The Fin

After finishing the mosaic wall at AVAM, we flipped to the North side of the building to complete a 20ft. fin-like pennant facing Key Highway.

Sunset meeting night sky, in conjunction with south side of the building (Day, 2006) and west side of the building (Aurora Borealis 2014).

Night (2013)

30 feet up; transferring glass from strips of industrial contact paper, after building the entirety of this in our studio. 

Glass process

Aurora Borealis: Wall Complete

The Visionary Museum mosaic wall facing Federal Hill in Baltimore has [long been] completed! Just recently there were some great photos taken.

above photo: Dan Meyers

First day of install.

I'm in the lift with Kyle Miller, and Eddie from Schaefer House!

View of Inner Harbor, and third story panels from the AVAM roof.

The core of the Northern Lights spiral. 30 lb. cement half-sphere painted with electrifying automotive paint .

Completed October 2014. Click here to see midway point process photos.

Paper 22

("I love music [so much] more than painting.")

 In fact, it is cleaner. 

*NOTE* This is my 100th post! The irony, since this is also in fact, an art blog.

Star-Spangled Spectacular (+More Mural Photos)

The Star-Spangled 200 was Baltimore's big to-do this year.  This month commemorated the completion of Francis Scott Key's "Defense of Fort M'Henry" which evolved into our national anthem. The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission provided the funding, and was the reason behind the sidewalk mural I was painting last summer.

In a press release from the Visionary Museum, the mural is said to be a

"lively, complimentary and decidedly pro-peace take on Baltimore’s and America’s extraordinary true history."

We finished well into the cold season, but the snow and ice were generally good to the work. Here are the new and final additions not shown in previous posts.

The southern end of the mural features Chief Tecumseh from an anamorphic 3-D perspective, the far north side (museum entrance to Covington St.) are the written lines of his beautiful famous speech. 

Portraits of notable Baltimore natives were also painted near the main entrance of the museum. 

Tall Ships and Blue Angels (Featured ship: El Galeon Andalucia).

September 14, 2014 Canton Waterfront Park; Baltimore provided the people with Maryland's largest fireworks display to date.

(“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."-Chief Tecumseh)

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.

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.

Avocado Update

The original avocado tree is finally developing tree bark, and the leaves are bigger and better than ever! Four pits are in the germination jars ready to go.

Specific magazine archives: 1

Life Magazine, August 1997.
While Burning Man was blowing my mind as a 12 year old, reading about it for the very first time in my grandfather's Life Magazine I couldn't imagine what he made of the whole thing.  I was enthralled, even reverent, but I wonder if he even saw the article or knew what they were talking about.. the same guy that told my 12 year old mother that the color purple was only for hippies and the pope.  Love.
Here is the saved original from my very small and oddly specific "saved article collection".

Still going strong this day in age, here's a more recent write up. 

http://blog.burningman.com/2012/10/participate/youve-been-to-burning-man-now-what/

They're so serious. Like… almost thought it was a dramatic parody serious. Those projects sound good though, right?

-"There is no default world."    (Or rather maybe there is, but there certainly doesn't have to be.)