Leslie Baker's artistic talent is old news. As a painter and portrait artist, exploring and mastering various mediums and subject matter, Baker's career spans 40 years. As an illustrator, she has contributed to 15 children's books, receiving numerous awards. In 2003, her painting of a lamb won the Agricultural Fair poster contest.
In her West Tisbury studio, Leslie Baker in a moment of pause from a schedule that includes family, art, and community causes. Photos by Ralph Stewart
But Ms. Baker's resume is not just limited to her artistic accomplishments. A wife and mother, she authored several of the children's books that she illustrated, in addition to writing a college textbook on teaching art. As a fundraiser, she helped raise over $20,000 last October for President Obama's campaign through Artists for Obama, which sold the work of well-known Island artists at bargain prices.
"Leslie is one of those truly great gals who has got everything put together," says Nancy Cramer, owner of the Shaw Cramer Gallery in Vineyard Haven. The Main Street gallery has been featuring the artist's work for the past nine years. Ms. Cramer speaks of Ms. Baker with the admiration that those who encounter the artist's warm and amiable nature are likely to share.
"Beetlebungs"
Ms. Baker's current show at Shaw Cramer (through August 6) features the artist's richly colored, atmospheric landscapes, which she has focused on since her move to the Vineyard year-round 12 years ago.
The artist is a plein air painter, but her palette surpasses realism, allowing her work to poignantly translate nature in an evocative manner. It is a painting process that resonates intention, much like that of a poet. Although she systematically begins with an examination of her subject matter, her concentration lies with her own interpretation of the scene.
"I am more interested in the act of painting than in direct observation," Ms. Baker says. "Once I have the chance to digest what I have seen, I focus more on the piece itself. I stop looking and begin to follow my hand."
Along with their beauty, the result is landscapes that capture the significance of nature through the emotions they evoke.
"Moving into Night" is one example. The large oil on canvas depicts a line of trees above a pond in different shades and layers of blues and greens. While the image is clearly representational, it is not photorealistic. Rather, the artist plays off natural light, without ever leaning into abstraction.
"I consider myself a representational painter because I am inspired by what I see, but I am more interested in how I filter my feelings and emotions," Ms. Baker says.
Four small landscapes included in the show depict sketches of a lost moment in time. In each, the brushstroke is visible and captures the instant with its vivacious texture.
"I am interested in the surface, in all of the marks," Ms. Baker says, noting this stems from her early focus in watercolor, her "soul mate" medium. "My work in watercolor has helped me to follow my intuition, to not to be as intellectual about what I am doing but rather to be more playful."
Ms. Baker's experience in different themes and mediums is evident. The artist revisits an early interest in still life in one piece, "Shades of Gray: Five Pears." The painting, composed of pears, flowers, and an empty wine bottle, is part of a series for her upcoming one-woman show at the Copley Society of Art in Boston next year. The color in the still life remains spirited but is true to life. The delicacy and sensuous nature of her work, also evident in her landscapes, is furthered by her mastery of layered color.
Still, the artist remains strikingly self-effacing. "I have a high level of dissatisfaction with my work. I am always looking to get better," Ms. Baker says. "There aren't enough hours in the day to say everything I want to say."
Her modesty reflects her constant yearning to learn from others. She relies on inspiration to challenge personal boundaries, whether it is through the long-standing 12-person group of Island artists that meets regularly for discussions and critiques, or through perusing art she admires, such as a collection of William Turner's watercolors that she gained access to as a young art student.
Leslie Baker, through August 9, at the Shaw Cramer Gallery in Vineyard Haven. 508-696-7323.
Freelance writer Samantha McCoy, entering her senior year at Cornell University, divides her time between West Tisbury and New York City.
