Baker, Gail
Artist Statement
Since I was 3 years-old, art and imagination have been necessary in my life. Imaginary friends saw to it that my world was full and exciting. Much later, when immersed in classical art training in college, I missed the personal, expressive means to imagine, explore and reflect. Graphic arts was unsatisfying. I studied Aristotle, Socrates, and famous artists’ ways of perceiving life. I earned a B.A. in Philosophy during the social conflict of the Viet Nam war era.
Raising two children was an eye-opener for me. I wanted to teach them to approach life with enthusiasm and wonder. Our kitchen became a studio for them and their friends. Working with children for several years I missed doing design work and drawing.
When I returned to the world of commercial art, there was a lack of playfulness I knew with children. I was disappointed. Children had taught me the value of spontaneity and I wanted to be able to include it in my design work.
In all of my art, the essential motivation is the desire to express what is deep and true and to support others in doing that as well.
About Gail Baker
Gail grew up sleeping and eating with a box of 64 crayons. The 64th crayon was maroon. It made her sick. She threw it in the trash. These days maroon is just fine…so are puce, chartreuse, and celandine. She paints in acrylic paints with layers of acrylic medium for depth and texture. Oil pastels are added between layers and often gold leaf is applied. She aspires to turn the paintings into sculpture….perhaps resin or clay. For now, the paintings often turn into leather wall sculptures, especially fish of the Northwest.
Gail has taught art for 28 years in public and private settings in Alaska and Washington. She’s worked with the Arts Ed Consortium in Alaska teaching teachers how to integrate art into the classroom. Teaching painting to teens at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp was her big adventure in June of 2008. With knowledge of ADHD, learning styles, and multiple intelligences, she brings a unique teaching style to students.
Since moving back to Washington after 8 years in Alaska, Gail revels in the green and warmth. She teaches painting, mask making, drawing, visual journaling, and collage in her studio on Front Street in Issaquah and all over King County. Hiking and yoga recharge her creative batteries. She earned a master’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Creative Expression in 2000 and realized that movement, dance, meditation, and art are a wonderful combination.
Artist Code: GB
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