BETH BAKER

Each of my acrylic paintings are an experiment and a new discovery. My goal is to bring a smile to the viewer and be viewed as calming or playful or just fun to explore. From my studio’s North facing wall of windows, I oversee a large lake surrounded by greenery. Birds, fish, trees and the vast variety of other living things are my painting inspiration.
Color and patterns communicate to us. Our bodies have both mental and visceral reactions from the paint choices and their interactions with each other. After my color palette is chosen, serendipity rules. Starting with a coat of acrylic paint which may be thinned to watercolor consistency or thickened so a palette knife is needed to apply the paint, I build layer upon layer of paint until balance and multiple areas of interest are achieved. I continue to add elements to emphasize whatever image or images that arise to me. As I paint abstractly, I try to convey my enthusiasm and energy for all the possibilities of life, but the overall interpretation of my thoughts and ideas is left to the viewer.
My paintings represent the awe that I feel for the gift of awareness of the privilege to be an alive, thinking and creative individual. If my paintings arrest your eye and cause you to smile or ponder its meaning, then my goal for my acrylic abstracts will have been fulfilled.
Currently on display: 1) Juried competitions initially: 2 paintings just granted a second yearly lease at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida; and long term loan at the Boynton Beach Civic Center; 2) Rotating exhibits: Lake Worth Art League in Lake Worth, Florida; and at main clubhouse at Century Village West Palm Beach for which I am curator.
Multiple images from a recent juried entry competition at new Boynton Beach library may be viewed at www.artistsofpalmbeachcounty.org/bbclexhibition.php?baker-4) Beth was juried into the inaugural exhibition at Art Loft Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida and has exhibited from California to Palm Beach, Florida. Patrons own work from coast to coast.


Biographical Information

I was born in Chicago, Illinois and taught first and fourth grade in the Chicago Public Schools and Headstart during the summers. When my children were small, I owned and ran a home-based nursery school. After moving to Florida, I became a national and Florida certified paralegal who enjoyed picking juries and other trial work. My art education began in Illinois and has continued at the Norton Museum, Armory Art Center, Palm Beach State College and workshops across the country. Membership at museums, such as the Norton, Guggenheim and Smithsonian, and visitation to museums and galleries worldwide encourage and stimulate my creative energy.

251 Dover C
West Palm Beach, FL 33417-2220
561-684-3166