On Convenience | Paper 25

("Gas stations, robbing the world of mystery")

On convenience and the problems it presents to us in the end; on convenience and what it robs us of. Following a discussion of how we can never truly be "lost" these days.

From the collection of Original Little Pieces of Paper. 

Context: Picture the gas station for all of your road-traveling needs. From a fancy piece of cheese, to the modern ATM. From water with air, to the exact directions you need when you're lost from point A to B to D and back on track again, recounted to you by the gas station attendant who's using the iMap on their cell phone (since yours is charging in their wall), and not using their local prowess. Everything you need conveniently put there for you.

(This is true story.)

This is a true little piece of paper.

Note* This is also the description of a modern convenience store that also happens to sell petrol, not a dusty, broken-down, picturesque gas station. 

Convenience stores: robbing the world of mystery. 

When we rely only on what is convenient, we may be lead down a path of suffering so great that we don’t realize it is happening.

Copper Lion Revisited | Paper 24

("You are the best human I know. Thanks for making me want to be the best human I can be.")

Certainly that must be worth much.
Acrylic and mixed media on wood, 9"x5 1/2".

Shameful to think that if my wallet had gone missing, so may have this little piece of paper. So I made it part of this piece. Shameful to know that it's doubtful I can use it as my resume.

Mosaic Wall Opening and Dedication | Rebecca Hoffberger | Juvenile Services Program

The young men of the Schaefer House (Juvenile Services group home for boys) were a huge contributing factor to the 2000 sq. foot mosaic that was installed and dedicated in October.

Watch the "DJS TV" short video about it here, hear interviews with the guys, and see them working in our studio. See some of their personal work from our program this past year.

Above: Installing the last ceremonial panel.

Artist Mari Gardner, and (below) AVAM founder Rebecca Hoffberger during presentations with the Schaefer House guys, and crew.

Studio crew: (Photos courtesy of Maryann Baker)

A really lovely day for a crowd. Below: poem taken from  museum's annual literature.

Paintings on the Billboard

A group of my paintings were flashing on the 52 ft. LED billboard over Baltimore's Penn Station! 

Put together by the Shanklin Media Group, and Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, this is a tremendous way to showcase MD artists. You can look through their featured artist database to see what's coming up next. My personal profile is here.

Painting Repair

Two 36"x42", oil on wood panel portraits recently sold (very happy to say goodbye)! I couldn't send them off without fixing the warped curvature that made them unable to hang or lay flat. In the past, I attached an extra wire to two screws in the offending corners and twisted tight, which eventually was useless. New simple steps: corner brackets, and a 50" screen door turnbuckle. 

Corner brackets in place. This one needed a third hole drilled into center to accamodate the length of the turnbuckle. S hook used to connect.

This worked well for a 42" painting; different sizes are available, or you may have to cut the flat end of the rod with metal clippers where it makes sense. The size/length of the S hook (or other clip) will also make a difference. I think these are 25mm. Tighten in center until the panel is laying flat.

New Index

I was curious to see if I would work better (+faster) with a hands-on version of "every piece of artwork I've ever made" in tiny piece of paper form. It helps and I love it. It's like an odd little game every time I comb the images selecting which work samples to send off. 

Just for the sake of place holders I used things that were unfinished (pear below) but only one shot per mural. New categories coming soon on scbaker.com.

Found: North American Slides

Another tiny, red-toned drawing;

5"x7" ink, acrylic, pastel on paper. 

Based on slide below:

Whose slides?

In 2010 I used to go to the American Corner/Federalsburg, MD auctions. This is deep into Maryland's Eastern Shore.  One night I took three slide packs from a completely discarded table where everything was free, after the winning bidder took only what they were gunning for. They are labeled Alaska 1965, Plane trip to Slippery Rock, Some beautiful mountain landscapes, Cabin Caliadonia [meaning Caledonia?] *Special one, Mary & Walter, and Beach scenes. They are all very gorgeous slide photos. This particular one is a runway in Canada, of which there were several. Out of 90 slides, there is only one with people, (two people standing on a beach). There has to be some universal old photo lost and found. The ones I saw online seem junky. So if you read this and take interest, pass it along. 

Key info: slides, Alaska, Maryland, A. Curtis Andrew Auction, 1965, Canada, Caledonia, Walter & Mary.

Paper 21

I found a lot of new but old tiny-piece-of-paper memoirs while rifling through a box yesterday, this one seasonally appropriate. Happy post-Thanksgiving; I've realized I'm thankful for literally everything! This M. Cromwell card is at least from 2009 if not earlier. Neither of us won that contest, but Forrest and I did spend ten hours baking 3 pies and a cake this year with our homemade mixing innovation. 

UNLOADING- Old painting surplus for sale!

I have a fair amount of older work in need of new homes. I can't keep them on walls, in halls, or in garages any longer. Some are large, some are not. Some are scholastic looking, some are not. Size and description under each one, all pricing negotiable. I would love to part with them! Contact me, sclairebaker@gmail.com, or pass this link on! Thanks a million.

40"x35" Oil on canvas

35"x30" Oil on canvas. Currently rolled, not on wood stretcher. Can be re-stretched, priced for either.

28"X36" Oil on canvas. Still life from cut vegetables and railroad pieces.

25"x25" Oil on canvas, mixed media (ink.. acrylic.. maybe wax?)

30"x24" Acrylic on canvas, mixed media (textures like coffee beans and string).

18"24" Oil on canvas. Copy of Cézanne's La mer à l'Estaque.

18"x24" Ink on Paper. Framed and currently hanging, but may as well be for sale if someone is interested!

72"x48" Oil on canvas. Larger than life size; it's sister piece has a home in SC. Also I should probably note that this is a reference to the Hooper Straight lighthouse in St. Michaels, MD (see below). This previous post may also be helpful.

And finally

80"x35" Oil on wood. This is actually on a standard size interior door. You can use it in your house! Back is done in black and white graniteware pattern.

Sketchbook Project

The Maryland Federation of Art celebrated their 50th anniversary by putting together a local chapter of the Sketchbook Project (endeavor of Art House Co-op). 100 sketchbooks were on display this summer at The Art Gallery, University of Maryland College Park, before joining the masses in Brooklyn. Mine was there, filled with little fragments and ink.

(Cover [tiny pear with tiny gold leaves, on gloss white])  

("Are you getting enough? [Vitamin A]")

("coffee fox")

(Page 2: "Pear, identical to a new painting of a pear. Except that one looks like this: [arrow]

And then, I agreed to an adventure with an adventurer and a photographer.")

 ("On our way to Centralia, PA in Tucker's green jeep")

They even gave me this odd little sketchbook tattoo!