS, PSA, PSTB

http://www.kbakerstudios.com/

“The most exciting aspect of the painting experience is the creative
process itself:  that spontaneous flow of energy working through the
artist, condensed into form.  Each one of my paintings is a momentary
pause in the ongoing expression of who I am…”

I paint what inspires me the most—the world of Nature and its
ever-changing landscape in all seasons. As a child I was always playing
outdoors so it’s no surprise to me that my ‘inner artist’ is still
exploring Nature and all its mysteries through my artwork.

My portfolio covers a range of subjects from rural farm buildings,
meadows, country roads, and mountain vistas of New England to the lowland
tropical waterways and coastal shorelines of the South.

I often develop a theme into an extended series which enables me to go
beyond the subject’s surface reality into the realm of imagination, where
most of my final images are conceived.  To date, the Poppy Series alone
includes over 160 paintings—becoming my signature image and symbolic
self-portrait.  Other recently developed themes include paintings of deep
water and open skies.

When I start a new painting, I use plein air studies, value sketches, and
photo references as visual aides that  help identify what my “inner
landscape” is revealing about the essence of my subject.  This practice
serves as a springboard for the creative process that follows until the
final image appears within the illusion of space.  For me, the painting
process is much more interesting to behold than simply producing a work of
art.  It’s exciting to watch creativity in action, bringing images to
“light” in the visual realm.  For me, it’s a spiritual joy ride…

I studied drawing and mixed media with abstract artist Barbara Garber at
Brattleboro Community College in Vermont, where I became passionate about
the pastel medium and landscape painting.  In the years that followed, I
was mentored by Master Pastelist Herman Margulies, and studied with noted
pastelists Stanley Maltzman, Christina DeBarry, Elizabeth Apgar-Smith,
Wolf Kahn, Albert Handell, and Larry Moore.

In addition to my membership with Vermont Pastel Society, I hold Signature
membership with Connecticut Pastel Society,  Pastel Society of America,
and Pastel Society of Tampa Bay.  Though my primary medium is pastels, I
also enjoy exploring and expressing my art vision abstractly with
acrylics.