Former Plano, Texas artist and founding member of Gallery VIII, Martha Rea Baker now lives in Santa Fe, NM where she works in a light filled studio with a view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. She enjoys working in various mediums including oil mixed with cold wax, encaustic hot wax, and acrylic. Characteristic of Baker’s work is a textural surface, often enriched with incised or drawn lines. Gaining much of her inspiration from travels and study in Greece, Italy, Russia, France, Mexico and the American Southwest, Baker enjoys creating abstract designs inspired by the passage and effects of time.

After receiving her BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Baker continued her art studies in her native Texas, relocating to New Mexico in 2006. As a “signature member” of the Southwestern Watercolor Society and the Mississippi Watercolor Society, her highly collected paintings have been chosen for national and international invitational exhibitions. Her work has been published in Southwest Art Magazine, Watercolor Magazine, and the book, Splash V, the Best of Watercolor, the Glory of Color. In addition, Baker’s paintings have been selected for many private and corporate collections, including Wyndham and Hilton Hotels.

2019/20 Highlights

The Exquisite Corpse / Duncan McAshan visual Arts Center – Hill country Arts Center, Ingram, TX

Small World / Owen Contemporary / Santa Fe, NM —December 13, 2019

2017/18 Highlights

Travels to Provence and the South of France, July 2017

ArtsThrive (formerly Miniatures and More) at the Albuquerque Museum of Art, November/December 2017

Shapes and Surfaces — Martha Rea Baker and Bret Price July 21-August 3, 2017 at Owen Contemporary in Santa Fe, NM

Upcoming Exhibition–Martha Rea Baker/Daniel Phill September 28-October 11. 2018

Artists Without Limits Exhibition 2018 — Hill Country Arts Foundation

Hill Country Arts Foundation — 2018 January, 2018 was Martha Rea Baker’s twelfth year to attend the annual “Artists WithOut Limits” painting retreat in the Texas Hill Country.

She looks forward to beginning each new year with intensive studio time and creativity. On this year’s trip, Martha worked on canvas using heavy body and fluid acrylic paint to create landscape based abstracts. In addition to creating two 24″ square paintings for the Hill Country Arts Foundation’s AWOL Exhibition, Martha painted five larger canvases for her galleries in Santa Fe, NM and Jackson, MS.

Provence I&II

Provence I & II

Three of the paintings are posted below and were inspired by Martha’s travels to the south of France in July of 2017.

South of France 30″ x 30″ each Acrylic on canvas

Martha Also completed two 40″ x 30″ canvases in her continuing Portal Series, which she started during her 2017 HCAF retreat.

Portal III & IV 40″ x 30″ each Acrylic on canvas

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2016/17 Highlights:

cold-wax-book

Martha Rea Baker is pleased to be included in this groundbreaking book on the subject of cold wax medium co-written by Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin. The book is currently at the printer and will be available soon.

Baker began adding cold wax medium to oil paint in 2013 and has enjoyed the textures, transparency and enhanced drying time afforded by the cold wax.

Albuquerque Museum Foundation Miniatures and More Exhibition, 2016

For the second straight year, Martha’s work was chosen by the Jury committee to be included in this exhibition benefiting the Albuquerque Museum Art and History.

2015 Highlights:

Featured in the upcoming book, Wabi-Sabi, Painting with Cold Wax, by Serena Barton, published by North Light and due out August 15, 2015